Ashes 2025/6

[nat]

"If I was an England supporter and had paid the money to come here, I'd be asking the ECB for a refund," Ian Botham said on Sunday. "Because this team, for me, is not prepared."

For once, I agree with Botham.
Heads MUST roll after this fiasco.

Agreed but IB's idea of preparation is to punch Ian Chappell. Which I agree with btw.

[Oldhasbeen]

Baz has a contract until after the 2027 World Cup. It would cost the ECB too much to get rid of him. I think Rob Key will be the one to go.

Apparently they don't have a dedicated fielding coach, or a wicket keeping one (that's Baz) and only recruited David Saker at the last minute. Their fabled preparation seems to have been anything but. Add that to the lack of warm up games and someone has to take the fall for this shambles.

And I think we are all entitled to ask what the batting coach, Marcus Trescothick,  has done ro justify his wages.

[Andy]

Looking at the last two tests it seems Bazball is up, running and perfected by the Aussies.

Exactly bazball but with brains.

[NotAMember]

"If I was an England supporter and had paid the money to come here, I'd be asking the ECB for a refund," Ian Botham said on Sunday. "Because this team, for me, is not prepared."

Says the man whose idea of pre-game preparation was to bully players into having a booze-up.

[JasonP]

Looking at the last two tests it seems Bazball is up, running and perfected by the Aussies.

Exactly bazball but with brains.

Not sure it really has been Bazball.  Englands one dimensional short pitched bowling has given them so many scoring opportunities.  Head is very aggressive, the rest really have often just feasted on short and often wide bowling.  Englands batters would have fancied their chances of smashing this England attack around aswell, bowling like this.

[nat]

Looking at the last two tests it seems Bazball is up, running and perfected by the Aussies.

Exactly bazball but with brains.

Not sure it really has been Bazball.  Englands one dimensional short pitched bowling has given them so many scoring opportunities.  Head is very aggressive, the rest really have often just feasted on short and often wide bowling.  Englands batters would have fancied their chances of smashing this England attack around aswell, bowling like this.

Yep sh** bowling by sh** bowlers.

[Andy]

Looking at the last two tests it seems Bazball is up, running and perfected by the Aussies.

Exactly bazball but with brains.

Not sure it really has been Bazball.  Englands one dimensional short pitched bowling has given them so many scoring opportunities.  Head is very aggressive, the rest really have often just feasted on short and often wide bowling.  Englands batters would have fancied their chances of smashing this England attack around aswell, bowling like this.

No I think it can be described as bazball approach given that the Aussie batsmen have scored very quickly at times. But this is not new. decades ago Bobby Simpson would get the Waughs et al to rotate the strike and keep the scoring rate up.

The original ethos of Ben and Baz seemed to be similarly positive in decision making and tactics but this has degenerated into a paranoid attempt to prove a point by adhering to the funky even when orthodox would be a better choice.

The latter point mirrors that of the later Botham reign where the latter would position himself on the boundary and pick fights with supporters. 

[bobw]

Looking at the last two tests it seems Bazball is up, running and perfected by the Aussies.

Exactly bazball but with brains.

Not sure it really has been Bazball.  Englands one dimensional short pitched bowling has given them so many scoring
opportunities.  Head is very aggressive, the rest really have often just feasted on short and often wide bowling.  Englands batters would have fancied their chances of smashing this England attack around aswell, bowling like this.

In my opinion Baz ball should be about positivity as against aggression. I see nothing wrong with looking to score off every ball but only if that is possible. Defence should be the result of not being able to score of a particular ball. This does not mean that the batter should look to smash every ball to the boundry but to get ones or twos where they are offered.

No I think it can be described as bazball approach given that the Aussie batsmen have scored very quickly at times. But this is not new. decades ago Bobby Simpson would get the Waughs et al to rotate the strike and keep the scoring rate up.

The original ethos of Ben and Baz seemed to be similarly positive in decision making and tactics but this has degenerated into a paranoid attempt to prove a point by adhering to the funky even when orthodox would be a better choice.

The latter point mirrors that of the later Botham reign where the latter would position himself on the boundary and pick fights with supporters.

[Andy]

Looking at the last two tests it seems Bazball is up, running and perfected by the Aussies.

Exactly bazball but with brains.

Not sure it really has been Bazball.  Englands one dimensional short pitched bowling has given them so many scoring
opportunities.  Head is very aggressive, the rest really have often just feasted on short and often wide bowling.  Englands batters would have fancied their chances of smashing this England attack around aswell, bowling like this.

In my opinion Baz ball should be about positivity as against aggression. I see nothing wrong with looking to score off every ball but only if that is possible. Defence should be the result of not being able to score of a particular ball. This does not mean that the batter should look to smash every ball to the boundry but to get ones or twos where they are offered.

Yes I think we all agree on this. Question is why the ECB have seemingly allowed Groupthink to take over?

[vim]

In the two games, the commentators were, again and again, saying that England were bowling the same ball in the same place. With the same result.

[Bath Hammer]

So we bring in Matthew Fisher to replace Mark Wood. Is he the best we have available?

[bwildered]

So we bring in Matthew Fisher to replace Mark Wood. Is he the best we have available?

 Steady up and downer, no extreme pace and not has quick those already in the squad .

[dazedpenguin]

Fisher has come back well from his latest injury and bowled well for Surrey last season. He's a good choice. Of the Lions players: Eddie Jack, Josh Hull, Mitchell Stanley, Tom Lawes and Sonny Baker, I don't think any of them are ready to be thrown into an Ashes series. Hull is probably closest (and of course was picked for a test last year when he definitely wasn't ready), but he tends to be very expensive.

Saqib Mahmood should get another go, but he hasn't played First Class cricket since May and has had a lot of injury problems. He does have a central contract though and I hope he doesn't just play white ball.

A pity Sam Cook isn't off playing Grade cricket somewhere.

[nat]

Fisher has come back well from his latest injury and bowled well for Surrey last season. He's a good choice. Of the Lions players: Eddie Jack, Josh Hull, Mitchell Stanley, Tom Lawes and Sonny Baker, I don't think any of them are ready to be thrown into an Ashes series. Hull is probably closest (and of course was picked for a test last year when he definitely wasn't ready), but he tends to be very expensive.

Saqib Mahmood should get another go, but he hasn't played First Class cricket since May and has had a lot of injury problems. He does have a central contract though and I hope he doesn't just play white ball.

A pity Sam Cook isn't off playing Grade cricket somewhere.

Of course the elephant in the room is Ollie Robinson (Sussex) who is playing grade cricket.

[dazedpenguin]

Of course the elephant in the room is Ollie Robinson (Sussex) who is playing grade cricket.

He's an outstanding bowler, as long as he doesn't go missing after his first spell. Don't be surprised to see him for the 5th test.