Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Ashes to Ashes

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    You shouldn’t be. England had no right winning that Test match. That’s not sour grapes, I want England to win, but even in the second innings there were brainless slogs and bad decisions all over the place. Combine that with uncharacteristically poor Australian fielding, bad reviews, and yes, Ben Stokes and some third day Joe Root and you get The Headingley Job.

    Comment


      I didn't see the magical last 10 overs or so - I had to go out just after Broad fell. From the Cricinfo feed, it looks like there were two dropped catches as well as the missed run-out, the terrible review, and the bad lbw decision. Which suggests that England had more than a little luck.

      But the question I have is this - was everyone completely frazzled and shot by all those Stokes sixes and fours? Were both Australians and umpires unable to do their job because their minds were gone and they were distracted? Or were they just a bit useless?

      Comment


        The SMH piece has embedded highlights from Channel Nine that include the drops and Lyon's stumble

        [URL="https://twitter.com/james_dart/status/1165727435599560704?s=21"]https://twitter.com/james_dart/status/1165727435599560704[/URL]

        Comment


          I've never been one for keeping tickets for sporting events but I'm keeping mine for today. I don't think it'll go down into folklore as much as Headingley '81 but that's purely because it wasn't on terrestrial TV. When we entered the ballot for Headingley tickets months ago I remember being disappointed that we ended up with Day 4 tickets as I doubted we'd get a full day's play. Well, I wasn't wrong - we didn't get a full day's play. But what an amazing day. My sister's first ever test match experience too.

          As I said on here last night, I thought it was definitely do-able. Root's dismissal was par for the course but I really felt we were getting there with the Bairstow Stokes partnership. After that was broken and the rest of the wickets began to fall I felt it was inevitable that Australia would win and, even when that last ball was delivered, I was still thinking Australia would get the wicket they needed. The plaudits will go to Stokes and deservedly so - it was sometimes just impossible to believe what he was doing out there - but hats off to Leach who played such a vital role in that last wicket stand.

          As for Australia being affected by this, I can't see it myself. And, as ursus says, if Smith's back it could be back to business as usual. But at least it has kept the series alive.

          Comment


            Whose innings was better - Stokes or Perera

            (lest we forget Stokes isn't even the first to win a test match in this manner this year)

            Comment


              Originally posted by San Bernardhinault View Post
              I didn't see the magical last 10 overs or so - I had to go out just after Broad fell. From the Cricinfo feed, it looks like there were two dropped catches as well as the missed run-out, the terrible review, and the bad lbw decision. Which suggests that England had more than a little luck.

              But the question I have is this - was everyone completely frazzled and shot by all those Stokes sixes and fours? Were both Australians and umpires unable to do their job because their minds were gone and they were distracted? Or were they just a bit useless?
              I wonder if the unsettled nature of Australia since Sandpapergate kicked in here? Captain got the job due to it, and lacks authority.

              OTOH there was the arrogance of just assuming Stokes would hole out. They went defensive far too late.

              Or was it "here we go again?" given that Australia haven't won the Ashes away since 2001 and keep losing these close ones? But I doubt it was 1981 hoodoo playing on the brain: they weren't born then. 1981 is further away from them than Bradman was to 1981. You'd have to be 50+ to have attended both games (and the 1981 heroics were on workdays, much lower crowd, many of whom must be dead now, like the commentators mostly are).
              Last edited by Satchmo Distel; 26-08-2019, 09:53.

              Comment


                Originally posted by Satchmo Distel View Post

                I wonder if the unsettled nature of Australia since Sandpapergate kicked in here? Captain got the job due to it, and lacks authority.

                OTOH there was the arrogance of just assuming Stokes would hole out. They went defensive far too late.

                Or was it "here we go again?" given that Australia haven't won the Ashes away since 2001 and keep losing these close ones? But I doubt it was 1981 hoodoo playing on the brain: they weren't born then. 1981 is further away from them than Bradman was to 1981. You'd have to be 50+ to have attended both games (and the 1981 heroics were on workdays, much lower crowd, many of whom must be dead now, like the commentators mostly are).
                You do know 1981 was only 38 years ago? You'd have been 22 then and still not a pensioner now?

                Comment


                  True, I got carried away. I actually attended the first (dullest) day of Headingley 1981 aged 14 and my nephews, in their late 20s, went yesterday. I was momentarily struck though by the fact that CMJ and Benaud, whom I remember from commentary (Jim Laker was off sick), are gone.

                  Comment


                    Originally posted by ad hoc View Post
                    Whose innings was better - Stokes or Perera

                    (lest we forget Stokes isn't even the first to win a test match in this manner this year)
                    No doubt about who's was better. Winning away almost always takes the honours.

                    Comment


                      Winning away would normally swing it but to be fair to Stokes, the urn was lost if he gets out. Perera was trying to win the first match of a series. I would put it as even.

                      Comment


                        I'd give it slightly to Stokes because of his bowling workload beforehand and because South Africa were missing Philander.

                        Comment


                          Do we think that Keaton Jennings' ship has sailed now? He's in decent nick for Lancs in the Championship this season and the fourth Test is at his home ground.

                          Comment


                            Suppose you have to qualify the decentness of the nick with the fact that he's facing Division Two medium pace trundlers rather than Division One this year.

                            Comment


                              This is just silly: 'Magnificent Ben Stokes is England’s greatest ever all-rounder'

                              https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...st-all-rounder

                              Comment


                                Could Cook come out of retirement for two games?

                                Seriously.

                                Comment


                                  Marnus Labuschagne's been facing Division Two bowlers this season too. Hasn't done him too much harm. But don't think I'd bring Jennings back - his failings have repeated themselves in Tests, again and again.

                                  Perhaps a bigger question facing England for Old Trafford is: who, if anyone, makes way for Anderson?

                                  Comment


                                    Nobody should. Woakes or less likely Denly will

                                    Comment


                                      The bowling in division two is better than previous seasons, though Lancashire's is comfortably the best. Middlesex have a good seam attack too, and Glamorgan and Sussex aren't bad.

                                      Comment


                                        Actually Jennings' average in the Championship this year (28) is lower than his career FC average (33) so he's not even in good form by his own standards - notwithstanding his weakness against seam. I must have been blindsided by his good knock against Glamorgan the other week.

                                        Comment


                                          It would be a massive strain on the seamers if Anderson pulled up again and they had no Woakes. Australia ought to give Starc a go.

                                          Comment


                                            Well this made me smile more than I expected it to.

                                            https://twitter.com/TheCricketerMag/status/1166358928076288002

                                            Comment


                                              He's only 28. I thought that he was a veteran who had bowled under my radar for the last 15 years or so.

                                              Comment


                                                Anderson officially out of the series

                                                Comment


                                                  Shame but if he's not fit I'd rather not risk him.

                                                  Comment


                                                    Smith out for 23 against Derbyshire.

                                                    Get Matthew Critchley in the England squad right away!

                                                    Comment

                                                    Working...
                                                    X