Cool. Will be interesting to see how it ends up overall. It's a fascinating series. Pity its not on Fox.
-
IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.
Cricket
- Thread starter mb64
- Start date
That's very true. Some of our past teams have had some really unpleasant characters. To be fair (well, I'm trying) it's probably the appalling English press more than any individual (Robinson aside) driving what I'm calling smugness. And the cricket approach is great, who can argue with that.
Under Bazball philosophy and the fact Moin didn't really fire and struggled physically, Rehan would come in?
Boland contributed, but Starc in.
Will the flat pitches continue? Looking at it from the Poms perspective, I don't have an answer.
The Bazball hype I can live without, but hey, a bit of marketing spin, why not? Hopefully will contribute to test cricket getting more attention.
Yes, the poms are playing more aggressively, about time really, they've been boring for too long. Good on 'em, good to see and it has got them results, just not this test. They would be mad to stop playing like this and to their credit I reckon they will continue to be more aggressive. You can criticise that day 1 declaration but it certainly made a statement.
Great test match, very even from the start and that classic of not knowing who would win deep into the fifth day. Shorter form cricket just can't match this, the tension over 5 days, what an amazing sport test cricket is.
Always good to beat England and very good win for Australia, this should be an even and an exciting series.
Now, the last thing, can we have a decent wicket? It's England, the ball should swing, there should be more life in the pitch.
DS
Yes, the poms are playing more aggressively, about time really, they've been boring for too long. Good on 'em, good to see and it has got them results, just not this test. They would be mad to stop playing like this and to their credit I reckon they will continue to be more aggressive. You can criticise that day 1 declaration but it certainly made a statement.
Great test match, very even from the start and that classic of not knowing who would win deep into the fifth day. Shorter form cricket just can't match this, the tension over 5 days, what an amazing sport test cricket is.
Always good to beat England and very good win for Australia, this should be an even and an exciting series.
Now, the last thing, can we have a decent wicket? It's England, the ball should swing, there should be more life in the pitch.
DS
Yeah true it wasn't swinging a lot, but Broad was still beating the bat regularly enough outside off to warrant a second slip against a number 10.
I think England to a certain extent have snookered themselves. If they prepare a more seam friendly wicket in the next test, Boland should, and will play. A similar pitch and yes Starc should.
I'd really like to see Morris too, even on a dry deck he would put the wind right up them with his pace.
Yeah I would hope Rehan comes in, but I can see them sticking with Ali.
I hope these flat pitches don't continue, there needs to be a balance and England know that. In the past flat pitches like this have been in and used to ensure draws etc are a realistic outcome. That goes against the philosophy of "bazball", and it also goes against the strengths of our bowlers.
Re: the wicket - Stokes is on record as saying he wanted a flat pitch. Guess what we got - A flat pitch. That wasn't a surprise. If he asks for some more green that's also what he will get.
Re: the bowling - Wood will have what 3 tests tops in him. Reckon they had to play Broad/Anderson first up then came a choice between Robinson and Wood and they kept Wood back for Lords. Fair enough.
As for next test, Wood is a certainty, so who partners him and Broad depends on the wicket. Robinson (flat) or Anderson (green). Reckon Anderson doesn't play but both were poor here.
Haven't seen much of him but a massive call to play an 18 year old with 22 first class wickets, but not sure who else? They preferred bringing a guy out of retirement ahead him so the selectors don't have a heap of faith yet either.
Australia have both Starc and Neser in reserve and overall a far fitter bowling attack in their prime (as opposed to England). Not to mention the spin dept. It's why with a schedule so condensed reckon Australia will win the series comfortably from here.***
*** Unless they bring Jimmy and lesser extent Broad into the game (and evening up attacks) by giving them conditions to suit.
Its an exciting prospect, hope he comes in. I wonder how his recent county form is?
Kick in the Bazballs. Gotta love the UK tabloids sometimes. Reminds me of what is considered the greatest tabloid headline of all time: Headless man found in topless bar.
Another good one, (trigger warning sexual content ha ha), Courier Mail late 90s, Premier was Rob Borbidge, issue was difficulty getting legislation through on new Cunninghams Gap highway to Toowoomba, there was also an independent MP in the Qld Parliament called Liz Cunningham who held the balance of Power, Headline: Borbidge licks Cunninghams Gap.
Last edited:
Bazball Bazball Bazball Bazball Aussies spooked Cummins defensive Stokes aggressive Stokes Bazball Bazball BazityBazBazBazBallStokesballBaz Aussies Spooked by Bazball Bazball the Bazziest BAzball that Bazball Bazballed Khawaja too defensive leaving to others to score the Bazball doesn’t matter that he made more runs than any other bazball in the second innings of either team what would Bazball do Stokes look at that field placing Bazball Stokes what a master Cummins too defensive oh he hit 12 sixes and Stokes was too frightened to take the new ball because he’s so aggressive Bazball Bazball with 14 men on the boundary Bazball England England Bazland Engball Stokesball Bazball aggression Aussies spooked too defensive Cummins doesn’t know how to counter Bazball
Actually just looked at his stats, probably not playing that well (but its not like Ali is smashing the house down). Batting with an average of 38 helps to offset too though.
Agree with some of that but Carts does have a bit of a point in that Bazball needs and asks for flat tracks so blokes like Crawley who average 29 in first class cricket can swing through the line knowing there's unlikely to be any deviation to embarrass them.Sorry but thats complete crap. Its not about removing the care from the performance, its about embracing positives rather than weaknesses and allowing them to excel. As a fellow Tiger I thought you'd understand this, but maybe after all these years you still don't understand what made our premiership trio work. Its almost like they have approached cricket in the same way that the Tigers embraced footy in that they are going out there to enjoy themselves, play aggressively so they can dictate the speed of games and dictate field settings (thats aggression that the aussies have been doing for decades).
Its funny how so many aussies don't like bazball, but really all bazball is, is the english letting go of their normal reservations in cricket where we have always focused on "trying not to lose" and then failing, as opposed to the new mentality of "always try and win" and also sometimes failing. Failure will happen, its how you bounce back thats telling on your team.
Anyhow, this test was immense. How weird that after 18 years we get an almost identical test match, with obviously a very different finish to it.
Amazing and I hope the rest of the series is as enthralling as this one has been.
Well done to Cummins, he batted beautifully to finish the game off. I thought Englands plans with the new ball were a bit strange, we went too short and ultimately paid the price, but what a fantastic advertisement for test cricket this test has been. Both teams seem very equally matched and should be a great series. No idea which way it springs, it makes an England win really difficult from here on in, but winning is only part of the journey right
It was either Naser or Athers who said there's not much between these teams - yeah, in England.
Last edited:
Victor Trumper was. Then you had the Windies' Conrad Hunte in the 60s, Roy Fredericks in the 60s and 70s (scored 169 off 145 balls in a Test v Lillee and Thommo at their peak in Perth), Gordon Greendige...
How much is hype and how much is substance in terms of actually playing cricket is an interesting debate, but regardless BB has been a success IMO. Generated interest and made the Poms more competitive. If BB wasn't a thing and they played 'normal' we would have won by a bigger margin.
All fair enough, its like what was the first punk song debate. Ramones, Sex pistols, the Stooges, MC5 or all the way back to Link Wray on the 50s? Crazy Slats was the first in my eyes.
That Fredericks innings is off the charts. I had heard it mentioned but googled it. incredible.
Can I say again, the look on Ollie Robinsons face a) when he realised the winning runs had been hit, the despair and realisation, and b) while he is shaking hands with Cummo immediately after, the forced grimace, was one of the best things I've ever seen.
