Ashes 2017

[JohnS]

On 11/24/2017 at 9:26 AM, JohnS said:

You'd have to say that 4/196 is very even after day 1. It looks like a great batting wicket.

Although, on second thoughts, it is a bit slow and scoring is not so easy. Australia 4/165 chasing England's 302 all out after day 2 and I still think it's evenly poised. Australian media have the Aussies at an advantage to have a 1st innings lead but I'm not so sure, after all, England lost 6/56 on day 2.

At the First-class level, Glenn Maxwell (nicknamed aptly, "The Big Show") was brought in as cover for David Warner (neck) and Shaun Marsh (back) before the match, was told by selectors that he needed to go back to Sheffield Shield and hit big hundreds. Well, he did that yesterday for Victoria vs NSW, hitting 213 not out on day one, so I'm not surprised that Shaun Marsh hit a patient 44 not out by stumps yesterday (he has produced scores in the past for Australia when there has been competition for his spot). With Glenn Maxwell's form, it will be hard on anyone in this Australian cricket team to prevent him getting a spot in this 5-match series this summer.

On another note, Jackson Bird took 5/30 against South Australia for Tasmania and the highlights on Cricket Australia's website shows that he too is in impressible form. That catch he took at gully to dismiss Travis Head for 80 was aso brilliant. So, if any Australian bowlers are injured etc. i wouldn't be surprised if Bird gets a call up.

[Ken Gargett]

1 minute ago, JohnS said:

Although, on second thoughts, it is a bit slow and scoring is not so easy. Australia 4/165 chasing England's 302 all out after day 2 and I still think it's evenly poised. Australian media have the Aussies at an advantage to have a 1st innings lead but I'm not so sure, after all, England lost 6/56 on day 2.

At the First-class level, Glenn Maxwell (nicknamed aptly, "The Big Show") was brought in as cover for David Warner (neck) and Shaun Marsh (back) before the match, was told by selectors that he needed to go back to Sheffield Shield and hit big hundreds. Well, he did that yesterday for Victoria vs NSW, hitting 213 not out on day one, so I'm not surprised that Shaun Marsh hit a patient 44 not out by stumps yesterday (he has produced scores in the past for Australia when there has been competition for his spot). With Glenn Maxwell's form, it will be hard on anyone in this Australian cricket team to prevent him getting a spot in this 5-match series this summer.

On another note, Jackson Bird took 5/30 against South Australia for Tasmania and the highlights on Cricket Australia's website shows that he too is in impressible form. That catch he took at gully to dismiss Travis Head for 80 was aso brilliant. So, if any Australian bowlers are injured etc. i wouldn't be surprised if Bird gets a call up.

another absorbing day. england hung around though their slow scoring a concern. but i thought they were wearing the aussies down. then they fell over. a number of dismissals their own fault. the aussie bowlers have not performed as well as hoped, and lyon the pick. a surprise on the gabba deck.

just the sort of wicket where we need a bloke like renshaw to put head down and hold up an end but thank you the selectors!

although he looks awkward - so often does - yet another example of why smith is the world's best. can't fault marsh so far but he needs to go on. so often, about now is when he goes.

bird putting pressure on the quicks but, even though they did not go so well, who does he replace?

the big concern for australia is that the neville nobodies in the england line-up have performed above and beyond. they were supposed to be the easy wickets. if they continue like this, australia has a very tough series ahead.

[JohnS]

3 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

the big concern for australia is that the neville nobodies in the england line-up have performed above and beyond. they were supposed to be the easy wickets. if they continue like this, australia has a very tough series ahead.

True. Apparently these newer English guys all had their technical faults, but to me it was Warner, Khawaja and Handscomb who were all worked out technically when they got out.

[Ken Gargett]

and i see that mitch marsh got a ton v qld, so climate change has arrived in hell.

that surely means he will be back for a few tests. at which time i will be checking out real estate in the falkland islands as that will be enough for me.

[Ken Gargett]

Just now, JohnS said:

True. Apparently these newer English guys all had their technical faults, but to me it was Warner, Khawaja and Handscomb who were all worked out technically when they got out.

the concern re khawaja is that he has been in such great form of late but we know he can struggle against spin. so blind freddie knew the poms would bring on ali to bowl to him asap. they did. and he got out. spare me. he needs to improve v spin real quick.

[JohnS]

Day 3 of the 1st Test and this game is poised to go to the wire. What great Test Cricket so far! Steve Smith's 21st century was, in my opinion, his best. People talk about his unorthodox technique, but one thing he shares with Don Bradman is the extreme bottom hand closed grip which lessens one of the most common forms of dismissal in cricket...caught behind. He also moves directly in-line with each delivery, which means that if he miscues, he's liable to make a mistake on the inside edge rather than the outside one. Hence, why you don't see him caught often in slips or gully either. Yesterday, with the slowish pitch affecting his timing, he eschewed the cover-drive to prevent any chance of playing away from his body, which is again, one of the most common ways that batsmen get dismissed.

If England can add 270 runs today, then day 5 will be a classic. If they can add around 200, which is all that was scored on Days 1 and 3, I think we're still in for a great conclusion to this game.

[Ken Gargett]

34 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Day 3 of the 1st Test and this game is poised to go to the wire. What great Test Cricket so far! Steve Smith's 21st century was, in my opinion, his best. People talk about his unorthodox technique, but one thing he shares with Don Bradman is the extreme bottom hand closed grip which lessens one of the most common forms of dismissal in cricket...caught behind. He also moves directly in-line with each delivery, which means that if he miscues, he's liable to make a mistake on the inside edge rather than the outside one. Hence, why you don't see him caught often in slips or gully either. Yesterday, with the slowish pitch affecting his timing, he eschewed the cover-drive to prevent any chance of playing away from his body, which is again, one of the most common ways that batsmen get dismissed.

If England can add 270 runs today, then day 5 will be a classic. If they can add around 200, which is all that was scored on Days 1 and 3, I think we're still in for a great conclusion to this game.

john, i think we could struggle if we have to chase 200.

and fully concur re the smith ton. not just one of his best, i think that is one of the greatest ever scored at the gabba (been going to tests there since illingworth's tour so seen plenty). had he failed, every chance england would be in an unassailable position by now and, going one up when holding the ashes, we'd be in real strife. it might have been the innings that wins the ashes. i know it is early to say something like that but it was a magnificent innings in the circumstances. and kudos to cummins for sticking with him. he is way better than a number 8.

[JohnS]

I think with both teams scoring at 2.5 runs an over for the first three days, then yes, over 200 would be very challenging. Just great Test Cricket so far!

[hedgeybaby]

Oh dear 

[JohnS]

The whole game reminded me of the 1st Gabba Test of the 1990 Ashes when the game was close for 3 innings and then Australia chased down 157 without loss. In the case of this match, I think England need some support bowling from their attack to help out Broad and Anderson and they need one batsman to make a big score. That was the difference in the match, in my opinion.

http://www.cricbuzz.com/live-cricket-scorecard/17688/aus-vs-eng-1st-test-the-ashes-2017-18

[Ken Gargett]

if anyone has not seen cameron bancroft's post game press conference, google. brilliant. steve smith spends the entire time giggling helplessly. all about this absurd headbutt. it is looking more and more like it was just stupidity by bairstow and the aussies have stitched him up brilliantly.

for me, the biggest problem it poses for england is that it will make it that much harder for them to shoehorn stokes back in, given his late night efforts - do these blokes not have mates to say that it is okay to make certain you are not the biggest tosser in the hemisphere? and they desperately need him. or someone. not that he is botham on the white steed but he is better than pretty much all they have.

after two sessions on day three, this entire series was on a knife-edge. the efforts of smith especially turned it to the aussies and it has just plummeted downhill from there. now it looks like the poms are in chaos and bar joe root, not much there (hardly true). you can ecxpect the aussies to target root relentlessly.

if ever we needed reminding that test cricket is truly the greatest sporting contest of all, or at least can be, this is it!

[JohnS]

Onto the 2nd test in Adelaide, a day/night match. And isn't cricket a funny game? Shaun Marsh hits a hundred and Australia declare their first innings at 8/442, then leave England in tatters on day two at 7/141 until the bowlers Overton and Woakes hit forties to get England to 227. Would you follow-on with a 215 run lead? personally, I wouldn't with under 3 days left in the game and the night-time session last night saw the English bowlers create mayhem leaving Australia 4/53 in their second innings.

So, at the beginning of day 4 Australia is 268 runs in front with 6 wickets left in their second innings. Despite the excellent bowling from England's bowlers in the second innings, I feel that this is enough of a lead, as 300 in the 4th innings of an Adelaide Test match is historically more than enough to win the game, and this is despite the added difficulty of batting at night against the swing and seam we saw at the end of day 3.

[Ken Gargett]

6 hours ago, JohnS said:

Onto the 2nd test in Adelaide, a day/night match. And isn't cricket a funny game? Shaun Marsh hits a hundred and Australia declare their first innings at 8/442, then leave England in tatters on day two at 7/141 until the bowlers Overton and Woakes hit forties to get England to 227. Would you follow-on with a 215 run lead? personally, I wouldn't with under 3 days left in the game and the night-time session last night saw the English bowlers create mayhem leaving Australia 4/53 in their second innings.

So, at the beginning of day 4 Australia is 268 runs in front with 6 wickets left in their second innings. Despite the excellent bowling from England's bowlers in the second innings, I feel that this is enough of a lead, as 300 in the 4th innings of an Adelaide Test match is historically more than enough to win the game, and this is despite the added difficulty of batting at night against the swing and seam we saw at the end of day 3.

john, i did not think they would enforce but i was hoping they would. for me, a huge mistake and with some hindsight, really looking a dumb decision. of course, if we go on to win, who cares, but if not, spare me. it was difficult to bat and the ball moving - our bowlers had only bowled for a day and a reasonably comfortable day. it was going to be tough for our blokes - tougher than anyone thought - but why put them through it. did they expect a beefy performance? from who? now, game back in the mix.

foot on throat and never take it off - we need to learn that.

[westg]

Yes...agree with Ken...finish them...at this level push on....for the win..I thought that was a really dumb move....Initially was thinking arrogance...but no ..hope the poms give it a shake

[Ken Gargett]

i know we are 2-0 up but i could not be more infuriated with the selectors. they got lucky with shaun marsh but it was, after all, his 8th recall so the odds were on their side. paine, fair enough. lots of positive talk about bancroft but he has had one score and three failures. if he does not perform in perth then time for him to go back to shield cricket.

BUT have just heard that they have recalled mitch marsh to the squad. it is impossible not to wish the most painful death imaginable on our selectors. did 20 million aussies just drop dead because that is surely what it would take to get that joke back in the squad. i know we are only playing england and it is at home but how does every other shield player feel?

two ways into the aussie team.

1. perform brilliantly and hope the morons happen to be watching. don't have any lapses or, like renshaw, you are gone.

2. be called marsh. in which case you can expect to have as many goes as possible.

i could not be more disgusted.

[Bill Hayes]

47 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

i know we are 2-0 up but i could not be more infuriated with the selectors. they got lucky with shaun marsh but it was, after all, his 8th recall so the odds were on their side. paine, fair enough. lots of positive talk about bancroft but he has had one score and three failures. if he does not perform in perth then time for him to go back to shield cricket.

BUT have just heard that they have recalled mitch marsh to the squad. it is impossible not to wish the most painful death imaginable on our selectors. did 20 million aussies just drop dead because that is surely what it would take to get that joke back in the squad. i know we are only playing england and it is at home but how does every other shield player feel?

two ways into the aussie team.

1. perform brilliantly and hope the morons happen to be watching. don't have any lapses or, like renshaw, you are gone.

2. be called marsh. in which case you can expect to have as many goes as possible.

i could not be more disgusted.

They will justify it by saying they need a 5th pace bowler in Perth and drop Handscomb who plays off the back foot which is what you need to do well in Perth, even though we've only needed 4 bowlers to win 2 tests, claiming Lyon won't get as much turn. The roundabout continues. To top it off, I just read in the paper that Marsh has only bowled twice in Sheffield Shield this year because of shoulder surgery. So he may be included for his batting. They must be joking.

[Ken Gargett]

49 minutes ago, Bill Hayes said:

They will justify it by saying they need a 5th pace bowler in Perth and drop Handscomb who plays off the back foot which is what you need to do well in Perth, even though we've only needed 4 bowlers to win 2 tests, claiming Lyon won't get as much turn. The roundabout continues. To top it off, I just read in the paper that Marsh has only bowled twice in Sheffield Shield this year because of shoulder surgery. So he may be included for his batting. They must be joking.

ah yes, that most valuable of cricketing commodities - an allrounder who doesn't bowl and can't bat. special!

warnie always loved bowling in perth. lyon has been our best. the overspin he is getting will be very dangerous in perth. these guys have a full week or more, before they bowl in perth, so it can't be concerns over fitness or burnout. if that attack can't knock over england twice in perth then we do not deserve to win.

the sad thing is that we might win this thing 5-0 in spite of our selectors, not because of them.

[Ken Gargett]

cracking piece by an english fan, tho perhaps less fun if you are an english fan.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/21697833/andy-zaltzman-five-things-learned-adelaide-ashes-test

 

[JohnS]

On 11/25/2017 at 10:32 AM, Ken Gargett said:

and i see that mitch marsh got a ton v qld, so climate change has arrived in hell.

that surely means he will be back for a few tests. at which time i will be checking out real estate in the falkland islands as that will be enough for me.

Mitchell Marsh!

Glenn Maxwell must be wondering why he didn't take up Baseball as a kid! What more does he have to do to get his chance. These Marsh brothers are reputably worse than Shane Watson's last year of test cricket. Mitchell Marsh is the worst Test No.6 Batsman in history for players that have batted 20 innings or more. In other words, there are players out there who have played for Zimbabwe and Bangladesh who have performed better at No.6. And I think he averages 37 per wicket for the ball. This is simply disgraceful. I feel sorry for players who are 'busting their guts' at first-class level in Australia just to have an opportunity to play one game for Australia, players like Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers, Travis Head, Ed Cowan, Matt Renshaw, Glenn Maxwell. This selection sets are very poor precedent and message to all cricketers in Australia at first-class level who are aspiring to represent their country in test cricket. Shameful!

[Ken Gargett]

1 minute ago, JohnS said:

Mitchell Marsh!

Glenn Maxwell must be wondering why he didn't take up Baseball as a kid! What more does he have to do to get his chance. These Marsh brothers are reputably worse than Shane Watson's last year of test cricket. Mitchell Marsh is the worst Test No.6 Batsman in history for players that have batted 20 innings or more. In other words, there are players out there who have played for Zimbabwe and Bangladesh who have performed better at No.6. And I think he averages 37 per wicket for the ball. This is simply disgraceful. I feel sorry for players who are 'busting their guts' at first-class level in Australia just to have an opportunity to play one game for Australia, players like Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers, Travis Head, Ed Cowan, Matt Renshaw, Glenn Maxwell. This selection sets are very poor precedent and message to all cricketers in Australia at first-class level who are aspiring to represent their country in test cricket. Shameful!

could not agree more.

in fairness, there must be a few zimbabwean tailenders who are concerned at facing mitch.

[Ken Gargett]

so i see that our imbecilic corrupt scumbag selectors have brought in mitch marsh. inconceivable. they are an utter disgrace - and i do not care if he finally gets runs and gets 200, i still think this is beyond appalling. one never likes to support anyone against australia or an australian (except mundine and our tennis tossers) but, while i am still hoping for a big here, i really hope marsh jnr gets a pair, drops three catches and gets 0-for very few because i hope that they do not bowl him for long. and breaks his leg.

not happy.

[Ken Gargett]

well, he has put the first chance down. our imbeciles drop hanscomb, a brilliant slipper, and in comes the selectors' bastard child and he drops an utter dolly. you grubby pillocks. resign in shame and then throw yourselves from a bridge.

who knows? stoneman goes on to score 200, the poms win the game, back in the series and we lose the ashes. plenty of stranger things. fingers crossed not but...

[Bill Hayes]

28 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

well, he has put the first chance down. our imbeciles drop hanscomb, a brilliant slipper, and in comes the selectors' bastard child and he drops an utter dolly. you grubby pillocks. resign in shame and then throw yourselves from a bridge.

who knows? stoneman goes on to score 200, the poms win the game, back in the series and we lose the ashes. plenty of stranger things. fingers crossed not but...

I was waiting for you to comment Ken. Didn't take long. You couldn't script it. The selectors must be sweating now.

[Ken Gargett]

so dear old mitch steamed in and bowled at around mid 120s. pathetic. no movement. i could handle that. still. with an economy rate of near five.

and after that sitter he shelled, handscomb comes on for two minutes as 12th and takes a screamer. that would be the bloke who marsh replaced.

bancroft. i know every commentator is raving and telling us how we have found our next opener for the next ten years but seriously? he has one decent score, an 80 not out which was on a dead track when england could not buy a wicket. and now four failures. personally, i'd hope for better from our next star opener. still grumpy they dropped renshaw.

[99call]

Good lord! listening to Geoffrey Boycott on the commentary. It's amazing how someone can both recall bowling stats from 1903, whilst equally sounding like he needs a blanket and his medication!.