The Ashes

[LiRFCMatt]

1 day to go!

Really looking forward to this one, even though I expect the Aussies to retain the Ashes

Wrote a little something about it here: The Ashes - Preview & Key Battles http://moreballsblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-ashes-preview-key-battlesmo.html …

But I was wondering what you guys think will happen, English and Australian rivalries are clear in all sports, and the Ashes is a prime example of that, good banter and a great spectacle, should be awesome.

 

[SelimNiai]

Its odd. In March/April England cricket was in chaos and we were fearing a drubbing. However a more than decent start to the summer in both 4 and 1 day cricket and suddenly its looking more competitive.

Australia have experience, England have youth. Its going to be a cracker of a series

 

[Every Time Ref]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Mitch's 2009-vintage numbers today are a sign of things to come...

Cracking century from root, based on the 45 minutes I saw. He really is potentially very very special

 

[SelimNiai]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Mitch's 2009-vintage numbers today are a sign of things to come...

Cracking century from root, based on the 45 minutes I saw. He really is potentially very very special

I saw all day. He never looked like he was struggling, for most of his innings he was going at 100+ strike rate. It swung early but is a pretty dead track. Unless we bowl and then bat 2nd time very badly or they do its looking like a draw

 

[Rich Taff]

Was funny walking through town at 9am this morning and seeing all the hungover ozzies. Then leaving town at 11am and half of them were already drunk again. Happy days.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Wow, this thread is a bit quiet isn't it? Not a cricket fan, but still well done to England for taking the 1st test comfortably..

 

[RoosTah]

Well done to England - normally I'd be annoyed at losing an Ashes test, but Australia has been incredibly successful the past couple years and some of that success has papered over some serious deficiencies in our line up, so hopefully this will be a catalyst for change.

On top of that, it's good for Cricket if Australia doesn't just continually dominate England - the Ashes became boring during the 90s and early 00s with our uninterrupted series of victories and it's hard to hate you guys if you're not posing a threat. Incidentally this is why I almost barrack for England in the Rugby League (I say almost - it's still very hard for an Australian to actively support you over one of our teams).

 

[Kiwi_]

This puts our (NZ's) test result 1-1 in England in perspective a little. Also it shows how there's such a fine line between winning a match and losing. It can all hinge on the innings of one player, or one bowling performance. Australia are in trouble if Starc is out, he's the best bowler in world, followed closely by Boult.

 

[ncurd]

Better than Steyn? I think virtually every cricket fan would disagree.

 

[squirrel]

At 32 years of age I struggle to see Steyn holding on to his number one ranking, his pace is decreasing and he lacks height to be a line and length bowler. Allan Donald suffered badly when he lost his zip, Malcolm Marshall also retired in his early 30's and I see him as a similar bowler to Steyn.

 

[Kiwi_]

Better than Steyn? I think virtually every cricket fan would disagree.

What?

Steyn hasn't been top for a while now. I think virtually every cricket fan would agree.

 

[Wendigo7]

@sanzar.

You won the last series and haven't won on English turf in 14 years. If anything we've been the ones dominating since 2001 to a large extent.

 

[RoosTah]

@sanzar.

You won the last series and haven't won on English turf in 14 years. If anything we've been the ones dominating since 2001 to a large extent.

I don't think you can argue you've been dominating since 2001... Australia won 8 series in a row over 14 years from 1989 until 2003, until finally losing one to England in '05. But then immediately following that thumped England 5-0.

England have dominating the period after that from 2009, with 3 series wins, on the trot - your best effort since the 70s - but losing 5-0 again out here in 2013-14.

In terms of overall series, it stand at 4 apiece since 2001, with the Australian victories tending to be the more emphatic.

 

[SelimNiai]

What a disaster.

Out bowled, out batted, out pitched. Somehow we bowl on a total featherbed and we bat on Sabina Park 1998.

Top order more fragile than a wet cardboard box, bowling ok but when its not swinging there's no threat. Take Mitchell Johnson, its not swinging but he's bowling with some real venom and aggression and its causing issues. We dont have that option. Theres talk of changes but I dunno who you can bring in and make an immidiate impact.

Hard work needed before Edgebaston

Should also say good luck to the Women who open their Ashes series on Tuesday, they play 3 ODI', 3 T20's and a Test Match with points going to winner of each game.

 

[TheSaffycen]

Well that's embarrassing.

 

[Patchey]

Messy.

The real issue for me is that after the last few years be don't really have anyone to bring in to the side as a replacement.

Ballance, for example, is a great talent but needs to go away and sort his technique out. But we only really have untried players to put in his place.

Nick Compton might be a shout actually. That just occurred to me.

 

[Amobokoboko]

Aus was the better team this game. Happy to see Cook getting some runs in the first innings. But if AUs keeps up this level the series will be theirs.

 

[SelimNiai]

Messy.

The real issue for me is that after the last few years be don't really have anyone to bring in to the side as a replacement.

Ballance, for example, is a great talent but needs to go away and sort his technique out. But we only really have untried players to put in his place.

Nick Compton might be a shout actually. That just occurred to me.

So many England batsmen have flaws in their techinique that not only the Aussies know about but theyre very good at exploiting.

Lyth, short of a length outisde off early on.
Ballance, stays back and is susceptible to a full ball
Buttler, 4th or 5th stump line
Ali, short pitch balls, if he doesnt play then he'll often glove it.

Same with other players, Bairstow, Taylor, Compton, all have been found out by attacks and its just going to replace one player with a flaw with another one. I'd rather the current guys spend time watching video and in the nets trying to correct the faults.

 

[RoosTah]

Feeling much better after this game .

Massive reversal of fortunes - makes the next test very interesting.

 

[SelimNiai]

It seems Jonny Bairstow will be called up in place of Ballance.

Ballance is swapping with Bairstow to get some form in the county game. Bairstow scored a big ton for Yorkshire and has a lorry load of runs so far this summer yet has been found out by Test attacks, Dale Steyn and Morkel gave him a working over a couple of summers ago, feel the Mitchells will do the same.

Hopefully the pitch is a bit more even for a spectators point of view