The Ashes 25/26

[Lightning McQueen]

Prior to this innings Smith was averaging 34, not normally team of the series type stuff and well below his average performance. Normally a 34 average probably wouldn't get you team of the series accolades.

Yeah Tongue would have been in there had he played all the tests. Looks a likely sort.

Funnily enough whilst they probably make team of the series, Smith, Stokes and Brook to an extent haven't performed as well as their career average. Both Smith and Brook average over 50 in test cricket yet up until this test was averaging under 35.

He was averaging 45 prior to this innings in a series where ball has dominated bat.

Perth: 17 & 2*
Brisbane: 61 & 23*
Melbourne: 9 & 24*

i missed the not out fair play..........play on.

Still would be rare for a batter to make a team of the year with just the one 50 for the series so the 100 has really helped.

It just been that kind of weird series......not often a team that will probably lose the series 4-1 would undeniably have 4-5 players in the team without too much criticism.

One fifty and he was well on his way to three certain centuries when the game ended or he ran out of partners

[Lightning McQueen]

Carn guys, 50 partnership here.

[Lightning McQueen]

Carn guys, 50 partnership here.

Up to you then Scotty Batand.

[am Bays]

AUS wont make 250

I agree, early 300's for mine.

In all seriousness with Webster coming in at 8 we should be batting into day four as a minimum

[RB]

Prior to this innings Smith was averaging 34, not normally team of the series type stuff and well below his average performance. Normally a 34 average probably wouldn't get you team of the series accolades.

Yeah Tongue would have been in there had he played all the tests. Looks a likely sort.

Funnily enough whilst they probably make team of the series, Smith, Stokes and Brook to an extent haven't performed as well as their career average. Both Smith and Brook average over 50 in test cricket yet up until this test was averaging under 35.

He was averaging 45 prior to this innings in a series where ball has dominated bat.

Perth: 17 & 2*
Brisbane: 61 & 23*
Melbourne: 9 & 24*

i missed the not out fair play..........play on.

Makes a fair difference, going from 5 to 6 in the denominator.

Average now 68.5.

[RB]

Bit unlucky there for Webster - if he'd have come in ahead of Green he might have had a century!!

[Lightning McQueen]

AUS wont make 250

I agree, early 300's for mine.

In all seriousness with Webster coming in at 8 we should be batting into day four as a minimum

Fair darts there mate, it seemed obvious but that's failed us many times recently. I think we'll have to bat again late tomorrow, Usi to open.

[amber_fluid]

Use ya bat Zak

[RB]

That swung.

[whufc]

Smith can open...

Come on mate its not the AFL All Australian side where we have 17 midfielders and a ruckmen.

Next you will be asking for Starc to be batting at 5.........

Turn your sarcasm meter up

The irony...... i thought my laughing emojis showed i responded to your sarcasm with my own sarcasm.

[am Bays]

Smith can open...

Come on mate its not the AFL All Australian side where we have 17 midfielders and a ruckmen.

Next you will be asking for Starc to be batting at 5.........

Turn your sarcasm meter up

The irony...... i thought my laughing emojis showed i responded to your sarcasm with my own sarcasm.

[Lightning McQueen]

The irony...... i thought my laughing emojis showed i responded to your sarcasm with my own sarcasm.

C'mon guys, play nicely.

[whufc]

Ok. Prediction time so we can avoid end of summer experts

Australia 4-0
Most Runs Australia - Head, one innings and he will be off and running.
Mos Wickets Australia- Scotty Boland to ensure the statue gets built
Most Runs England- Joe Root to finally prove his critics wrong over here. Will get that elusive 100.
Most Wickets England- Atkinson to feed off the hard work from Archer and Wood
Biggest Flop Australia- Khawaja- Wood and Archers pace to be a bit to much for the near 40 year old.
Biggest Flop England- Bashir or Carse

I don't always post the popular opinion but i throw it out there and take a stab for good or for bad and take the whacks that come with it.

Australia 4-0 not a bad guess, didn't rate England enough to win one but I probably over-rated Australia and predicted at least Cummins and Lyon in the side.
Most Runs Australia- Backed my favorite cricketer in and he delivered.
Most Runs England- Should be bang on unless Brook hits 100 here. Had to back the class cricketer. Glad to see him gets his ton in Australia
Most Wickets Australia- third most. Starc was brilliant and increased his legacy leading Australia to this victory without Cummins, Hazelwood, Lyon
Most Wickets England- got that completely wrong, probably should have known Archer and Wood wouldn't last more than 5 minutes.
Biggest Flop Australia- Didn't go out on a limb picking the obvious Khawaja but 170 runs at 28 is close enough. Alongside Green in a close contest.
Biggest Flop England- Well Bashir didn't end up getting a game so got a free holiday so that was pretty close haha, Carse tries but he is truly a goer in the same sense as Wagner. Close enough......probably any Potts, Wood, Archer or Duckett was the correct answer.

[am Bays]

The irony...... i thought my laughing emojis showed i responded to your sarcasm with my own sarcasm.

C'mon guys, play nicely.

No worries champ...

[Lightning McQueen]

Ok. Prediction time so we can avoid end of summer experts

Australia 4-0
Most Runs Australia - Head, one innings and he will be off and running.
Mos Wickets Australia- Scotty Boland to ensure the statue gets built
Most Runs England- Joe Root to finally prove his critics wrong over here. Will get that elusive 100.
Most Wickets England- Atkinson to feed off the hard work from Archer and Wood
Biggest Flop Australia- Khawaja- Wood and Archers pace to be a bit to much for the near 40 year old.
Biggest Flop England- Bashir or Carse

I don't always post the popular opinion but i throw it out there and take a stab for good or for bad and take the whacks that come with it.

Australia 4-0 not a bad guess, didn't rate England enough to win one but I probably over-rated Australia and predicted at least Cummins and Lyon in the side.
Most Runs Australia- Backed my favorite cricketer in and he delivered.
Most Runs England- Should be bang on unless Brook hits 100 here. Had to back the class cricketer. Glad to see him gets his ton in Australia
Most Wickets Australia- third most. Starc was brilliant and increased his legacy leading Australia to this victory without Cummins, Hazelwood, Lyon
Most Wickets England- got that completely wrong, probably should have known Archer and Wood wouldn't last more than 5 minutes.
Biggest Flop Australia- Didn't go out on a limb picking the obvious Khawaja but 170 runs at 28 is close enough. Alongside Green in a close contest.
Biggest Flop England- Well Bashir didn't end up getting a game so got a free holiday so that was pretty close haha, Carse tries but he is truly a goer in the same sense as Wagner. Close enough......probably any Potts, Wood, Archer or Duckett was the correct answer.

I was waiting for the test to end to start a thread about what we got right and what we had no idea about.

My opinion of Head opening was my obvious error in judgement, funny thing is that I'm still not totally sold on it, facing Jansen and Rabada is where the real challenge will be.

[Lightning McQueen]

No worries champ...

Rolling out the big insults now.

[am Bays]

No worries champ...

Rolling out the big insults now.

it's all I've got...

[Lightning McQueen]

it's all I've got...

All good, I'll go back to listening to the Vengaboys

[whufc]

Ok. Prediction time so we can avoid end of summer experts

Australia 4-0
Most Runs Australia - Head, one innings and he will be off and running.
Mos Wickets Australia- Scotty Boland to ensure the statue gets built
Most Runs England- Joe Root to finally prove his critics wrong over here. Will get that elusive 100.
Most Wickets England- Atkinson to feed off the hard work from Archer and Wood
Biggest Flop Australia- Khawaja- Wood and Archers pace to be a bit to much for the near 40 year old.
Biggest Flop England- Bashir or Carse

I don't always post the popular opinion but i throw it out there and take a stab for good or for bad and take the whacks that come with it.

Australia 4-0 not a bad guess, didn't rate England enough to win one but I probably over-rated Australia and predicted at least Cummins and Lyon in the side.
Most Runs Australia- Backed my favorite cricketer in and he delivered.
Most Runs England- Should be bang on unless Brook hits 100 here. Had to back the class cricketer. Glad to see him gets his ton in Australia
Most Wickets Australia- third most. Starc was brilliant and increased his legacy leading Australia to this victory without Cummins, Hazelwood, Lyon
Most Wickets England- got that completely wrong, probably should have known Archer and Wood wouldn't last more than 5 minutes.
Biggest Flop Australia- Didn't go out on a limb picking the obvious Khawaja but 170 runs at 28 is close enough. Alongside Green in a close contest.
Biggest Flop England- Well Bashir didn't end up getting a game so got a free holiday so that was pretty close haha, Carse tries but he is truly a goer in the same sense as Wagner. Close enough......probably any Potts, Wood, Archer or Duckett was the correct answer.

I was waiting for the test to end to start a thread about what we got right and what we had no idea about.

My opinion of Head opening was my obvious error in judgement, funny thing is that I'm still not totally sold on it, facing Jansen and Rabada is where the real challenge will be.

Yeah agree South Africa is a far different test for him.

However, i don't think Heads performances will change a whole lot compared to if he was batting at 4,5 or 6. No matter where he bats for good, for bad, for ugly, he is going to bat the same way in any pitch/weather conditions, any game situation, any bowling attack.

Just comes down to what the team wants/needs/and can afford to risk. If he opens you have to accept a few 1/0 types starts, do you have the middle order that can handle the pressure if that happens. Is the reward of a quick flying start outweigh the risk of a 1/0 start.

Just like when he batted at 5 I'm sure he will go through a rough patch and get out playing shots that make us cringe and all that stuff but that's going to happen wherever he bats.

His decided to live and die by the sword despite some posters on heres thought (cough, cough, cough, me, me, me) and right now his living a prosperous life.

[Booney]

No worries champ...

Rolling out the big insults now.

it's all I've got...

Must be a Bays thing.