Ashes 2023

[mal]

Joe Root is a champion batsman and a handy offspinner
But England cant pick him as a frontline spinner
England has to pick a frontline spinner- no matter who it is

The way England bats, and should the weather not affect any game , it looks like a 3-2 win for one of the teams
I predict 2-2 and a draw
David Warner potentially can either win or lose this series for Australia

NostraMALdamus predicts the 2-2 series result
And yeah Moeen Ali did his bit

[Armchair expert]

Armchairs player ratings - You are free to be wrong and disagree with me


Warner - 3.5/10 285 runs @28.5 - Did better than expected so gets an extra point
Khawaja - 7/10 496 runs @49.6 - Quality performance
Marnus - 3/10 328 runs @32.79 - Overseas performance is a huge worry, 1 ton saved our bacon in the 4th
Smith - 4/10 373 runs @37.29 - Couldn't back up last times heroics, the end may be sooner than we hope
Head - 4/10 362 runs @36.2 2 wickets @46.5 - 3 50's but couldn't back up the WTC performance
Green - 2/10 103 runs @20.6 5 wickets @47 - Disapointing series but was he fit?
Carey 3.5/10 200 runs @22.2 - Started off good but fell after the Bairstown stumpout - Needs run this summer as Inglis is coming
Marsh 6/10 250 runs @50.00 3 wickets @55.66 - Amazing ton first innings but would not be happy with 5th test performance

Cummins 4.5/10 18 wickets @37.72 162 runs @23.14 - Solid without being fantastic, captaincy annoyed me, what has he got again a Point fielder
Hazlewood 4/10 16 wickets @31.68 - Not great not terrible was tired towards the end of the series
Starc 7/10 23 wickets @27.08 82 runs @16.39 - Quality performance although a little wayward at times
Lyon 6.5/10 9 wickets @29.33 - Huge loss , great partnership with Cummins in 1st test won us the game.
Boland .5/10 2 wickets @115.5 - Massive disappointment in conditions which were expected to suit him
Murphy 6.5/10 7 wickets @25.85 76 runs @19.00 - Poorly used but has showed he is one to watch for the future

[Lightning McQueen]

Pretty fair analysis IMO, Usi possibly 7.5

[MW]

Armchairs player ratings - You are free to be wrong and disagree with me


Warner - 3.5/10 285 runs @28.5 - Did better than expected so gets an extra point
Khawaja - 7/10 496 runs @49.6 - Quality performance
Marnus - 3/10 328 runs @32.79 - Overseas performance is a huge worry, 1 ton saved our bacon in the 4th
Smith - 4/10 373 runs @37.29 - Couldn't back up last times heroics, the end may be sooner than we hope
Head - 4/10 362 runs @36.2 2 wickets @46.5 - 3 50's but couldn't back up the WTC performance
Green - 2/10 103 runs @20.6 5 wickets @47 - Disapointing series but was he fit?
Carey 3.5/10 200 runs @22.2 - Started off good but fell after the Bairstown stumpout - Needs run this summer as Inglis is coming
Marsh 6/10 250 runs @50.00 3 wickets @55.66 - Amazing ton first innings but would not be happy with 5th test performance

Cummins 4.5/10 18 wickets @37.72 162 runs @23.14 - Solid without being fantastic, captaincy annoyed me, what has he got again a Point fielder
Hazlewood 4/10 16 wickets @31.68 - Not great not terrible was tired towards the end of the series
Starc 7/10 23 wickets @27.08 82 runs @16.39 - Quality performance although a little wayward at times
Lyon 6.5/10 9 wickets @29.33 - Huge loss , great partnership with Cummins in 1st test won us the game.
Boland .5/10 2 wickets @115.5 - Massive disappointment in conditions which were expected to suit him
Murphy 6.5/10 7 wickets @25.85 76 runs @19.00 - Poorly used but has showed he is one to watch for the future

And we still retained the Ashes...makes our performance even better.

[Senor Moto Gadili]

If Carey gets 3.5 and Boland gets 0.5, how would you rate Bairstow and Anderson?

[whufc]

If Carey gets 3.5 and Boland gets 0.5, how would you rate Bairstow and Anderson?

Whilst Bairstow didn't keep well (got better as the series went on) he did average 40 with the bat and would have to be the 'Ashes' keeper if you selected a combined side given the missed opportunities by Carey in the last couple of tests, plus a poor average of 22 and even worse dismissals. Carey's first innings drop catch along with Warners this test appears games defining now.

My Ashes team of the series.

1. Khawaja
2. Crawley
3. Root
4. Smith
5. Brook
6. Stokes
7. Bairstow
8. Starc
9. Woakes
10. Broad
11. Wood

[Senor Moto Gadili]

Stuart Broad has absolutely nailed his retirement and gone out with a bang. It was pure fantasy stuff. England needed two more wickets when he came back for his final spell. Bowling around the wicket to our left handers with a ball apparently 90 odd overs old he was unplayable at times with prodigious swing, seam and bounce. After beating Murphy's outside edge in consecutive balls he does the bail switch thing and next ball .... bang! Fittingly he got the last wicket, so he finishes on a high.
Contrast that with Jimmy Anderson. It's hard to see him getting the fairy tale finish to his career. He has bowled poorly through the Ashes. Had to be rested for one Test which is understandable, but at Edgbaston and again last night Stokes dìdnt bowl him when the game was on the line. I know he's performed well in India in the past, but I can't see him playing much of a role in that series. Bit of a shame really because I rate Jimmy a much better bowler than Broad.

[Senor Moto Gadili]

If Carey gets 3.5 and Boland gets 0.5, how would you rate Bairstow and Anderson?

Whilst Bairstow didn't keep well (got better as the series went on) he did average 40 with the bat and would have to be the 'Ashes' keeper if you selected a combined side given the missed opportunities by Carey in the last couple of tests, plus a poor average of 22 and even worse dismissals. Carey's first innings drop catch along with Warners this test appears games defining now.

My Ashes team of the series.

1. Khawaja
2. Crawley
3. Root
4. Smith
5. Brook
6. Stokes
7. Bairstow
8. Starc
9. Woakes
10. Broad
11. Wood

Agree he shades Carey, based on his last couple of tests, but we should remember that Jonny was a significant factor in us being 2 nil up. After 2 games he would have been nought out of 10

[Armchair expert]

If Carey gets 3.5 and Boland gets 0.5, how would you rate Bairstow and Anderson?

Bairstow 4.5/10 332 runs @40.25 - Keeping was terrible early but got better as the series went on, handy performace with the bat
Anderson 1/10 5 wickets @85.4 - A shell of his former self, sad to go out like this. He did keep it relatively tight at going at 2.77 an over

[FlyingHigh]

Stuart Broad has absolutely nailed his retirement and gone out with a bang. It was pure fantasy stuff. England needed two more wickets when he came back for his final spell. Bowling around the wicket to our left handers with a ball apparently 90 odd overs old he was unplayable at times with prodigious swing, seam and bounce. After beating Murphy's outside edge in consecutive balls he does the bail switch thing and next ball .... bang! Fittingly he got the last wicket, so he finishes on a high.
Contrast that with Jimmy Anderson. It's hard to see him getting the fairy tale finish to his career. He has bowled poorly through the Ashes. Had to be rested for one Test which is understandable, but at Edgbaston and again last night Stokes dìdnt bowl him when the game was on the line. I know he's performed well in India in the past, but I can't see him playing much of a role in that series. Bit of a shame really because I rate Jimmy a much better bowler than Broad.

Agree, except about being a much better bowler. Maybe early on, but think Broad has caught up.
It's the old saying, have people ask why are you going instead of why don't you go.
Broad in an interview said he wanted to go whilst he was still playing well, loved the game and didn't fall away and become bitter. While I don't think he was having a go at Anderson, it feels like that is the path Jimmy is on.

[FlyingHigh]

If Carey gets 3.5 and Boland gets 0.5, how would you rate Bairstow and Anderson?

Whilst Bairstow didn't keep well (got better as the series went on) he did average 40 with the bat and would have to be the 'Ashes' keeper if you selected a combined side given the missed opportunities by Carey in the last couple of tests, plus a poor average of 22 and even worse dismissals. Carey's first innings drop catch along with Warners this test appears games defining now.

My Ashes team of the series.

1. Khawaja
2. Crawley
3. Root
4. Smith
5. Brook
6. Stokes
7. Bairstow
8. Starc
9. Woakes
10. Broad
11. Wood

I'd have Lab at three and Root at 4 without Smith. This is the positions they batted in and Lab and Smith had similar, slighlty disappointing contributions whilst the English didn't really have a number 3.
Cummins probably had as many good moments as Woakes and Wood, but the latter two did it in three tests, not five.

[whufc]

Yeah i put them out of their normal batting positions because i didnt think either of the number 3's deserved to be a team of the series.

Cummins 18 wickets @ 37
Woakes 19 wickets @ 18
Wood 14 wickets @ 20

No comparison imo, Woakes and Wood changed the series.

[Armchair expert]

Foxsports ratings
https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/th ... dedCount=0

[whufc]

Foxsports ratings
https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/th ... dedCount=0

Foxsports far to kind.

Khawaja was real good but failure to turn great starts into more than 1 hundred means he has to be around the 7-8 like you had him.

How Carey gets a 6 is beyond a joke, batting was below average and keeping was only average over the whole series (couple of good tests with the gloves, couple of stinkers). Can only get a 5 for his keeping and for mine an average of 22 is a 3 for the bat so i would give him a 4.

Green a 5 is a joke. Enough said.

Smith & Labuschange over rated given both averaged under 40.

Cant see how Cummins gets a 7, given his primary role is with the ball at which he averaged 37.

Starc, Lyon, Head & Marsh about right imo.

[gadj1976]

Foxsports ratings
https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/th ... dedCount=0

Foxsports far to kind.

Khawaja was real good but failure to turn great starts into more than 1 hundred means he has to be around the 7-8 like you had him.

How Carey gets a 6 is beyond a joke, batting was below average and keeping was only average over the whole series (couple of good tests with the gloves, couple of stinkers). Can only get a 5 for his keeping and for mine an average of 22 is a 3 for the bat so i would give him a 4.

Green a 5 is a joke. Enough said.

Smith & Labuschange over rated given both averaged under 40.

Cant see how Cummins gets a 7, given his primary role is with the ball at which he averaged 37.

Starc, Lyon, Head & Marsh about right imo.

So in effect, they are giving Green a pass and our captain who bowled ordinarily and asked our bowlers to bowl to defensive fields at 0/0 gets a 7. FMD.

[whufc]

Yep.....my 0-10 scale is:

0- Ajit Agarkar batting level
5- Stock standard pass (not good/not bad/just enough)
10- Bradmanesque

[locky801]

Starc named australia player of ther ashes

Congratulations to Mitchell Starc, who was named as Australia's 'Player of the Ashes' !
"It's been a fantastic tour to come and express myself, had the backing from the group," Starc said post play. "Fantastic group to be a part of for a long time. Been a successful tour, from the six matches we played including the WTC final. We've got a great support staff, resilient group. A busy eight weeks for both teams but the quality of cricket has been fantastic."
Starc finished as the leading wicket-taker for the series. Across the 4 Tests he played in, he took 23 wickets at an average of 27.08, striking every 33.43 deliveries, with one five-wicket innings and best figures of 5/78.

[Aerie]

Unfinished business for both teams. Despite a few changes in personnel expected, the sequel is in 25/26.

Provided Stokes can maintain the rage, England could conceivably come to Australia with the same top 6 batsman. The positive approach is a winner. The results of the final three Tests completely validated their style of play. They don't need to overplay it anymore, like they did at the start of the series, which cost them in the first two Tests.

For England and Stokes - he must find a group of bowlers. Tongue and Robinson probably come. Mark Wood maybe (hopefully for them). Archer or Curran? Leach and Ahmed? Woakes and Anderson probably not. They do have some decent bowlers and will have two English summers to see who takes over from the legendary pair of Anderson and Broad.

For Australia, there will be no Warner. Khawaja will turn 39 next Ashes - it's likely we'll need to find a replacement for him too. Perhaps a swan song for Smith, Lyon, Hazlewood and Starc if they can make it through two more home summers.

It will be the most anticipated home series since 2006/07. Maybe.

[The Dark Knight]

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/stat ... ub-1388441

[The Dark Knight]

Reports the Australians asked several times for the English team to join them in the rooms for a post series drink only to have no response.

Wankers. [emoji38]

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/ashes-ben-stokes-says-england-and-australia-players-met-at-a-nightclub-after-the-last-test-at-the-oval-1390422