The Ashes 2017/2018

[Brodlach]

Australia really Urned that victory

[jackpot jim]

How many times in the last 10 years have Melb and Sydney hosted a Test with the series still alive?
Just seems like they're "Dead Rubber" Tests all the time these days and cricket just loses its interest after Christmas with Dead Rubber Tests and a meaningless Big Bash comp. AFL would be loving it as the focus on footy creeps in earlier every year.

[Grenville]

Perhaps a lone voice, but, Smith acts like many young captains and as yet can not control his outer being. He feels the pressure when leading the side and struggles with his emotions yet when batting is a picture of patience.

Some of you may never have seen Alan Border as a young captain but he was far more demonstrative than Smith has ever been.

We are about to be 3 blot and on our way to five bloody nil. Onya Smithy.

I saw plenty of AB, he could be demonstrative but he didn't act like a petulant child.

[The Dark Knight]

Real happy the boys got the job done. Our bowlers were outstanding again. As much as I've disliked him geez Mitch Marsh was good to watch, strikes the ball so cleanly. The one guy I've been most impressed with in the three matches so far and in India is Pat Cummins. Can't remember who posted last week but it makes a difference when you have Cummins coming on first change bowling 140/145 kms compared to Pete Siiddle bowling 125/130 kms.

Smudge continues to impress with the bat, he just has so much time and is doing it with such ease!

[Grenville]

Real happy the boys got the job done. Our bowlers were outstanding again. As much as I've disliked him geez Mitch Marsh was good to watch, strikes the ball so cleanly. The one guy I've been most impressed with in the three matches so far and in India is Pat Cummins. Can't remember who posted last week but it makes a difference when you have Cummins coming on first change bowling 140/145 kms compared to Pete Riddle bowling 125/130 kms.

Smudge continues to impress with the bat, he just looks has so much time and is doing it with such ease!

Twas me TDK, having that bloke who can bowl quality fast bowling first change makes a huge difference. The opposition just don't get that letup. No matter what my opinion of Smudger as a captain is he is a once in a generation batsman. He's that much better than the rest of the team it's ridiculous.

[RB]

Now to make it 5-0...

[locky801]

Good result, now we just need Warner to come into some decent form and everyone click together.

Heard on MMM that Lyon got injured, nothing posted here that i can see, anyone know what happened

[amber_fluid]

Good result, now we just need Warner to come into some decent form and everyone click together.

Heard on MMM that Lyon got injured, nothing posted here that i can see, anyone know what happened

Broken fingernail.......literally.
I can't believe he left the field for it.

[amber_fluid]

**** me is Stuart Broad the worst batsman in test cricket to have a highest individual score above 150. Deadset number 11 these days

Dizzy Gillespie?

[heater31]

**** me is Stuart Broad the worst batsman in test cricket to have a highest individual score above 150. Deadset number 11 these days

Dizzy Gillespie?

Dizz was no spud with the stick solid defence. Would bat top 6 in local club cricket doubt Stuart would get above 9.

[RustyCage]

[PatowalongaPirate]

Real happy the boys got the job done. Our bowlers were outstanding again. As much as I've disliked him geez Mitch Marsh was good to watch, strikes the ball so cleanly. The one guy I've been most impressed with in the three matches so far and in India is Pat Cummins. Can't remember who posted last week but it makes a difference when you have Cummins coming on first change bowling 140/145 kms compared to Pete Siiddle bowling 125/130 kms.

Smudge continues to impress with the bat, he just has so much time and is doing it with such ease!

Cummins indeed.

[PatowalongaPirate]

How many times in the last 10 years have Melb and Sydney hosted a Test with the series still alive?
Just seems like they're "Dead Rubber" Tests all the time these days and cricket just loses its interest after Christmas with Dead Rubber Tests and a meaningless Big Bash comp. AFL would be loving it as the focus on footy creeps in earlier every year.

I would hazard a guess that Melbourne has been a dead rubber only once in the last 10 years. This would have been when we swept the Poms.

[westozfalcon]

The Ashes are lost but I think England should make some changes for the 4th Test to try and find some spark and finish the series on a positive note.

Despite horrendous form, Alastair Cook has earned the right to leave on his own terms so if he has the desire to keep going he must be retained.

I’d drop Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, and Stuart Broad and bring in highly-rated keeper Ben Foulkes, spinner Mason Crane and fast bowler Mark Wood. Current keeper Jonny Bairstow can play as a number-six batsman.

Woakes is a straight-up-and-down bowler and ordinary batsman. A one-day cricketer and not Test standard.

Broad has a great record but his poor form can’t be tolerated any longer. The only way I’d retain him is if Craig Overton doesn’t overcome his rib injury.
Either way, Wood can bowl consistently above 140km/h and gets good bounce off a length so he should come in to the side. Lack of a genuine quick has been England’s Achilles heel, especially when Australia has three blokes bowling at 90mph plus.

Moeen has apparently been troubled with a finger injury which has affected his bowling. You could give him a reprieve if he was scoring runs but he’s not so should be left out. There’s nothing to lose in giving Crane a run.

I’m assuming Ben Stokes will remain unavailable so this would be my England side:

Cook
Stoneman
Vince
Root
Malan
Bairstow
Foulkes
Overton
Crane
Wood
Anderson

12th Woakes

[whufc]

2014 was essentially dead, we lead India 2-0 in a 4 test series.

2013 was dead rubber

I would think there would have been a fair few dead Sydney rubberss though

[RB]

How many times in the last 10 years have Melb and Sydney hosted a Test with the series still alive?
Just seems like they're "Dead Rubber" Tests all the time these days and cricket just loses its interest after Christmas with Dead Rubber Tests and a meaningless Big Bash comp. AFL would be loving it as the focus on footy creeps in earlier every year.

I would hazard a guess that Melbourne has been a dead rubber only once in the last 10 years. This would have been when we swept the Poms.

This will be the 4th Melbourne Ashes test in 5 to be a dead rubber (2002, 2006, 2013, 2017). 1998 Australia had retained the Ashes but England still had a chance to level the series.

[Booney]

And we were just selecting random Aussies too.

[Rik E Boy]

How many times in the last 10 years have Melb and Sydney hosted a Test with the series still alive?
Just seems like they're "Dead Rubber" Tests all the time these days and cricket just loses its interest after Christmas with Dead Rubber Tests and a meaningless Big Bash comp. AFL would be loving it as the focus on footy creeps in earlier every year.

Crap. Each Test means something. The entire BBL means nothing....when the Test series ends I agree with you as that's when I lose interest in what they are marketing as cricket. I couldn't care less if the rubber is dead the Boxing Day test is still the Grand Final of Test Cricket. As for focus on footy, up here the AFL gives the inferior code a head start every year as the NRL kicks off a couple of weeks before the season starts.

regards,

REB

[Booney]

How many times in the last 10 years have Melb and Sydney hosted a Test with the series still alive?
Just seems like they're "Dead Rubber" Tests all the time these days and cricket just loses its interest after Christmas with Dead Rubber Tests and a meaningless Big Bash comp. AFL would be loving it as the focus on footy creeps in earlier every year.

Crap. Each Test means something. The entire BBL means nothing....when the Test series ends I agree with you as that's when I lose interest in what they are marketing as cricket. I couldn't care less if the rubber is dead the Boxing Day test is still the Grand Final of Test Cricket. As for focus on footy, up here the AFL gives the inferior code a head start every year as the NRL kicks off a couple of weeks before the season starts.

regards,

REB

NRL could start any time it likes, nobody South of Sydney gives a shit.

[cracka]

Looks like the pay dispute didn't effect the players performance as some were suggesting