The Ashes 25/26

[Password Please]

5 Poms? Which 5?

A combined XI is probably

Head
Crawley
Smith
Root
Brooks
Stokes
Carey
Starc
Neser
Tongue/Carse
Boland

Lucky you didn’t mis-spell Carse

Crawley and Brooks, wouldn't go into battle with them, couldn't hang in the trenches long enough. Stokes, yeh maybe, gusty as.

[Jim05]

Only Root makes a combined side, our bowlers have been absolutly outstanding.
Non disciple from the Pom batters rules them all out.

If you are doing a combined side based on performances then it doesn’t matter. They were still the better performed players.

If I was picking a combined team to take on the world then yeah it would look very different to this one but can only go on how the series played out.
Crawley had a better series than Weatherald so he takes an opening spot.
Root is one of the first picked.
Brook was brain dead but which Aussie batter keeps him out?

[gadj1976]

I think the to and froms will take 1 good thing from this tour, that Tongue is a find. The rest will go home thinking 'what if'.

[daysofourlives]

https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/th ... ighlights/

Lol, Brook wasnt out, big no ball from Webster.
Just highlights how bad the 3rd umpires are, how bout we get specialist 3rd umpires instead of rotating them, should be the same 3rd umpire all series

[am Bays]

The 3rd umpire is one of the three ICC appointed umpires and they rotate between two on the field and one upstairs. The local umpire is the 4th.

Dharmasena who umpired on field in Melbourne was the :rd umpire this test and has been ICC umpire of the year twice.

[Lightning McQueen]

Only Root makes a combined side, our bowlers have been absolutly outstanding.
Non disciple from the Pom batters rules them all out.

The Poms do bowl to better batters though, Carse improved immensely over the course of the series and Tongue was very good once given the opportunity

[daysofourlives]

The 3rd umpire is one of the three ICC appointed umpires and they rotate between two on the field and one upstairs. The local umpire is the 4th.

Dharmasena who umpired on field in Melbourne was the :rd umpire this test and has been ICC umpire of the year twice.

Yes im aware of how the appoint a 3rd umpire. It clearly doesnt work and they should have a specialist in the area to get consistent decisons across the board for the whole series. The snicko decisoins throughout the series were inconsistent, little murmors being given out for England but not Australia, if its the same 3rd umpire all series this possibly would have been consistent.
How can a 3rd umpire miss this no ball? Its a very basic rule that isnt up for interpretation

[The Dark Knight]

Day 5 stats- https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/mitc ... -1-1518565

[Aerie]

That was an enjoyable Test match at the SCG. The best of the summer and the best wicket of the summer by a fair way.

Bethell looks top shelf and announced himself on the world stage. Forget Bazball - it was just pure class. A very good win by Australia though. They were a step ahead for most of the series and Boland, Neser and Webster proved what top notch professionals they are, stepping up when needed.

A few questions I couldn't find answers for after Adelaide and Melbourne, I think were answered in this Test match.

Firstly, Head proved beyond doubt he is the man to open. No need to debate is he best at number 5 or opening. He makes it that much easier for the other players batting around him and the rest of the side is picked around him opening, Smith at number 4 and Carey at number 6.

Secondly, Webster proved what a reliable player he is with the bat and his cameo with his off spin, with the India tour in the back of the mind, makes his place in the Australian Test team, anywhere in the batting order from 5-7, a no brainer. Persist with Green either 5 or 7 and Marnus at first drop.

Only Weatherald's opening spot looks under danger for Bangladesh (Renshaw?) and clearly we are looking for another spinner for when Lyon is unavailable (has age caught up with him?) and to join him in India. It seems this group will take us through until The Ashes in England in 2027, with Warner and Khawaja both exiting, more or less, on their terms, over the past two summers. The depth of the bowling group and the inclusion of Green and Webster in the XI gives Australia the luxury of managing the workloads - which will be immense.

[am Bays]

Good summary Aerie but no way it was the best wicket by a mile

At best Adelaide and Sydney are the same standard as demonstrated by the test going into the 2nd last session of the day.

[Lightning McQueen]

Good summary Aerie but no way it was the best wicket by a mile

At best Adelaide and Sydney are the same standard as demonstrated by the test going into the 2nd last session of the day.

How is a pitch measured? Surely it's all opinion based.

Brisbane was a good pitch also, had it not have been a D/N test it probably would've lasted longer.

I liked how Sydney broke up a bit and turned more as the match went on, something that we used to see years ago when in the 3rd session of day 5 there would be two spinners on and 5 fielders around the bat, the Michael Clarke cameo rates up there with one of the best finishes ever.

I think a pitch is either crap or it's good, I'm not sure how they can be measured, we want variation and we don't want roads.

[wenchbarwer]

Sums up the tour, really...

[Lightning McQueen]

Sums up the tour, really...

Bit of foreplay.

[wenchbarwer]

Sums up the tour, really...

Bit of 4-1play.

EFA

[Booney]

Sums up the tour, really...

Bit of foreplay.

Ambitious start.

[wenchbarwer]

It is the Bazball generation after all, go big or go home

[Lightning McQueen]

Sums up the tour, really...

Dear me, I've really disappointed myself, I only just got Root's number, had never really noticed his name above it.

[Armchair expert]

[dedja]

Sums up the tour, really...

Not my order of preference, but there you go.

Nice big ‘pole' in the background.

[Aerie]

Good summary Aerie but no way it was the best wicket by a mile

At best Adelaide and Sydney are the same standard as demonstrated by the test going into the 2nd last session of the day.

Adelaide had no carry. Slip standing in front of the keeper shouldn't happen. This Sydney pitch had something for everyone and should be the template.