It’s an interesting situation. The World Cup was very much a bowler’s tournament and given the weather conditions, the Ashes could be very similar, even more so. Certainly in Australia’s prep game it was all about the bowlers.This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
There’s even been some speculation that Australia could go with five quick bowlers - Cummins, Starc, Pattinson, Hazlewood and Bird. They have a couple of batsmen who can throw a bit of spin if required but five quicks gives you the chance to change at both ends and then throw in the fifth for a bit of variation. Imagine being an England batsmen, especially at the top of the order where we still don’t really know what the line-up is, facing the new ball from Starc and Hazlewood, then seeing them refreshed by Cummins and Pattinson!
That would be very bold and attacking but if the pitches play like they have been then it makes perfect sense. It does leave the batting a tad light but in the likes of Smith and Warner, Australia have guys who can score big runs. And for the last thirty years or so, Australian pace bowlers have been indoctrinated into believing they should be able to post in the thirties or forties with the bat on a regular basis.
Results 31 to 60 of 477
Thread: The Ashes 2019!!!!!!!
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25-07-2019 11:14 AM #31There's only one thing better than a Hibs calendar and that's two Hibs calendars
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25-07-2019 12:01 PM #33
A few dodgy moments for Roy but he's getting going now at 41 no. Eng 106/1, just 16 behind now.
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25-07-2019 12:23 PM #34
Lunch 122/1 - scores level.
Roy's 50 is the fastest by an England debutant, 47 balls.
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25-07-2019 02:35 PM #35This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
England could field Anderson, Archer, Broad, Stone/Wood/Woakes and Stokes to be fair. I'd bin Ali for Rashid if spin was required on day 3/4 of the tests. Ali has been bang average at best with the bat in both formats for too long and wouldn't mind Curran taking his place as he can shape a ball being left handed and offers something different.
England's top order need to perform for sure. Burns has failed again today. I wonder if they'd be brave enough to go Bairstow/Roy as a test opening partnership.
Warner and Smith will be the catalyst of any Aussie victory IMO. Starc will also be crucial.
Too tight to call but can't wait!
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25-07-2019 04:19 PM #37This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show QuoteThere's only one thing better than a Hibs calendar and that's two Hibs calendars
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25-07-2019 04:23 PM #38This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
I think Curran has done his chances no harm so far and England really need to be planning about a post-Broad post-Anderson future, and Curran is part of that IMO. I’m sure I heard or read that the third brother may be the best of the lot but I think he is still very young.
EDIT - the third brother is Ben and he’s actually the middle child, Sam being the youngest, but hasn’t really had the breakthrough that Tom and Sam have enjoyed.Last edited by Mibbes Aye; 25-07-2019 at 04:27 PM.
There's only one thing better than a Hibs calendar and that's two Hibs calendars
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26-07-2019 10:18 AM #39
Stone out to the 1st ball of the day, so Ireland have a target of 182.
If they can keep their nerve a historic victory is on the cards.
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26-07-2019 12:18 PM #42This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
Also, England don’t appear to have clarity about their batting order. This has been dragging on for ages now and is ridiculous. I really like Joe Root, he comes across very well as a person and is obviously very, very talented as a cricketer but it is simply ridiculous that he doesn’t play at three. Roy looks like he will now be opening on a permanent basis, get Hameed in there or as I think you suggested, push Bairstow up and see what happens.There's only one thing better than a Hibs calendar and that's two Hibs calendars
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26-07-2019 12:23 PM #43This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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26-07-2019 12:54 PM #45
36/9 Woakes has 5, Broad 4. 7 minutes until lunch.
Funny how things change in Test cricket.
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26-07-2019 01:22 PM #47This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show QuoteThere's only one thing better than a Hibs calendar and that's two Hibs calendars
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26-07-2019 01:25 PM #48This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
You are right about England, they have some talented quicks and of course on home soil.
Josh Hazlewood is of interest to me for the Aussies. I think he is very much in the mould of the classic tourist who bowls a nagging line and length.There's only one thing better than a Hibs calendar and that's two Hibs calendars
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27-07-2019 11:55 AM #49
England have named their squad for the first test:
England squad for first Ashes Test: Joe Root (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.
Surprised they've stuck with an out of sorts Burns but good to see Archer in there.
Which 3 will fail to make the 11?
I'd guess Stone, Woakes and Curran or if the pitch doesn't look like it'll turn then swap Ali for Curran?
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27-07-2019 01:24 PM #50This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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27-07-2019 08:01 PM #52This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
Roy
Bairstow
Denly
Root
Stokes
Buttler
Woakes
Curran
Broad
Stone
Archer
I think England will be more cautious and pick Burns, which means dropping a seamer, probably Olly Stone. And if they are being ultra cautious they will pick Moeen at the expense of Curran.
I am expecting Anderson to not be quite fit. If he is then he comes in for Stone I suspect.There's only one thing better than a Hibs calendar and that's two Hibs calendars
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29-07-2019 10:30 PM #53This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
This means it is likely that Denly will move to four and Roy and Burns will continue at one and two. What I also picked up on is that if Root works at three then the thinking is to move Roy to four, which takes an England middle order that was already explosive to an even higher level. I would love to see that.
The downside is that Burns doesn’t convince as an opening bat and it means that England will yet again be rolling the dice for the openers. There are a couple of younger players coming through in the county game and I have always been a fan of Hameed, though he has struggled to find form since his breakthrough.
Funnily enough, I watched an extended interview with Mike Atherton about his time as an England player and captain earlier this evening and he talked about the 1993 Ashes where an admittedly very strong Australia absolutely hammered England. He was pointing out that despite the quality gap, England didn’t do themselves any favours by changing six or seven players from one game to the next. England have some ridiculously high number of openers who played with Cook and now that Cook has gone they don’t have him as a stick-on at least at one end.
They really need to settle on a first-pick opening pair and stick with them. They can afford to take a risk and look at younger players if they are thinking that the following batsmen will be Root, Roy, Stokes, Bairstow and Buttler.There's only one thing better than a Hibs calendar and that's two Hibs calendars
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30-07-2019 11:01 PM #54
Team gossip for Australia is interesting too.
Bancroft seems to be in line for restoration as an opener. Tactically sensible, he has done well playing in English conditions. Unfair on Harris who hasn’t done a great deal wrong.
Khawaja seems to have retained the number three spot. I will stop banging on about him some day but I really don’t think he is good enough. He just does enough to edge by but spurns or spoils advantageous positions for Australia far too consistently.
But most interestingly, it sounds like Australia might go cautious at Edgbaston, which is a happy hunting ground for England, and play Nathan Lyon and therefore only three quicks.
Pattinson and Cummins already seem to have been pre-announced meaning it could come down to one from Starc, Hazlewood and Siddle. Dropping Starc or Hazlewood is bold. I had actually forgotten that Siddle is in the squad, which is stupid because he has reinvented his game over his career and while at the latter end, has really worked out how to play in English conditions, as his County performances have shown.
Wouldn't be surprised to see Siddle get the spot but if it was me I would be tempted to omit Lyon (and that’s a hard decision to take) knowing you likely have a bit of spin from Smith and Labuschagne (assuming he is picked, which isn’t a given) on the table.
That allows you two from the previous three quicks mentioned and gives you rotation of pace at both ends, for at least a decent part of the innings. If they were to do that then I suspect Hazlewood would lose out, if nothing else because he is working his way back from injury. Would be a shame as he is a nagging bowler, who probably offers the closest thing the Aussies currently have to the peerless Glenn McGrath.Last edited by Mibbes Aye; 30-07-2019 at 11:03 PM.
There's only one thing better than a Hibs calendar and that's two Hibs calendars
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31-07-2019 08:28 PM #55
England XI: Rory Burns, Jason Roy, Joe Root (capt), Joe Denly, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.
No Archer!
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31-07-2019 08:40 PM #56This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
It comes back to the point I think you made a few weeks ago. When you have a proper all-rounder, as they do in Stokes, then you can retain a four-man pace attack, have a proper spinner, and still play six batsmen who qualify to play as batsmen (though that is maybe arguable at the moment for Burns and Denly ).
It makes sense for England but is cautious. They do well at Edgbaston, Moeen hasn’t been on great form and both Root and Denly can chuck a few overs down if necessary. And every indicator is pointing towards potentially the fewest days of Ashes cricket for generations, with games struggling to go to a full fourth day.
Which no doubt means it will go to the last session of the last day!
I am in hospitality in Edgbaston on Saturday, so most of Friday and and Sunday will be reliant on TMS in the car, which isn’t exactly a hardship.There's only one thing better than a Hibs calendar and that's two Hibs calendars
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01-08-2019 09:32 AM #58This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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01-08-2019 10:21 AM #59
Warner survives first ball catch appeal - no review but replay showed out. Then survives lbw review but then ... out lbw! No review ... and replay shows it was missing!
Aus 2/1 in the 4th over.
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01-08-2019 10:40 AM #60
Bancroft out for 8.
Aus 17/2
The crowd waving squares of sandpaper at Warner and Bancroft as they depart.
Here comes Steve Smith. Cometh the hour ... ?
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