Cricket Thread

[chris63]

It's been low to mid 30s all week here in Perth, but Friday 50% rain Saturday 70% rain and Sunday 50% rain and low 20s. Should suit the England side.

 

[domalino]

Totally agree about the lack of prep mate but I think that’s down to the modern day overcrowded schedule more than anything else. Some of the best players in the test squad were playing ODIs in New Zealand just a couple of weeks ago. Arranging a one day series so close to an Ashes series doesn’t sit right with me, and those players would’ve been better off playing two or three warm-up matches in the longer format against quality Australian sides in the run up to the first test.

For all the critics of Bazball, I honestly think Stokes would’ve had the team acclimatising in Australia a month before the first test if he’d been allowed. He clearly values test cricket more than any other format and the Ashes is the pinnacle of that. Unfortunately, the bloated schedule governs what he can and can’t do.

They'll have been there over 3 weeks by the time the first test starts, so they pretty much have been acclimatising for a month.

Australia's best players were all playing ODI's & T20's up to 2 weeks ago, and they're not having a single warm up match as a team, just the individuals getting some runs out in county cricket.

 

[Blue_Lightsaber]

I'm just hoping for 4-5 day matches, not 2 day garbage!

 

[waspish]

O2:30am first test starts

 

[ancoats]

I'm just hoping for 4-5 day matches, not 2 day garbage!

I think it will be a low-scoring game, but with a slow overrate, meaning it should last 3 to 4 days
It's going to be all-out pace bowling from both ends by both teams, so 12 overs an hour at best

Stokes has to play another all-rounder batter and bowler maybe (Brydon Carse) and the 3 main fast bowlers, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood

 

[beehive_bob]

Botham looking well down under!

Enjoyed that, cheers for posting

 

[liamctid]

I think we'll need a lot to go in our favour to have any chance in Australia.

As a positive (perhaps clutching at straws) I feel like we've got a much more settled batting line up compared to when we went there last time as you know right now and we've known for awhile that barring injuries it's going to be Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes, Smith as our top 7. Sure Bethell and Cox could get in there between now and the winter but this is miles more settled and organised than bringing Hameed and Malan in from the cold a few months before the first test and Billings making his debut during the tour.

The bowling is where we'll struggle in Australia in my opinion. As ever big questions around the fitness of Wood and Archer, although Woakes will be the leader of the bowling pack throughout the summer he's shown he's not effective in Australia, Atkinson and Carse have had good starts to their Test careers but not experienced enough (I could change my mind on this by the end of the summer), the other pace bowlers like Tongue, Hull, Potts, Cook would need to get picked a few times this summer to have a chance to travel I'd imagine. And then there's the spinner - we've backed Bashir who seems to be OK but like Leach before him not in the same class as Lyon who we'll be coming up against.

As for Australia - it'll probably be the last big series for some of their recent greats like Starc, Hazelwood, Smith, Lyon and Khawaja, and they've got enough key players playing at their top level like Head, Carey, Green and Cummins to beat us in their conditions.

A few days out, I'm sticking with what I said back in May

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

A few days out, I'm sticking with what I said back in May

I like the look of our pace attack, it's the top 3 in the batting I'm concerned about. If they get runs, and we aren't less than a 100/3 all the time I think we'll be very competitive.

 

[ancoats]

I like the look of our pace attack, it's the top 3 in the batting I'm concerned about. If they get runs, and we aren't less than a 100/3 all the time I think we'll be very competitive.

I think we have the right bowlers to hurt them, but 2 of them are very much injury-prone, Archer and Wood and the others are untested Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse. The Aussies will make the wickets hard and pacey, but it will surprise many and it will take spin I think they are trying to fool england into not playing a spinner because of the look of the wicket,

The biggest thing for england if we want to win the ashes is the mental attitude and can we handle it under pressure with the mind games and sledging.

Got my setup ready, DAB Radio set to test match special, in bed with the radio on doesn't get much better for the Cricket in the winter nights

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

I think we have the right bowlers to hurt them, but 2 of them are very much injury-prone, Archer and Wood and the others are untested Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse. The Aussies will make the wickets hard and pacey, but it will surprise many and it will take spin I think they are trying to fool england into not playing a spinner because of the look of the wicket,

The biggest thing for england if we want to win the ashes is the mental attitude and can we handle it under pressure with the mind games and sledging.

Got my setup ready, DAB Radio set to test match special, in bed with the radio on doesn't get much better for the Cricket in the winter nights

Hopefully Archers injuries are behind him, he's had a decent run without injury now. Wood is a complete different matter though and I'll be surprised if he makes it through the tour. I like Carse a lot, think he will surprise a few on this tour.

 

[Pubteam Lomas]

Hopefully Archers injuries are behind him, he's had a decent run without injury now. Wood is a complete different matter though and I'll be surprised if he makes it through the tour. I like Carse a lot, think he will surprise a few on this tour.

So Carse, Archer, Tongue and Atkinson for the Perth???

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

So Carse, Archer, Tongue and Atkinson for the Perth???

I think they'll play Wood if he's deemed fit. Even if he breaks down they've got 5 quicks including Stokes. 5 quicks should allow them to bowl Wood in short spells, maybe 4 overs, 5 max. He'll still probably break down though.

I'm assuming they will pick 4 quicks plus Stokes.

 

[chesterbells]

O2:30am first test starts

Yeah, this isn’t as bad and those later Tests out east (the day-night test excepted).
Afternoon session starts 5.10am UK time?
Think I’ll make that my wake up time - that I can just about do.

 

[waspish]

Your 12-player England Ashes squad for the first Test in Perth.


ENGLAND SQUAD

FIRST TEST

THE ASHES

BEN STOKES (c)

JOFRA ARCHER GUS ATKINSON

SHOAIB BASHIR

HARRY BROOK

BRYDON CARSE ZAK CRAWLEY

BEN DUCKETT

OLLIE POPE

JOE ROOT

JAMIE SMITH (WK)

MARK WOOD

I’d play Bashir just because of the bounce and Lion take loads of wickets at Perth because of the bounce and Bashir is tall and has a knack of getting wickets! Also reckon Stokes will want him in his squad..

 

[ancoats]

Your 12-player England Ashes squad for the first Test in Perth.


ENGLAND SQUAD

FIRST TEST

THE ASHES

BEN STOKES (c)

JOFRA ARCHER GUS ATKINSON

SHOAIB BASHIR

HARRY BROOK

BRYDON CARSE ZAK CRAWLEY

BEN DUCKETT

OLLIE POPE

JOE ROOT

JAMIE SMITH (WK)

MARK WOOD

I’d play Bashir just because of the bounce and Lion take loads of wickets at Perth because of the bounce and Bashir is tall and has a knack of getting wickets! Also reckon Stokes will want him in his squad..

England could play the spinner as well and use Ollie Pope as wicket-keeper

 

[heslops barnet]

Yeah, this isn’t as bad and those later Tests out east (the day-night test excepted).
Afternoon session starts 5.10am UK time?
Think I’ll make that my wake up time - that I can just about do.

Bed at 20.00 Thursday night for me, up at 02.15 Friday morning, full English breakfast, let’s batter the convicts

Edit. 02.20 start

 

[beehive_bob]

Bed at 20.00 Thursday night for me, up at 02.30 Friday morning, full English breakfast, let’s batter the convicts

Sounds like a plan but think I might save the full English till later in the day, lol

 

[crystal_mais]

I think England have a great chance, I personally don't rate the Aussies batting - Smith & Head aside I think our seamers can get into them (famous last words)

Them missing Hazelwood and Cummins is a blow. Win toss and bowl by looks of it

 

[jaiguruKun]

Should be Bashir instead of Carse, will give us a bit more variety. I don't rate Carse particularly as a bowler and would pick Tongue, who has a knack of mopping up the tail, ahead of him.