The Ashes
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And that's what. Won by 120.
Its an interesting thing I've noticed about Starc: when required to do some hard yards, he seems to get a bit erratic. Once the ball is swinging he looks peerless. He gets a 5-wicket haul here, while for the match was rather toothless IMHO.
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@booboo Fair point.
It's why cricket is such a great game. The first two tests have thrown up a thousand talking points, despite both ending in relatively comfortable Aussie victories (on paper).
I see the point behind Root's decision at the toss, like I do with Smith's to bat instead of enforcing. I think both were proven incorrect, but neither were particular howlers.
Ultimately the winning and losing of the game was, like the first test, the success of Australia's middle/lower batting order and the inability of the English batsmen to make anything close to a match-winning score.
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I think the call to not follow on was the right one not only in the context of the test but also for the Aussie team.
Yes Anderson is quality and what a spell, but I think there was a decision to try and bat some of the Aussies into a bit of form and give them some time.
Hopefully England can bounce back.
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@act-crusader If that was the strategy then it wasn't what you'd call an unqualified success.
I don't think Aussie's actually think that deeply about what they're going to do. Innovative captaincy just isn't their thing. They were on top for so long they didn't need to think strategically they simply bludgeoned the opposition into submission. Now it seems they either can't or won't digress from the accepted play book. Even though they're no longer a great side.
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@act-crusader If that was the strategy then it wasn't what you'd call an unqualified success.
I don't think Aussie's actually think that deeply about what they're going to do. Innovative captaincy just isn't their thing. They were on top for so long they didn't need to think strategically they simply bludgeoned the opposition into submission. Now it seems they either can't or won't digress from the accepted play book. Even though they're no longer a great side.
As @Virgil said both teams have a handful of world class players supported by some pretty ordinary ones. Black Caps are pretty similar in that regard to a slightly lesser degree.
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Can I break from match discussion/Aussie bashing/Pom bashing to talk about the Adelaide Oval.
I went with four mates to the first three days of the test. It was fucking brilliant, and I can't recommend it enough.
The Day/Night format is great. You can roll out of bed at 9am, have a leisurely breakfast, a pub lunch and then wander into the ground for the 2pm start. Play goes until 9pm, where you can then step straight into the Adelaide CBD for a cleansing ale or two on the way home.
And the ground itself is just fantastic. Easy to get around, and I never had to queue for a beer for more than 2-3 minutes. We sat behind the bowlers arm on day 1, and then on the Eastern side at 45 degrees on days 2 and 3.
It's now easily my favourite cricket ground. Plus I saw Gary Lyon hit a six and then snaffle one of the great caught and bowleds, so the cricket was pretty good as well...
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@barbarian said in The Ashes:
Can I break from match discussion/Aussie bashing/Pom bashing to talk about the Adelaide Oval.
I went with four mates to the first three days of the test. It was fucking brilliant, and I can't recommend it enough.
The Day/Night format is great. You can roll out of bed at 9am, have a leisurely breakfast, a pub lunch and then wander into the ground for the 2pm start. Play goes until 9pm, where you can then step straight into the Adelaide CBD for a cleansing ale or two on the way home.
And the ground itself is just fantastic. Easy to get around, and I never had to queue for a beer for more than 2-3 minutes. We sat behind the bowlers arm on day 1, and then on the Eastern side at 45 degrees on days 2 and 3.
It's now easily my favourite cricket ground. Plus I saw Gary Lyon hit a six and then snaffle one of the great caught and bowleds, so the cricket was pretty good as well...
Would love them to do it at the basin. 10 minute stroll to Courtney place afterwards for a cold one. Marvellous.
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@barbarian i have several friends who have been and said the same thing. It is now on my list. Apparently the place to be is out the back, and you pop back in to watch cricket every so often.
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@barbarian said in The Ashes:
Can I break from match discussion/Aussie bashing/Pom bashing to talk about the Adelaide Oval.
I went with four mates to the first three days of the test. It was fucking brilliant, and I can't recommend it enough.
The Day/Night format is great. You can roll out of bed at 9am, have a leisurely breakfast, a pub lunch and then wander into the ground for the 2pm start. Play goes until 9pm, where you can then step straight into the Adelaide CBD for a cleansing ale or two on the way home.
And the ground itself is just fantastic. Easy to get around, and I never had to queue for a beer for more than 2-3 minutes. We sat behind the bowlers arm on day 1, and then on the Eastern side at 45 degrees on days 2 and 3.
It's now easily my favourite cricket ground. Plus I saw Gary Lyon hit a six and then snaffle one of the great caught and bowleds, so the cricket was pretty good as well...
That is really the best advert for day/night test cricket - it looked like a great crowd and it was gripping, tense cricket.
Went to the old ground once in January 2007. It was my birthday which the Australians celebrated with a holiday (January 26) and the only flight I could get from Melbourne had me landing around 1pm for a 2pm start. Without being in the city before, I doubted I could clear the airport, get a taxi to the hotel to drop off stuff then to the ground given it was an England v Australia ODI and a full house.
Did all of that and arrived at the ground just after 1.30 in time for an ale before the first ball - great city for getting around. Cricket wasn't quite so compelling, never lasted long enough to need the lights.
AUS vs ENG Cricket Scorecard, 7th Match at Adelaide, January 26, 2007
Live Cricket Scoreboard: Get Australia vs England 7th Match, cricket scorecard, Commonwealth Bank Series 2006/07 dated January 26, 2007.
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@mariner4life Yeah but the issue is that's in the Members. It looks great but unfortunately none of us had the connections to get in
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Without being in the city before, I doubted I could clear the airport, get a taxi to the hotel to drop off stuff then to the ground given it was an England v Australia ODI and a full house.
Did all of that and arrived at the ground just after 1.30 in time for an ale before the first ball - great city for getting around. Cricket wasn't quite so compelling, never lasted long enough to need the lights.Good old Radelaide: built for 2 million, home to half that.
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Without being in the city before, I doubted I could clear the airport, get a taxi to the hotel to drop off stuff then to the ground given it was an England v Australia ODI and a full house.
Did all of that and arrived at the ground just after 1.30 in time for an ale before the first ball - great city for getting around. Cricket wasn't quite so compelling, never lasted long enough to need the lights.Good old Radelaide: built for 2 million, home to half that.
So pretty much the opposite to Auckland then ....
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Very nice of the Aussies. In an effort to return some form of competition to this summer, they appear to be about to deliberately handicap themselves. Word is they are going to drop a bloke who averages almost 50 in Handscomb, to slot in the wildly inadequate Mitch Marsh. A player who averages 21 with bat, and 37 with the ball (and who takes a wicket every 1 and a half tests).
Inspiring selecting.
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@mariner4life said in The Ashes:
Very nice of the Aussies. In an effort to return some form of competition to this summer, they appear to be about to deliberately handicap themselves. Word is they are going to drop a bloke who averages almost 50 in Handscomb, to slot in the wildly inadequate Mitch Marsh. A player who averages 21 with bat, and 37 with the ball (and who takes a wicket every 1 and a half tests).
Inspiring selecting.
@NTA is gonna have absolute kittens if this comes to fruition.
Take my doubts about Mitch Santner, multiply them by about a million and you have his relationship with Marsh to a tee.
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I don't mind this selection, weirdly. As much as I piled on like everyone else, it's hard to argue the selectors haven't done quite well so far. S.Marsh and T-Paine have been great pics, and Bancroft may well be a good one as well.
Handscomb is a walking wicket at the moment. His two innings in Adelaide were horrible, and his dismissals even worse. Yes his average is nice but he is playing like a tailender right now.
M.Marsh has had a decent Shield season (400 runs at 41, and a couple of wickets). Bats well on the WACA and provides a useful bowling option on what for the last few years has been a flat track.
I would have preferred Maxwell or even Cartwright, but I certainly see where the selectors are coming from. Which is something I never thought I'd say this series...
