The Ashes
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The more I think about this series, the more I'm disappointed by it.
When was the last time we had a live series on Aussie soil? A series with twists and turns, where both teams enter the final day with an equal chance of victory. Where champions stand up in big moments, and we talk about the outcome for years.
More broadly, when has that happened anywhere at all? India/Australia earlier this year was notable by it's competitiveness - a series where both sides are evenly matched. This series, and 90% of others, pale in comparison. I rushed home from work to watch that series, while in this one I forget when the game starts and generally turn on midway through the first session and glance at the score as I go about my day.
The Ashes has become a series that's played in England. 2010/11 was an outlier, and it may well be another 20-30 years before it happens again. This isn't a great Australian side, but they have rolled through England yet again and 5-0 is on the cards. If that happens, since 06/07 the series score in Australia is 16-3. Fuck me dead.
Now we go into our two most famous tests, and once again nothing is on the line. They will be eclipsed by the Big Bash. Again.
I genuinely enjoyed the last two 5-0 series, because I felt our side had something to prove after a few famous defeats. This one doesn't do anything for me. It's nice to win but there was no fist pump moment when we took the last wicket. I don't even have the energy to needle my English mates on Facebook.
I'm already counting down to 2019. At least that might be a competitive series. Or the next time we tour South Africa.
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@barbarian said in The Ashes:
The more I think about this series, the more I'm disappointed by it.
When was the last time we had a live series on Aussie soil? A series with twists and turns, where both teams enter the final day with an equal chance of victory. Where champions stand up in big moments, and we talk about the outcome for years.
More broadly, when has that happened anywhere at all? India/Australia earlier this year was notable by it's competitiveness - a series where both sides are evenly matched. This series, and 90% of others, pale in comparison. I rushed home from work to watch that series, while in this one I forget when the game starts and generally turn on midway through the first session and glance at the score as I go about my day.
The Ashes has become a series that's played in England. 2010/11 was an outlier, and it may well be another 20-30 years before it happens again. This isn't a great Australian side, but they have rolled through England yet again and 5-0 is on the cards. If that happens, since 06/07 the series score in Australia is 16-3. Fuck me dead.
Now we go into our two most famous tests, and once again nothing is on the line. They will be eclipsed by the Big Bash. Again.
I genuinely enjoyed the last two 5-0 series, because I felt our side had something to prove after a few famous defeats. This one doesn't do anything for me. It's nice to win but there was no fist pump moment when we took the last wicket. I don't even have the energy to needle my English mates on Facebook.
I'm already counting down to 2019. At least that might be a competitive series. Or the next time we tour South Africa.
I think it's a great achievement though because as good as this Oz team is and has some terrific individuals overall it's not a patch on the sides of the 2000s
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Maybe, but this is a dogshit England team as well. Cook nicks them for fun, Stoneman and Vince have no ticker, Root can't carry the team, Malan and Bairstow are OK, Ali and Broad are horrible, Anderson is past it and I can't even remember the other two.
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@barbarian Dean Jones and others have been saying it's time for Root to stand up to Broad. I think it was Dirk Nannes on ABC that said Broad is too often asking for protection on the boundary rather than going for the kill.
This is a guy who, in home conditions, can take 6-fer in a very short period of time, but just won't bend his back when the team needs it. Anderson may be part his best, but he's still producing good spells.
I reckon their internal divisions run very deep, and maybe Bayliss isn't in possession of the right style of man management for this bunch of babies.
Add for the lack of competitiveness: fuck em. They handed out fucking knighthoods for their team squeaking a series win at home, remember.
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@barbarian Aus v Bangladesh earlier this year was good....
It's funny, we talk about this Aus side not being all that good. But they have lost 3 tests at home in 5 years. All to South Africa.
Battle on the South Continent (and badly), struggle a bit in England, win everywhere else comfortably.
There just isn't the quality in world test cricket to sustain interest. South Africa are good. India are good at home. Now that England have fallen in a hole, that might be it.
This England team is the pits though. Their top order is stacked with a has-been, a bunch of blokes with substandard domestic records, and a captain crumbling under the pressure. Their "attack" is one-dimensional and past it. Broad should very much be dropped, but won't. They'll get a type of reprieve in Melbourne with Starc likely out, but it won't be enough.
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@mariner4life said in The Ashes:
@barbarian Aus v Bangladesh earlier this year was good....
It's funny, we talk about this Aus side not being all that good. But they have lost 3 tests at home in 5 years. All to South Africa.
Battle on the South Continent (and badly), struggle a bit in England, win everywhere else comfortably.
There just isn't the quality in world test cricket to sustain interest. South Africa are good. India are good at home. Now that England have fallen in a hole, that might be it.
This England team is the pits though. Their top order is stacked with a has-been, a bunch of blokes with substandard domestic records, and a captain crumbling under the pressure. Their "attack" is one-dimensional and past it. Broad should very much be dropped, but won't. They'll get a type of reprieve in Melbourne with Starc likely out, but it won't be enough.
Googling all the English batsmen I'd never heard of I was shocked to see blokes with over a hundy first class appearances yet who averaged mid 30s. As if those guys are gonna dominate if Cook and Root failed which they did.
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@barbarian Dean Jones and others have been saying it's time for Root to stand up to Broad. I think it was Dirk Nannes on ABC that said Broad is too often asking for protection on the boundary rather than going for the kill.
This is a guy who, in home conditions, can take 6-fer in a very short period of time, but just won't bend his back when the team needs it. Anderson may be part his best, but he's still producing good spells.
I reckon their internal divisions run very deep, and maybe Bayliss isn't in possession of the right style of man management for this bunch of babies.
Add for the lack of competitiveness: fuck em. They handed out fucking knighthoods for their team squeaking a series win at home, remember.
My impression is there is a batsmen v bowlers split in the team.
Just my hunch. Maybe nothing.
Based on listening to the post day round-up podcast from BBC when they interview a player.Just little comments, mainly from Anderson.
They had this split before, I think, with some of the current players.
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@barbarian Dean Jones and others have been saying it's time for Root to stand up to Broad. I think it was Dirk Nannes on ABC that said Broad is too often asking for protection on the boundary rather than going for the kill.
This is a guy who, in home conditions, can take 6-fer in a very short period of time, but just won't bend his back when the team needs it. Anderson may be part his best, but he's still producing good spells.
I reckon their internal divisions run very deep, and maybe Bayliss isn't in possession of the right style of man management for this bunch of babies.
Add for the lack of competitiveness: fuck em. They handed out fucking knighthoods for their team squeaking a series win at home, remember.
My impression is there is a batsmen v bowlers split in the team.
Just my hunch. Maybe nothing.
Based on listening to the post day round-up podcast from BBC when they interview a player.Just little comments, mainly from Anderson.
They had this split before, I think, with some of the current players.
Looks like Anderson, Broad and Cook have hung on for one series too many to be honest.
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@barbarian Dean Jones and others have been saying it's time for Root to stand up to Broad. I think it was Dirk Nannes on ABC that said Broad is too often asking for protection on the boundary rather than going for the kill.
This is a guy who, in home conditions, can take 6-fer in a very short period of time, but just won't bend his back when the team needs it. Anderson may be part his best, but he's still producing good spells.
I reckon their internal divisions run very deep, and maybe Bayliss isn't in possession of the right style of man management for this bunch of babies.
Add for the lack of competitiveness: fuck em. They handed out fucking knighthoods for their team squeaking a series win at home, remember.
My impression is there is a batsmen v bowlers split in the team.
Just my hunch. Maybe nothing.
Based on listening to the post day round-up podcast from BBC when they interview a player.Just little comments, mainly from Anderson.
They had this split before, I think, with some of the current players.
Looks like Anderson, Broad and Cook have hung on for one series too many to be honest.
While I agree with most of the criticism of the English side, I am nervous about facing them at the end of the season. It's a no win situation for the black caps. Win and the commentators will talk about exhausted and demoralised England with one foot on the plane, lose or draw the gap between us and Australia looks wider than ever.
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@barbarian Dean Jones and others have been saying it's time for Root to stand up to Broad. I think it was Dirk Nannes on ABC that said Broad is too often asking for protection on the boundary rather than going for the kill.
This is a guy who, in home conditions, can take 6-fer in a very short period of time, but just won't bend his back when the team needs it. Anderson may be part his best, but he's still producing good spells.
I reckon their internal divisions run very deep, and maybe Bayliss isn't in possession of the right style of man management for this bunch of babies.
Add for the lack of competitiveness: fuck em. They handed out fucking knighthoods for their team squeaking a series win at home, remember.
My impression is there is a batsmen v bowlers split in the team.
Just my hunch. Maybe nothing.
Based on listening to the post day round-up podcast from BBC when they interview a player.Just little comments, mainly from Anderson.
They had this split before, I think, with some of the current players.
Looks like Anderson, Broad and Cook have hung on for one series too many to be honest.
While I agree with most of the criticism of the English side, I am nervous about facing them at the end of the season. It's a no win situation for the black caps. Win and the commentators will talk about exhausted and demoralised England with one foot on the plane, lose or draw the gap between us and Australia looks wider than ever.
They've already lost the series so surely if they win or at least draw the next two that will give them a boost before playing little old NZ.
I still reckon on paper we're a better side than them though.
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@barbarian Dean Jones and others have been saying it's time for Root to stand up to Broad. I think it was Dirk Nannes on ABC that said Broad is too often asking for protection on the boundary rather than going for the kill.
This is a guy who, in home conditions, can take 6-fer in a very short period of time, but just won't bend his back when the team needs it. Anderson may be part his best, but he's still producing good spells.
I reckon their internal divisions run very deep, and maybe Bayliss isn't in possession of the right style of man management for this bunch of babies.
Add for the lack of competitiveness: fuck em. They handed out fucking knighthoods for their team squeaking a series win at home, remember.
My impression is there is a batsmen v bowlers split in the team.
Just my hunch. Maybe nothing.
Based on listening to the post day round-up podcast from BBC when they interview a player.Just little comments, mainly from Anderson.
They had this split before, I think, with some of the current players.
Looks like Anderson, Broad and Cook have hung on for one series too many to be honest.
While I agree with most of the criticism of the English side, I am nervous about facing them at the end of the season. It's a no win situation for the black caps. Win and the commentators will talk about exhausted and demoralised England with one foot on the plane, lose or draw the gap between us and Australia looks wider than ever.
They've already lost the series so surely if they win or at least draw the next two that will give them a boost before playing little old NZ.
I still reckon on paper we're a better side than them though.
I do too! But long time black cap fan pessimism consumes me.
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@mariner4life said in The Ashes:
@barbarian Aus v Bangladesh earlier this year was good....
It's funny, we talk about this Aus side not being all that good. But they have lost 3 tests at home in 5 years. All to South Africa.
Battle on the South Continent (and badly), struggle a bit in England, win everywhere else comfortably.
There just isn't the quality in world test cricket to sustain interest. South Africa are good. India are good at home. Now that England have fallen in a hole, that might be it.
This England team is the pits though. Their top order is stacked with a has-been, a bunch of blokes with substandard domestic records, and a captain crumbling under the pressure. Their "attack" is one-dimensional and past it. Broad should very much be dropped, but won't. They'll get a type of reprieve in Melbourne with Starc likely out, but it won't be enough.
Not sure quite how to rate us then? According to the ICC Test rankings we're better than Australia...but not as good as England!
ICC Men's Test Team Rankings | ICC
Official International Cricket Council rankings for test match cricket teams. Discover latest ICC rankings table, predict upcoming matches, see points and ratings for all teams.
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@mariner4life said in The Ashes:
@barbarian Aus v Bangladesh earlier this year was good....
It's funny, we talk about this Aus side not being all that good. But they have lost 3 tests at home in 5 years. All to South Africa.
Battle on the South Continent (and badly), struggle a bit in England, win everywhere else comfortably.
There just isn't the quality in world test cricket to sustain interest. South Africa are good. India are good at home. Now that England have fallen in a hole, that might be it.
This England team is the pits though. Their top order is stacked with a has-been, a bunch of blokes with substandard domestic records, and a captain crumbling under the pressure. Their "attack" is one-dimensional and past it. Broad should very much be dropped, but won't. They'll get a type of reprieve in Melbourne with Starc likely out, but it won't be enough.
Not sure quite how to rate us then? According to the ICC Test rankings we're better than Australia...but not as good as England!
Official International Cricket Council rankings for test match cricket teams. Discover latest ICC rankings table, predict upcoming matches, see points and ratings for all teams.
I have no idea how the rankings work but we look a chance to go past England if they continue to be dross.
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@chris-b it actually shapes as an interesting little series, and actually quite dangerous for us.
We will no doubt face a down and dispirited England. BUT, if we prepare green tops we risk playing Broad and Anderson in to form. If we prepare flat roads, then there is a good chance our go-to tactic of a heap of Wagner short balls will be treated with disdain as the English realise they are 10-15kms slower than the ones they have been hammered by for the past 3 months.
We should win, but i wouldn't even be a little surprised if we lose
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@mariner4life Yeah - England is probably our most even match in tests, at present. If they don't have one foot on the plane it should be a good series.
I somewhat suspect that, without Starc/Hazlewood/Cummins/Lyons, we will find that people like Stoneman and Vince are pretty good players.
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@mariner4life Yeah - England is probably our most even match in tests, at present. If they don't have one foot on the plane it should be a good series.
I somewhat suspect that, without Starc/Hazlewood/Cummins/Lyons, we will find that people like Stoneman and Vince are pretty good players.
Every dog has his day, I mean even pretty average batsmen like Bryan Young and Lou Vincent have a test double ton each so I just hope these guys don't flatter to deceive against us.
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