Ashes 2019
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@nzzp said in Ashes 2019:
@ACT-Crusader said in Ashes 2019:
That was a nasty hit. Head turned, neck exposed and real pace from Archer.
Aren't those rear protective pads compulsory to avoid exactly that sort of hit? I mean, after all the bats out for Phil Hughes malarky, wear the damn protection
Nope. He does not wear them or a lengthened helmet for comfort reasons. I think he should reconsider that now. The best bet is all helmet makes should be made to change their designs to incorporate them. It doesn't even need to be solid, no reason why the extension couldn't be a metal grille or have lots of holes milled out of it
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If you went out to design a fast bowler you'd come up with someone like Archer. Natural pace so he doesn't seem to be exerting himself too much, tall to get bounce, straightforward action so hopefully not too jarring on the body long term, bowls close to the stumps. The fact that he seems to be able to control line and length over long periods is a bonus.
Now he needs a sympathetic captain who isn't going to bowl him into the ground. Early signs aren't good on that although the rain delay was a factor in him bowling 29 out of 94 overs.
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@NTA said in Ashes 2019:
Lords is getting a bit of spice. Archer bowling short at the body and Smith has copped one to the grill after an earlier blow to the arm.
Can't get em out, knock em out.
Shades of Bodyline about Archer's bowling. Glad Steve Smith was able to get back on the field.
Forecast is for dry weather all day today in North London so they could get a full day's play in and be there still after 7 pm.
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@sparky said in Ashes 2019:
@NTA said in Ashes 2019:
Lords is getting a bit of spice. Archer bowling short at the body and Smith has copped one to the grill after an earlier blow to the arm.
Can't get em out, knock em out.
Shades of Bodyline about Archer's bowling. Glad Steve Smith was able to get back on the field.
Forecast is for dry weather all day today in North London so they should get a full day's play in.
Apart from him getting hit outside off stump ....
Shades of Smith needing a proper technique.
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@Rapido too right.
Getting hit outside the off stump to chest high bowling has nothing to do with the bowler.
If Smith wants to go across and into the trajectory of the ball, then he should be appropriately suited up.
Personally, and not to do with getting hit, I find watching him stride around the place talking to himself and flailing his bat around all the time tiring and fucking naff.
A pox on him and his silly way of playing cricket 😁
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@sparky said in Ashes 2019:
Steve Smith ruled out of the rest of the test with concussion.
Somewhere the ghost of Douglas Jardine is looking rather smug.
I doubt it. If his bowlers had sent down an offside delivery at chest height it would have fucked his leg theory.
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@Catogrande Bert Oldfield famously got a fractured skull from a ball on off-stump by Harold Larwood when the Leg Theory field was not in place.
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@sparky wasn’t Jardine angry ant that delivery though? Not in the plan.
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@Catogrande Bert Oldfield top-edged it. He told Larwood not to blame himself. The two became close mates after Harold Larwood emigrated to Australia.
Mind you, Oldfield had been shot in the leg when served in the Ambulance Corps in World War One. Famous easy-going and generous character.
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@sparky For sure, a different perspective back then. Later on, Keith Miller’s quote about facing fast bowling. “Pressure? Pressure is not facing fast bowling. Pressure is having a Messerschmitt up your arse at 350mph”. Or words to that effect.
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Australia have a few interesting selection decisions to make for Headingly. What might save the incumbent top three is that it'll be hard to drop all of them.
Agreed on the comment about the management of Archer. It will be interesting to see whether he ends up with the longevity of Bing Lee, or Shaun Tait...
