Ashes 2023

Bairstow looks like a guy who shattered his leg at 32 years old and lost what little mobility he had left. He was in good form prior to the golf game but that time is long gone.l and entirely his own doing. (I have no sympathy for losing your place in professional sport by pissing about playing another)

On top of that, this side doesn't just need Foakes for his keeping. His sane, careful batting in the lower order protects us when the big hitters don't get runs. He literally balanced the entire team and we'd have done better in every single test with him playing... The obvious choice is Bairstow but you could equally drop Crawley, Duckett, Pope or Brook for him and still improve the overall balance of the side significantly.

My biggest concern is that, it's becoming crystal clear that Stokes is retiring from Tests after this series. That knee is toast. Without his leadership this side is just a bunch of disorganised, delusional nutjobs.

Let's hope he's got one last hurrah in him to make this series interesting.

 

Batting pitch and glorious batting conditions to make bowlers tire in the heat. So obviously we bat like it's cold, windy, and overcast.

 

Assume you're referring to Smith playing for Sussex and Labuschagne @ Glamorgan in early season Championship rounds?
In these April and May matches the majority of the England squad were playing for their counties. Stokes and Wood were not allowed to play for Durham because of injury concerns, Root and Brook were playing IPL.
Spent a couple of days at Trent Bridge, Notts v Lancs, Duckett, Broad, and Anderson were all playing.

 

Mark Wood. What a man.

 

therein lies the problem. Hits the first one to a fielder he’s an idiot. Hits 3 sixes he’s the man!

For me though I agree I’d tell 9.10,11 all to the same. The top order should play the bouncer on its merits and not try hit every one

 

WTF is Stokes playing at? Tailenders losing their wickets going at around run a ball. He should be taking as much of the strike as possible and at a better SR than in the 40s.

 

For me Broad is the first tailender batting and Stokes has taken charge. Wood has batted that way for years. Do we really want our most dangerous bowler staying out there and trying to evade a bouncer barrage?

 

Possibly looking at a 60 run deficit here. What an absolute ******* shambles.

 

To be fair i was more on about him getting a fiver with the bowling, and then coming in and hitting several 4s and 6s despite his low batting position.

Our problem is the ineffective batsman before our tail, such as Crawley, Bairstow and Root (this series)

 

Tbf Root has got a century first match.

 

It’s the mentality of the top half of our batting that’s the problem for me, they just seem incapable of leaving balls, OK Joe Root has also been guilty but he has shown many times what a good batter he is and he’s just having a bad patch. The likes of Ali though, phew they nearly got me that time so I’ll give them another chance, it’s just brainless!

 

Unusual move by the Aussies, bringing in Lee Evans as a spinner!

 

Aye thats fair, although since then he's scored 46, 10, 18 and 19. In our top order he's definitely been the best performing so i'll take his name out and stick Brook in.

 

Under 30. Game on....

 

26 behind is not a disaster but we need to be good with the bowling again here, Khawaja and Smith out need to be out sharpish again to stand a chance.

 

Out of all the players you chose to pick on you went for Stokes!

 

Surely you're not surprised....

 

Back in this now. A bit of pressure on Australia. They know they've got to score big runs.

 

The Hemmsy for cricket threads

 

All sad but true.