Official - Road to Ashes 2023

[Brook's side]

Head has changed his game a lot

His scoring zone on the offside used to be through cover point but now hits the same ball past mid off

He’s a serious player and one of the best batsmen in the world

where is this ball pitching??

 

[Gob]

To be fair, Zak Crawley can do that too, it's just he hasn't made it to 20 balls for flippin' ages!

I'm not using the Sussex Experience as a guarantee he's going to fail, but at the same time, what happened in Hobart is no guarantee to success either.

I know he'd played well elsewhere (and I think the double ton in the 50 over game was perhaps the turning point for him in terms of confidence), but Hobart was a dead rubber Test against a team frankly ready to go home (even more so than usual with all the Covid protocols). He obviously got a ton at the Gabba, but even then he came to the wicket with Aus already 40 runs ahead and only 3 down.

Will he score runs if he comes in at say 30-3 at Edgbaston? What happened at Hobart has zero bearing at this point.

Pull more excuses

 

[social]

Crawley’s test average is 27 & it’s propped up by 2 innings

Literally no comparison

 

[Gob]

You have to be brain dead to compare Crawley to Head

 

[social]

I actually like Crawley and believe that he’s an under achiever but let’s be serious here

He’s about to deservedly lose his test spot and might never regain it

 

[Spark]

where is this ball pitching??

Back of a length about a foot outside off stump usually

 

[Molehill]

Crawley isn’t in the same class as Head

He will be dropped before the Ashes while Head is the 4th ranked batsman in the world

Totally different levels

It's astonishing how form in one country can get you to that ranking. Over the last 2 years he averages 73 at home (9 Tests) and 22 away (7 Tests). Good job he got that 49 no today to bolster that average!! He couldn't even score runs on the Pakistani roads. The more you delve into his numbers, the more you realise he shouldn't even have a passport.

 

[Brook's side]

Back of a length about a foot outside off stump usually

Thanks.

And he's hitting this straight bat along the deck through mid off??

 

[Spark]

Thanks.

And he's hitting this straight bat along the deck through mid off??

Cover point more like. He's gotten a lot better about playing straight - it's the main reason he's had so much success in the last 18 months - but he still feasts on anything square of the wicket, you can't take the Adelaide Oval out of the man.

 

[Gob]

It's astonishing how form in one country can get you to that ranking. Over the last 2 years he averages 73 at home (9 Tests) and 22 away (7 Tests). Good job he got that 49 no today to bolster that average!! He couldn't even score runs on the Pakistani roads. The more you delve into his numbers, the more you realise he shouldn't even have a passport.

Haha so here's the bloke arguing about Head's possible credentials in England after recent improvements and then goes on to cite 7 tests from the subcontinent

Shrewd af champ

 

[Molehill]

Haha so here's the bloke arguing about Head's possible credentials in England after recent improvements and then goes on to site 7 tests from the subcontinent

Shrewd af champ

Even Crawley got a ton in Pakistan.

 

[Gob]

Even Crawley got a ton in Pakistan.

Have a ****ing point for once

 

[Sunil1z]

After reading last 3 pages , I have come to conclusion that 3 key players in this Ashes are : Head, Crawley and Woakes

 

[honestbharani]

After reading last 3 pages , I have come to conclusion that 3 key players in this Ashes are : Head, Crawley and Woakes

Could end up being unironically true as well.

 

[Molehill]

Have a ****ing point for once

Apologies, will try and make it simpler for you in future (actually, I'll just ignore you). Starting to realise that communication isn't one of your strengths.

 

[honestbharani]

Apologies, will try and make it simpler for you in future (actually, I'll just ignore you). Starting to realise that communication isn't one of your strengths.

His style takes some getting used to, but I think he was agreeing with you there mate.

 

[Ashes81]

Factually true

He’s a very ordinary international cricketer and has been for the majority of his career

Got smoked in Australia & somehow picked for the WI where he failed again

If England are forced to pick him at age 34, advantage Australia

You're completely missing the point mate about Woakes.

What relevance is his record in Australia to a series in England.

Look at the side you're currently picking to play in India, its based on the conditions you'll face in India, not what players have done in completely different conditions.

In England, where the Ashes is being played, Woakes has a world class record - he averages 35 with the bat and under 23 with the ball.

Away from home he's bang average but this series is in England and his record is exceptional.

I don't know why but some of the Aussies on here keep banging on about irrelevant ****e about the Ashes - Head's innings in Hobart, Woakes' record in Australia etc.etc.

None of you will admit that actually England are a really good side at home and the series will be tight.

It's all the usual bluster and bravado - every Aussie player is brilliant and every Pom is ****e.

Which of course is music to our ears as its a clear sign that you know this will be a tough series.

You haven't beat us at home for 22 years - 22 ****ing years. In fact it's so long that we've beat you in a series down under more recently than you've beaten us in Engalnd - and we're always ****e Down Under. ?

 

[Brook's side]

Cover point more like. He's gotten a lot better about playing straight - it's the main reason he's had so much success in the last 18 months - but he still feasts on anything square of the wicket, you can't take the Adelaide Oval out of the man.

Fair enough, but @social said he hits the same ball through mid off that he used to hit through cover point. Not being a smart ass (not much chance of that) but I'm still struggling with this idea! The only thing I can think of is that he's talking about a pitched up ball that he used to square drive and now hits straight.

 

[Starfighter]

I think Head’s innings in Hobart was worthy of praise and fair to say it was on a seaming track. But as I said elsewhere, playing away isn’t just about mastering the pitch. Even aside from all the mental aspects of playing away in sports, especially international sports, I’ve always felt in England it’s the overhead and atmospheric conditions as much as it is the pitch that batsmen can struggle with. Head’s innings in Hobart doesn’t prove he can do it in England, because it wasn’t in England, but fair enough to think he’s got a better chance than previously based on such innings.

I don't quite agree with your reasons here. The overhead conditions at Hobart, especially on the first day, were about as close as you'll get to English conditions.

There are a couple of crucial differences. Firstly, English pitches are slower and more variable which could throw his timing off.

The other one is the Dukes Ball. When that was used in the Sheffield Shield (the WI version I believe) it was still swinging in the 40th over and bowlers who rarely swung it much before were hooping it about. Michael Neser's ascendency came during this period. Plus it moves off the seam more. I think that in interaction with the surface determining wear is as important as the overheads.

During 2019, thanks to a combination of less grassy pitches than 2015 and another misguided ECB experiment at reducing the size of the seam, I thought there was conspicuously little swing compared to what I expected, even accounting for Anderson breaking down early.

 

[GIMH]

I don't quite agree with your reasons here. The overhead conditions at Hobart, especially on the first day, were about as close as you'll get to English conditions.

There are a couple of crucial differences. Firstly, English pitches are slower and more variable which could throw his timing off.

The other one is the Dukes Ball. When that was used in the Sheffield Shield (the WI version I believe) it was still swinging in the 40th over and bowlers who rarely swung it much before were hooping it about. Michael Neser's ascendency came during this period. Plus it moves off the seam more. I think that in interaction with the surface determining wear is as important as the overheads.

During 2019, thanks to a combination of less grassy pitches than 2015 and another misguided ECB experiment at reducing the size of the seam, I thought there was conspicuously little swing compared to what I expected, even accounting for Anderson breaking down early.

Fair enough on the overhead but atmospherics were different and my other points about being the away side and all the psychology, especially internationally, that comes with that are valid.

Interesting observations on the Duke though.