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Official - Road to Ashes 2023

Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
Trouble is I don't think they're going to lose. We couldn't beat them last time when they generally horrible.
One of the reasons for my potentially mis-placed confidence. This England team is so much better than 2019 on so many levels. Even Zak Crawley represents an improvement on Jason Roy.
 

Ashes81

State Vice-Captain
Right, because movement due to the ball hitting the ground is impacted more by the air above than the ground below. Next you'll say pitches can't be prepared to suit types of bowling.
Mate if you don't know that in the North of England the atmospheric conditions impact the amount of seam movement then there's nothing I can say to help you.

As someone who has lived, played and watched cricket in the North of England all my life, I must have had it wrong all these years along with millions of others.
 

Blenkinsop

U19 Vice-Captain
The only English grounds that have had hard, fast pitches in recent years have been Old Trafford and sometimes the Oval. Is it even possible to prepare a pitch like that at Lords or Headingley? Either way I think Stokes is trying his hand at 4D chess here.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Starc in away Tests last 4 years averages 35, even Zak Crawley is licking his lips.
Hahaha I don't think this is true at all.

It's a good point someone made, Australia hasn't won in England since 2001 despite quite often looking better on paper. So that's got to be factored in. Think it's a master stroke, too (and I presume done on purpose) that the series isn't starting at Lord's, where England have a pretty average record.
 

Adders

Cricketer Of The Year
Hahaha I don't think this is true at all.

It's a good point someone made, Australia hasn't won in England since 2001 despite quite often looking better on paper. So that's got to be factored in. Think it's a master stroke, too (and I presume done on purpose) that the series isn't starting at Lord's, where England have a pretty average record.
Pretty sure we've done this since 2009 so it's not new. I'd be happy if they ditched the Lords test altogether tbh (not that that will ever happen)
 

Burgey

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Pretty sure we've done this since 2009 so it's not new. I'd be happy if they ditched the Lords test altogether tbh (not that that will ever happen)
Historically the second Ashes test was always at Lord's. Before nuffy grounds like Southampton, Cardiff and Durham became a thing, the standard sort of six test program was

Trent Bridge
Lord's
Headingley
England's Brisbane
Old Trafford
The Oval

Then when they initially went back to 5 tests it seemed like OT missed out at times and it was more

England's Brisbane
Lord's
Trent Bridge
Headingley
The Oval

This series I gather Nottingham misses out and OT is in.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Pretty sure we've done this since 2009 so it's not new. I'd be happy if they ditched the Lords test altogether tbh (not that that will ever happen)
Fair enough. 7 England wins to 16 Australian ones there in Ashes doesn't look good, especially when you compare it to 16 England wins v 6 Australian ones at The Oval.

The fact England's record at the SCG is OK too (23 losses v 22 wins, as compared with 13 v 4 Gabba, 19 v 9 Adelaide and 27 v 19 MCG makes me think it's partly a dead rubber thing. That might be harsh.
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Tbf England didn't win an Ashes test at Lord's between 1934 and 2009 (I mean, lol) but they've done reasonably well there since.
 

Xix2565

International Regular
Mate if you don't know that in the North of England the atmospheric conditions impact the amount of seam movement then there's nothing I can say to help you.
Not as much as the actual surface, come on ffs. The ball is literally changing directions after hitting the ground, how is that more the work of atmospheric conditions? It's indirect at best. It's like saying spin is down to atmospheric conditions.
 

ataraxia

International Coach
Mate if you don't know that in the North of England the atmospheric conditions impact the amount of seam movement then there's nothing I can say to help you.

As someone who has lived, played and watched cricket in the North of England all my life, I must have had it wrong all these years along with millions of others.
Genuinely interested – how does this occur?
 

Nintendo

Cricketer Of The Year
We were pretty bad too tbf. We played Siddle, and our middle-order other than Smith looks a lot more reliable this time
I don't know if i'de back green to do much more than wade did last time around, but head is definitely much better then he did in 19 and carey looks a much better test bat then paine when facing pace.
 

Burgey

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We were pretty bad too tbf. We played Siddle, and our middle-order other than Smith looks a lot more reliable this time
Haha yeah. Also add that even though Warner has completely lost it, he really can't do any worse than he did last time anyway.
 

Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
I don't know if i'de back green to do much more than wade did last time around, but head is definitely much better then he did in 19 and carey looks a much better test bat then paine when facing pace.
In 2019, numbers 4,5,6,7 essentially averaged about 200 runs per innings. Now admittedly, that was largely due to Smith being ridiculous. But given they never faced a single ball from Anderson in that series, is it wrong to think they'll struggle to match that this time around?
 

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