*Official* First Test (Edgbaston, Birmingham) 16–20 June

[social]

mr pedantic I see
i accept that however the point is still relevant. They have had no red ball cricket this English summer.

that’s a fact whereas the Aussies have in county cricket and a test v India

bit of nuance needed I feel .

Ill learn everything has to be literal on here

Cummins, Haze, Starc and Green are all seriously underdone where bowling is concerned

That’s our test pace attack

Unfortunately lead up games are a thing of the past so pointless complaining & at least they have all had a game now

 

[Spark]

Cummins, Haze, Starc and Green are all seriously underdone where bowling is concerned

That’s our test pace attack

Unfortunately lead up games are a thing of the past so pointless complaining & at least they have all had a game now

I mean there was the small matter of a Test match last week...

I do agree that Cummins looked rusty in the first half of this game but like, that's kind of the team's fault for not preparing properly if so.

 

[social]

I mean there was the small matter of a Test match last week...

I do agree that Cummins looked rusty in the first half of this game but like, that's kind of the team's fault for not preparing properly if so.

Mate, it’s nets

They hadn’t played a game in months before that and 3 of them had pretty serious injuries

If fit, they’re all likely to be much improved for the run

 

[Spark]

Mate, it’s nets

They hadn’t played a game in months before that and 3 of them had pretty serious injuries

If fit, they’re all likely to be much improved for the run

Yeah but a proper, high intensity Test match against a top team with - nominally - silverware on the line is far far better preparation than almost any touring side ever gets for a Test series these days. Australia really can't use "lack of prep" as an excuse here (compared to, say, India, where they unquestionably went into that series cold).

Neither can England, mind. Both sides have had remarkably similar run-ups to this series, though I guess Ireland is not quite at the level of India.

 

[Ashes81]

mr pedantic I see
i accept that however the point is still relevant. They have had no red ball cricket this English summer.

that’s a fact whereas the Aussies have in county cricket and a test v India

bit of nuance needed I feel .

Ill learn everything has to be literal on here

You don't need to be literal mate, you just have to agree with all the nonsense the Aussies post

 

[nick-o]

KHAWAJA'S MARATHON
MOST MINUTES BATTED IN AN ASHES TEST

Batter	Runs	Balls	Mins	Ground	Year
AN COOK (ENG)	302	596	908	BRISBANE	2010
H SUTCLIFFE (ENG)	303	871	810	MELBOURNE	1925
L HUTTON (ENG)	364	847	797	THE OVAL	1938
UT KHAWAJA (AUS)	206	518	796	BIRMINGHAM	2023
RB SIMPSON (AUS)	315	749	767	MANCHESTER

It's astonishing to see how stark the difference in numbers of balls faced compared to time at the crease is. Hutton and Khawaja spend almost exactly the same amount of time at the crease; Hutton faces about 60% more balls. It really is a different game now.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Batting was way easier in those days because everyone was tired.

 

[tony p]

Rehan Ahmed called into the Test Squad, quite fitting really with 6 wkts at 67.66 in the Championship for Leicestershire this season.
Averaging 38 with the bat though.

 

[social]

Saw his debut & he’s a better bowler than that

Bowling leggies in England in early summer is hardly representative of his potential

 

[Son Of Coco]

It's interesting to see the contrast between the English team and their supporters after a loss. The team are still talking about all out attack, whereas their supporters have gotten ultra defensive.

 

[Ashes81]

It's interesting to see the contrast between the English team and their supporters after a loss. The team are still talking about all out attack, whereas their supporters have gotten ultra defensive.

I think most seasoned cricket supporters, and this includes many ex players and journalists, have always had concerns about Bazball.

Nasser typified that by saying we haven't lost at home to the Aussies since 2001 and we didn't need Bazball to beat them in the past.

I've always had concerns- you can't be positive and attacking all the time, you have to pick your moments.

I think amongst the more casual cricket fans, they want more of the same.

I think our positive approach has much to commend it, much more so than I originally thought when McCullum came in.

Our series win in Pakistan was exceptional. Yes, it wasn't the best Pakistani side ever, but to win 3 nil on those pitches was exceptional and was only possible because of how we played.

But in the last test, we should have made sure we couldn't lose it before we tried to win it.

But then again, I'm an old fuddy duddy and maybe its my thinking that's wrong and not Stokes/McCullum.

 

[Burgey]

I think most seasoned cricket supporters, and this includes many ex players and journalists, have always had concerns about Bazball.

Nasser typified that by saying we haven't lost at home to the Aussies since 2001 and we didn't need Bazball to beat them in the past.

I've always had concerns- you can't be positive and attacking all the time, you have to pick your moments.

I think amongst the more casual cricket fans, they want more of the same.

I think our positive approach has much to commend it, much more so than I originally thought when McCullum came in.

Our series win in Pakistan was exceptional. Yes, it wasn't the best Pakistani side ever, but to win 3 nil on those pitches was exceptional and was only possible because of how we played.

But in the last test, we should have made sure we couldn't lose it before we tried to win it.

But then again, I'm an old fuddy duddy and maybe its my thinking that's wrong and not Stokes/McCullum.

They’re just playing to their strengths. There’s nothing wrong with doing that. The question is whether they’re able to adapt and change it up as and when it’s necessary.

 

[Ashes81]

They’re just playing to their strengths. There’s nothing wrong with doing that. The question is whether they’re able to adapt and change it up as and when it’s necessary.

And don't think it's a case of not being able to adapt and change when required, I think its more of a case that they don't think that's needed as often as many observers would.

There are periods when we will look to dig in, there are periods when we'll go a bit defensive in the field.

My issue is more this idea that we're prepared to lose in trying to win.

That's fine when you're 1 test down and you're playing the final test, but not in the Ashes opener.

 

[Adders]

And don't think it's a case of not being able to adapt and change when required, I think its more of a case that they don't think that's needed as often as many observers would.

There are periods when we will look to dig in, there are periods when we'll go a bit defensive in the field.

My issue is more this idea that we're prepared to lose in trying to win.

That's fine when you're 1 test down and you're playing the final test, but not in the Ashes opener.

Thats not a particularly new train of thought......Michael Clarke as a new captain said much the same thing.

My issue is that Stokes seems prepared to lose in order to entertain the masses and "save" test cricket.........bazball can certainly entertain, without the need to blow test matches like Edgbaston and Basin Reserve (in that instance blew the series)

I will cut Stokes some slack though, he's still new to captaincy and is full of his own ideologies and you can't question that he's had success. Hopefully he will learn and grow I the job........but then again he does seem to be a stubborn ****.

Let's see if we're 2-1 up going into The Oval if he's prepared to risk the urn in order to "entertain"

 

[Michelle Fivefer]

Thats not a particularly new train of thought......Michael Clarke as a new captain said much the same thing.

My issue is that Stokes seems prepared to lose in order to entertain the masses and "save" test cricket.........bazball can certainly entertain, without the need to blow test matches like Edgbaston and Basin Reserve (in that instance blew the series)

I will cut Stokes some slack though, he's still new to captaincy and is full of his own ideologies and you can't question that he's had success. Hopefully he will learn and grow I the job........but then again he does seem to be a stubborn ****.

Let's see if we're 2-1 up going into The Oval if he's prepared to risk the urn in order to "entertain"

Not sure how losing a test match is entertaining for the masses nor how it would save test cricket. But you say “seems prepared to lose”; hopefully Stokes will, as you say, learn and grow as captain. I have issues with “entertaining the masses”. What most cricket lovers want to see is good cricket and test victories. That’s entertainment. More so than the ridiculous 100.

 

[Adders]

Are you telling me that this Edgbaston test and also Basin Reserve weren't 2 of the best finishes to test matches? If both of those day 5's weren't entertaing the masses then I don't know what is.

 

[Nintendo]

Are you telling me that this Edgbaston test and also Basin Reserve weren't 2 of the best finishes to test matches? If both of those day 5's weren't entertaing the masses then I don't know what is.

Even day 5 at rawulpindi was really good, honestly. Doesn't compare to this game or the NZ game you mentioned, but bazball has definitely made me excited to tune into england's test's despite being an aussie.

 

[Burgey]

And don't think it's a case of not being able to adapt and change when required, I think its more of a case that they don't think that's needed as often as many observers would.

There are periods when we will look to dig in, there are periods when we'll go a bit defensive in the field.

My issue is more this idea that we're prepared to lose in trying to win.

That's fine when you're 1 test down and you're playing the final test, but not in the Ashes opener.

I don’t think most of them they can adapt though. Duckett, Crawley and Brook for example aren’t the sort of blokes to grind out tough runs in unhelpful conditions. They’re one dimensional players.

 

[Ashes81]

I don’t think most of them they can adapt though. Duckett, Crawley and Brook for example aren’t the sort of blokes to grind out tough runs in unhelpful conditions. They’re one dimensional players.

I'd agree on Crawley.

Duckett and Brook have only played under McCullum so it's difficult to say if they can or not because they haven't had to.

 

[Adders]

I don’t think most of them they can adapt though. Duckett, Crawley and Brook for example aren’t the sort of blokes to grind out tough runs in unhelpful conditions. They’re one dimensional players.

You're probably right there.....but surely if we do get a wicket doing a bit (fingers crossed we do) then the game plan will not be to "grind" out tough runs and wait for the wicket ball.....it will be to still go for it and just trust that we'll end up with more on the board going at 4 to 5 an over than the more traditional cautious approach in those conditions?

Edit

If (and I accept it's a big if) we get a few away early and Ducket and Crawley just get through 2 or 3 overs finding 2 boundary balls an over.......slips are gone and very quickly the helpful bowling conditions are somewhat negated.

Of course the flip side is ending up 2 for 3 in the second over and i guess that's where a B plan would be handy.