*Official* Road to the 2025-26 Ashes

[Qlder]

Australia has 7 or 8 tests before the Ashes. 2 vs India now, 2 vs Sri Lanka in Jan/Feb, the WTC Final in June (if qualified) and 3 vs West Indies in June/July. That's plenty of time to blood some younger players

Hope to see Konstas, McSweeney, Green and Head as the core of the top 6

 

[GIMH]

You managed to squeeze all your games won since 2002 into one series. It's quite an effort.

Factually incorrect. We won a game in 2003

 

[Fanboy375]

In the last 15 matches in Australia, England couldn't win any matches.At best they draw some matches 🥲

 

[Fanboy375]

In 21st century:

Host	Match	A win	E win	Draw
Aus	30	23	4	3
Eng	35	12	15	3

 

[wpdavid]

Are you trolling for any specific response?

Good to know the 'ignore' function is still working.

 

[chris.hinton]

A very early Test schedule lock-in from CA for the only test series which really matters, so may as well get this thread going now.

All the better to have Enlgand and Wales' false hope drag out for longer.

Main changes are Perth hosting the opener and the Gabba having the second test as a day-nighter, with Adelaide a traditional day time test in the lead up to Xmas. Naturally, Melbourne and Sydney round out the usual Australia white-wash.

Test Schedule

First Test	Perth Stadium	November 21-25, 2025
Second Test	The Gabba (D/N)	December 4-8, 2025
Third Test	Adelaide Oval	December 17-21, 2025
Fourth Test	MCG	December 26-30, 2025
Fifth Test	SCG	January 4-8, 2026

5-0 to England. Australia's old man and media will be crying and there will be sackings galore

 

[Qlder]

Good to see the England Lions are following in the Bazball mould. Bowled out before Tea on 1st day for 223, but at least they scored at 4.1 per over

Cameron Gannon the destroyer for CA XI with 5-27

 

[Qlder]

I heard Sam Cook is tipped to be in the Ashes squad and he's just taken 4/6 to show us why he has 308 FC wkts @ 19.57

 

[kevinw]

They'll find a way not to pick Sam Cook, don't worry.

 

[Molehill]

An even more bizarre response from the Aussie XI, Lachlan Hearne making his highest ever score by some distance (106 off just 62 balls, previous best 65) out of 176-9.

Of more concern is Bashir bowling 5 overs 1-35, although him and Baker (3-43 off 5 overs!!) clearly caught up in the Hearne onslaught.

 

[Qlder]

An even more bizarre response from the Aussie XI, Lachlan Hearne making his highest ever score by some distance (106 off just 62 balls, previous best 65) out of 176-9.

Unfortunately score doesn't count as not a FC game (13 players per side)

 

[Molehill]

Unfortunately score doesn't count as not a FC game (13 players per side)

Yeah, that's why I didn't put FC down. But it's still clearly something he's not done before, almost Bannerman like.

 

[Qlder]

19 wkts on 1st day so game could be over tomorrow at this rate. Good way to deny future England players 2 days of valuable experience in Australia

 

[Burgey]

Good to see Wardy getting a start in the second dig

 

[kevinw]

Good score by McKinney but this England batting line up is truly dreadful so it's an utter waste of time picking an u19 squad on this tour.

 

[Burgey]

Ward up to 50 not out.

 

[Prince EWS]

Ward up to 50 not out.

#bringthemhome

@Spikey

 

[Burgey]

Wardy 103*. Get him in there ffs.

 

[Burgey]

Principally because it would mean one of my usually dud predictions has come to pass.

 

[Qlder]

And Australia strikes the first pre-ashes blow with the CA XI 7 wkt win over England Lions

The best part was Tim Ward's hundred but was also nice to see current England spinner Shoaib Bashir only taking 2-91 off 21 overs (econ 4.33) against a team that had no BBL players available...