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

Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
I honestly think the declaration made the win significantly less likely even with the forecast. It really alleviated the scoreboard pressure Australia could be placed under in the first innings.
Undoubtedly the happiest people when that declaration was made were the Aussie bowlers who got to put their feet up instead of battling Root, and come back fresher for the 2nd innings too.

If England want to win this series, they need to put overs into the legs of Cummins. Make him bowl that extra spell when he doesn't want to.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
There will be questions and I do see Root going back to his original game.

Bazball has its risks, they lost here but the same approach won them the series in Pakistan on those dead wickets. Tradeoffs are always there..
My issue and the one I've had since day 1 was that it might not have been the approach to win the Ashes. Didn't play out the way I thought, but 0-1 suggests it needs a bit more thought before the 2nd Test, if nothing else.
 

Spark

Global Moderator
That’s not how England play this era

can people not see and accept that ?

they are all in to create a last inning game, chasing and bowling

it was chances missed not another 30 mins batting that lost the game

I’m trying to make this simple but it’s pointless now

see you at lords
It's never just one thing. It's many things, and you have to control the controllables. Nothing is more controllable than a declaration.
 

Kirkut

International Regular
The most heartening thing about this game is that it confirms that Australia are not a league ahead of England and it wont be a one-sided contest. Which is great.
Australia was never a league ahead of England.

England have Broad/Anderson who have troubled ATGs, let alone Careys, Heads, Greens and etc.

Only Smith inspires confidence to handle the duo, even then he's not in the 2019 god mode anymore.
 

OverratedSanity

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Yeah we did but they knew that decision when they made it. Bad weather in coming. How can we win this match. Gamble and declare to move the game on. Not sure why people cannot understand this.

England play to win. Might mean we draw less games and lose some but we are going to go for it.
Declaring in the first innings on pudding pitches doesn't move the game forward. It let's the opposition off the hook by not pounding home your scoreboard pressure. It also means you often end up having to bat more in the second innings to set a target. The declaration could never have provided any benefit to England. Stupidity is entertaining to watch, that doesn't mean we can't call it out for being stupid.
 

Spark

Global Moderator
I do know that and accept it

can you accept what I post as that is how it will be in the next four tests

it’s not arrogance , it’s how he believes his team can win
I didn't say it was arrogant. He just explained his thinking and I take him at his word. But I do think it was a terrible terrible decision that basically let Australia right back into a game that England were totally dominating up to then.
 

Kraken

State Captain
2 balls before the declaration root ran down the pitch and spooned one just over the fielder for two. It's just as likely england lose the next two wickets for 10-20 runs and don't get the four overs at the openers with the new rock after they've been running around all day, and another shot at them with a new rock on day 2 first thing if they don't declare. England got Aus to 20-2 and 50-3 after the declaration on a dead pitch. The issue was bairstow costing them 100+ runs in the field, not the declaration.
as much as ol Jon boy was rubbish with the gloves - the declaration was poor. Root was ****ing cruising and you know it - Robinson can clearly hold a stick as well. It’s way more likely they would’ve continued on for atleast 50 more imo
 

Nintendo

Cricketer Of The Year
It's not like there's stuff from this game and others that you can't criticize stokes for on much more solid grounds, either.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...nd-vs-england-2nd-test-1322356/full-scorecard is a great example. Enforcing a follow-on with a 260 run lead just after you've seen southee, who can barely bat nowadays, go out there and bat like peak viv richards should tell you the deck is flat as it gets, and that momentum is back in NZ's court after southee slapped it everywhere.
 

CartyDurham

International Captain
I didn't say it was arrogant. He just explained his thinking and I take him at his word. But I do think it was a terrible terrible decision that basically let Australia right back into a game that England were totally dominating up to then.
I ask once more do you accept what I’m posting ?

im fully accepting what you are saying

stokes believes in his method. He will die or live on that

I’ve posted time and again what to expect but everyone just goes on about declaring and ignoring everything else
 

Nintendo

Cricketer Of The Year
as much as ol Jon boy was rubbish with the gloves - the declaration was poor. Root was ****ing cruising and you know it - Robinson can clearly hold a stick as well. It’s way more likely they would’ve continued on for atleast 50 more imo
Robinson averages 20 with the ball in fc and 20 under bazball, and made 17* in the first dig. If you wanna get pedantic and try and predict a future we can't see the numbers say he goes after another 3 runs. Like I said, root nearly got out the over they declared in. It's just as likely he spoons one to a fielder after one more six as it is he hits another 50 in 4 overs.
 

trundler

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All the dodgy declarations that still get criticized years later were in the 3rd innings. No one has ever declared on the first day of the first test of a series and then lost. This is the first ever. Stokes is like a pre War captain free from the burden of tradition. Now, this declaration was irredeemably dumb and there are no two ways about it but you can't help but get behind Stokes's general captaincy unless you hate fun. Does anyone know what Boycott is thinking right now?
 

loterry1994

International Debutant
That declaration made no sense when stokes done it and doesn’t make sense now. Imagine England got that extra 50 runs the first innings. Just means they could of declared earlier if they wanted to the 2nd innings had they got a score they wanted
 

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
It's not like there's stuff from this game and others that you can't criticize stokes for on much more solid grounds, either.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...nd-vs-england-2nd-test-1322356/full-scorecard is a great example. Enforcing a follow-on with a 260 run lead just after you've seen southee, who can barely bat nowadays, go out there and bat like peak viv richards should tell you the deck is flat as it gets, and that momentum is back in NZ's court after southee slapped it everywhere.
Still think the badness of enforcing the follow-on in that game is overstated. Latham and Conway were absolute troopers to make it through the first hour, the new ball was nipping around all over the place.
 

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