Official - Road to Ashes 2023

[Spark]

It would be like India deciding that since Shami and co are so good (which they are!) they're going to produce hard, bouncy seamers instead of traditional slow turners. Why change something that has worked for ages just because you're so enamoured with the shiny new thing?

 

[Nintendo]

I'll be 100% the reaction i'm seeing to this quote is the same type of reaction that came out when england announced the squad for the PAK test tour a few months back and that went swimmingly. Would be funny if this turns out to be another genius masterstroke and a ton of people, including myself end up eating ****. Kind of sums up how I feel about this new england watching as a neutral, whether they win or lose its bloody entertaining cricket to watch both on and off the field.

 

[SteveNZ]

Eng won that series 2-1 TBF. The Aus batting lineup isn't as bad as SA's but if where still carrying warner and ENG produce the same kinda decks they did vs SA I could see ENG winning a 250 par score shootout vs AUS with smith and marnus having to carry our batting. Worst case think those 200-250 style shootouts will work better than producing fast, flat wickets for some odd reason. Your giving the entire Aussie batting lineup exactly what they'de want by doing that, including warner.

Whilst true they won 2-1, they made 165 and 149, 415-9, 158 then 130-1. Three significant failures, no one averaged over 45. I still maintain their approach is yet to work consistently against quality bowling opposition.

Can England win a 250 par score shootout? If things go their way, for sure. But on flat decks, Australia has a better line-up. On green seamers, England have weapons but so do Australia. Australia's spinners are better. If England wins, it's an upset.

Agree though that flat wickets could play into Australia's hands, unless England can create some crazy scoreboard pressure.

 

[Molehill]

Agree though that flat wickets could play into Australia's hands, unless England can create some crazy scoreboard pressure.

What about the flat wickets in Pakistan? England won 3-0 there whilst Australia could only win 1. Jimmy still managed to take wickets at 18!!

However, I reckon Stokes is on the wind up and is causing mass confusion.

 

[GIMH]

I'm always confused when people say flat wickets in England will negate Anderson. They really won't.

 

[SteveNZ]

What about the flat wickets in Pakistan? England won 3-0 there whilst Australia could only win 1. Jimmy still managed to take wickets at 18!!

However, I reckon Stokes is on the wind up and is causing mass confusion.

I hope Jimmy rips Australia apart, I really do...although then it'll just be the boring old 'but can he do it on a sunny day in Sydney?' stuff that apparently keeps him out of the ATG clubhouse. Mind you, it's not often sunny in Sydney as we've seen in so many NY Tests in recent years.

Alls I can say is either way, I'm bloody excited for the series. It won't be 05 vintage, but it'll be fun.

 

[Burgey]

What about the flat wickets in Pakistan? England won 3-0 there whilst Australia could only win 1. Jimmy still managed to take wickets at 18!!

However, I reckon Stokes is on the wind up and is causing mass confusion.

Did you see the attack Pakistan put out against England?

I don't think it's any great ruse on Stokes' part if he's having a lend. Aus will pick their side regardless - it mostly picks itself, especially the quicks pending fitness, as always with quicks. Like I don't think Aus will rock up to the first day of th series, see a green deck and go "Oh no! That bastard, Stokes! Such a genius move two months ago, can't believe we fell for it and picked [checks notes] the same side we were going to pick anyway."

 

[Burgey]

I'm always confused when people say flat wickets in England will negate Anderson. They really won't.

They won't "negate" him but he will be less effective in the sense Aus loves batting (and bowling) on them.

It's done mate. Just come to terms with it now, it'll make it easier in your summer.

 

[GIMH]

They won't "negate" him but he will be less effective in the sense Aus loves batting (and bowling) on them.

It's done mate. Just come to terms with it now, it'll make it easier in your summer.

He will average 6 and you will go into your hole, just like you’re yet to walk down Martin Place in the buff (which tbf society is thankful for)

 

[Burgey]

Agree. He'll average 6 with the bat.

 

[GIMH]

Agree. He'll average 6 with the bat.

Tbf he will only get one or two goes

 

[Burgey]

Tbf he will only get one or two goes

... per game

 

[Molehill]

Did you see the attack Pakistan put out against England?

I don't think it's any great ruse on Stokes' part if he's having a lend. Aus will pick their side regardless - it mostly picks itself, especially the quicks pending fitness, as always with quicks. Like I don't think Aus will rock up to the first day of th series, see a green deck and go "Oh no! That bastard, Stokes! Such a genius move two months ago, can't believe we fell for it and picked [checks notes] the same side we were going to pick anyway."

The interesting thing is that England took 60 wickets on those surfaces, Australia took 41. So which attack is most suited to flat pitches?

If Wood remains fit (and he's looking sharp in the IPL), the fastest bowler will not be an Aussie. And that's without Archer....

Agreed that Australia send out the same team no matter what, we can all pretty much name it bar the openers. The strength of England's is the seam options. Anderson is obviously number 1, but then there's another 5 who could all do great jobs. We all know the best 3 Aussie seamers, then there's a yawning chasm.

 

[Xix2565]

The overhead conditions in England , particularly in the north, don't just impact the amount of swing a bowler gets but also the amount of seam movement.

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.

 

[Burgey]

If England's that suited to flat pitches they'd have won at least one test in Australia in the past 12 years wouldn't they? we're always hearing how the decks here are so flat that anyone can bat on them.

The thing is England are going to put up a bunch of hack sloggers against Cummins, Starc, Haze et al. They're going to get murdered. They won't put up enough runs to make it competitive, even allowing for Anderson's troublesome drift. Wood was the fastest bowler in the last series and only rain prevented a whitewash.

Fair play to England, they've made hay against half rat power attacks on feather beds playing a LO type of cricket with the bat. They haven't come close to facing an attack like Australia's since they've gone Bazball. They won't cope with it.

It's done. Stick a fork in it.

 

[Xix2565]

The interesting thing is that England took 60 wickets on those surfaces, Australia took 41. So which attack is most suited to flat pitches?

Kind of ignores the batting approaches involved and the teams playing.

 

[Chin Music]

I am pretty sure that Boycott always said about Headingley, "don't look down, look up!" meaning that it might look a green deck but would play a lot truer if the sun was out and the weather was set fair.

Quite honestly if the weather is reasonable you know that Lord's and Oval will likely more be batting decks, but everywhere else will be a mixed bag.

 

[GIMH]

If England's that suited to flat pitches they'd have won at least one test in Australia in the past 12 years wouldn't they? we're always hearing how the decks here are so flat that anyone can bat on them.

The thing is England are going to put up a bunch of hack sloggers against Cummins, Starc, Haze et al. They're going to get murdered. They won't put up enough runs to make it competitive, even allowing for Anderson's troublesome drift. Wood was the fastest bowler in the last series and only rain prevented a whitewash.

Fair play to England, they've made hay against half rat power attacks on feather beds playing a LO type of cricket with the bat. They haven't come close to facing an attack like Australia's since they've gone Bazball. They won't cope with it.

It's done. Stick a fork in it.

Yes the renowned weak attacks of New Zealand, India and South Africa.

Last June it was, wait for Bumrah, and we waited, and he wept. So now we wait for Cummins. And he will weep. And you will obfuscate and probably find some weak excuse.

I don’t know about you but I’m feeling 22.

 

[Burgey]

22 stone

SA rolled England cheaply three times. The same attack which Aus put to the sword. It was their alternatively-abled batting which cost them against your lot

There’ll be no obfuscation or excuses.This’ll be the easiest Aus win in England since 89z

 

[ataraxia]

England to win 3–2, despite Australia being the best team in the world or close enough.