Tomo
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Post by Tomo on Jun 20, 2023 18:29:34 GMT
Blaming the decision 4 days ago makes totally rational sense, especially ignoring Cummins and Lyons missing the ball by about 2mm on three occasions in the last 5 overs and Ben Stokes dropping a Hollywood catch. Heck, if you wanna play the blame game, Bairstow dropping a bunch of easy catches and Jimmy Anderson being pretty anonymous are better targets. But that's being a right miserable cunt.
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Post by rammy18 on Jun 20, 2023 18:39:00 GMT
I’d have given an organ or two away for Jofra, Wood or a fit Stokes in the last couple of sessions
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Post by Dougs on Jun 20, 2023 18:39:42 GMT
Didn't Root get the last wicket when the new ball was available? Given that Cummins was going for it, not sure taking it was as clear-cut as many might have thought. I was only listening to TMS but it definitely sounded like the concern about the harder ball was well founded. As for the declaration, had we batted on for another 30-50, we may not have got a result at all. It didn't go our way, but I like the idea of being positive to get a result. Prefer what happened today than a dull last day draw. |
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Tomo
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Post by Tomo on Jun 20, 2023 18:40:27 GMT
Yeah, Sky commentators said similar. New ball got slammed for a few boundaries right away.
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Post by elstoof on Jun 20, 2023 18:44:06 GMT
Feels to me as though england will improve after this, while I can’t see how Aus can play much better
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Post by Dougs on Jun 20, 2023 18:45:37 GMT
We had a broken Ali, half broken Stokes and Jimmy not on song. And still nearly dug it out. Wouldn't surprise me if Mark Wood came in for Jimmy next.
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mikeck
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Post by mikeck on Jun 20, 2023 18:52:28 GMT
I think Vaughan was onto something when he said that whilst England's preparation for the first test (a golf trip together) was probably good for their team spirit, getting some actual cricket in the lead-up was probably more beneficial. He was spot on, what some gametime would had done for Anderson, Bairstow and Ali especially. Those are the three question marks for me moving forward.
Wouldn't change the tactics or intent though, loved the way we played and it wasn't the declaration that did it for us, it was those missed opportunities as well as taking on the best test team in the world...they're no mugs, and we ran them fucking close. Cummins was the game-changer at the end, the Australian dressing room just said that when Carey got out they felt the game had gone.
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Tomo
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Post by Tomo on Jun 20, 2023 18:53:22 GMT
Khawaja in his man of match interview said: "Not gunna lie, I was absolutely shitting myself for the last 5 minutes there."
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Post by jimnastics on Jun 20, 2023 20:09:34 GMT
Brutal loss that, feels like we contributed to losing as much as (if not more than) Aus did to them winning. Over-ballsy declaration, Bairstow missed a routine stumping, 1 routine catch dropped and 1 slightly trickier catch dropped, Root and Bairstow leaving a catch to each other, Broad wicket on a no ball. Some terrible shots (Root's in the second innings was disgusting. regardless of getting a ton in the first), chucking wickets away, so many times in the match I thought we were going to put it out of sight, then we fucked something up and let them fight their way back in. Add in Mo's finger and Jimmy off the boil, we went out of the way to make it as hard on ourselves as possible. A positive I guess is that, even with all that shite, it was still so close.
I have absolutely zero concerns about our tactics / "Bazball" in general, but the problem is this style of cricket massively magnifies errors... we can't get away with that many fuck ups playing like this. My big concern is that this was a close match we should have a won, and a match where Warner, Smith and Labu failed... not sure there will be many (any) more matches in this series where that will happen again, one or more likely fire each match. Still fancy us to win the series as long as this defeat doesn't set the positive mindset wobbling, we've got to stick at it.
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MolarAm🔵
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Jun 20, 2023 23:22:38 GMT
Lol
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MolarAm🔵
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Jun 20, 2023 23:26:26 GMT
I wish I could have watched that live instead of sleeping. But even if you're disappointed in the result, that was one hell of a game. Closely contested at every stage of it, how can anyone say that this is not the best sport.
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MolarAm🔵
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Jun 21, 2023 0:41:39 GMT
Feels to me as though england will improve after this, while I can’t see how Aus can play much better I mean, I think we could do better if the world's top three test batsmen actually made some runs. It was great that Khawaja stepped up though. |
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Post by jimnastics on Jun 21, 2023 8:35:37 GMT
I wish I could have watched that live instead of sleeping. But even if you're disappointed in the result, that was one hell of a game. Closely contested at every stage of it, how can anyone say that this is not the best sport. I guess it would have been around 4am down there when it finished? Would have been an amazing thing to watch but I don't blame ya  Cummins' innings was one for the ages, I thought we had it in the bag when we got Carey but Cummins looked in total control, amazing stuff under that much pressure. Smacking Root for 14 and bringing it down from 51 to 37 was when I started to panic. |
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Gruf
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Post by Gruf on Jun 21, 2023 8:43:47 GMT
Great 1st test, hopefully the rest will be the same.
Not having your best wicket keeper was maybe not the best decision.
Could have done with somebody making a big score in the 1st innings though, all ifs and buts
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Post by rhaegyr on Jun 21, 2023 8:45:32 GMT
Amazing game, sucks to be on the losing end but can't complain - it was an amazing spectacle and a great advert for test cricket.
As Molar said - I'm a bit worried that we're going to struggle going forward when Laub and Smith remember how to bat.
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MolarAm🔵
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Jun 21, 2023 9:25:20 GMT
And Head! He's ranked third! Khawaja is in the top 10 too!
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Post by rhaegyr on Jun 21, 2023 9:27:43 GMT
Stop rubbing it in!
Hopefully Anderson picks up in the next few tests and our top order can keep their wicket a big longer.
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Post by rhaegyr on Jun 21, 2023 9:55:11 GMT
Oh, and in all honesty I thought the declaration was a bit silly. Backfired against NZ a while ago and did the same here.
I'm all for playing positive cricket but come on - it's the first innings of an Ashes series. Touch of arrogance from Stokes.
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Post by jimnastics on Jun 21, 2023 10:24:23 GMT
Oh, and in all honesty I thought the declaration was a bit silly. Backfired against NZ a while ago and did the same here. I'm all for playing positive cricket but come on - it's the first innings of an Ashes series. Touch of arrogance from Stokes. Yep, we need to be more flexible with Bazball depending on opposition and circumstances. Giving away wickets (hello Root second innings) is also an example of that. |
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nazo
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Post by nazo on Jun 21, 2023 10:38:57 GMT
It was an exciting game to watch but it didn't feel like either side did particularly well. It wasn't like we put up a great score for the first innings, if anything it was on the low side for the pitch. If we'd let Root bat on and declared when we were down to the tail I could understand it but the timing they chose felt like they were trying to make a point rather than maximise our chances.
It sounds like the philosophy of Bazball is that it doesn't matter if you win or lose as long as you have fun so I guess we'll be in for more entertaining defeats.
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MolarAm🔵
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Jun 21, 2023 11:35:13 GMT
Ok, so wtf is Bazball. I've heard it absolutely everywhere, and it feels like one of those "oh everyone knows what this means" terms where people just assume that you also know.
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Post by Dougs on Jun 21, 2023 11:55:32 GMT
Brendan McCullum's nickname is Baz...
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nazo
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Post by nazo on Jun 21, 2023 12:15:02 GMT
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BazballI'm curious to see how things will pan-out. During the last Ashes when we got thrashed one of the criticisms I saw was that our batsmen didn't know how to play test cricket anymore. Doubling down on that is certainly bold.
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MolarAm🔵
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Jun 21, 2023 12:32:46 GMT
So it's a bold new strategy to have the English team play with... confidence? Jesus, that's a bit of a shift.  (glad to see it's working though) |
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Post by Dougs on Jun 21, 2023 14:19:41 GMT
It's more than confidence imo - it's about changing the mindset from decades of "safety first" to being positive and taking the game to opponents, whether with bat or ball, to bring about a result. I am firmly of the view that this is necessary if Test cricket is to survive. Like it or not, T20/IPL/Big Bash have changed the landscape and it's up to the ECB (and the ICC, frankly) to respond. I don't think it is a massive shift for Aus/NZ/SA particularly but is the Eng and sub-continental sides.
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Post by Dougs on Jun 28, 2023 9:32:28 GMT
Won the toss and will bowl first...feels about right but can never be too sure...
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Post by elstoof on Jun 28, 2023 10:06:20 GMT
Properly muggy and overcast in London today, should see some swing but rain tomorrow and Friday so not sure this’ll see the finish
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Post by rhaegyr on Jun 28, 2023 13:47:42 GMT
Smith looking ominous here. On the flipside Labuschagne looks like a deer in headlights.
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Post by elstoof on Jun 28, 2023 13:51:11 GMT
Cracking delivery for Khawaja’s wicket
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Post by Dougs on Jun 28, 2023 14:18:05 GMT
Smith looking ominous here. On the flipside Labuschagne looks like a deer in headlights. Reverse jinx didn't work. |
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Cummins' innings was one for the ages, I thought we had it in the bag when we got Carey but Cummins looked in total control, amazing stuff under that much pressure. Smacking Root for 14 and bringing it down from 51 to 37 was when I started to panic.
