| Ashes 2023 16:47 - Jun 8 with 102491 views | Hoopstar |
Ah the home Ashes series is almost upon us, my personal favourite sporting event (not down under, that's just generally depressing.) I need something big sporting wise to focus on and quit my worrying about QPR for a while.
Anyone going?
I was at the first day of the World Test Championship at the Oval yesterday. The Aussies looked in depressingly good nick with the bat and their pace attack appears as terrifying as ever.
I think it's going to be an exciting, tough, tense series that'll go down to the wire. I only managed to get tickets to the very final day of the Ashes on 31st July at the Oval, you never know.
I predict...
Crawley to average less than 20 with Duckett getting closer to mid 30s
Brook to really secure his position as an outstanding talent and mainstay of the team
Pope to struggle again~
Root, in what could be his last home Ashes, proving his worth again
Bairstow - haven't a clue which version turns up post broken foot
Broad - an Ashes too far? You'd be mad to write him or Jimmy off.
Robinson to nab Smith at least four times..
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| Ashes 2023 on 12:00 - Jul 5 with 2159 views | Tonto |
dropping Tongue is a bit weird... he was the only one with any pace at Lords...
Foakes should have come in for Pope. |  |
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| Ashes 2023 on 12:13 - Jul 5 with 2135 views | QPR_John |
| Ashes 2023 on 11:32 - Jul 5 by daveB |
Woakes, Wood and Ali in for Pope, Tongue and Anderson
Brook has moved up to number 3 |
Would not suggest I know the finer points of the game. But to the untrained eye, thats me, Tongue seemed to be our better bowler. |  | | |
| Ashes 2023 on 17:25 - Jul 5 with 2031 views | LimehouseR |
A bit worried with Brook at number 3, that's a lot of pressure. The Bus bowlers seem to have sussed him out a bit.
Bringing in Woakes is wise as he can bat a bit and is a decent bowler. But like most I think Foakes should feel hard done by. Bairstow is fantastic if he gets going but that can be a big IF. And he's made a fair few errors behind the stumps. |  | | |
| Ashes 2023 on 19:46 - Jul 5 with 1983 views | stowmarketrange |
I’m just watching the women’s T20 on sky and we look to have a competitive score first up.
They’ve missed a trick though calling them the Ashes as I thought they’d be called the Washes. |  | | |
| Ashes 2023 on 19:53 - Jul 5 with 1970 views | Hoopstar |
I'm relatively confident that Ben Foakes would be in any other test side - perhaps not the Indian one before Pant's car crash.
It's too big a position to not play your best player in. I'm a fan of Bairstow as a batter but he should not be in that side as wicket keeper. Just costs too many opportunties.
I'm disappointed Tongue was dropped, I'd have liked to see Robinson taken out myself and gone with the extra pace and bounce Tongue wins.
Big game coming up anyway - I'm sure more than three days rest after the Lords 'debacle' wouldn't have been minded. | | | |
| Ashes 2023 on 19:54 - Jul 5 with 1969 views | PhilmyRs |
Not against the lineup. We have to win to stand a chance and with Stokes unlikely to bowl and to get Wood in the side and allow him to focus on short bursts, we had to go with the extra bowler. Woakes adds some batting at 8 so probably the best we can do. Not sure why Root isn't coming in at 3 though, that feels a mistake. | | | |
| Ashes 2023 on 20:09 - Jul 5 with 1937 views | flynnbo |
| Ashes 2023 on 19:46 - Jul 5 by stowmarketrange |
I’m just watching the women’s T20 on sky and we look to have a competitive score first up.
They’ve missed a trick though calling them the Ashes as I thought they’d be called the Washes. |
Aussies motoring now. |  | | |
| Ashes 2023 on 20:22 - Jul 5 with 1918 views | flynnbo |
Good fight back by England. | | | |
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| Ashes 2023 on 08:40 - Jul 6 with 1827 views | TheChef |
| Ashes 2023 on 19:53 - Jul 5 by Hoopstar |
I'm relatively confident that Ben Foakes would be in any other test side - perhaps not the Indian one before Pant's car crash.
It's too big a position to not play your best player in. I'm a fan of Bairstow as a batter but he should not be in that side as wicket keeper. Just costs too many opportunties.
I'm disappointed Tongue was dropped, I'd have liked to see Robinson taken out myself and gone with the extra pace and bounce Tongue wins.
Big game coming up anyway - I'm sure more than three days rest after the Lords 'debacle' wouldn't have been minded. |
For some reason in the last thirty years England have had an issue with selecting wicket keepers; Jack Russell should have played a lot more Tests. It's a specialist role, you pick your best technician.
I mean at Lord's we conceded 74 extras, that's the match right there.
Australia haven't been brilliant but they've been professional while at crucial times we've been sloppy. That's why we're 2-0 down.
Got to be a lot tighter at Headingley or the series is done with two Tests to go. |  |
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| Ashes 2023 on 09:44 - Jul 6 with 1789 views | robith |
I don't really get the Bairstow keeping thing, because his form prior to injury was enough to have him and Foakes. And with the analysis that happens at pro level they can surely see his keeping has been sub par.
Tongue being dropped is odd, would much prefer to bin Robinson and his nude nuts tbh. Wood is positive though, the Aussies seem to struggle with Tongue's extra pace.
Anyway, very excited. Driving to Sheffield on Saturday morning, watch the day's play in the boozer, then early train to Leeds for what should be an epic day 4. Did I mention I now have a cool box with a cheese board lid? Let's have it |  | | |
| Ashes 2023 on 10:04 - Jul 6 with 1754 views | CamberleyR |
| Ashes 2023 on 08:40 - Jul 6 by TheChef |
For some reason in the last thirty years England have had an issue with selecting wicket keepers; Jack Russell should have played a lot more Tests. It's a specialist role, you pick your best technician.
I mean at Lord's we conceded 74 extras, that's the match right there.
Australia haven't been brilliant but they've been professional while at crucial times we've been sloppy. That's why we're 2-0 down.
Got to be a lot tighter at Headingley or the series is done with two Tests to go. |
Totally agree. Jack Russell only played 54 tests in 10 years. He lost out mainly because between the demise of Ian Botham in the late 80s and the arrival of Freddie Flintoff late 90s, England didn't have a test class all rounder so Stewart would be given the gloves to often balance the side. Stewart though was a far better keeper than Bairstow is.
Russell's and Stewart's averages though were negligible (Stewart when played as a keeper-batsman that is), Russell averaged 27 and Stewart a fraction under 35 (compared to his 46 when just a specialist batsman).
It was ironic that we were one of the worst sides in the world back then and one of our few players of genuine world class often couldn't get in the team. |  |
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| Ashes 2023 on 11:00 - Jul 6 with 1673 views | Loyalitat |
| Ashes 2023 on 19:53 - Jul 5 by Hoopstar |
I'm relatively confident that Ben Foakes would be in any other test side - perhaps not the Indian one before Pant's car crash.
It's too big a position to not play your best player in. I'm a fan of Bairstow as a batter but he should not be in that side as wicket keeper. Just costs too many opportunties.
I'm disappointed Tongue was dropped, I'd have liked to see Robinson taken out myself and gone with the extra pace and bounce Tongue wins.
Big game coming up anyway - I'm sure more than three days rest after the Lords 'debacle' wouldn't have been minded. |
Three days' recovery is ridiculous and clearly highlights for me that as much as the ECB and others may claim to cherish the Ashes, it still cannot get in the way of their 16 overs and 4 balls nonsense in August.
Today's test should be starting next week if they really had the players' welfare uppermost in their scheduling, with the test series concluding by the end of the first week of August. For there also to be no county cricket played at all in August just further shows that they want nothing else in the way by way of a possible challenge and another option for many fans whose local county ground will be barely used in the height of summer. | | | |
| Ashes 2023 on 11:04 - Jul 6 with 1668 views | eastside_r |
Take that you f*cker! |  | | |
| Ashes 2023 on 12:34 - Jul 6 with 1598 views | Nov77 |
61-3, Bairstow misses a tough chance to get smith on 8. |  |
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| Ashes 2023 on 12:53 - Jul 6 with 1562 views | Nov77 |
Bairstow drops another much easier one, he’s really costing us now. | |
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| Ashes 2023 on 12:56 - Jul 6 with 1544 views | w7r |
See ya Smithy! |  | | |
| Ashes 2023 on 12:57 - Jul 6 with 1540 views | Nov77 |
For all the Aussie slagging of Broad for not walking when he nicked one, smith has just nicked one to the keeper, been given out, and reviewed it! | |
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| Ashes 2023 on 13:09 - Jul 6 with 1492 views | toboboly |
| Ashes 2023 on 12:57 - Jul 6 by Nov77 |
For all the Aussie slagging of Broad for not walking when he nicked one, smith has just nicked one to the keeper, been given out, and reviewed it! |
It's one of life's little miracles the Aussie hypocrisy. |  |
| Sexy Asian dwarves wanted. |
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| Ashes 2023 on 13:54 - Jul 6 with 1413 views | TheChef |
We don't deserve to win anything if we keep dropping catches. | |
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| Ashes 2023 on 14:49 - Jul 6 with 1360 views | Nov77 |
| Ashes 2023 on 13:54 - Jul 6 by TheChef |
We don't deserve to win anything if we keep dropping catches. |
13 dropped so far by us in the series | |
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| Ashes 2023 on 14:52 - Jul 6 with 1341 views | TheChef |
| Ashes 2023 on 14:49 - Jul 6 by Nov77 |
13 dropped so far by us in the series |
And you wonder why we're losing 2-0. | |
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| Ashes 2023 on 14:56 - Jul 6 with 2365 views | daveB |
We've let them off the hook again here |  | | |
| Ashes 2023 on 14:59 - Jul 6 with 2354 views | TheChef |
Every Test in the series we've let them off.
Edgbaston 1st innings we missed chances to bowl them out cheaply.
Lord's 1st innings we threw away our wickets when well set.
Today we've dropped chances again when we should be into their tail already.
Australia haven't been brilliant, just more professional.
So annoying!!!!!!
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| Ashes 2023 on 15:04 - Jul 6 with 2332 views | johnhoop |
| Ashes 2023 on 14:59 - Jul 6 by TheChef |
Every Test in the series we've let them off.
Edgbaston 1st innings we missed chances to bowl them out cheaply.
Lord's 1st innings we threw away our wickets when well set.
Today we've dropped chances again when we should be into their tail already.
Australia haven't been brilliant, just more professional.
So annoying!!!!!!
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England’s stubbornness in refusing to pick a reliable wicket keeper could well be the deciding factor in the series. | | | |
| Ashes 2023 on 15:12 - Jul 6 with 2296 views | TheChef |
Losing the series right here. | |
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