Ashes 2025/6
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Bledisloe? What the fk is that?! It's cricket season, you Polish harlots.
News is Cummins is out for the forseeable - back issues. Probably from carrying the entire nation the last few years.
England are full of piss and vinegar and reckon their pace attack can do the job this summer. It looks a pretty decent lineup against our geriatric crew, but we've got some waiting in the wings who can do the job.
Batting remains the issue for Australia and maybe England. Root's last chance to get a ton on Aussie soil.
Last man standing much?
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Marnus probably played himself in with Shield runs already.
I think, for all the chat a couple of months ago, you can now pretty much pen in the Aussie side.
If England are any hope at all, they need to win teh first test, and get the Aussie top order out cheap. If they do that then the public pressure ramps.
Aus win the first test, and Marnus or Uzzie gets runs? She's all over.
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@mariner4life said in Ashes 2025/6:
Marnus probably played himself in with Shield runs already.
And Konstas out!
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@NTA We've got the pace attack to do the job IF both Wood and Archer stay fit. After those two I struggle to see how we will take 20 wickets unless Bashir has one of his moments, but even then he won't run through your line up cheaply.
Our batting looks good but with question marks over Crawley and Pope. I'm less concerned about Pope as we have Bethell waiting in the wings who, though unproven, has shown that he has the skills and more importantly the minerals to succeed. Crawley though is a problem. I can't see a suitable replacement if he turns to custard.
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@Catogrande said in Ashes 2025/6:
@NTA We've got the pace attack to do the job IF both Wood and Archer stay fit. After those two I struggle to see how we will take 20 wickets unless Bashir has one of his moments, but even then he won't run through your line up cheaply.
> Our batting looks good but with question marks over Crawley and Pope. I'm less concerned about Pope as we have Bethell waiting in the wings who, though unproven, has shown that he has the skills and more importantly the minerals to succeed. Crawley though is a problem. I can't see a suitable replacement if he turns to custard.
How Crawley still has a test career is beyond me.
Hope Brook continues to get the runs. What an excitement machine.
As a neutral the Ashes is great to watch, always awesome cricket and controversy.
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On Crawley, I think it is a mix of two things.
Firstly he has the temperament and the skills to succeed and has shown that in the past. The current set up encourages an aggressive outlook and I'm not sure that is his strength but maybe he is being rewarded for doing what is asked rather than what is required?
Secondly: Lack of choice.
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@Catogrande said in Ashes 2025/6:
On Crawley, I think it is a mix of two things.
Firstly he has the temperament and the skills to succeed and has shown that in the past. The current set up encourages an aggressive outlook and I'm not sure that is his strength but maybe he is being rewarded for doing what is asked rather than what is required?
Secondly: Lack of choice.
I suppose Bazball ( I still hate that term ) does encourage guys to have a go and to your second point there obviously isn't a whole lot of options playing their trade in County Cricket.
But obviously if he can lay a foundation at least then Root and Brook will be required to get the bulk of the runs.
England also seem a lot younger on the whole than the rapidly ageing Aussie team ( Konstas brings the average down to be fair )
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I too hate the term Bazball and apparently the England team do as well - not to mention McCollum. It is simply aggressive cricket and that has been missing for England for most of my living memory - so keep it going boys. I have to say though the optics are not helped by some of the quotes coming from the England camp sometimes.
We do need an anchor in the batting and I'd rather that wasn't Root's job. Duckett, Pope/Bethell, Brook, Stokes and Smith can all accumulate very quickly and Root is not far behind although a bit more classical in his approach. So maybe that should be Crawley's role.
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@Catogrande said in Ashes 2025/6:
I too hate the term Bazball and apparently the England team do as well - not to mention McCollum. It is simply aggressive cricket and that has been missing for England for most of my living memory - so keep it going boys. I have to say though the optics are not helped by some of the quotes coming from the England camp sometimes.
We do need an anchor in the batting and I'd rather that wasn't Root's job. Duckett, Pope/Bethell, Brook, Stokes and Smith can all accumulate very quickly and Root is not far behind although a bit more classical in his approach. So maybe that should be Crawley's role.
There'll also be quite a bit of interest as to whether Root can get substantial runs in Australia, pretty much the only yardstick that he hasn't measured up to as one of the absolute modern batting greats. He's also at that age where things start to slow and the greats become the goods.....( same with Smith )
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I will laugh if they pick Konstas, a player they are trying to make happen rather than a rational selection (a lot like Cam Green really). One 60 against India and that's it for his whole career. No technique. No bulk runs to fall back on. I do get the impression that MacDonald and the selectors are trying to prove how clever they are some times.
Recent history suggests that while England will rely on a couple for the bulk of the runs, Australia will likewise rely on Smith and Head, with a lot of contributions from the lower middle order. Then the quicks to take 20 cheap wickets.
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It's on paper the closest the Ashes in Australia has looked since 2011.
The vibes are bad around Cummins. Back 'hot spots' seem like really nasty injuries and by the sounds of it he might not play at all. He's so talismanic that I wonder if that should make the series almost 50/50.
England are $3 with the bookies right now which is probably about right. We've got fast bowlers out the wazoo so I don't think Cummins injury will impact us there specifically, it's more a spiritual thing.
You could tell me England fall in a heap and lose 5-0, and I wouldn't be shocked. But I do think that's a lot less likely than it's been previously.
You could tell me our batting is shot to pieces, we're 5/spit every innings and England win 3-1 and I'd also be unsurprised.
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@barbarian said in Ashes 2025/6:
It's on paper the closest the Ashes in Australia has looked since 2011.
The vibes are bad around Cummins. Back 'hot spots' seem like really nasty injuries and by the sounds of it he might not play at all. He's so talismanic that I wonder if that should make the series almost 50/50.
England are $3 with the bookies right now which is probably about right. We've got fast bowlers out the wazoo so I don't think Cummins injury will impact us there specifically, it's more a spiritual thing.
You could tell me England fall in a heap and lose 5-0, and I wouldn't be shocked. But I do think that's a lot less likely than it's been previously.
You could tell me our batting is shot to pieces, we're 5/spit every innings and England win 3-1 and I'd also be unsurprised.
Highly unlikely. They have the two best batsmen in the world currently as well as Duckett who has quietly snuck into the top 10. They'll be relying on Stokes big match temperament to play some big innings too.
But then again the horribly inconsistent Bazball could play into Australias hands if things turn to shit from irresponsible batting.
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@barbarian said in Ashes 2025/6:
It's on paper the closest the Ashes in Australia has looked since 2011.
The vibes are bad around Cummins. Back 'hot spots' seem like really nasty injuries and by the sounds of it he might not play at all. He's so talismanic that I wonder if that should make the series almost 50/50.
England are $3 with the bookies right now which is probably about right. We've got fast bowlers out the wazoo so I don't think Cummins injury will impact us there specifically, it's more a spiritual thing.
You could tell me England fall in a heap and lose 5-0, and I wouldn't be shocked. But I do think that's a lot less likely than it's been previously.
You could tell me our batting is shot to pieces, we're 5/spit every innings and England win 3-1 and I'd also be unsurprised.
Oz's bowling attack has been your constant and best weapon the past few years. The batting has really relied on Cummings, Hazelwood, Starc and Lyon (plus throw in Boland who keeps that amazing average going)
if they fall apart you're pretty fucked really.
Be interesting to see if Root can carry over his recent form and scoring too, he's yet to score a 100 in OZ.
Both the poms and aussies batting are the same in that they have a couple of freaks surrounded by mediocrity -
The Root sub-plot will be fascinating. Darren Lehmann copped a bit of flak by broadly saying Root's career would be somewhat incomplete without a hundred in Australia, and I think he's right!
This will be a career defining series for Root, one way or another. If he can steer them to a series win then he has a credible case to be England's best cricketer of all time, or at least the modern age. If he fails to put a score on the board then I think it's a small asterisk next to what has still been an amazing career.
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@barbarian said in Ashes 2025/6:
The Root sub-plot will be fascinating. Darren Lehmann copped a bit of flak by broadly saying Root's career would be somewhat incomplete without a hundred in Australia, and I think he's right!
This will be a career defining series for Root, one way or another. If he can steer them to a series win then he has a credible case to be England's best cricketer of all time, or at least the modern age. If he fails to put a score on the board then I think it's a small asterisk next to what has still been an amazing career.
That ole chestnut, you havent made it as a cricketer unless you have performed in Australia...
Im sure it does grate on Root, 3 previous tours without alot of success and no 100's.
Hasnt Hayden made a bet about running nude if Root does/doesnt score a 100?
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I certainly think to be considered a truly all-time great batsman you have to demonstrate greatness in a variety of conditions. Runs on Indian dustbowls, runs on English green-tops and on hard, quick Aussie surfaces.
Root has 2/3 so far, though I do expect him to get to 3/3 this summer.
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i would be astounded if he didn't get a ton on this tour. He seems so in control of his game
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@Virgil said in Ashes 2025/6:
@barbarian said in Ashes 2025/6:
It's on paper the closest the Ashes in Australia has looked since 2011.
The vibes are bad around Cummins. Back 'hot spots' seem like really nasty injuries and by the sounds of it he might not play at all. He's so talismanic that I wonder if that should make the series almost 50/50.
England are $3 with the bookies right now which is probably about right. We've got fast bowlers out the wazoo so I don't think Cummins injury will impact us there specifically, it's more a spiritual thing.
You could tell me England fall in a heap and lose 5-0, and I wouldn't be shocked. But I do think that's a lot less likely than it's been previously.
You could tell me our batting is shot to pieces, we're 5/spit every innings and England win 3-1 and I'd also be unsurprised.
Oz's bowling attack has been your constant and best weapon the past few years. The batting has really relied on Cummings, Hazelwood, Starc and Lyon (plus throw in Boland who keeps that amazing average going)
if they fall apart you're pretty fucked really.
Be interesting to see if Root can carry over his recent form and scoring too, he's yet to score a 100 in OZ.
Both the poms and aussies batting are the same in that they have a couple of freaks surrounded by mediocrityWho's the other Aussie freak ? ( Assuming for England it's Root and Brook and for Oz it's Smith )
Root is a great no matter what anyone says, a lot of great players have an asterix or two, check out Warnies record in India for example.
But yes, a possible ten inning to get a hundred, I suspect he'll nail it with aplomb.
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@MN5 said in Ashes 2025/6:
@Virgil said in Ashes 2025/6:
@barbarian said in Ashes 2025/6:
It's on paper the closest the Ashes in Australia has looked since 2011.
The vibes are bad around Cummins. Back 'hot spots' seem like really nasty injuries and by the sounds of it he might not play at all. He's so talismanic that I wonder if that should make the series almost 50/50.
England are $3 with the bookies right now which is probably about right. We've got fast bowlers out the wazoo so I don't think Cummins injury will impact us there specifically, it's more a spiritual thing.
You could tell me England fall in a heap and lose 5-0, and I wouldn't be shocked. But I do think that's a lot less likely than it's been previously.
You could tell me our batting is shot to pieces, we're 5/spit every innings and England win 3-1 and I'd also be unsurprised.
Oz's bowling attack has been your constant and best weapon the past few years. The batting has really relied on Cummings, Hazelwood, Starc and Lyon (plus throw in Boland who keeps that amazing average going)
if they fall apart you're pretty fucked really.
Be interesting to see if Root can carry over his recent form and scoring too, he's yet to score a 100 in OZ.
Both the poms and aussies batting are the same in that they have a couple of freaks surrounded by mediocrityWho's the other Aussie freak ? ( Assuming for England it's Root and Brook and for Oz it's Smith )
Root is a great no matter what anyone says, a lot of great players have an asterix or two, check out Warnies record in India for example.
Still a better average in India than Murali...
