Ashes 2025/6
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Jeetan Patel with a quote around the "Ashes being 'the' series is everyone else's story" should also see him out the exit door even faster than Jimmy Anderson was retired to 'prepare for the next Ashes'.
Between Baz, Stokes, and now Jeetan's work with Will Jacks, we seem to have Kiwi's wrecking the Poms chances left right and centre. No shortage of idiotic quotes between them all.
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Almost one for the memes thread, but a great 90 seconds ish yarn from Phil Tuffnell on ABC radio during the Test about an old school umpire, LBW's, and a looming dinner date.
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@Donsteppa said in Ashes 2025/6:
Almost one for the memes thread, but a great 90 seconds ish yarn from Phil Tuffnell on ABC radio during the Test about an old school umpire, LBW's, and a looming dinner date.
Tufnell was a definite character.
Possibly the worst test batsman until Chris Martin came along and not a good fielder either. I remember he was on the boundary having missed one that went for four and some munters in the crowd gave him shit which he returned in kind with interest, he made all sorts of hand ( and mouth ) gestures that were quite eye opening for 14 year old me. Would have been at this match ( thanks Cricinfo )
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Agree with the angles here that England have blown some winnable scenarios. What I also didn’t understand was why England didn’t try to drag them into deep water from the start.
There is no way Duckett and Pope can play next week. They’re toast. Crawley did enough to earn a reprieve.
Also think Brook needs a talking to at minimum and potentially dropping too. Call me crazy but this kid can be an all timer with some adjustments.
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Duckett has credit in the bank, plus of course we don't have a back up opener. Planning huh? Pope I agree must have the doors of the Last Chance Saloon slapping him on the arse on the way out. The Brook thing is probably a bit more nuanced. It is difficult to discipline someone for playing in an overtly attacking manner when that has been the oft spouted preferred way. Some of the quotes from the England team over the last year or two have been cringeworthy and then to castigate a batsman for playing in the way suggested is a bit unfair just because it didn't come off.
I really like the attacking intent England have been playing with over the last few years, it certainly beats the negative methodology of previous regimes. However the going down all guns blazing all the time does need reigning in. There must be some middle ground.
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@Catogrande said in Ashes 2025/6:
Duckett has credit in the bank, plus of course we don't have a back up opener. Planning huh? Pope I agree must have the doors of the Last Chance Saloon slapping him on the arse on the way out. The Brook thing is probably a bit more nuanced. It is difficult to discipline someone for playing in an overtly attacking manner when that has been the oft spouted preferred way. Some of the quotes from the England team over the last year or two have been cringeworthy and then to castigate a batsman for playing in the way suggested is a bit unfair just because it didn't come off.
I really like the attacking intent England have been playing with over the last few years, it certainly beats the negative methodology of previous regimes. However the going down all guns blazing all the time does need reigning in. There must be some middle ground.
We all know the prep has been suicidal.
3 test’s in a month before xmas.
England should have has 3-4 players play in oz cricket every year leading up to this. And if Oz dont organise enough practice mstches, then they should have brought the Lions out and played their own warm up matches themselves.
No point playing yourself into form for the boxing day test when you have lost the series
It looks like Bazball v.1 has run its course. It has been fantastic for England and if rain stayed away in Manchester for an hour they would have gone to Australia to defend the ashes.
I think England underestimated OZ hate for bazball and the need to humiliate England. Especially after the flashpoints of the last series such as the Carey incident.
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Can't argue with any of that.
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It must be tough being an England fan. This was all completely avoidable. I don't even think we are really that good.
Yep our bowling has been accurate but half the wickets have been gifted to us. And they have bowled too short all tour and not played a genuine spinner. And dropping catches! A couple that were just regulation.
There's enough talent there, they just had to not play like complete morons and the series would still be alive.
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Three terrible decisions destroyed England's chances in these Ashes.
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The ECB pulling their players from long-form cricket in mid July and having them play The Hundred, T20 and some 50 overs since then. Guys like Ben Duckett and Harry Brook have forgotten how to bat mid length to long innings.
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Playing no meaningful warm up games in Australia. Who knew playing conditions in Australia were different?
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Sticking with Bazball come what may. It makes sense to play aggressive cricket when you are the better side, but not when your back is against the wall and ruthless winners are coming at you. Some of England's shot selection in these three Tests has been appalling.
Add dropping some absolute stinkers in the field and you have an Ashes drubbing
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I think this brings home that it's not about "strong" and weak players visiting Australia. It's more about smart and dumb approaches.
And in all the quotes I've read out of McCullum, Stokes, Patel, Crawley, and co over the series to date, there's not many brains for England on or off the field.
The full tweet:
It’s an absolute disaster when you look at it.
If you told England after 3 tests…
Hazlewood wouldn’t play the series
Smith would miss the 3rd test
Lyon would miss 1.5 tests.
Cummins misses the first 2 tests.
Root would score his first 100 in Australia.
A debutant for Aus is opening the batting who is averaging 26.
Cam Green averaging 19 with the bat.
You’d be 1 wicket down with a lead of 100 in the 1st test.
And the score is 3-0, they’d be celebrating a regaining of the Ashes.
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When I think about England's preparation, the lack of work (proudly at times) and the lack of adaptation to conditions, it reminds me of a story about Matt Hayden preparing to go to India.
He hadn't had success in India, so he requested the groundsman in Brisbane prepare him a dusty pitch to mirror Indian conditions. He went out on the hottest days and had spinners bowling at him in a real match simulation and he'd bat all day with a break for lunch and a break for tea. Averaged over 100 for the series.
I don't know how you can be Brendan McCullum and look at that and think 'nah'. Because really that's exactly what his players should be doing if they actually want to take this seriously. But that's the truth of Bazball - freeing the arms and playing fast is more fun and it's less work. Who cares if you win or lose?
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The chat coming out of the England camp has been fucking stupid when you compare it to what has been produced on the field.
They're 0-3 down in the series, and they've barely won a session. Lots of tough talk, some weird revisionism as well. Regardless of what happens in Melbourne and Sydney this has been really bad.
Every time England looked to be getting themselves in to a position to apply real pressure to Australia invariably someone would play a stupid shot and get themselves out. I've hit 3 fours in an over? lets try and moon a 4th over cow. The defense of Brooke's reverse sweep has been hilarious, and has early selfish McCullum written all over it "oh that's how he plays". Getting clean bowled trying to reverse sweep a spinner doing absolutely nothing until that point? Hilarious.
The bowling plans were either so flawed they were laughable, or the bowlers didn't stick to the plan. Either way serving up short shit to get carted in every innings was pretty average.
They are just seemingly unwilling to do the tedious boring shit that makes up a lot of successful test cricket. Bat time. Hit the top of off over after aver. A completely ADHD cricket team.
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When McCullum is inevitably fired by England I really really hope NZC doesn’t even think of giving him a call.
He was great for nzc, he was one of the big reasons why the WC was special in 2015 but he’ would be completely wrong as a coach for us.
