Ashes 2025/6
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Interesting seeing Webster and Green shoehorned into the same team. With the series sewn up I guess there's room for experimentation.
Speaking of "all rounders" I see Jacob Bethel is listed as one in cricinfo ( 13 first class wickets at 70 )
They love throwing that term around these days.
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The talk about bazball and shit pitches is rubbish.
Today the 3 English wickets have had fuck all to do with mindset, but techniques. Both openers played poorly to okay deliveries. Bad shape. No feet.
Bethel at least got an absolute peach. -
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@Donsteppa said in Ashes 2025/6:
Cam Green 0/45 off 6 so far. Not sure he's even making the 1990's Black Cap all rounders with that economy rate.
MCG was both shit batting (both sides) and an overly spicy pitch.
Shades of Shane Thomson, Dipak Patel, Chris Harris and Justin Vaughan in his Ashes performances so far. Maybe this is the test he justifies that massive amount paid for him. Regardless of that a guy who has taken just over one wicket per test is not an all rounder.
Root and Brook looking to finally get that huge partnership guys of their abilities should have got when the series was still on the line. Both going great.
Not sure when Englands next test is but with their top three shitting the bed yet again I reckon these two need to move up a spot and they need to find someone to bat five. It's not often you see a guy as good as Brook there. Perhaps Stokes could fill the role or they could drop Bethell down a couple of spaces.
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@MN5 said in Ashes 2025/6:
@Donsteppa said in Ashes 2025/6:
Cam Green 0/45 off 6 so far. Not sure he's even making the 1990's Black Cap all rounders with that economy rate.
MCG was both shit batting (both sides) and an overly spicy pitch.
Not sure when Englands next test is
It's against the BCs starting June 4th at Lord's.
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@sparky said in Ashes 2025/6:
@MN5 said in Ashes 2025/6:
@Donsteppa said in Ashes 2025/6:
Cam Green 0/45 off 6 so far. Not sure he's even making the 1990's Black Cap all rounders with that economy rate.
MCG was both shit batting (both sides) and an overly spicy pitch.
Not sure when Englands next test is
It's against the BCs starting June 4th at Lord's.
Thanks fella, I'm sure McCullum reads the fern and will take my advice on board. He could start in the second innings as a matter of fact.
But yeah, Bazball aside the two best batsmen in the team generally bat three and four. Having one at five seems odd.
Covers are on the field, looks like a storm might be on the way which sux for England.
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@Cyclops said in Ashes 2025/6:
I think England would be better with Root at 3 and Brook at 4, but I don't think it's totally crazy to have your best batters at 4 and 5. Steve Waugh spent most of his career at 5.
He batted six a lot too as if to totally disprove my theory ( obviously liked his bro protecting him ) but in general the two best are 3/4.
Viv Richards shifted to 5/6 towards the end of his career as did Allan Border.
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Yeah I think it's a point in Kane's favour when your compare him to Smith, Root and Kohli that he has almost always batted at 3. Much tougher spot to bat than 4. Kohli and Smith always had a world class 3 in front of them that kind of justified it, but no such excuses for Root.
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England's problem is a shortage of quality batting options beyond Root and Brook.
The top four performers in the Top Division of county cricket last year were Dom Sibley, Haseeb Hameed, Adam Lyth and Alex Lees all of whom have Test averages in the 20s.
James Wharton and James Coles are probably the best two young uncapped England batsmen, but both average in the high 30s in first class cricket. Neither look like world-beaters.
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@Cyclops said in Ashes 2025/6:
Yeah I think it's a point in Kane's favour when your compare him to Smith, Root and Kohli that he has almost always batted at 3. Much tougher spot to bat than 4. Kohli and Smith always had a world class 3 in front of them that kind of justified it, but no such excuses for Root.
Historically the best 3/4 at the same time would be Dravid and Tendulkar.
Easier for the little master to dominate with the wall guarding him for so long.
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@Cyclops said in Ashes 2025/6:
Yeah I think it's a point in Kane's favour when your compare him to Smith, Root and Kohli that he has almost always batted at 3. Much tougher spot to bat than 4. Kohli and Smith always had a world class 3 in front of them that kind of justified it, but no such excuses for Root.
Would be an interesting stat to see how many times Kane had to come in within the first 5-10 overs of an innings. In effect being a 3rd opener
Of course that can happen for any top order batsman even at 4 or 5 but certainly more common when you only ever bat at 3. -
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@sparky said in Ashes 2025/6:
Damien Martyn is out of his induced coma.
Talk about dodging a bullet. Once you get it, meningitis is a regular killer
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@Donsteppa said in Ashes 2025/6:
They might have lost $10 million in Melbourne. But no one in Australia has spent a dime on their DRS technology.
Surprised they don’t have hot spot or something similar
