The Ashes - 2019

[Macca 16,972]

Now that the dust has settled we can bask in the glory of winning - BBC Test Match Special Podcast style. 

Here are the wrap-ups of day's 4 & 5.  Within the 2 podcasts there's heaps of Aussie stuff including interviews with the current players along with Mitch Johnson & Glenn McGrath.  And the BBC are the best in the business when it comes to sporting podcasts. 

Magnanimous in defeat are Michael Vaughn,  Joe Root,  Geoffrey Boycott etc as well.  Excellent listening

Edgbaston Day 4 BBC Podcast

Edgbaston Day 5 BBC Podcast

 

Footnote:  Surprised to find out that the Aussies have won 7 of their last 8 Test matches against England.  That record must include the last 2 Tests played in England in 2015. 

Edited August 6, 2019 by Macca

[Diamond_Jim 12,589]

Here's a Guardian article on the test venues in England.

It was hard to recognize Edgbaston after its renovation.

We tend to forget how small their grounds are by comparison to those we have in Oz.

"English grounds have never been cavernous – Lord’s is the biggest with a capacity for 28,000 souls. But the upside is that they are easier to fill, and an atmosphere builds quickly. "

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/aug/06/england-ashes-test-grounds-splendour-cricket

If in London stroll over to Lords and look at the museum. It may be small but boy there's history not to mention THE urn.

[dl4e 5,851]

I am looking forward to this test. I heard Hazlewood in for Pattinson. Wonder if Starc will get a go as well. I would bring Harris in for Bancroft as well. Just hope that the unit will post some amazing centuries as well.

 

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

Evening all......Great to be back on our home ground !

They say at Lords you dont look down at the pitch, you look up at the weather...

Interesting odds the bookies have thrown up

Australia 3.75 England 4.00 and the Draw 1.80

Guess were in for a bit of rain.

[grazman 7,436]

1 hour ago, Wadda We Sing said:

Guess were in for a bit of rain.

Delayed start, bit of moisture in the air,  might be a good toss to lose.

Watching Stuart Clark take some wickets from yester year and Binga spray them all over the pitch ?

[dl4e 5,851]

pommie weather.

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

Watching the replay on Gem. Great to hear Bill Laurie commentating. He really put so much life into any match. Hope he does some cameos in the summer here, i think he still does occasionally.

[Dame Gaga 2,453]

Following on the ABC Live blog. Quite entertaining. We just had nominations of best sports movie, best cricket movie and best movie with cricket either in it or referenced in it. Good fun. (And keeps you up to date on the weather over there as well).

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

Ok we are batting. Lets hope for some early wickets and a result inside 4 days.

Does anyone know the story with Burns and his batting stance? Its so unusual.

Edited August 15, 2019 by Wadda We Sing

[dl4e 5,851]

2 hours ago, Wadda We Sing said:

Ok we are batting. Lets hope for some early wickets and a result inside 4 days.

Does anyone know the story with Burns and his batting stance? Its so unusual.

Err no we are bowling. Anyway bad drop by khawaja because Burns is looking the goods again. 

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

4 minutes ago, dl4e said:

Err no we are bowling. Anyway bad drop by khawaja because Burns is looking the goods again. 

Sorry, long day for me...i meant bowling of course ! Yes that was a strange miss, he saw it but maybe didnt pick the line. Pretty flat light over there. Cant understand why Cummins was taken off after 3 overs? They were on the ropes.

[Diamond_Jim 12,589]

Certainly not looking like a green top wicket. Overcast conditions but not much movement.

3 wickets next session would be nice.

On another note it's somewhat amusing how cocky the Australian media have become and how despondent their counterparts are. In that first test we were one batsman away from defeat. He's good but he's not invincible.

Damnit ....it seems that MFCSS has crept into my cricket following !!

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

11 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Certainly not looking like a green top wicket. Overcast conditions but not much movement.

3 wickets next session would be nice.

On another note it's somewhat amusing how cocky the Australian media have become and how despondent their counterparts are. In that first test we were one batsman away from defeat. He's good but he's not invincible.

Damnit ....it seems that MFCSS has crept into my cricket following !!

The Balmy Army was MIA i thought last night.

[Diamond_Jim 12,589]

2 hours ago, Wadda We Sing said:

The Balmy Army was MIA i thought last night.

maybe hard to get tickets.

Just searched ticketing at Lords and the site suggested that there were tickets available for day 3 but days 4 and 5 were sold out. Very strange

Warner's indifferent recent form continues. Big night tonight.

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

8 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

maybe hard to get tickets.

Just searched ticketing at Lords and the site suggested that there were tickets available for day 3 but days 4 and 5 were sold out. Very strange

Warner's indifferent recent form continues. Big night tonight.

Certainly seems to be a lot of empty seats in a 28,000 seat ground. What was the price of a GA?

The ticket sale pattern probably had something to do with the weather forecast.

Edited August 16, 2019 by Wadda We Sing

[dl4e 5,851]

I just love watching the unit bat. After watching the MFC this year and last nights disgraceful display it is a pure pleasure. Hope Paine can hang on long enough to avoid the possibility of a pommy win.

[Dame Gaga 2,453]

Smith is a marvel. They tried to knock him out but he comes back and hits two fours. Take that!

[McQueen 17,864]

Well done by Smith. 

Geez I’m looking forward to seeing Archer cop some chin music soon. 

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

1 hour ago, McQueen said:

Well done by Smith. 

Geez I’m looking forward to seeing Archer cop some chin music soon. 

Dont think hes gonna be too popular when they come out here in 18 months...

I didnt see it, but the footage of him when Smith was lying on the ground. Didnt even wonder over to see if he was ok. That ball that hit him in the neck was exactly the same ball that killed Hughes....exactly. He was dry reaching as he fell. ...6 bouncers in an over?  You used to be warned after 2 or 3...

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

....and get Warner out of the slips !!!

[Macca 16,972]

Our batsmen need to be able to overcome Archer's pace.  He won't be going away in a hurry.  Smith was targeted as expected so it's up to the other batsmen to stand tall.  Especially when we bat again.

Archer is doing what any express bowler would do under the circumstances.  We saw Mitch Johnson unleashed just a few years ago (as an example)  Bouncing Archer won't make much of a difference although we might be able to incapacitate him if we're on target.  The sport can be brutal at times.

The test could go any of all 3 ways tonight ... the draw favoured if England bat us out of it.  If they get through to lunch with wickets intact they'll bat on.  So I favour a draw with the Aussies being a small chance to win if we can run through the England line-up.

[Diamond_Jim 12,589]

2 hours ago, Macca said:

The test could go any of all 3 ways tonight ... the draw favoured if England bat us out of it.  If they get through to lunch with wickets intact they'll bat on.  So I favour a draw with the Aussies being a small chance to win if we can run through the England line-up.

and of course the pessimist in me recalls all those times we have been bowled out for low scores in previous Ashes tours of England.

Smith's dominance is marvellous but it does underscore the fragility of the remaining batsmen.

Get ready for a green top wicket next test... could be bumpy.. strangely we seem to have been winning the toss lately after such a long run of outs. The India series in India was lost in the main because we repeatedly lost the toss.

[Macca 16,972]

2 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

and of course the pessimist in me recalls all those times we have been bowled out for low scores in previous Ashes tours of England.

Smith's dominance is marvellous but it does underscore the fragility of the remaining batsmen.

Get ready for a green top wicket next test... could be bumpy.. strangely we seem to have been winning the toss lately after such a long run of outs. The India series in India was lost in the main because we repeatedly lost the toss.

Ha!  MFCSS = TSSS (Test Side)!

I don't carry it over DJ as the Test side has given us great reward over the years and we've nearly always been a power team in our time (often the best side)

We're not that power team right now but we're far from being an also-ran or a basket-case.  We'll bat it out if we have to but it might not be easy.  We could get tested.

I'm a huge fan of express bowling so I'd love to have an Archer type in our team.  Cummins,  Pattinson & Starc can bowl quick too but this Archer bloke is a nasty type.  He's quick!

[Wadda We Sing 10,685]

7 hours ago, Macca said:

Ha!  MFCSS = TSSS (Test Side)!

I don't carry it over DJ as the Test side has given us great reward over the years and we've nearly always been a power team in our time (often the best side)

We're not that power team right now but we're far from being an also-ran or a basket-case.  We'll bat it out if we have to but it might not be easy.  We could get tested.

I'm a huge fan of express bowling so I'd love to have an Archer type in our team.  Cummins,  Pattinson & Starc can bowl quick too but this Archer bloke is a nasty type.  He's quick!

Hes real quick Macca and its his first test! They only get better if they make it. He also has such an easy action and generating 96mph on an English wicket. God help us when he gets to Australia.

[Macca 16,972]

10 minutes ago, Wadda We Sing said:

Hes real quick Macca and its his first test! They only get better if they make it. He also has such an easy action and generating 96mph on an English wicket. God help us when he gets to Australia.

Jeff Thomson debuted in 1972/73 but played with a broken foot (typical Thommo) and had no impact

But upon his return in '74/'75 it was a completely different story.  Early in that Spring/Summer word had spread that Thommo was terrifying Shield batting line-ups and when he played against England in the first test he unleashed hell.  Man he was quick and I watched him live.  Superhuman. 

Archer is not quite as fast but he is quick and nasty all the same.  This series just got real interesting.  Amazing what a difference an extra 10kph or 15kph can make to a batsman's reaction time.  There is a tipping point and Smith was exposed. 

Archer bowls close to the stumps too so he is right at you.  Nowhere to go.  You've got to play him. 

By the way,  David 'Bumble' Lloyd faced up to Thommo in all of those '74/'75 Tests.  With only a set of skimpy pads and one of those pink* protectors.  And no helmet.  That's courage!

 

*Thommo duly smashed that pink protector to pieces in one encounter.  Ouch!