The Official Cricket Thread

[Slick]

Backing their bowlers, though it won't look good in hindsight if Aus rack up 500+ and we used 4 new ball overs for no reward . Weather is on the turn this weekend so runs in the bank might well have been the better option.

Nah, in Baz/Stokes we trust. I like that we tried something different and it means that we get two goes at the openers.

One of the comments from the journos stood out to me - you do what the opposition least want you to do. This struck me as just that, the Ozzies had been in the field all day and there was a decent chance of getting one of the openers cheaply

Not convinced the Aussies were devastated by the decision. If I was in their shoes what I'd have been dreading is Root being 130ish not out overnight with Robinson hanging around, ready to have a free hit this morning then a run at them before lunch.

Second guessing Bazball has been a loser's pastime so far, but it shouldn't morph into a meme of itself nor is it an excuse for poor decision making.

This.

As I said earlier as well, just don’t think these games will bother the Aussies as much as other sides, they will just keep doing what they do

[Guy Smiley]

"Bazball' strikes me as a wanky name for describing the way Australia has played for most of the last 20 years.

[Gumboot]

"Bazball' strikes me as a wanky name for describing the way Australia has played for most of the last 20 years.

When did Australia last declare on day one of a test?

[Paddington Bear]

"Bazball' strikes me as a wanky name for describing the way Australia has played for most of the last 20 years.

The positive attitude to batting England have taken is revolutionary, see the ridiculous record breaking chases. It’s done wonders mentally for our batsmen who tied themselves in knots for years. I’m less convinced on the declarations etc. I saw this in a Championship match I was at in April - Notts declared stupidly aggressively (albeit rain affected) and ended up losing to a shite Middlesex side despite dominating most of the game. The fundamentals of cricket still haven’t shifted.

[Guy Smiley]

"Bazball' strikes me as a wanky name for describing the way Australia has played for most of the last 20 years.

When did Australia last declare on day one of a test?

Aside from yesterday, when did England?

It's an outlier... a really surprising move that has as much chance of backfiring as it does of succeeding and THAT is definitely something you could trademark as Bazball.

What I'm getting at is that the Aussies have played relentlessly attacking cricket for ages. They go hard and pile on the runs in brutal fashion, often completing a test in 4 days and sometimes even three. It doesn't always go their way and there's no definitive outline to how it goes because it wouldn't be Test cricket if there was...

but this fuss over attacking cricket? Sure... England doing it is surprising but that doesn't make it new or revolutionary. I don't get the hype.

[Gumboot]

"Bazball' strikes me as a wanky name for describing the way Australia has played for most of the last 20 years.

When did Australia last declare on day one of a test?

Aside from yesterday, when did England?

February 16, 2023 at the Mount. They went on to win by 267 runs.

[Guy Smiley]

When did Australia last declare on day one of a test?

Aside from yesterday, when did England?

February 16, 2023 at the Mount. They went on to win by 267 runs.

I was thinking of top flight games

[Sandstorm]

[Biffer]

Broad gets Warner again

Awful shot.

[Biffer]

Labuachainge out first ball, terrific catch from Bairstow!

Things look rather different now…

[Biffer]

Smith gone as well! Looked high but it was already dying as it hit him.

[Biffer]

Bairstow has had a great game, but Foakes would have snaffled that.

[Hal Jordan]

And another goes begging off a no ball. FFS.

[GogLais]

Two schools of thought: "let's just see this out to close of play and start afresh tomorrow", "let's wrap this up even if it means a couple of awkward overs tonight" I somehow doubt that Aussies would think the former - but who knows...

Just a thought - would England be happy if they’d been all out for that total?

[Margin__Walker]

"Bazball' strikes me as a wanky name for describing the way Australia has played for most of the last 20 years.

The positive attitude to batting England have taken is revolutionary, see the ridiculous record breaking chases. It’s done wonders mentally for our batsmen who tied themselves in knots for years. I’m less convinced on the declarations etc. I saw this in a Championship match I was at in April - Notts declared stupidly aggressively (albeit rain affected) and ended up losing to a shite Middlesex side despite dominating most of the game. The fundamentals of cricket still haven’t shifted.

Yep 100%. The aggressive batting is new and hugely refreshing. Beyond what the likes of Oz were doing back in the day. Great to watch.

The silly declarations though can do one. I don't care how cavalier you're trying to be. They just aren't the % play and never will be.

[Biffer]

Fuck the ashes, Scotland beat Norway

[tabascoboy]

"Bazball' strikes me as a wanky name for describing the way Australia has played for most of the last 20 years.

The positive attitude to batting England have taken is revolutionary, see the ridiculous record breaking chases. It’s done wonders mentally for our batsmen who tied themselves in knots for years. I’m less convinced on the declarations etc. I saw this in a Championship match I was at in April - Notts declared stupidly aggressively (albeit rain affected) and ended up losing to a shite Middlesex side despite dominating most of the game. The fundamentals of cricket still haven’t shifted.

Yep 100%. The aggressive batting is new and hugely refreshing. Beyond what the likes of Oz were doing back in the day. Great to watch.

The silly declarations though can do one. I don't care how cavalier you're trying to be. They just aren't the % play and never will be.

Yep with the benefit of hindsight the last few overs yesterday and today's play didn't really do anything to justify the declaration. Couple of early wickets tomorrow hopefully and it's game on

[JM2K6]

You can't half arse Bazball. It's part of the magic of it that England are willing to go all out aggressive, be it Stokes approach to batting or the declarations or any other way in which England take the ultra attacking option every time. The declarations also serve to give England as much time as possible to bowl, which has served us very well especially when weather is a factor as it will be in this Test.

It works very well for this group of players and I hope they don't back down from it.

As for the Aussies not being intimidated by it, Ponting and Taylor seemed to think otherwise, judging by how defensively they started day one and how negative they were after the first over, allowing England to pick up a huge number of singles because of the fear of a flood of boundaries from the off.

[Slick]

You can't half arse Bazball. It's part of the magic of it that England are willing to go all out aggressive, be it Stokes approach to batting or the declarations or any other way in which England take the ultra attacking option every time. The declarations also serve to give England as much time as possible to bowl, which has served us very well especially when weather is a factor as it will be in this Test.

It works very well for this group of players and I hope they don't back down from it.

As for the Aussies not being intimidated by it, Ponting and Taylor seemed to think otherwise, judging by how defensively they started day one and how negative they were after the first over, allowing England to pick up a huge number of singles because of the fear of a flood of boundaries from the off.

Hmm, maybe. I tend to agree with Guy, 2 days of Bazball and we are pretty much where we would have expected anyway.

At the end of the day, it’s why we love cricket I guess

[Grandpa]

You can't half arse Bazball. It's part of the magic of it that England are willing to go all out aggressive, be it Stokes approach to batting or the declarations or any other way in which England take the ultra attacking option every time. The declarations also serve to give England as much time as possible to bowl, which has served us very well especially when weather is a factor as it will be in this Test.

It works very well for this group of players and I hope they don't back down from it.

As for the Aussies not being intimidated by it, Ponting and Taylor seemed to think otherwise, judging by how defensively they started day one and how negative they were after the first over, allowing England to pick up a huge number of singles because of the fear of a flood of boundaries from the off.

Totally agree...

[Grandpa]

"Bazball' strikes me as a wanky name for describing the way Australia has played for most of the last 20 years.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/bazb ... el-1379209

England's aggression with the bat, if not completely unheard of before, has taken things to a new level. Across 12 Test under McCullum and Stokes, England have scored at a rate of 4.76 - a sustained assault that has never been matched in the history of the game.

[JM2K6]

You can't half arse Bazball. It's part of the magic of it that England are willing to go all out aggressive, be it Stokes approach to batting or the declarations or any other way in which England take the ultra attacking option every time. The declarations also serve to give England as much time as possible to bowl, which has served us very well especially when weather is a factor as it will be in this Test.

It works very well for this group of players and I hope they don't back down from it.

As for the Aussies not being intimidated by it, Ponting and Taylor seemed to think otherwise, judging by how defensively they started day one and how negative they were after the first over, allowing England to pick up a huge number of singles because of the fear of a flood of boundaries from the off.

Hmm, maybe. I tend to agree with Guy, 2 days of Bazball and we are pretty much where we would have expected anyway.

At the end of the day, it’s why we love cricket I guess

You think England batting in a normal style would've got that many runs? This group? I'm not sure I agree.

Australia are the best team in the world, England made errors with the bat and screwed up three gilt edged opportunities in the field and are at worst level in this game. Anyone expecting that has forgotten how bad England have been until this complete reinvention of style and approach. You can't separate the style from the situation. A non Bazball England gets battered most games, because the techniques aren't good enough with the bat and the bowling isn't as strong as the opposition.

[Calculon]

Aren't you over egging it a bit? Admittadly I've watched very little cricket for ages but apart from the dip in form pre bazzball, England have been a pretty decent team for ages, since around 2004 or so I think, and periodic thrashings in Australia excepted. Going forward, and with the decline of test cricket outside the likes of England, Australia and India there's no reason why they shouldn't be vying for the top spot, bazzball or no bazzball.

Anyway, I think this was the last time the Aussies managed to win the ashes in England. Not a bad Australian team

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/aus ... -scorecard

[JM2K6]

Aren't you over egging it a bit? Admittadly I've watched very little cricket for ages but apart from the dip in form pre bazzball, England have been a pretty decent team for ages, since around 2004 or so I think, and periodic thrashings in Australia excepted. Going forward, and with the decline of test cricket outside the likes of England, Australia and India there's no reason why they shouldn't be vying for the top spot, bazzball or no bazzball.

Anyway, I think this was the last time the Aussies managed to win the ashes in England. Not a bad Australian team

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/aus ... -scorecard

I'm not over egging it, no. The English game is no longer set up to produce traditional Test players. Some can still come through but everything is geared towards limited overs cricket - the scheduling, the competitions, the money, the interest, the pitches, and the external pressures. This same group of players was falling flat on their collective faces for an extended period of time trying to play Test cricket.

[Sandstorm]

Bairstow drops another one

[Big D]

People will talk about the declaration but they've had more than enough chances in the field.

When you drop your best keeper you really need the replacement to be flawless.

[Paddington Bear]

You can't half arse Bazball. It's part of the magic of it that England are willing to go all out aggressive, be it Stokes approach to batting or the declarations or any other way in which England take the ultra attacking option every time. The declarations also serve to give England as much time as possible to bowl, which has served us very well especially when weather is a factor as it will be in this Test.

It works very well for this group of players and I hope they don't back down from it.

As for the Aussies not being intimidated by it, Ponting and Taylor seemed to think otherwise, judging by how defensively they started day one and how negative they were after the first over, allowing England to pick up a huge number of singles because of the fear of a flood of boundaries from the off.

This is true to the extent that you can't criticise the side as and when an aggressive approach leaves us 90 all out. I don't think it follows that batting aggressively also requires dumb declarations.

[tabascoboy]

Has Stokes said anything to the press about the motivation for the declaration - obviously they hoped for a wicket or two before the CoP but beyond that?

[SaintK]

Missed this!!

Moeen Ali has been fined 25% of his match fee and handed one demerit point after admitting to using an unauthorised drying agent on his bowling hand in the first Ashes Test.

In announcing the decision, the International Cricket Council accepted Moeen, who is making his Test return this week after a near two-year absence, used the spray to dry his hands and not in an attempt to alter the condition of the ball. However, its use was in contravention of the umpires’ pre-series instruction against players using anything on their hands without prior approval.

[JM2K6]

You can't half arse Bazball. It's part of the magic of it that England are willing to go all out aggressive, be it Stokes approach to batting or the declarations or any other way in which England take the ultra attacking option every time. The declarations also serve to give England as much time as possible to bowl, which has served us very well especially when weather is a factor as it will be in this Test.

It works very well for this group of players and I hope they don't back down from it.

As for the Aussies not being intimidated by it, Ponting and Taylor seemed to think otherwise, judging by how defensively they started day one and how negative they were after the first over, allowing England to pick up a huge number of singles because of the fear of a flood of boundaries from the off.

This is true to the extent that you can't criticise the side as and when an aggressive approach leaves us 90 all out. I don't think it follows that batting aggressively also requires dumb declarations.

What was dumb about it? It gave England essentially two goes at the top order, it sped up the game, it prevented Anderson getting bounced, and it sent a message to Australia that England were not going to stop going after them.

Sacrificing some runs to do that is just the calculation being made. You might think it's not worth the loss of the runs, but it's not dumb. There's real intent and thought behind a decision like that. Will it always work? No, as with a lot of things they'll try. But it's worth trying.

Australia have been all over England today and most of the evening session yesterday and are just about looking like drawing level with England, despite all of England's self inflicted injuries (literally in Mo's case, plus the drops and the no ball wicket). Remarkable, really.

[Big D]

Quick 300 here and declare?

[SaintK]

Quick 300 here and declare?

Very quick
Storms due mid afternoon!

[tabascoboy]

You can't half arse Bazball. It's part of the magic of it that England are willing to go all out aggressive, be it Stokes approach to batting or the declarations or any other way in which England take the ultra attacking option every time. The declarations also serve to give England as much time as possible to bowl, which has served us very well especially when weather is a factor as it will be in this Test.

It works very well for this group of players and I hope they don't back down from it.

As for the Aussies not being intimidated by it, Ponting and Taylor seemed to think otherwise, judging by how defensively they started day one and how negative they were after the first over, allowing England to pick up a huge number of singles because of the fear of a flood of boundaries from the off.

This is true to the extent that you can't criticise the side as and when an aggressive approach leaves us 90 all out. I don't think it follows that batting aggressively also requires dumb declarations.

What was dumb about it? It gave England essentially two goes at the top order, it sped up the game, it prevented Anderson getting bounced, and it sent a message to Australia that England were not going to stop going after them.

Sacrificing some runs to do that is just the calculation being made. You might think it's not worth the loss of the runs, but it's not dumb. There's real intent and thought behind a decision like that. Will it always work? No, as with a lot of things they'll try. But it's worth trying.

Australia have been all over England today and most of the evening session yesterday and are just about looking like drawing level with England, despite all of England's self inflicted injuries (literally in Mo's case, plus the drops and the no ball wicket). Remarkable, really.

It might be called dumb if England somehow lose...but we can only speculate as to what could have happened if ENG had just played out the innings until the last wicket fell in any case

[Insane_Homer]

Weather coming

Screenshot_20230618-135439.png (676.93 KiB) Viewed 862 times

[Big D]

England should have considered Broad or Robinson here.

Weather closing in and ball moving around. Danger of losing a couple here before the rain.

[JM2K6]

Quite mad how much impact the weather has made. Ball is hooping and seaming like early season county cricket.

[inactionman]

seems like they're scoring at a fair old rate - assume the ball isn't swinging and hoping so much today.

[FalseBayFC]

Jeez I love the Ashes! Nothing better than a test match to beat the Monday blues. Plenty of needle. Hate the Ollie R behaviour but it just ramps up the emotions of the contest. This match just has everything so far. Hope it goes deep into the fifth day and ends in a cracker. I'm an England favouring neutral. The wounds the Aussies inflicted on our cricket over the years have just made me hate them in the nicest possible way. But kudos to them for being the most gentlemanly and sporting Aussie team in my cricket watching history.

How many runs do England need? Weather looks volatile for tomorrow. If its cloudy tomorrow maybe we'll see Jimmy produce some devastating swing. 300 runs will win it for England I think.

[FalseBayFC]

As I type this Root gets rooted. Fark!

[JM2K6]

England getting bogged down a bit. Stokes looking out of touch and seeking to bat time, which impacted Brook who was unable to find boundaries after that. Eventually Brook gets caught pulling. Bairstow in now, hopefully with his greater experience he can manage the Stokes situation.

Still, a handy example of what England are like if they're not ultra-aggressive. Just a bit shit with the bat. We need this partnership to be a big one.