The Official Cricket Thread

[Deepsouth]

Stokes knew, but they're desperate.

Sums England's series up imo. Dropped catches lost them the series.

Oh so as long as the English are desperate their much vaunted Spirit of Cricket doesn't apply to them. Just applies to the Australians.

Righto got it......

[I like neeps]

I too would review that hoping I get bailed out out somehow just of sheer embarrassment.

[Deepsouth]

I must have missed all those leg ups.

Really? Winning 4 tosses in a home series is a massive leg up. Like probably the best leg up.

Given there's 5 matches, the "fairest" it can be is 3-2 to one team. 4-1 is the difference of a single result.

Australia's bad luck: the toss. Some of the conditions (but not all) they've batted/bowled in. Nathan Lyon's injury. Probably some more, but I'm not an Aussie.
England's bad luck: Leach's injury immediately prior to the series. Ali's finger injury during the first Test. Ali's groin injury during this Test. Robinson's injury during the 3rd Test. Pope's shoulder dislocation in the 2nd Test (made worse by the officials fucking up). Stokes' knee playing up. Brooks getting out bowled when set to a freak dismissal. Root twice getting absolute grubbers out of nowhere. Smith being allowed a catch he grassed. Australia changing the ball in a previous Test and immediately getting more movement and wickets to go with it. Nearly two days of rain when battering Australia making the 4th Test a draw instead of setting up a winner-takes-all final Test.

Do I think England have been lucky at times? Yep. But they've also been very unlucky at times. The whinging about English luck requires ignoring quite a lot of very unfortunate events that you'd be unhappy with happening at any time, let alone several of them happening in the course of a single series.

Haven't had a chance to watch much today, though I did get to see Jimmy bowling pies and Stokes knocking the ball out of his own hand. Don't blame him for leaving it up to the umpires to decide if it was a fair catch, but it's obviously a desperation move.

'Leaving it up to the umpires to decide'. Well just like Root, if Stokes was applying England's morally virtuous position why didn't he inform the umpires? Where is the Spirit of Cricket?

Toilet of a country. You really deserve your tiny little cesspit you are currently stewing in......

[Thor Sedan]

Just saw the replay of the Stokes dropped catch.

I mean it is pretty funny.

The look on his face, knowing he had messed up, but seeing the other players pleading to have it reviewed knowing it was going to show his error.

I guess the spirit of cricket would have been to explain to his team that he had dropped the ball and that it was not out.....but.....well.....you know......

[Thor Sedan]

I must have missed all those leg ups.

Really? Winning 4 tosses in a home series is a massive leg up. Like probably the best leg up.

Given there's 5 matches, the "fairest" it can be is 3-2 to one team. 4-1 is the difference of a single result.

Australia's bad luck: the toss. Some of the conditions (but not all) they've batted/bowled in. Nathan Lyon's injury. Probably some more, but I'm not an Aussie.
England's bad luck: Leach's injury immediately prior to the series. Ali's finger injury during the first Test. Ali's groin injury during this Test. Robinson's injury during the 3rd Test. Pope's shoulder dislocation in the 2nd Test (made worse by the officials fucking up). Stokes' knee playing up. Brooks getting out bowled when set to a freak dismissal. Root twice getting absolute grubbers out of nowhere. Smith being allowed a catch he grassed. Australia changing the ball in a previous Test and immediately getting more movement and wickets to go with it. Nearly two days of rain when battering Australia making the 4th Test a draw instead of setting up a winner-takes-all final Test.

Do I think England have been lucky at times? Yep. But they've also been very unlucky at times. The whinging about English luck requires ignoring quite a lot of very unfortunate events that you'd be unhappy with happening at any time, let alone several of them happening in the course of a single series.

Haven't had a chance to watch much today, though I did get to see Jimmy bowling pies and Stokes knocking the ball out of his own hand. Don't blame him for leaving it up to the umpires to decide if it was a fair catch, but it's obviously a desperation move.

Injuries are injuries.....that doesn't really factor in to my 'leg up' or 'leg downs'??

If you look at the toss and see it as 4-1 as opposed to 3-2 then sure - it doesn't seem so bad. But the fact that the toss was 4-0 until the last dead rubber certainly changes the context of how much England benefited from the toss - in home conditions. Needs to be a ruling that the first game is decided by the toss and then it alternates from that game.....a home side shouldn't have the pick of conditions for the first 4 tests of a 5 match series. Doesn't sit right. Especially in countries like England and India where control of the play can tip odds of winning heavily to one side.

[JM2K6]

Really? Winning 4 tosses in a home series is a massive leg up. Like probably the best leg up.

Given there's 5 matches, the "fairest" it can be is 3-2 to one team. 4-1 is the difference of a single result.

Australia's bad luck: the toss. Some of the conditions (but not all) they've batted/bowled in. Nathan Lyon's injury. Probably some more, but I'm not an Aussie.
England's bad luck: Leach's injury immediately prior to the series. Ali's finger injury during the first Test. Ali's groin injury during this Test. Robinson's injury during the 3rd Test. Pope's shoulder dislocation in the 2nd Test (made worse by the officials fucking up). Stokes' knee playing up. Brooks getting out bowled when set to a freak dismissal. Root twice getting absolute grubbers out of nowhere. Smith being allowed a catch he grassed. Australia changing the ball in a previous Test and immediately getting more movement and wickets to go with it. Nearly two days of rain when battering Australia making the 4th Test a draw instead of setting up a winner-takes-all final Test.

Do I think England have been lucky at times? Yep. But they've also been very unlucky at times. The whinging about English luck requires ignoring quite a lot of very unfortunate events that you'd be unhappy with happening at any time, let alone several of them happening in the course of a single series.

Haven't had a chance to watch much today, though I did get to see Jimmy bowling pies and Stokes knocking the ball out of his own hand. Don't blame him for leaving it up to the umpires to decide if it was a fair catch, but it's obviously a desperation move.

'Leaving it up to the umpires to decide'. Well just like Root, if Stokes was applying England's morally virtuous position why didn't he inform the umpires? Where is the Spirit of Cricket?

Toilet of a country. You really deserve your tiny little cesspit you are currently stewing in......

What's all the morally virtuous stuff about? Root didn't know if it had bounced or not and didn't claim it, making it very clear he didn't know. Stokes knew he'd caught it cleanly and then lost it when going to celebrate, but review anyway incase the umpires would consider the catch completed.

I don't know why you've been quite so damaged by all of this but it is very weird watching you scream and cry about every single thing that happens while trying to maintain some sort of moral high ground. You cried for days over a catch that wasn't claimed because the catcher was not sure whether he caught it, and now you're crying because a catcher who dropped the ball after catching it essentially threw himself at the umpire's mercy with a review, just in case they thought it was legal. Neither player attempted to deceive anyone.

Do you scream about cheats and breaking the spirit of cricket every time Khawaja reviews one that's stone dead LBW / a catch he's hit behind? Do you throw your toys out of the pram every time a tailender reviews one he knows is stone cold out, just on the off chance fate will intervene? What's that? You don't? Oh, well in that case, shut the fuck up then.

[JM2K6]

Really? Winning 4 tosses in a home series is a massive leg up. Like probably the best leg up.

Given there's 5 matches, the "fairest" it can be is 3-2 to one team. 4-1 is the difference of a single result.

Australia's bad luck: the toss. Some of the conditions (but not all) they've batted/bowled in. Nathan Lyon's injury. Probably some more, but I'm not an Aussie.
England's bad luck: Leach's injury immediately prior to the series. Ali's finger injury during the first Test. Ali's groin injury during this Test. Robinson's injury during the 3rd Test. Pope's shoulder dislocation in the 2nd Test (made worse by the officials fucking up). Stokes' knee playing up. Brooks getting out bowled when set to a freak dismissal. Root twice getting absolute grubbers out of nowhere. Smith being allowed a catch he grassed. Australia changing the ball in a previous Test and immediately getting more movement and wickets to go with it. Nearly two days of rain when battering Australia making the 4th Test a draw instead of setting up a winner-takes-all final Test.

Do I think England have been lucky at times? Yep. But they've also been very unlucky at times. The whinging about English luck requires ignoring quite a lot of very unfortunate events that you'd be unhappy with happening at any time, let alone several of them happening in the course of a single series.

Haven't had a chance to watch much today, though I did get to see Jimmy bowling pies and Stokes knocking the ball out of his own hand. Don't blame him for leaving it up to the umpires to decide if it was a fair catch, but it's obviously a desperation move.

Injuries are injuries.....that doesn't really factor in to my 'leg up' or 'leg downs'??

If you look at the toss and see it as 4-1 as opposed to 3-2 then sure - it doesn't seem so bad. But the fact that the toss was 4-0 until the last dead rubber certainly changes the context of how much England benefited from the toss - in home conditions. Needs to be a ruling that the first game is decided by the toss and then it alternates from that game.....a home side shouldn't have the pick of conditions for the first 4 tests of a 5 match series. Doesn't sit right. Especially in countries like England and India where control of the play can tip odds of winning heavily to one side.

It's not a dead rubber - the series result rides on it - and how are multiple in-game injuries not bad luck? And the grubbers? And the historically unseasonable weather?

As for England benefiting from the conditions, it's massively overblown and requires you to ignore 1) England playing to be batting or bowling when the conditions are in their favour to the extent of throwing away wickets, and 2) the huge, huge impact that the weather's had on the series. And your idea will absolutely guarantee that those countries who are able to doctor pitches - not England - will simply prepare incredibly favourable wickets for the home side with the knowledge that they know exactly who's going to be batting or bowling first weeks and weeks out. It's a very, very silly idea.

[Thor Sedan]

Given there's 5 matches, the "fairest" it can be is 3-2 to one team. 4-1 is the difference of a single result.

Australia's bad luck: the toss. Some of the conditions (but not all) they've batted/bowled in. Nathan Lyon's injury. Probably some more, but I'm not an Aussie.
England's bad luck: Leach's injury immediately prior to the series. Ali's finger injury during the first Test. Ali's groin injury during this Test. Robinson's injury during the 3rd Test. Pope's shoulder dislocation in the 2nd Test (made worse by the officials fucking up). Stokes' knee playing up. Brooks getting out bowled when set to a freak dismissal. Root twice getting absolute grubbers out of nowhere. Smith being allowed a catch he grassed. Australia changing the ball in a previous Test and immediately getting more movement and wickets to go with it. Nearly two days of rain when battering Australia making the 4th Test a draw instead of setting up a winner-takes-all final Test.

Do I think England have been lucky at times? Yep. But they've also been very unlucky at times. The whinging about English luck requires ignoring quite a lot of very unfortunate events that you'd be unhappy with happening at any time, let alone several of them happening in the course of a single series.

Haven't had a chance to watch much today, though I did get to see Jimmy bowling pies and Stokes knocking the ball out of his own hand. Don't blame him for leaving it up to the umpires to decide if it was a fair catch, but it's obviously a desperation move.

Injuries are injuries.....that doesn't really factor in to my 'leg up' or 'leg downs'??

If you look at the toss and see it as 4-1 as opposed to 3-2 then sure - it doesn't seem so bad. But the fact that the toss was 4-0 until the last dead rubber certainly changes the context of how much England benefited from the toss - in home conditions. Needs to be a ruling that the first game is decided by the toss and then it alternates from that game.....a home side shouldn't have the pick of conditions for the first 4 tests of a 5 match series. Doesn't sit right. Especially in countries like England and India where control of the play can tip odds of winning heavily to one side.

It's not a dead rubber - the series result rides on it - and how are multiple in-game injuries not bad luck? And the grubbers? And the historically unseasonable weather?

As for England benefiting from the conditions, it's massively overblown and requires you to ignore 1) England playing to be batting or bowling when the conditions are in their favour to the extent of throwing away wickets, and 2) the huge, huge impact that the weather's had on the series. And your idea will absolutely guarantee that those countries who are able to doctor pitches - not England - will simply prepare incredibly favourable wickets for the home side with the knowledge that they know exactly who's going to be batting or bowling first weeks and weeks out. It's a very, very silly idea.

It's a dead rubber - the Ashes have been retained - I don't genuinely think most supporters from either side is going to go full hog celebration mode if this final test is a result. But perhaps you will - and that is fine.

Regarding the toss issue - yes - perhaps doctored pitches would become a factor - but then that is where the ICC would come in (I'm guessing that would be the body to control it). Countries 'doctoring' pitches need to face investigation and punishments handed out. I'm not saying it is an easy fix - but the home side having first choice of conditions for 4 tests in a row.....nope.....doesn't seem right.

[JM2K6]

Injuries are injuries.....that doesn't really factor in to my 'leg up' or 'leg downs'??

If you look at the toss and see it as 4-1 as opposed to 3-2 then sure - it doesn't seem so bad. But the fact that the toss was 4-0 until the last dead rubber certainly changes the context of how much England benefited from the toss - in home conditions. Needs to be a ruling that the first game is decided by the toss and then it alternates from that game.....a home side shouldn't have the pick of conditions for the first 4 tests of a 5 match series. Doesn't sit right. Especially in countries like England and India where control of the play can tip odds of winning heavily to one side.

It's not a dead rubber - the series result rides on it - and how are multiple in-game injuries not bad luck? And the grubbers? And the historically unseasonable weather?

As for England benefiting from the conditions, it's massively overblown and requires you to ignore 1) England playing to be batting or bowling when the conditions are in their favour to the extent of throwing away wickets, and 2) the huge, huge impact that the weather's had on the series. And your idea will absolutely guarantee that those countries who are able to doctor pitches - not England - will simply prepare incredibly favourable wickets for the home side with the knowledge that they know exactly who's going to be batting or bowling first weeks and weeks out. It's a very, very silly idea.

It's a dead rubber - the Ashes have been retained - I don't genuinely think most supporters from either side is going to go full hog celebration mode if this final test is a result. But perhaps you will - and that is fine.

Regarding the toss issue - yes - perhaps doctored pitches would become a factor - but then that is where the ICC would come in (I'm guessing that would be the body to control it). Countries 'doctoring' pitches need to face investigation and punishments handed out. I'm not saying it is an easy fix - but the home side having first choice of conditions for 4 tests in a row.....nope.....doesn't seem right.

Mate, the Aussies haven't won a series over here in decades. It absolutely is not a dead rubber. Winning the series really matters to them, and not losing it will really matter to England. The result of the series is on the line here.

Your plan still sucks. It doesn't fix anything.

[Thor Sedan]

It's not a dead rubber - the series result rides on it - and how are multiple in-game injuries not bad luck? And the grubbers? And the historically unseasonable weather?

As for England benefiting from the conditions, it's massively overblown and requires you to ignore 1) England playing to be batting or bowling when the conditions are in their favour to the extent of throwing away wickets, and 2) the huge, huge impact that the weather's had on the series. And your idea will absolutely guarantee that those countries who are able to doctor pitches - not England - will simply prepare incredibly favourable wickets for the home side with the knowledge that they know exactly who's going to be batting or bowling first weeks and weeks out. It's a very, very silly idea.

It's a dead rubber - the Ashes have been retained - I don't genuinely think most supporters from either side is going to go full hog celebration mode if this final test is a result. But perhaps you will - and that is fine.

Regarding the toss issue - yes - perhaps doctored pitches would become a factor - but then that is where the ICC would come in (I'm guessing that would be the body to control it). Countries 'doctoring' pitches need to face investigation and punishments handed out. I'm not saying it is an easy fix - but the home side having first choice of conditions for 4 tests in a row.....nope.....doesn't seem right.

Mate, the Aussies haven't won a series over here in decades. It absolutely is not a dead rubber. Winning the series really matters to them, and not losing it will really matter to England. The result of the series is on the line here.

Your plan still sucks. It doesn't fix anything.

Cool.....best of luck for the final session.

[JM2K6]

It's a dead rubber - the Ashes have been retained - I don't genuinely think most supporters from either side is going to go full hog celebration mode if this final test is a result. But perhaps you will - and that is fine.

Regarding the toss issue - yes - perhaps doctored pitches would become a factor - but then that is where the ICC would come in (I'm guessing that would be the body to control it). Countries 'doctoring' pitches need to face investigation and punishments handed out. I'm not saying it is an easy fix - but the home side having first choice of conditions for 4 tests in a row.....nope.....doesn't seem right.

Mate, the Aussies haven't won a series over here in decades. It absolutely is not a dead rubber. Winning the series really matters to them, and not losing it will really matter to England. The result of the series is on the line here.

Your plan still sucks. It doesn't fix anything.

Cool.....best of luck for the final session.

Not sure there's going to be one - and if it does, it's likely to peter out as a draw, which is a real shame. Australia have thrown everything at this and it'll be another huge shame if we're robbed of a finish like we had in the first 3 Tests.

It's worth remembering that while the quality hasn't always been there, the drama and excitement has been top notch in this series. It's been a fantastic and compelling contest. People trying to make out that one side's had all the luck, or that this match doesn't matter, or still crying their eyes out over something that happened weeks and weeks ago are missing the point: it's been a joy to watch and the biggest disappointment has been that we've been robbed of the possibility of it being an all-time classic, because of the ridiculous weather. That's where we should be pointing fingers.

[Thor Sedan]

Mate, the Aussies haven't won a series over here in decades. It absolutely is not a dead rubber. Winning the series really matters to them, and not losing it will really matter to England. The result of the series is on the line here.

Your plan still sucks. It doesn't fix anything.

Cool.....best of luck for the final session.

Not sure there's going to be one - and if it does, it's likely to peter out as a draw, which is a real shame. Australia have thrown everything at this and it'll be another huge shame if we're robbed of a finish like we had in the first 3 Tests.

It's worth remembering that while the quality hasn't always been there, the drama and excitement has been top notch in this series. It's been a fantastic and compelling contest. People trying to make out that one side's had all the luck, or that this match doesn't matter, or still crying their eyes out over something that happened weeks and weeks ago are missing the point: it's been a joy to watch and the biggest disappointment has been that we've been robbed of the possibility of it being an all-time classic, because of the ridiculous weather. That's where we should be pointing fingers.

It is a shame - I think my only real issue has been the toss - but that is from a neutral POV. Although I am a struggling neutral as I have a sense of loyalty to the Southern Hemisphere, a sense of loyalty to Baz McCullum, an ingrained aversion to Aussie success, no patience for English media and a hatred for anything that makes piers morgan happy.

It has been enthralling - but I need a break from it (as a neutral). I just thank god that the AB's are playing better and my AFL side is competing well so I can enjoy sport away from the Ashes.

I don't know what they are going to do about lost time to weather - biggest issue of the game right now. Can't be as simple as start earlier and have reserve days can it?

[Thor Sedan]

And - I reckon England are going to win this test.

Collapse will happen with new ball due soonish.

[Deepsouth]

Given there's 5 matches, the "fairest" it can be is 3-2 to one team. 4-1 is the difference of a single result.

Australia's bad luck: the toss. Some of the conditions (but not all) they've batted/bowled in. Nathan Lyon's injury. Probably some more, but I'm not an Aussie.
England's bad luck: Leach's injury immediately prior to the series. Ali's finger injury during the first Test. Ali's groin injury during this Test. Robinson's injury during the 3rd Test. Pope's shoulder dislocation in the 2nd Test (made worse by the officials fucking up). Stokes' knee playing up. Brooks getting out bowled when set to a freak dismissal. Root twice getting absolute grubbers out of nowhere. Smith being allowed a catch he grassed. Australia changing the ball in a previous Test and immediately getting more movement and wickets to go with it. Nearly two days of rain when battering Australia making the 4th Test a draw instead of setting up a winner-takes-all final Test.

Do I think England have been lucky at times? Yep. But they've also been very unlucky at times. The whinging about English luck requires ignoring quite a lot of very unfortunate events that you'd be unhappy with happening at any time, let alone several of them happening in the course of a single series.

Haven't had a chance to watch much today, though I did get to see Jimmy bowling pies and Stokes knocking the ball out of his own hand. Don't blame him for leaving it up to the umpires to decide if it was a fair catch, but it's obviously a desperation move.

'Leaving it up to the umpires to decide'. Well just like Root, if Stokes was applying England's morally virtuous position why didn't he inform the umpires? Where is the Spirit of Cricket?

Toilet of a country. You really deserve your tiny little cesspit you are currently stewing in......

What's all the morally virtuous stuff about? Root didn't know if it had bounced or not and didn't claim it, making it very clear he didn't know. Stokes knew he'd caught it cleanly and then lost it when going to celebrate, but review anyway incase the umpires would consider the catch completed.

I don't know why you've been quite so damaged by all of this but it is very weird watching you scream and cry about every single thing that happens while trying to maintain some sort of moral high ground. You cried for days over a catch that wasn't claimed because the catcher was not sure whether he caught it, and now you're crying because a catcher who dropped the ball after catching it essentially threw himself at the umpire's mercy with a review, just in case they thought it was legal. Neither player attempted to deceive anyone.

Do you scream about cheats and breaking the spirit of cricket every time Khawaja reviews one that's stone dead LBW / a catch he's hit behind? Do you throw your toys out of the pram every time a tailender reviews one he knows is stone cold out, just on the off chance fate will intervene? What's that? You don't? Oh, well in that case, shut the fuck up then.

Lol you are the one that seems to be upset and screaming para...Don't like being called on England's hypocrisy and cuntishness do you petal lol. So what will this make it? 3-1 this series, 4-0 to Australia last series in OZ. 2-2 last time in England and 5-0 to Australia the time before that in OZ
You really are the not very good. And yet we were incessantly told that this Bazball England was the second coming

[Deepsouth]

Bairstow

[Deepsouth]

So now not only have the umpires given the English a dodgy replacement ball, they have now stolen 5 overs from us......

I mean I know England is a deeply corrupt nation but this is fuckin ridiculous

[C T]

I've been enjoying this ashes as a neutral.

Quite frustrated now, Deepsouth's posts are making it hard not to support England.

[Insane_Homer]

2-2 series, all a bit disappointing now. Lots to whinge about

they're within 100 runs of us and still have 3 wickets to go. It's day 2. Both sides need to bat again. Our spinner is likely out of the game. What exactly do we owe this confidence to?

Told ya!

[Thor Sedan]

And - I reckon England are going to win this test.

Collapse will happen with new ball due soonish.

Absolutely Nostradamused it.

[Sandstorm]

8 down

[TedMaul]

Deep South makes it hard not to dislike all humans frankly.

[Sandstorm]

Just AMAZING from Stuart Broad

[Insane_Homer]

That was a cracking over

[Insane_Homer]

Dropped! Oh the drama!

[Grandpa]

Deep South makes it hard not to dislike all humans frankly.

This... I feel I should grass him up to the Russians... He's an embarrassment to us antipodeans!

[Sandstorm]

Borad gets the 10th

Well played England.

[JM2K6]

Yay Broad. He does write his own scripts sometimes. Surprised Aussies collapsed here, but a pretty big win in the end. Very well done in the last 3 matches, and well done to Australia for their first two wins and the general contest. Great series to watch.

Anyway...

So now not only have the umpires given the English a dodgy replacement ball, they have now stolen 5 overs from us......

I mean I know England is a deeply corrupt nation but this is fuckin ridiculous

Just to be clear, that's 5 overs both sides would've wanted, it's based on a calculation rather than something the umpires (not English, by the way) make up for a laugh, so the original value was wrong and would've been unfair. Something you'd know if you had any idea about the sport and weren't hell-bent on embarrassing yourself with every post.

As for the ball change, Australia benefited hugely from a ball change at Headingly, where the replacement suddenly started swinging far more than the original had at any point and completely changed what had been a comfortable innings for England: https://wisden.com/series-stories/ashes ... ange-swing

Strangely I can't find you kicking off about that one. That's weird.

Lol you are the one that seems to be upset and screaming para...Don't like being called on England's hypocrisy and cuntishness do you petal lol. So what will this make it? 3-1 this series, 4-0 to Australia last series in OZ. 2-2 last time in England and 5-0 to Australia the time before that in OZ
You really are the not very good. And yet we were incessantly told that this Bazball England was the second coming

3-1? Sorry Corporal Cowardice, ultimately your boys came nowhere near 3-1. 2-2, and were staring humiliation in the face in the game that was rained off. Australia still haven't won a series in England since 2001. 2001!

The world test champions have required 2 days of rain to avoid losing the Ashes, and all the other matches have been a great contest, so it makes us pretty decent. The point isn't that England are the best side ever - England fans are pretty judicious about our quality or lack thereof - but that just over a year ago we were absolute garbage, humiliatingly bad, and that Bazball has since turned us into a side to be reckoned with, pulling off some incredible victories. It's a hugely positive approach that's brought real joy to England fans (and a lot of neutrals). Not something you could hope to understand.

Without Bazball this is likely 5-0 to Australia. With it, we've had 3 superb contests, one rained off game where England scored nearly 600 runs at 5.5 an over and had Australia 5 wickets down in their 2nd innings and still 61 runs behind England's first innings score, and this ultimately pretty comfortable England win (which in all honesty I didn't expect - I genuinely thought Smith and co would see you guys through, but I forgot Smith doesn't show up for the 4th innings).

You might think that makes us shit. I think that makes you a mewling idiot. I can see why you joined the armed forces - pretty much the only people that would be willing to put up with you. No matter how dumb you are, you can still stop a bullet, so you're not completely worthless. Although one questions whether you'd ever be in the vicinity of one, given how mortally afraid you've been of popping your head over the parapet on a niche rugby forum whenever Australia was at risk of losing the Ashes. Maybe the courage you suddenly showed whenever it rained would help?

Still, at least you've got the rugby, eh? Eh? Oh.

[TedMaul]

Brilliant. What a series. Great competition and Broady bows out in real style.

[Hal Jordan]

Who the devil writes Broad's scripts?

[Insane_Homer]

Fairytale ending

[JM2K6]

Weather frustration aside, an incredibly enjoyable series to watch. Credit to both teams.

[Paddington Bear]

No victory has ever been more moral.

600 test wickets and you’re shagging Mollie King - then he cried salt tears as there were no more worlds to conquer.

For me, the greatest test series of my time. Test cricket remains sport’s pinnacle

[Big D]

Congrats to Australia on retaining the Urn.

Congrats to Broad for a great series and career. 5 tests at that age at the level he bowled was a huge effort.

Both teams gave a great series to watch. Thoroughly enjoyable to watch.

[JM2K6]

And that's the end of the English Test summer. No more Test cricket for England until next year

[Sandstorm]

And that's the end of the English Test summer. No more Test cricket for England until next year

Getting players in August up again after those 5 Tests? I hope the Irish or Netherlands are lined up.

[Big D]

Many stats to go through but considering Broad is retiring after taking 21 wickets this series this one stood out.

Anderson four tests and five wickets. It's a shame he is going to make England drop him permanently.

[Biffer]

Deep South has disappeared all of a sudden.

Some series. That last Aussie innings is the first full on collapse by either side really.

Tremendous cricket from England, some utterly mind numbing stuff from the Aussies (8 men on the boundary for a new batsman at number 10, the slowest batting I’ve seen for an age, etc).

Got to like the way Stokes captains the team

Let’s see what happens when Bazball goes to India…

[C69]

And - I reckon England are going to win this test.

Collapse will happen with new ball due soonish.

Absolutely Nostradamused it.

Never at all on doubt ffs

[Slick]

What a series! Brilliant stuff and played in a great spirit by both teams.

[Gumboot]

Well done England, for dominating the last 2 tests, but congrats of course to Aus on the series win.

Really good Ashes.