The Ashes Winter 2017/18 Thread

RandallFlagg

I don't really follow county cricket, do we have any fast pace bowlers? or is it not the done thing these days, at home.

Gassage

Well batted Teddington.

crunchman

RandallFlagg said:

I don't really follow county cricket, do we have any fast pace bowlers? or is it not the done thing these days, at home.

I don't think there is anyone consistently bowling at the kind of pace that Starc achieves.

Mark Wood is faster than anyone in the team, and is currently with the squad now he's getting near to full fitness.  He hasn't been very durable though.  It just seems to be one injury after another and I'm not sure that he will ever be able to cope with regular test cricket.

When he gets it right Steve Finn can bowl reasonably quickly as well, and at his height he is a real handful, but he never seems to have recovered from having to modify his run up after the stump clipping thing a few years back.

There are a few younger bowlers to keep an eye on:

Olly Stone was clocked at 92mph on T20 finals day, but it's very different doing it for 4 overs in a T20 match than doing it for 40 in a test match.

George Garton is meant to be reasonably quick, and at 20 probably hasn't peaked yet.  He's with the England Lions squad in Australia at the moment.  He's a bit raw though.  I think he has only played around 9 first class matches.

Jamie Overton (Craig's twin brother) has been talked about for a while now.  He's meant to be pretty sharp, and tall with it so he gets good bounce.  He's another who has had a lot of injury problems.  He's quite a fun lower order batsman as well.  Not very consistent but if he connects the ball goes a very long way.


It would probably help if we could improve the spin bowling.  Graeme Swann was a huge part of the win in 2010/11.  If we had the current fast bowling attack with someone like Swann there, it would probably be good enough.

scrumhalf

Considering the number of professionals we have we haven't produced anything like a decent number of pacemen or spinners for years.

T20 and one day cricket seems to be the meat in the sandwich with the county game as the bread, being played in the months when the conditions are less conducive to something aproaching rapid bowling. Given how little county cricket is played by our test players, and how tours now seem to be composed of maybe a couple of warm-up games players are being picked on hope rather than performance and have to learn a great deal whiclst actually playing test cricket.

But hey, who cares as long as there's another 7-match ODI series which nobody will remember in a couple of months.

iseverynamegone

Well done Jonny, should have been up the order earlier. I think failing to get past 450 will come back to haunt us but hope not!

Dopesick

Well I'll be damned...another England collapse as they manage to just barely crawl past 400. Not good enough. Well done to Malan and Bairstow though for saving our bacon.

Now Aussies well on there way to surpassing it if this current partnership is anything to go by.

Legionreturns

30 something for the last 6 wickets? That's school cricket. Absolutely disgraceful. Should have put this match into a position where we couldn't lose. 

Legionreturns

...and now we're buffet bowling. Help yourself Smith! 

scrumhalf

BAck again to five-out all-out. Oh dear.

RandallFlagg

Let's hope a new day brings early wickets, the game hangs in the balance when it should have been tucked away

cj73

I'm beginning to think Moeen is the new Collingwood.  Plays really poorly for a good few matches, position in doubt, gets one big score/haul of wickets....rinse and repeat

guitars4you

Legionreturns said:

30 something for the last 6 wickets? That's school cricket. Absolutely disgraceful. Should have put this match into a position where we couldn't lose. 

makes a big difference a tail that can bat - #7 to 11 batting with a good #5/6 or 7 should easily get 100 plus and on a good day 200 - Broad has never really achieved anything with the bat since he got hit a couple of years ago - don't expect anything from James - but last few wickets for nothing could be a big difference in this match

Bit of a worry about an injury to Overton as well - Anderson had his moment in the last match, 2nd innings, but Broad not achieved much at all on this tour

crunchman

Broad has always blown hot and cold.  I'm not sure how good he is on unhelpful pitches.

Against bowlers who have been out there for 100 overs, with an older ball, I'd expect more Moeen and Woakes with the bat.

If they can get an early breakthrough tomorrow than they could still get a first innings lead.  Once you split this partnership, the rest of the Australian batting line up isn't great.  Now I've said that they will probably put on 200 for the last 4 wickets!

guitars4you

crunchman said:

If they can get an early breakthrough tomorrow than they could still get a first innings lead.  Once you split this partnership, the rest of the Australian batting line up isn't great.  Now I've said that they will probably put on 200 for the last 4 wickets!

Yes Cummins, with someone at the other end, has always been a pain' as far as we are concerned on this tour

RandallFlagg

Perth day 3: Aus 368-4 Steve Smith looks unshakeable on 173. England's bowling isn't troubling him but he will fall eventually. I guess it's now a case of how much of a lead will Aus get and will they have the luxury of calling a declaration. With rain being mooted for the final day it may be tricky for Steve Smith to decide when to call.

England have bowled just 1 maiden over all day. No pressure on the batsmen at all. We need a plan for these conditions and this ball for the next series in Australia or might as well not bother turning up and just post the urn to them. 

Also, It's a shame Cook didn't make it out of the airport, he would have been handy at the top of the order

guitars4you

as I type - over 200 runs scored today - 1 wicket - 421-4 - looking very very good - for the Aussies - Only the signs of bad weather coming in MIGHT save us - somehow I bet that will go against us as well - woeful

iseverynamegone

Wheels have come off. Shame. 

VimFuego

ok, we'll concede today to the aussies. If this was boxing they'd have stopped the bout by now

crunchman

Broad only 5 wickets in the series at an average over 50.  The ball he just bowled clocked at 78mph.  Not a great fielder, and a liability with the bat these days.  Think he needs to go.

guitars4you

crunchman said:

Broad only 5 wickets in the series at an average over 50.  The ball he just bowled clocked at 78mph.  Not a great fielder, and a liability with the bat these days.  Think he needs to go.

I've thought this many times - Then he comes up with a  5 or 6 wicket haul and we think world class - As though 1 great game every 10 games keeps him in the squad

Cook, Anderson and Broad won' be touring again after this I bet anyway

346 for 1 - what a day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!