[Cricket] Ashes 3rd Test: farewell to the WACA?

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Older posters will have some very bad memories of the WACA as Lillee and Thomo almost literally dismembered our boys in the early 70s - and this in the days of primitive protective (or no) equipment.

This should be a career defining match for the current mob. If we lose some should be playing their last test. My rather pessimistic prediction is that we will get hammered but that no-one will be dropped:

Broad, Jimmy, Cook, Root - all considered to be automatic selections in any circumstances

Moeen, Bairstow, Woakes - probably have enough credit in the bank to be almost certainties, regardless of form; and are seen as all-rounders.

As for the rest - one of the batsmen will fail in one innings but score a streaky 40 in the other; another will be considered 'unlucky' with his two dismissals; another will score 2 scores of 20-30 and be thought to have shown promise. One of the bowlers will slog a quick 50 and be thought of as the new Botham.

And of course the cupboard of replacements looks pretty bare anyway -so how badly do you have to play to be dropped from this side?

Sorry to sound so negative but I'm sure we are all in the market for some good news. Can anyone provide a convincing counter-balance of optimism please?

 

[Guinness Boy]

Sorry to sound so negative but I'm sure we are all in the market for some good news. Can anyone provide a convincing counter-balance of optimism please?

No. This series has 5-0 all over it.

 

[Sussexscots]

Older posters will have some very bad memories of the WACA as Lillee and Thomo almost literally dismembered our boys in the early 70s - and this in the days of primitive protective (or no) equipment.

This should be a career defining match for the current mob. If we lose some should be playing their last test. My rather pessimistic prediction is that we will get hammered but that no-one will be dropped:

Broad, Jimmy, Cook, Root - all considered to be automatic selections in any circumstances

Moeen, Bairstow, Woakes - probably have enough credit in the bank to be almost certainties, regardless of form; and are seen as all-rounders.

As for the rest - one of the batsmen will fail in one innings but score a streaky 40 in the other; another will be considered 'unlucky' with his two dismissals; another will score 2 scores of 20-30 and be thought to have shown promise. One of the bowlers will slog a quick 50 and be thought of as the new Botham.

And of course the cupboard of replacements looks pretty bare anyway -so how badly do you have to play to be dropped from this side?

Sorry to sound so negative but I'm sure we are all in the market for some good news. Can anyone provide a convincing counter-balance of optimism please?

Sadly, I fear your analysis is entirely accurate.

 

[n1 gull]

Sadly, I fear your analysis is entirely accurate.

Same, but as always I will think we have hope until all hope has gone

 

[withdeanwombat]

Any chance of 5 days of rain in Perth, W.A.?

 

[Simster]

The only thing you've missed is that this defeat will feature at least six examples of English batsmen throwing their wickets away. Let me complete the picture:

Moeen Ali will sky a sweep to Nathan Lyon just as he looks set, Stoneman will waft at a wide one and nick it, Cook will play cagily for an hour worth six runs before being pinned on his back leg and Root will sky one to mid off for about 63 (any plaudits will ignore the fact that England needed a gettable daddy hundred from him to be competitive). Oh yes, and Broad will come in at number 10 and cower in the face of fast bowling and make a combined score of 10. He's a useless batsman these days, I'd put Anderson in front of him.

 

[Eeyore]

Any chance of 5 days of rain in Perth, W.A.?

About the same as England winning more than one session.

Apart from 1982 I can't remember us putting up any sort of fight there.

 

[Eeyore]

The only thing you've missed is that this defeat will feature at least six examples of English batsmen throwing their wickets away. Let me complete the picture:

Moeen Ali will sky a sweep to Nathan Lyon just as he looks set, Stoneman will waft at a wide one and nick it, Cook will play cagily for an hour worth six runs before being pinned on his back leg and Root will sky one to mid off for about 63 (any plaudits will ignore the fact that England needed a gettable daddy hundred from him to be competitive). Oh yes, and Broad will come in at number 10 and cower in the face of fast bowling and make a combined score of 10. He's a useless batsman these days, I'd put Anderson in front of him.

Broad hasn't been the same since he got his face re-arranged by Arun during the India series.

 

[Brovion]

The only thing you've missed is that this defeat will feature at least six examples of English batsmen throwing their wickets away. Let me complete the picture:

Moeen Ali will sky a sweep to Nathan Lyon just as he looks set, Stoneman will waft at a wide one and nick it, Cook will play cagily for an hour worth six runs before being pinned on his back leg and Root will sky one to mid off for about 63 (any plaudits will ignore the fact that England needed a gettable daddy hundred from him to be competitive). Oh yes, and Broad will come in at number 10 and cower in the face of fast bowling and make a combined score of 10. He's a useless batsman these days, I'd put Anderson in front of him.

And if Vince is playing he'll look classy for a few overs and then nick off. He could be the one that scores the streaky 40 though that GNT mentioned originally.

 

[A1X]

TBH given how this England team seem to be capable of surprising everyone when they least expect it, it'd be typical for them to lose the series 4-1 with the 1 being in Perth. Just for shits and giggles.

 

[OzMike]

It will be a damp squib and over in 4 days, one Englishman might show a little resistance for a short while and I will have to give Mr Hansen $100 in the pub with all the Aussie supporters gloating..............

 

[sydney]

Any chance of 5 days of rain in Perth, W.A.?

very unlikely and the pitch will be like concrete so Starc can get our lads wetting themselves again.

 

[Simster]

It's almost as if nobody has listened to Joe Root when he said "we are still massively in this series".

He's going to look a right tw4t after this test.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Any chance of 5 days of rain in Perth, W.A.?

I think it's possible, over the next 12 months.

 

[silverwizard]

Does any team win a series away from home these days?

 

[maltaseagull]

The only thing you've missed is that this defeat will feature at least six examples of English batsmen throwing their wickets away. Let me complete the picture:

Moeen Ali will sky a sweep to Nathan Lyon just as he looks set, Stoneman will waft at a wide one and nick it, Cook will play cagily for an hour worth six runs before being pinned on his back leg and Root will sky one to mid off for about 63 (any plaudits will ignore the fact that England needed a gettable daddy hundred from him to be competitive). Oh yes, and Broad will come in at number 10 and cower in the face of fast bowling and make a combined score of 10. He's a useless batsman these days, I'd put Anderson in front of him.

Never been the same since he got one in the face.. Can't say I would be any different though.

 

[Eeyore]

And if Vince is playing he'll look classy for a few overs and then nick off. He could be the one that scores the streaky 40 though that GNT mentioned originally.

Vince is possibly the most technically correct batsman we have. The problem is he never looks when he crosses the road. Very frustrating. As solid as he looks you know he will always do something fatal.

 

[brakespear]

Don't seem to have many (maybe 2?) batsmen who know how to play a Test innings rather than one day/20-20 stuff imo.

 

[BensGrandad]

Don't seem to have many (maybe 2?) batsmen who know how to play a Test innings rather than one day/20-20 stuff imo.

I have been saying that for a long time batsmen do not build an innings a la Geoff Boycott. It is hit or miss and get a score as quick as possible even if they manage 100 it usually takes no time at all thus leaving plenty of time for the opponents to do the same.

 

[Gwylan]

Does any team win a series away from home these days?

South Africa won in Australia just last winter

EDIT: I should add that they were missing De Villiers, their best batsman, and their opening bowler, Steyn, went off injured in the 1st test.

Australia are nothing special at home these days