Agreed. Just playing devils advocate, you can see the logic behind it. They’re playing to 7 too, so not making up extra time. 11 overs short today. It was indeed s terrible decision to not send a night watchman.
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[Cricket] England vs Australia, Ashes 4th test - Old Trafford
- Thread starter The Wizard
- Start date
Agreed. Just playing devils advocate, you can see the logic behind it. They’re playing to 7 too, so not making up extra time. 11 overs short today. It was indeed s terrible decision to not send a night watchman.
Virtually unplayable delivery, would have got anyone out (except Smith, obviously)
keaton
Big heart, hot blood and balls. Big balls
- Nov 18, 2004
- 9,969
Until this morning Burns had scored a100 more runs than the rest of the openers combined apparently. And that with having non entity opening with him
The Wizard
Well-known member
- Jul 2, 2009
- 18,399
- Thread starter
- #365
I mean even if the openers didn’t want a night watchman I’m astonished Root came out, I just can’t imagine what went through his head, Overton was pictured padded up but wasn’t sent in. Horrendous, it also annoyed me how we took 4 wickets for 4 before tea then came out in all out defensive mode with Overton and Leach bowling to defensive fields. Poor all round.
Did the morning situation of Buttler having to play with the tail influence the decision, as he ended up coming in at eight? It was the wrong call for me, you're trying to save a test not win one and therefore a night watchman would have been a more sensible option. Every chance though that ball would have cleaned up Overton, then what do you do?
Arkwright
Arkwright
We seem to be obsessed with giving the best players the captaincy. The roll has clearly had an effect on his game and thinking.
It reminds me of Botham's ashes in 1981. He was sacked from the captaincy half way through the series, and suddenly the shackles came off and the rest is history.
Cheshire Cat
The most curious thing..
Were definitely loose this one.
You make some valid points but it doesn’t make a lot of difference what order our batters go out. The Aussies are simply way better than us.
The Wizard
Well-known member
- Jul 2, 2009
- 18,399
- Thread starter
- #371
Bowling wise I think the teams are around even, the difference is the Aussies have the depth in their pace bowling and we don’t so they’ve been able to freshen throughout the series, if Broad got injured we’d be absolutely lost. Smith is the difference between the two teams, he’s scores 600 runs in like 5 innings, it’s simply astonishing what he’s done and he is the difference between the two sides IMO.
It’s easy to forget how badly the majority of the Australian top order have played throughout, they’ve been just as bad as us but they’ve had a glue to hold together their innings, Smith performances in the ashes are truly remarkable.
BensGrandad
New member
The crunch time is up to lunch tomorrow. If we can survive that without losing a wicket we could save the game but the chance of winning is very remote and virtually impossible.
In this test , our third seamer has been Overton. I’d sooner play Ollie Robinson than him. We have also made the mistake of putting too much pressure on archer, a talented but inexperienced bowler. It hasn’t helped that Anderson has been injured but he would probably have hit the brick wall that is smith, anyway.
Certainly In this test, their attack is streets ahead.
As for batting - yes, not much to them apart from smith. But smith - And the odd contribution here and there - is all they’ve needed. Amazing to think smith and root were sort of on a par not very long ago....I wonder if not being captain has helped smith and the burden of it has hindered root. We Definitely need a new captain.
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I am only interested in long form of game but below test level has become a farce. Unable to bring in another opener as County Championship players, because of 20/20 have hardly played any cricket for 4/5 weeks. Have to resort to swapping order about and now have an opener who in his career has very rarely got runs as an opener. Hope I am wrong but so much 20/20 will in the future kill County cricket. Cricket now full of mercenaries popping over to play a few games.
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 31,258
The domestic 4 day competition this summer has been marginalised massively, it just doesn't feel as though it ever got going and we're now in September.
That's a real shame. Given the importance of test cricket still has the counties have to do better than this because there's no chance of producing quality tests players with the half-arsed competition we have.
That's a real shame. Given the importance of test cricket still has the counties have to do better than this because there's no chance of producing quality tests players with the half-arsed competition we have.
Incredibly harsh on Broad, who has taken 19 wickets at **** all, and has absolutely owned the Australian openers.
The Wizard
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- Jul 2, 2009
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- #377
Agreed, Broad has been superb even by his high standards. I think the problem throughout the series as well is after the initial burst from our opening bowlers we haven’t really had a consistent enough third pace bowler, Stokes has bowled well at times but his batting has taken a lot out of him and Woakes again, bowled decent at times but also expensive, burnt out from too much cricket IMO. The Aussies have rotated 3 from Cummins, Hazlewood, Pattinson, Siddle and Starc.
Overton would have been a good choice on a normal OT pitch but this pitch is totally unlike OT
Normal OT wicket has covers on it, there’s the problem this time
Smith has basically been the difference been the two teams. Despite the Stokes heroics in the last test, the man was not playing due to injury. 1/4 for the Aussies to wrap it up tomorrow, and if I was not English that's an easy 10er or so to win without risk.