OT - The Ashes

[AJ 1,224]

England, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory time after time!

[Capt. Pants 4,275]

Extremely poor. Aussies well in control. I was hoping we string this series more than 2 games.

We need the sessions of all sessions this afternoon.

[Indy 3,314]

Absolutely pathetic, reminds me of the old days of throwing wickets away! Play Positive cricket but play the pitch and conditions too, too many utterly **** poor shots, should have been up 90 runs not behind! Lose this and I can see a 5-0 thumping.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,852]

When England were six down, that win percentage calculator still had England at 52%. It just popped up again at the start of the Australian innings and had England at 35%.

What on earth is this calculator seeing in England that I'm not? 

[Indy 3,314]

4 minutes ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

When England were six down, that win percentage calculator still had England at 52%. It just popped up again at the start of the Australian innings and had England at 35%.

What on earth is this calculator seeing in England that I'm not? 

The England Factor! How to snatch defeat from victory…..or it could just be Australia can go up a gear to get that victory even when behind in the calculator!

[Branston Pickle 3,680]

4 minutes ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

When England were six down, that win percentage calculator still had England at 52%. It just popped up again at the start of the Australian innings and had England at 35%.

What on earth is this calculator seeing in England that I'm not? 

Crikey - 35% is extremely generous, I’d say our chances of winning this test are less than 20% right now. And that is probably on the generous side itself.

[Branston Pickle 3,680]

2 minutes ago, Indy said:

The England Factor! How to snatch defeat from victory…..or it could just be Australia can go up a gear to get that victory even when behind in the calculator!

I wish it were that - in this instance it is brain dead cricket at fault: every pundit and fan is saying precisely the same thing, they aren’t all wrong.  
Had Starc and Cummins charged in and blown us away you’d hold your hands up and say that it’s fair enough - they are two of the world’s best bowlers after all.  The sad fact is that they didn’t do that, we did it to ourselves

Edited June 30, 2023 by Branston Pickle

[Fuzzar 1,703]

Australia have more weapons than England - six of their starting line up would make a World XI, based on current ICC rankings.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,852]

3 minutes ago, Indy said:

The England Factor! How to snatch defeat from victory…..or it could just be Australia can go up a gear to get that victory even when behind in the calculator!

I don't think any side who are still 100 runs behind with four first innings wickets left on day three of a Test would have more than a 50% chance of winning, especially in England when there's always the threat of rain.

 

2 minutes ago, Branston Pickle said:

Crikey - 35% is extremely generous, I’d say our chances of winning this test are less than 20% right now. And that is probably on the generous side itself.

Agreed. Really need to restrict the Aussies to 200-250 to have a chance I feel.

[king canary 7,654]

Whats the weather forecast like? Rain to save us from ourselves might be needed.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,852]

8 minutes ago, king canary said:

Whats the weather forecast like? Rain to save us from ourselves might be needed.

Hopefully, but we'll probably need an entire day, or equivalent, washed out.

[Branston Pickle 3,680]

Forecast is for heavy ish cloud, 20ish% for rain.  Should be good bowling conditions.  Tomorrow and Sunday set pretty fair.  So doesn’t look like the weather will save us.

[Ken Hairy 3,779]

That seemed a throwaway review from the Aussies, pretty plumb LBW there.

[Fuzzar 1,703]

If we could just winkle out another 9 cheaply we might just get back into this...

[Dame to Blame 96]

3 hours ago, king canary said:

Whats the weather forecast like? Rain to save us from ourselves might be needed.

Or some more protesters coming on to the wicket with there powder and paint LOL .

 

[Indy 3,314]

They it’s going they’ll get to 450 tomorrow lunchtime and declare, then bowl us out for 215.

Unfortunately it’s time showing for our senior bowlers and those just behind are not good enough to trouble this Aussie team.

[Capt. Pants 4,275]

It's a rather toothless display from our bowlers so far in this series. We should have won at Edgbaston and this one we haven't really looked liked causing a batting collapse.

Looking like we're going to have to bat the best part of 2 whole days just to get a draw.

[Iwans Big Toe 312]

Baz ball is like watching a 1990's Atherton side in the ashes. You know we're going to get smashed because we're rubbish at pulling or hooking.

 

[Branston Pickle 3,680]

The conditions feel pretty good for bowling, the last two mornings have seen collapses so let’s hope for a third.  We have managed to chase down large totals in recent tests, and they are a bowler light, but the idea that they’ll give us the slightest sniff (as we would with them these days) is laughable: I reckon they’ll look for +250 today, to have c4 sessions to bowl us out.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

The Aussies have better bowlers. They have greater pace and can bowl bouncers better than us.

Anderson is one of the all time greats but they know how he swings it and have him sussed as his pace lessens. Robinson can barely reach 80mph. We need Wood back in pronto or the series is lost.

As an aside, Botham and Ian Chappell were given the chance to confront each other in Australia to see if their feud was still boiling. And it was. Hope to see the full interview. 

[Ken Hairy 3,779]

11 hours ago, Iwans Big Toe said:

Baz ball is like watching a 1990's Atherton side in the ashes. You know we're going to get smashed because we're rubbish at pulling or hooking.

 

It reminds me a bit of Farkeball, exciting to watch but try it against the best and you'll get battered in the main. (I say in the main before someone quotes Man City at me)

[How I Wrote Elastic Man 1,192]

Aussies lose 3 wickets to the short ball 🤔

Lead over 300, 5 wickets in hand, hard to see England making a successful chase, Bazball or not 

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,852]

32 minutes ago, How I Wrote Elastic Man said:

Aussies lose 3 wickets to the short ball 🤔

Lead over 300, 5 wickets in hand, hard to see England making a successful chase, Bazball or not 

The lead is 325 now, chances are they already have enough. 

[How I Wrote Elastic Man 1,192]

37 minutes ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

The lead is 325 now, chances are they already have enough. 

2 more gone to the short ball 

England like a chase, but I agree. I think Australia have enough 

[SwearyCanary 1,179]

31 minutes ago, How I Wrote Elastic Man said:

2 more gone to the short ball 

England like a chase, but I agree. I think Australia have enough 

Join a couple of individual performances together and it’s very possible. We do have to get them out soon though imo 

[Herman 9,820]

We've given ourselves a chance. Just need to cut out the stupid shot choices.

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

Nuts that they’ve sent Lyon out like this?

[How I Wrote Elastic Man 1,192]

15 minutes ago, SwearyCanary said:

Join a couple of individual performances together and it’s very possible. We do have to get them out soon though imo 

I know, but it seems that the pitch has a bit of variable bounce 

Nathan Lyon is out there batting!

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,852]

Despite what the commentators are saying, I'm finding it quite funny seeing Lyon out there hobbling about. 

I can understand peppering him with short stuff early in the over to make him uncomfortable, but surely for the final couple of balls it's worth bowling at the stumps? He's leaving them exposed and he's not exactly mobile. 

Edited July 1, 2023 by Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man

[Ken Hairy 3,779]

I'm no cricket expert, but why the hell are they not going for Lyons Stumps???