OT - The Ashes

[BroadstairsR 2,186]

 Headingley Pitch Report

"The wickets at the Headingley have always been competitive with good amount of bounce. Also, the glimpse of the surface for the match shows a green top, meaning a paradise for the quick bowlers. But the same was the case at Lord's before the grass was trimmed and hardly had much help for the bowlers. So, the wicket can be judged only on the morning of the match and the weather also could have a say on the captain's decision at the toss. At Headingley The pacers are expected to play a big part on the wicket. Looking at the pitch, the swing bowlers can cause a good amount of damage here. The short ball ploy will again be used just like the last game by both sides. However, the last Test played at this venue saw a spinner dominate. Jack Leach took 10 wickets in the last match at the venue when England hosted New Zealand in 2022. So, the slower bowlers may have a role to play on the final two days. The average first-innings and second innings scores here have been close to 300 runs, while the scoring decreases to 240 runs in the third and 165 runs in the fourth innings. So, batting first will be an ideal choice for the captain even if the start of play is in overcast conditions."

Rishikesh Sharma|

Edited July 5, 2023 by BroadstairsR

[BroadstairsR 2,186]

9 minutes ago, Aggy said:

The tail certainly looks a lot shorter - but we’ve effectively swapped a top order batsman for an all rounder in Ali. 
 

I'm a Woakes fan and with a test average of getting towards thirty would consider him an all-rounder as well. 

Also, Pope has only averaged 22 in his four innings. Probably due a score admittedly, but Ali and Woakes should do better than that between them.

[Midlands Yellow 4,018]

Warner out.

[king canary 7,643]

What a start. Lovely catch.

[hogesar 9,709]

Great bowling from Wood.

[Fuzzar 1,702]

A real snorter there - terrific pace from Wood. 

[Branston Pickle 3,669]

Boom, see what express pace can do!  Can be expensive at times but it is a great weapon. Have to say I used to love fielding close/in the slips, but would definitely not fancy being there with an edge flying at me at 100mph! 

[Branston Pickle 3,669]

Think you’d settle for 91-4 at lunch…is the score they should have been on at Lord’s.  Bairstow with another couple of misses, however hard you do wonder how we’d have gone with Foakes (a far better keeper and as good a batter).

[king canary 7,643]

We can whinge all we like about spirit but if you drop the sheer amount of sitters we have then you won't win anything.

I'm baffled as to why Foakes didn't even seem to be considered to replace Pope. Its like the selectors don't consider wicket keeping to be that important.

[king canary 7,643]

Just dreadful, dreadful stuff. Both batsmen gave us regulation chances with less than 15 each on the board. It should have been 100-6 with a couple of nervous newbies in, instead it's nearly 200-4 with two batsmen well bedded in.

[Dame to Blame 96]

53 minutes ago, king canary said:

We can whinge all we like about spirit but if you drop the sheer amount of sitters we have then you won't win anything.

I'm baffled as to why Foakes didn't even seem to be considered to replace Pope. Its like the selectors don't consider wicket keeping to be that important.

Said it from the start and it annoys the hell out  of me every time Bairstow makes a Rickett ,and that is often. Bad selections and even worse fielding has costs us this series , and all our own doing I'm afraid. 

[Aggy 758]

1 hour ago, king canary said:

I'm baffled as to why Foakes didn't even seem to be considered to replace Pope. It’s like the selectors don't consider wicket keeping to be that important.

Balance of the team I expect. I reckon if Stokes was fit enough / wanting to bowl more then Foakes gets a look in with Moeen as the spin option. With Stokes not bowling too much, they clearly wanted the extra pace bowling option as well. 

Edited July 6, 2023 by Aggy

[Branston Pickle 3,669]

It does look like the Yorkies are dropping the Ashes for us!

[Dame to Blame 96]

8 minutes ago, Branston Pickle said:

It does look like the Yorkies are dropping the Ashes for us!

Yep dropped Marsh on 12 now closing in on a 100 and smashing us to all parts. 

[Branston Pickle 3,669]

He’s well over 100 now, and good luck to him, a lesson in taking advantage of being dropped. It could already be the Ashes gone, and we only have ourselves to blame. 

[Fuzzar 1,702]

Jonny's having a terrible summer so far. Irrespective of whether he should have the gloves, was he rushed back too soon? 

He's looked under-cooked and over weight. 

[Top corner 228]

Penny for the thoughts of Ben Foakes. 

[king canary 7,643]

Honestly England should be embarrassed by this.

[hogesar 9,709]

Well, that was an important wicket. 3-9 is a big fightback from a disastrous session

[hogesar 9,709]

Ok 4-9 is even better 🙂

[Branston Pickle 3,669]

Well, 240-4 on the cusp of tea, 254-9 half an hour after it - who’d have thought.  Shows what pace can do.  That and taking your catches!!

[king canary 7,643]

Mark Wood saves the day!

Honestly, better catching and we'd be in total command, instead the Aussies have set an ok total. 

[canarydan23 4,060]

Genuinely think I'd have held onto the Root one, and probably the Bairstow dive as well, shocking technique from an international wicket-keeper. 

[king canary 7,643]

17 minutes ago, canarydan23 said:

Genuinely think I'd have held onto the Root one, and probably the Bairstow dive as well, shocking technique from an international wicket-keeper. 

Love Jonny B but he just isn't an international keeper. No way on earth he'd have taken the one Carey just snaffled. He's a batsman who can keep in an emergency, not a full time keeper.

[king canary 7,643]

Ball hooping around all over the place and the Aussies, the actual professionals, take advantage.

I was so hopeful going into this series but at the current rate we'll lose 5-0 because we're sloppy and can't do the basics but yay! Bazball! Big shots!

[Herman 9,802]

This team is officially getting on my ****.

[Branston Pickle 3,669]

Annoying - I wish Crawley could kick-on, seems to often do a chunk of the hard part and then just do a nothing shot. Particularly annoying to me as a Kent fan!

Edit: Root and Bairstow do owe us a few, definitely need to be in at close of play.

Edited July 6, 2023 by Branston Pickle

[king canary 7,643]

10 minutes ago, Branston Pickle said:

Annoying - I wish Crawley could kick-on, seems to often do a chunk of the hard part and then just do a nothing shot. Particularly annoying to me as a Kent fan!

Edit: Root and Bairstow do owe us a few, definitely need to be in at close of play.

Bairstow with a bit of sensible batting, nice to see.

[Branston Pickle 3,669]

6 minutes ago, king canary said:

Bairstow with a bit of sensible batting, nice to see.

Indeed - good to see him making a big point of staying in his crease too!! 

[BroadstairsR 2,186]

Brook is no number three. My immediate thoughts.

Nasman said as much too. Nasser Hussein, one of the best, if not the best cricket pundits ever who is almost psychic at times made the point that Root should have had that spot, "in before the disaster not after it." 

"It is a totally different game when you lose an early wicket," 5Live.

"His mindset is to bat in the middle and bash the ball around." M. Vaughan (?)

Edited July 6, 2023 by BroadstairsR