Perhaps this already obvious to some of you, but it seems to me that a negative aspect of Bazball is that it gives the opposing batting the flexibility to go at any pace they desire. There is no time pressure at all. If they can defend adequately, they can just be patient until the bowlers are tired and batting conditions improve.
The announcers just said this, about 15 minutes after I typed it. Today is the first time I’m watching this test closely, so perhaps it’s already been a point of discussion.
You mean just play cricket like it has been for the past 200 years?
Kind of. If both teams play the “old school” way, then there is at least some threat of running out of time to win in a 5-day test, correct?
Cricket tests used to be (long time hence) timeless … you played until both teams had batted twice. Almost all the timeless Tests finished well inside 5 days so for scheduling purposes 5days max (inc a rest day) became the standarad; sometimes with the allowance for a 6th if a full days play was washed out. Prepared well a Test pitch starts to break-up badly after 5 sunny days without water and becomes almost infeasible to bat on. But you can prepare lifeless concrete roads which anybody with a sound defensive technique could bat for weeks.
Ideally there should be no effective time constraints on a Test (unless significant blocks of time are lost) It’s not practical for two teams to bat overs 400 overs on a pitch which progressively deteriorates.
Stuart Broad has announced his retirement, finishing with this game.
What an absolute England legend, when he was on song he was unplayable. But more than that, he was a great character, playing up the role of pantomime villain in more than one Ashes series. His 8/15 was iconic.
Also, he’s announced this as he’s not out overnight, therefore requiring the Aussies to give him an honour guard tomorrow morning. Maybe he can get Warner out one last time.
AUS need 146 with 7 wickets.
Odds still with ENG. Might get tight.
The weather still has a few cards to play.
But watch that flog Morgan do a rain dance.
And now Australia need 100 with 3 wickets left.
Ali and Woakes (who have both been slightly overshadowed this series) combining for 11 from 4. Big advantage England but still time for Cummins and Carey to add one more twist.
Fairytale ending for Broad, who picks up the last two wickets for the win. His last ball faced he got for 6, and he’s got a wicket with his last ball.
“Who writes your scripts?”
One of the best Ashes series we’ve had in a long time - every result was close, some great performances, some almost too on-the-nose narrative and just enough controversy to keep us talking in the pub.
2-2 feels pretty fair, Australia probably just a bit too conservative, and England a bit too reckless, to come away with the win.
Agreed, but it has to be said that but for the rain in the fourth, England would have deservedly taken the series.
Australian complaints about the ball change seem to have more legitimacy than ours about the Bairstow stumping.
Excellent BBC article on some of the extraordinary stats from the series: The Ashes 2023: The unexpected and quirky stats from a brilliant series - BBC Sport
Not sure it was sustained but I believe after the fourth Test AUS had taken more wickets than they had bowled maiden overs.
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Andy Zaltzman confirms … only 34 maidens for the series.
Cricket world cup starts today. Disappointing to see so many empty seats in an opening game which is a rerun of the last WC final. Although I suppose it’s tough to make a 130,000 seat stadium feel full.
Decent enough start by England but need to be careful with the wickets now having lost both openers.
I’m on a business trip so currently in the North-east of the USA. Waking up at 4 in the morning local time (of course) so great to have some cricket to ease me into the day.
Go England, but I demand a higher scoring rate. I’ve become used to more than this!
I have a talk to do later today so might see if I can weave some cricket terms and analogies in there and keep the ex-pats happy.
125-4, with Bairstow, Malan, Brook and Ali all back inside.
Root and Buttler are in so lots of potential runs still available, but feels like New Zealand are just on top at the moment.
Now 229-6 after 41 overs - England have lost wickets too frequently to post a really challenging total here I feel. Don’t fancy our chances of defending 300 or less, I feel our batting line up is better than our bowling attack.
Still, it’s a group stage of 9 games, losing to one of the other contenders wouldn’t be a disaster, though it does put more pressure on later games. To make the KO comfortably you’re aiming for 6 wins out of 9. Losing to NZ would mean avoiding a loss to one of Australia, India, and South Africa, as well as beating everyone else. Other teams will be thinking exactly the same of course.
This is brutal batting by New Zealand and Ravindra in particular.
Knocked off the total with nearly 15 overs to spare, for the loss of 1 wicket, despite missing a few senior players - that’s one impressive performance by NZ. Good thing they didn’t bat first or it could have been even more embarrassing! Only way is up for England from here - I hope.
Pretty bad when after 25 overs the only number you’re watching is how big you’re NRR is going to be. And you’re playing the defending champion, without arguably four of your top players.
It might have been closer because the conditions definitely favoured batting second. That’s not an excuse for England though, New Zealand out performed them in every department and played much smarter cricket.