International cricket rolling thread

The Game Room
3563

Happily yes. Would have been gutted to have stayed up much longer just for that.

As @penultima_thule says, narrowly in our favour. It does seem that we were given wickets rather than taking them: in particular, our struggles to bowl out the tail end continue.

Jacks went for 100 off 20 overs which honestly, he wasn’t picked for his bowling so… that’s what you get when you make that decision I suppose. I don’t know if Bashir would have done better, but they spent three years hot-housing him just to not play him.

3564

When on 72 and facing Josh Tongue, Carey flashed at a delivery which was taken cleanly by keeper Smith.

He was given not out, not withstanding a couple of commentary crews saying there was a clear noise (presumably bat on ball) on the stump mic.

ENG called for a review which showed a significant spike before the ball had got in-line with the body and then nothing as the ball passed the bat.

Based on that and saying “there appears a clear gap between bat & ball” the 3rd umpire turned down the review. Quite quickly.

Since then the operators of “Snicko” have admitted to a technical error in the synchronisation of audio and vision.

Now when there is a pronounced spike on the audio either the bat has hit something; the ball, the pad, the ground, or the ball has hit bat, pad/body or stump. There are other possibilities but I don’t put much store in the “clicking handle” argument.

I think it is likely an umpiring error. It would IMHO have been far worse if Carey had been given out, then reviewed and the decision overturned.

Umpire Raza heard nothing, or at minimum not bat/ball contact and he saw no deviation. Hence his call of “Not Out”.
It is usually the way when a batter plays and misses they continue to look where they were trying to play the ball. If they get a nick, almost involuntarily they look back to see where the ball has gone. Carey did not look back.
Usually when the ball contacts the bat, the ball deflects and/or it’s rotation is affected, but not always. To my view of the replays there was no deviation.

I suspect that Carey got lucky.

3565

Not looking like a 500 pitch right now…

3566

Not looking like a Bazball team either.

AUS v ENG 3rd Ashes Test Adelaide Day2

AUS all out 371 Carey 106, Khawaja 82, Starc 54
ENG 8-213 Stokes 45no, Brook 45, Archer 30no

Bazball is a batting philosophy. Doesn’t play much heed to bowling or fielding.
Today ENG allowed the AUS 9/10/11 to put on 50 runs and swing the balance of the game.

Then the AUS bowling methodically worked their way through the ENG batting. There was little that you could describe as impulsive batting. Bowling changes brought about wickets. Batters fell to characteristic flaws. AUS bowling was of a better length and more attacking of the stumps and that drew it’s rewards.

AUS were fine in the field, only a few chances were on offer.

Carey’s keeping was again superb. His ability to keep up to the stumps and restrict ENG batters from advancing and hitting the medium pacers forward of the wicket and off their length, and taking catches, will likely be the tactical edge that sways the series.

ENG are still trailling by 158 with two wickets. AUS won’t enforce the follow-on and in most likelihood ENG will be chasing 300 plus (probably a very big plus) in their 4th innings to keep the series alive.

Stokes looks like he needs to open the bowling and bat #3. He’s phenomenal but jeez that’s a bit ask for somebody looking like the current load is wearing him down.

3567

Speaking of the importance of bowling, this appeared in my feed this morning and may be of interest to the more science-minded cricket fans.

Or to 'Murricans like me desperately needing a primer in the terminology and the significance of all of it. :grin:

3568

AUS v ENG 3rd Ashes Test Adelaide Day3

AUS all out 371 Carey 106, Khawaja 82, Starc 54
ENG all out 286 Stokes 83no, Archer 51 Brook 45
AUS 4-271 Head 142no, Carey 52no, Khawaja 40

ENG nearly batted out the first session with a century partnership 'tween Stokes & Archer (first Test 50) and cut the deficit to an almost manageable 85. Good effort.

Then AUS steadily batted (@4.1/over) themselves into a commanding position leading by 356 with two full days to play.

ENG bowling had it’s moments but lacked consistency of strategy, were generally too short with insufficient deliveries threatening the stumps. And resorted to their near leg theory (pitching short, pitching outside leg, angling in at the body, legside field) which wasn’t particularly effective and drained their bowlers. AUS waited out Archer, attacked Jacks and picked off the rest. Stokes did not bowl and left the field at one stage late. The man must be getting sore and tired.

While the weather outlook tomorrow is to be much milder, if ENG don’t run through the rest of the batting order it will be a long day. AUS will have no consideration to make a declaration. They might have enough now but what happened in Headingley in 2019 is still seared into the collective memory of this squad. If they can bat for two more sessions and set 500+, that’d be optimal. If they could bat all the day, that’s be good too.

The concept of Bazball would allow for the possibility, on a good batting deck as this one still is, to score @ 6/over for 120 overs. The reality for this team is they struggle to bat 50 overs.

3569

That’s not a bad primer.

Unsure about their distinction between conventional and contrast swing because if you don’t hold the ball in the correct manner for conventional swing (ie seam upright but angled) then contrast swing doesn’t happen (as stated “Any sideways movement of the seam “scrambles” it and kills the swing”)

What I find interesting is the comparisons and similarities to baseball. Now a fair baseball pitch can’t seam or spin … as the pitch doesn’t bounce. A baseball doesn’t swing in the manner of a cricket ball from a pace bowler because it’s asymmetric and is changed frequently so it doesn’t have a rough side.

But it does swing (curve) due to the spin on the ball imposed in the pitching action in much the same manner as an finger spinner/off spinner. A ball thrown hard by a RH pitcher with an off spinning action will swing/curve in towards a RH batter. For a spinner in cricket this movement in the air is termed drift because the speed of the delivery is about half the speed a baseball is thrown.

Also a ball bowled/thrown with a topspinning action will drop faster than a conventional delivery. (same effect as seen with a tennis topspin return) These will bounce more, which doesn’t help with baseball, but will “sink” with much the same effect on the batter in cricket as in baseball.

This over the top spin with a high arm action is the key to Nathan Lyon’s success as an offspinner on Australian (or South African/Pakistani) pitches which are characteristically harder and usually offer much less assistance for lateral spin than say England, New Zealand or India where bowling more round arm action is typically the more effective.

3570

AUS v ENG 3rd Ashes Test Adelaide Day4

AUS all out 371 Carey 106, Khawaja 82, Starc 54
ENG all out 286 Stokes 83no, Archer 51 Brook 45
AUS all out 349 Head 170, Carey 72, Khawaja 40
ENG 6-207 Crawley 85, Root 39, Brook 30
ENG need 228 more with 4 wickets in hand to keep the series alive.

After Head and Carey pushed the inning along a bit the AUS lower order crumbled in short order; though we want them bowling not batting so no harm. The final target of 435 is rather imposing.

Then with good Test standard bowling AUS work their way through the ENG batting order. Some good deliveries. Some good catches. In particular Lyon getting Crawley, Brook and Stokes with deliveries beating the bat. And Root showing why he struggled to score big runs consistent with his ranking on local decks. The instinctive shot with a slightly angled bat running the ball down to third man off the face, the shot which brings him thousands of Test and First Class runs, simply feed the keeper/slips cordon here.

There was a bit of stout resistance. If the ask had been say “only” 300 then they’d be well placed. Batting 4th is hard yakka. You are tired. You’ve spent hours in the days past in sapping heat. The pitch is increasingly offering sufficient assistance to the bowlers. You are working against the momentum.

Expect the game will be done in the morning session. Then they saddle up in a short turnaround for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne on a pitch that will favour the locals and, with the probable return of Smith (hopefully at the expense of Green) and inclusion of Webster (for Inglis) the AUS team gets stronger.

3571

Seems to me that England have shown a bit more humility in this game and played some sensible test cricket for many sessions.

When they are wrong, they are wrong within normal parameters. Not in the “you could see that coming a mile away” sort of way.

Australia may just be a little better in all three departments and are playing at home. But at least England seem to be trying to maximize their potential rather than dominate from a position of weakness, to use some management consulting jargon.

3572

Well it was asking a bit too much for the last four wickets to get 239, but they got close enough that Harry Brook’s stroke of madness should be even more infuriating in retrospect than it was in the moment.

I’m interested to see how England approach the dead rubber matches. Are they going to make changes in the team? The approach? Australia will be thinking 5-0.

3573

AUS v ENG 3rd Ashes Test Adelaide Day5

AUS all out 371 Carey 106, Khawaja 82, Starc 54
ENG all out 286 Stokes 83no, Archer 51 Brook 45
AUS all out 349 Head 170, Carey 72, Khawaja 40
ENG all out 352 Crawley 85, Smith 60, Jacks 47

AUS win by 82 runs and secure the Ashes 3-0.
Mission accomplished.

With 700 runs contributed in the 3/4 innings, you’d have to give some credit to the Adelaide grounds men.

If Brooks been a bit less rash. If Smith had thought maybe 2 boundaries in an over were sufficient. If Root hadn’t gone fishing again. Maybe it wasn’t a bridge too far. Good Test.

Worst AUS team this century. Vulnerable batting. Disrupted bowling.
Still profoundly good enough.

Will be a stack of changes for Boxing Day Test in Melbourne with Smith returning and Cummins & Lyon out.

My selection would be Smith in for Inglis but batting at 4. Khawaja retains 5. Carey 6. Webster in at 7 for Green. Neser in for Cummins. Murphy in for Lyon.

I noted that in an innings of 103 overs, where Lyon/Head bowled 40 that the anointed progeny Cam Green bowled only 10 overs the 5 sessions. Seems like we have another golden haired fast bowling all-rounder from WA who doesn’t bowl and is indolent when batting. And I was so happy when Mitch Marsh ended his facade.

3574

It irks me Australia not playing a spinner. Lyons won’t last forever - he seems to get injured more frequently these days anyway and the selectors need to look beyond a whitewash.

3575

AUS v ENG 3rd Test @ MCG Day1

ENG win toss, send AUS in to bat on a, well furry pitch in front of a record 94k crowd.

AUS 1st all out 152 Neser 35, Khawaja 29
ENG 1st all out 110 Brook 41, Atkinson 28
AUS 2nd 0-4

Well whatever that was it was magnificent entertainment.
Just unsure that it was Test cricket.

Every dodgy junior cricket team in the country will feel empowered. Every junior cricket coach will lose more hair.

This was poor batting against good bowling on a helpful pitch.
Only one LBW in 20 dismissals. Most nicking off into the cordon.
The decision by AUS to go without a spin option was vindicated.

If ever the match situation would have suggested “what the hell, let’s have a crack” today Bazball might have paid dividends. Instead what we learned was that against persistent, line & length “hit top of off” bowling this ENG team can’t play conventional or Bazball.

Not sure any “in depth” analysis will explain what happened. Or what will happen from here. Today a wicket fell every 4 overs. Would like to think AUS can bat out Day2. The match might be decided by a single batter either setting or chasing.

Am rather befuddled.

3576

I was busy with the Christmas dinner and didn’t get to watch until just before Khawaja and Carey got out to leave Australia at 91-6. Then I fell asleep after Green’s silly run out.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at what I woke up to see, but it is still ridiculous.

3577

AUS v ENG 3rd Test @ MCG Day2

AUS 1st all out 152 Neser 35, Khawaja 29
ENG 1st all out 110 Brook 41, Atkinson 28
AUS 2nd all out 132 Head 46, Smith 24no
ENG 2nd 6-178 Bethel 40, Crawley 37, Duckett 34

ENG win by 4 wickets with Ashes series now 3-1

Well that was two pretty average ODIs played back-to-back.
No doubt that ENG bowling today was improved and penetrative and the AUD batting lacked application. Another 50 would have been very useful.

It was expected that taking a positive attitude was ENG’s best approach to knock off the meagre chase. Which made it to my mind absolutely bizarre that ENG set out their usual #9/#10 Bryson Carse at first drop. Would not have Bethel, Root or Brooks welcomed the opportunity to guide the team to a win after the sound start?

Anyhow positive they were, playing some expansive shots, while losing too many wickets, on the way to their deserved first win here for 15 years and putting a monumental hole in CricketAustralia’s finances.

I don’t buy all the pitch criticisms. Concur it wasn’t ideal but the MCG pitch has been so much improved since the years it was a boring dirge of a road. Weather would have impacted the preparation. You’d expect a couple of 40C+ days in the week leading up to Christmas. Temps were in the mid teens for the week with a couple of mild rain falls. So perhaps some flexibility in the schedule was required. Doesn’t explain or excuse the insipid batting by the locals IMHO.

If nothing else the media blow torch of expectations will now be more evenly shared by the two teams. A good thing.

3578

It’s hard for England to take many batting positives from this, but the bowling was decent and finally got good rewards. It was a similar low scoring game to the first test, but this time England didn’t fuck it up.

England won the toss yesterday and chose to field, setting up a chase, which is our preferred method these days.

3579

AUS v ENG 5th Test @ SCG Day1

ENG 1st 3-211 Brook 78* Root 72*
Rain and lightning ended days play after 45 overs.

Well Lordy, if we haven’t a return to cricketing norms?

The cricketing operative under the most pressure in Australia was the SCG curator. After the batting failures on a helpful MCG wicket after Christmas he needed, primarily, to find a way to get the game lasting into the 4th day. And given the unseasonably mild conditions being experienced with bloody near cold overnight temps and rain it was looking dodgy. The pitch on Friday looks luxuriously green. But it seems he’s mastered his craft and a thunderstorm has seemingly made the Pink Test’s Jane McGrath day on Day3 assured.

Both teams elected not to play a specialist spinner, apparently in the locals case for the first time since 1888. Kerry O’Keefe suggested it was the act of a workplace bully and wanted to put in a complaint to CricketAustralia’s HR.

Anyhow ENG won the toss and batted. Looks to have been the right call and they performed well. Not sure Smith was unhappy to lose the toss but said he’d have batted.

After a characteristically breezy 27/24 Duckett sparred at one he should have left and was caught behind. Crawley played soundly for 16/29 before he missed a straight one and was LBW after DRS, but only just. Bethell 10/23 was watchful early, looked in form before Boland squared him up and Carey took the simple chance. At 3-57 the innings looked at the crossroads.

To his first delivery Root offered a firm drive on the up to a ball on 5th stump line which was too short for the shot. Precisely the approach and mindset which has resulted in so many nicked off into the cordon dismissals for him here that have cast a cloud over his career record. He missed.

From then they built the biggest partnership in the series. It wasn’t flawless, was pretty close to chanceless and was a welcome return of a contest that the series has so sadly lacked.

Smith deployed 5 seamers. I thought Boland was the pick.

A good day, though truncated.

3580

Seems like this might be another proper test match on a proper pitch.

Though Cameron Green had a day he’d like to forget. And he’d like the selectors to forget as well.

3581

And just to continue his nightmare, he gets a wicket off a no-ball.

3582

AUS v ENG 5th Test @ SCG Day2

ENG 1st 384 Root 160, Brook 84, Smith 46
AUS 1st 2-166 Head 91*, Labuschagne 48

Gosh, Test cricket continues. Only 9 wickets in a day.
Can we handle the tedium? You betcha.

ENG continued from it’s sound overnight position and with much the same approach worked themselves into probably slightly better than par position.

Brook deserved a ton but was denied by a Smith catch off Boland with Carey up to the stumps. Stoke came in and was met by 10 deliveries on highly testing calibre before he got the slightest kiss on a Starc delivery that jumped a little.

Whatever the dynamic of pitches when covered overnight came into play, Day2 SCG had a bit more life and lateral movement than Day1. Whereas yesterday Root was able to milk the area backward of point at ease, today that was more fraught. And yet he marked up his hundred and one-fifty in elegant style. He’ll hang his hat on this performance irrespective of the result.

SmithJ battered well and it looked like a total of 500 might be on before SmithS decided to bounce the shit out of him … using Labuschagne’s medium pacers. Go figure. With just a couple of overs before the new ball, the thinking man’s approach would have been to watch them gently sail overhead in futility. Surely that’s what Root would have advised. But in what must be a leading candidate for the dumbest dismissal of the series he stepped outside leg and played a tennis swat, lobbing the ball meekly to cover. Jack looked sound but not near the top-order bat some pundits had suggested. Then when Root was dismissed by a running caught & bowled by Neser the 9/10/Jack fell quickly.

AUS opened with Head & Weatherald and were rattling along and riding their luck esp. Weatherald 21/36 for a 50 partnership before Stokes claimed him LBW. A bit of a fan of Weatherald, as a guy who has done the yards in first class to earn his spot, but the Poms seem to have worked his technique out.

The ENG bowling was patchy, lacking in consistency. Too short and giving too much width. Again a very low proportion of deliveries threatened to hit the stumps. They weren’t able to extract the seam that the locals esp. Boland were. And that cost.

A century partnership for the 2nd wicket wrested the balance of the days play to the locals favour. Heading towards stumps with the light being a little gloomy and the lights on Marnus played an expansive drive to Stokes that should have been left. Neser was sent out as watchman and he survived, being a handy bat until he copped a blow to the elbow and while receiving treatment rain set in and ended the days play.

If we continue this normality then AUS will bat all day tomorrow and lead with Beau Webster coming in at #9. Heh … we’ll see.