Cricket (None Leicestershire County Cricket Club)

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, AjcW said:

Getting a duck off 33 balls is horrific isn't it  

It is, but given the guys life story I can imagine he's just happy to be playing Test cricket while alive and whole. 

[AjcW]

42 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

It is, but given the guys life story I can imagine he's just happy to be playing Test cricket while alive and whole. 

For sure, delighted for him.

 

You have to say it's a bit of an odd selection though, no first class cricket in nearly two years for obvious reasons. And not played for Australia in tests since being a six in 2016.

 

How do you go from that to opening against South Africa, away from home, without it feeling a bit.... token gesture'y?

Edited Friday at 10:08 by AjcW

[leicsmac]

10 minutes ago, AjcW said:

For sure, delighted for him.

 

You have to say it's a bit of an odd selection though, no first class cricket in nearly two years for obvious reasons. And not played for Australia in tests since being a six in 2016.

 

How do you go from that to opening against South Africa, away from home, without it feeling a bit.... token gesture'y?

It does speak to an issue with finding quality openers in Aus at the moment. 

 

Couple that with Starc, Hazlewood etc reaching the end of their careers, is an opportunity England should seize upon next summer.

[AKCJ]

4 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

It does speak to an issue with finding quality openers in Aus at the moment. 

 

Couple that with Starc, Hazlewood etc reaching the end of their careers, is an opportunity England should seize upon next summer.

The gang bowls endless 90mph bouncers and looks to cover drive Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins at every opportunity.

[AjcW]

17 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

It does speak to an issue with finding quality openers in Aus at the moment. 

 

Couple that with Starc, Hazlewood etc reaching the end of their careers, is an opportunity England should seize upon next summer.

Definitely! Aussies always seem to pluck some random mid 30's bloke out of thin air in the hope they might do well.

They really don't give enough opportunities to young players. Not a single player under 30 in that side today.

[leicsmac]

12 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

The gang bowls endless 90mph bouncers and looks to cover drive Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins at every opportunity.

All of whom are a year and a half older than the last time they faced off in Tests. 

 

This present England team in English conditions should have much less to fear from Oz.

[AKCJ]

3 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

All of whom are a year and a half older than the last time they faced off in Tests. 

 

This present England team in English conditions should have much less to fear from Oz.

 

I don't think we'll lose Australia over 5 tests but I do think we'll make hard work of it.

[Super_horns]

11 hours ago, leicsmac said:

All of whom are a year and a half older than the last time they faced off in Tests. 

 

This present England team in English conditions should have much less to fear from Oz.

 

11 hours ago, AKCJ said:

 

I don't think we'll lose Australia over 5 tests but I do think we'll make hard work of it.

Aussies haven't won here since 2001!

 

Hard to believe I know. 

[leicsmac]

27 minutes ago, Super_horns said:

 

Aussies haven't won here since 2001!

 

Hard to believe I know. 

A lot of people forget that.

[Lionator]

SA made a mistake picking two spinners I think.

[leicsmac]

15 minutes ago, Lionator said:

SA made a mistake picking two spinners I think.

Looks like it. 

 

TBH given Saffer conditions (that are something between England and Aus in terms of bowling conditions) I would have thought that was obvious. Bring the seamers and one spinner if you need them.

[leicsmac]

The above being said, bowling Aus out for under 275 leaves SA still very much in this game IMO.

[STEVIE B]

2 hours ago, leicsmac said:

The above being said, bowling Aus out for under 275 leaves SA still very much in this game IMO.

As the Aussies say, showing a bit of 'Mongrel' now. Good recovery this. 

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, STEVIE B said:

As the Aussies say, showing a bit of 'Mongrel' now. Good recovery this. 

Just goes to show you need to stomp the Aussies properly into the mud before you know they're done, because they don't quit.

[Tommy Fresh]

12 hours ago, Lionator said:

SA made a mistake picking two spinners I think.

Pretty sure I'd heard Durban more recently has been decent for spin, and they bowled someone out a few years back now for dead cheap with just Harmer and Maharaj taking wickets

[leicsmac]

Consistent bad light cutting off a fair bit of play might save the Saffers here. Aus will likely need to bat until tea to get a target they feel comfortable defending, and then that probably leaves SA with 70-80 overs to bat out for the draw today and tomorrow, which you think they're capable of. 

 

Edit: a bit farcical though when a test match functionally loses a whole day of play to bad light.

Edited yesterday at 10:29 by leicsmac

[STEVIE B]

1 hour ago, leicsmac said:

Consistent bad light cutting off a fair bit of play might save the Saffers here. Aus will likely need to bat until tea to get a target they feel comfortable defending, and then that probably leaves SA with 70-80 overs to bat out for the draw today and tomorrow, which you think they're capable of. 

 

Edit: a bit farcical though when a test match functionally loses a whole day of play to bad light.

Apparently Durban is known for heavy cloud in mid/late afternoon & it gets dark by about 6pm at this time of the year. BBC Sport have a bit about it today. 

[leicsmac]

Oz put the accelerator down in that session.

 

Saffers need to survive four sessions (but I don't think it'll be any more than 90 overs total) to salvage a draw.

[AKCJ]

We're not beating these over 5 tests next summer.

[STEVIE B]

13 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

We're not beating these over 5 tests next summer.

Maybe not, but they have a tough schedule ahead.

2 more Tests against SA, 4 Tests at home against the Kiwis, then they travel to India for 5 Tests in the new year. Then they come over here.

That's a lot of Test cricket alone, injuries are bound to play a part, they are an aging side too. 

[leicsmac]

5 hours ago, AKCJ said:

We're not beating these over 5 tests next summer.

 

5 hours ago, STEVIE B said:

Maybe not, but they have a tough schedule ahead.

2 more Tests against SA, 4 Tests at home against the Kiwis, then they travel to India for 5 Tests in the new year. Then they come over here.

That's a lot of Test cricket alone, injuries are bound to play a part, they are an aging side too. 

Their bowling is the only thing England need fear. 

 

And that's only if all three of Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins are still fit and firing after the intense Test schedule described above. 

 

I think England have every chance. That being said, they had every chance the last two times the Aussies visited and blew it both times then, too. 

 

Edit: there's a reason Oz haven't won a series on English soil in 25 years.

Edited 15 hours ago by leicsmac

[Super_horns]

The young Saracens player involved in that night club incident with Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson has been sacked .

 

Sounds like a bad egg generally.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/oct/12/saracens-sack-player-totoa-auvaa-incident-rugby-union

[leicsmac]

21 hours ago, leicsmac said:

Oz put the accelerator down in that session.

 

Saffers need to survive four sessions (but I don't think it'll be any more than 90 overs total) to salvage a draw.

Looks like I'm wrong about the number of overs needed to survive, they've got in quite a few more than I thought would be the case. 

 

Lunchtime on day 5 and they've faced 73 overs already, will likely be north of 120 in the end if they're going to salvage this Test. 

 

But with only 4 wickets left, it would be some achievement.