The Ashes 25/26

[foxfanazer]

Might as well just play on

[Tommy Fresh]

Superb from Stokes

[Bert]

This is so good bowling wise. But makes that batting performance even more disappointing. 

[Wycombe Fox]

Five wickets in six overs!!!

[Aus Fox]

People who’ve paid a fortune for day 3 tickets starting to get a bit nervy here.

[leicsmac]

5 minutes ago, ealingfox said:

Sorry to say it's still pretty ominous that with Australia missing their captain, a strike bowler and a competition winner opening the batting we need our bowlers all playing out of their skins just to keep us in the game, on the first day...

Could flip that and say that Oz needed England to bat as horrendously as they did to stay in the game themselves, missing two decent players or not. 

[EastAnglianFox]

Ugh imagine if we could have crawled to just 200-220

 

Still what a fvcking day though 

[Tommy Fresh]

Nathan Lyon has looked the best with the bat today 

[Bert]

Crazy that we are in front after being bowled out for 172. 

[trabuch]

Cant wait for tonight!

[AjcW]

Shame we couldn't take that last one, but perhaps the England openers will prefer a few overs of watching tomorrow rather than being thrown straight into a start of the day setting again.

 

What a day though, commentated on by the residents of your local care home in slow motion.... 

[foxfanazer]

Boring!

[leicsmac]

What a day. 

[EastAnglianFox]

Can't wait to wake up tomorrow so I can congratulate Nathan Lyon on hitting his maiden test ton

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Just seen the Barmy Army are sponsored by TNT Sports. Against modern cricket ultras! 

[Finnegan]

17 minutes ago, Bert said:

This is so good bowling wise. But makes that batting performance even more disappointing. 

 

In fairness, Australia were probably saying the same

 

Not sure if it's just confirmation bias and I've never claimed to be the biggest follower of cricket but it does feel like there's been far more absolutely wildly swinging scores in cricket over the last decade or so. One side having an extreme batting collapse, everyone laughing/panicking (depending on their allegiance) and then the opposing side following up exactly the same.

 

Bowling attacks at test level seem to be more boom-or-bust than they used to be? But maybe it's my imagination.

 

[Aus Fox]

I think there’s been a major mobile phone outage over here.

As I finished work today my phone was beeping left right and centre, messages were coming thick and fast.

In the last couple of hours, I don’t appear to be getting any responses - not sure if my messages are going through…

[AjcW]

Just now, Finnegan said:

 

In fairness, Australia were probably saying the same

 

Not sure if it's just confirmation bias and I've never claimed to be the biggest follower of cricket but it does feel like there's been far more absolutely wildly swinging scores in cricket over the last decade or so. One side having an extreme batting collapse, everyone laughing/panicking (depending on their allegiance) and then the opposing side following up exactly the same.

 

Bowling attacks at test level seem to be more boom-or-bust than they used to be? But maybe it's my imagination.

 

I think there's two parts to it.

 

1) It's a fitness thing. On the bowling side.

England with 4/5 in the attack today who are all in good shape, strong, quick.

 

Ten/Fifteen years ago you'd still have blokes rocking up for test cricket that didn't look too dissimilar to the lads you'd play with on a Sunday  I was watching classic tests last night and Tim Bresnan was stomping about (doing well mind you...)

 

2) T20 and the like has brought test cricket style closer to one day cricket, so batsmen throw their wickets away more often in the interest of scoring quick runs. Which results in either a hell of a lot of runs being scored by one team in one day, or two almost full innings  

 

Wasn't that long ago taking two days to get to 400 in a test was normal. Now you wouldn't be shocked if a team posted that in a day. 

 

[davieG]

Just found out this is on TNT another two fingers up to the fans.

[STEVIE B]

27 minutes ago, davieG said:

Just found out this is on TNT another two fingers up to the fans.

England tours have been on TNT (BT Sport) for ages. 

Highlights are on Iplayer, l think. 

Edited 21 November 2025 by STEVIE B

[grobyfox1990]

Let's hope the momentum can carry into tomorrow. Will be a lack of sleep this weekend with the Ashes and Vegas GP.

[StanSP]

What a start to the Ashes

 

[RowlattsFox]

It's brilliant to watch but also at the same time not good news for long term test cricket  

Shouldn't be having 19 wickets on the first day of a test, and it's not like its been unplayable. 

 

Quality pace bowling but no desire to survive. 

However England's positive scoring rate is proving to be the difference. 

 

 

[Angus Scott]

1 hour ago, goody2028 said:

Agreed that TNT coverage is the pits but i’ve enjoyed Alastair Cook not understanding the technical graphics. 

The commentators are appalling, I never thought I'd say this but I'd sooner listen to the Aussie commentary. What I'd give for Hussain & Atherton for their excellent insight

[UniFox21]

15 minutes ago, RowlattsFox said:

It's brilliant to watch but also at the same time not good news for long term test cricket  

Shouldn't be having 19 wickets on the first day of a test, and it's not like its been unplayable. 

 

Quality pace bowling but no desire to survive. 

However England's positive scoring rate is proving to be the difference. 

 

 

Brilliant pace bowling by both sides, but a dreadful scoring pitch. That outfield is so slow

 

 

Anyone with Day 3 tickets must be getting a tad nervy