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The Year Of The Fox

The Ashes 25/26

By The Year Of The Fox, in General Football and Sport

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Corky

Corky

Posted
Posted

I can see why they are avoiding the match on the basis that two days isn't huge preparation and the last thing the batsmen need is to fail again.

 

However, given the accusations the set up do not take it seriously enough are ramping up, it is not a great look.

  • Like 1
oxford blue

oxford blue

Posted
Posted
On 14/10/2025 at 16:20, oxford blue said:

England always seem to do poorly in a first Ashes test in Australia, never having any proper warm up matches. Are lessons ever learnt?

 

After 1 day internationals in New Zealand, they travel to Australia. One game is planned - against England Lions - before first test match. It is totally inadequate preparation for a test match at the WACA; never the best of venues for decent performances. In the last 5 series in Australia England have lost the first test. Expect the same in 2025!

This was posted on other cricket thread  before separate Ashes thread set up. I was wrong about WACA but remainder is correct. Even when England had a chance to practice at ground they declined demonstrating an arrogance that this was unnecessary for this team and its philosophy This was demonstrated in their batting with dreadful shot selection. With four out of fifteen sessions gone,  all middle order decide to play as they are playing a 20/20 (poorly). If there was time to consolidate., this was it.

 

For well paid professional cricketers shot selection was so poor. We had the chance to win the first test in Australia but have now given the the Aussies a huge psychological advantage - more so with Cummings back for next test.

 

There is an opportunity to put in test batsman in a day.night game before next match: I hope this will be taken, but somehow I rather doubt it.

 

Unfortunately a certain starter in next test will be Crawley - I hope he lasts more than an over but even if he does, would he get more than 20?  To quote - His "stand and deliver" driving method, while apparently aesthetically pleasing, will be no more successful in Brisbane than it was in Perth. He will not be able to change a lifetime's habit in 12 days, so he has to be very disciplined with his selections, only driving at half-volleys and full tosses at the Gabba. Unless he can introduce genuine defence and leave the ball with confidence, his pain will only increase."

leicsmac

leicsmac

Posted
Posted

Would agree with the consensus here - given the way the first match played out, they're taking a massive gamble by only relying on their own self confidence. 

 

If it doesn't work in the next match, then the backlash will be brutal, and as much as I like this team, it will be entirely justified. 

  • Like 1
Wsl

Wsl

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Tommy Fresh said:

Zak Crawley has only scored single figures in 41% of his test innings lol

And is that giving him the benefit of the doubt on the philosophical debate on whether zero is a number?

  • Haha 3
The Hitman

The Hitman

Posted
Posted
On 22/11/2025 at 19:17, The Year Of The Fox said:

Selling 2x flights to Sydney Tuesday, flights to Brisbane on 3rd, and 2x tickets for 4 (I mean 2) days at Brisbane £2200 each

How come? Is it you not going or another member of the travelling party? Seems a last minute change of heart or if not then I hope everything is ok for the people dropping out. 

Voll Blau

Voll Blau

Posted
Posted
43 minutes ago, RonnieTodger said:

In another world, the fifth and final day of the test would be finishing about now lol 

At least they managed to keep their tee times... :rolleyes:

 

 

  • Haha 1
STEVIE B

STEVIE B

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Voll Blau said:

At least they managed to keep their tee times... :rolleyes:

 

 

……If this ends up being a 4-0/5-0 drubbing (definitely possible), the whole set up will be rightly ridiculed & most likely overhauled. From no meaningful warm up games, lack of match preparation, to match tactics. Shambolic. 

Obviously l want us to compete & win, but l just think we’re too blinkered & arrogant to play the required match situation, or stay patient long enough to succeed. 

Voll Blau

Voll Blau

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, RowlattsFox said:

The golf is a bit an easy target for the press, what else are they supposed to do after training? They just used to get pissed. 

They should still have been playing a Test match, though, and won't have trained since.

 

Of course you need to find ways to relax on tour, but the optics of this are absolutely terrible.

  • Like 1
Corky

Corky

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, RowlattsFox said:

The golf is a bit an easy target for the press, what else are they supposed to do after training? They just used to get pissed. 

Isn't it a part of the process of getting into the squad? They make it a big target.

 

 

RowlattsFox

RowlattsFox

Posted
Posted
55 minutes ago, Corky said:

Isn't it a part of the process of getting into the squad? They make it a big target.

 

 

They might pick on personality and character, which may include golf and I'd agree that it shouldn't be the main reason but do you really think they are picking on golfing ability? 

 

English cricketers aren't the only sports people who play golf in spare time.

ealingfox

ealingfox

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, RowlattsFox said:

The golf is a bit an easy target for the press, what else are they supposed to do after training? They just used to get pissed. 

 

You do nets for all the daylight hours then go in and play Brian Lara Cricket on PS2 until bedtime.

Lionator

Lionator

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, RowlattsFox said:

The golf is a bit an easy target for the press, what else are they supposed to do after training? They just used to get pissed. 

A few of them went fishing in the sea instead which feels a lot less tone deaf. 

Wsl

Wsl

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, RowlattsFox said:

The golf is a bit an easy target for the press, what else are they supposed to do after training? They just used to get pissed. 

I've no problem with them switching off after a match, but there's three days of Test cricket they've missed. If they'd played 5 days, no one would mind a bit of fishing, sightseeing and even golf. But this looks like its just an extended holiday. This is supposed to be their job. If they want to be in peak fitness, three days tough training to replicate the days missed would be right. They'd still have over a week before the next match and weren't schedule to start training until next Monday. That's more than enough rest built in to relax. And it shows how dumb they are. They know golf is being taken as a proxy for a lazy entitled mind set. And they just serve it back up. There's any number of things they could have done for a bit of R and R other than that. It becomes a choice. And they wonder why it goes down badly? 

  • Like 1
The Year Of The Fox

The Year Of The Fox

Posted
  • Author
Posted
On 25/11/2025 at 17:32, The Hitman said:

How come? Is it you not going or another member of the travelling party? Seems a last minute change of heart or if not then I hope everything is ok for the people dropping out. 

Only messing

 

Arrived into Sydney 4 hours ago

 

Bring back Concorde ffs 

  • Like 2
STEVIE B

STEVIE B

Posted
Posted

Australia go with same squad for 2nd Test. No Cummins or Hazlewood again. 

We just need Starc to to tread on a ball or something & England may take it into day 3 or 4. 

leicsmac

leicsmac

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, EastAnglianFox said:

Cummins and Hazlewood are just fine and perfectly ready

 

This is Australia just rubbing salt into the wounds by showing that they just don’t need them…fvckers lol

Nah, the Aussies are nothing if not ruthless. 

 

If they were ready,  they wouldn't play mind games, they would throw them in there in search of the most crushing Roman triumph possible. 

  • Like 1

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