The Ashes 25/26

[coolhandfox]

Jimmy must be think I had to retire to give this lot prep time and this is the crap they serve up.

[trabuch]

Actually not that bad today. Too little too late after a pathetic batting performance.

 

[trabuch]

Played Joff.

[Super_horns]

Will they bat with common sense somehow trying to get a draw at least or be much of the same against some good Aussie bowling ?

[trabuch]

Just now, Super_horns said:

Will they bat with common sense somehow trying to get a draw at least or be much of the same against some good Aussie bowling ?

Loads of time. See off the new ball. 

[trabuch]

**** off ****ett

[fleshdaddy]

2 minutes ago, trabuch said:

**** off ****ett

No need to play at that - his insistence of refusing to leave the ball is so frustrating! 

[trabuch]

10 minutes ago, fleshdaddy said:

No need to play at that - his insistence of refusing to leave the ball is so frustrating! 

Crawley is a better opener (this series). That's how poor he is. Stupid shot.

Edited 20 December 2025 by trabuch

[The Year Of The Fox]

The BBC website is shite slow

 

Checked our score- 2 wickets down. ‘Ok, I’ll succumb’ 

 

Fired up the TV and we’re 3 down 

 

 

Back to bed then 

[The Year Of The Fox]

Why Swann and the commentator are talking us up I don’t know

 

 

Crawley has dug in well again though 

[The Year Of The Fox]

Needless from Brook again

 

Thick t*at 

[UniFox21]

We bat like this is an ODI, none of them seem capable of sitting there and slowly scoring runs

[winteriscoming]

Great we’ve got to day 5…….

 

[Lionator]

Brook, brilliant player but as daft as mince. 

[Lcfc-1992]

Brook needs to learn there’s a time and a place for the shots he likes to play. Two costly dropped catches as well, not been his best match. 

[Tommy Fresh]

That's Pope done for the series at least surely

[UniFox21]

17 minutes ago, Tommy Fresh said:

That's Pope done for the series at least surely

I think he's fully done now

[RowlattsFox]

More of an old fashioned ashes defeat this one. Bowlers have done well enough despite being inconsistent but batters unable to cope again. 

Some decent starts but not nearly enough.

Always felt Duckett would struggle in Australia and he's been woeful again. Manages to escape a lot of criticism with Pope and Crawley either side of him. 

[RowlattsFox]

3 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

I think he's fully done now

He's probably done as a number 3 but he will go back to county cricket and smash a load of runs and come back at 5/6 or even 7 as keeper.

[Super_horns]

Well least it’s going to a 5th day . 
 

Need a miracle partnership or two though.

 

Duckett seems to like playing at anything and Brook was daft .

Crawley probably secured his place for a bit

Edited 20 December 2025 by Super_horns

[Tommy Fresh]

25 minutes ago, RowlattsFox said:

More of an old fashioned ashes defeat this one. Bowlers have done well enough despite being inconsistent but batters unable to cope again. 

Some decent starts but not nearly enough.

Always felt Duckett would struggle in Australia and he's been woeful again. Manages to escape a lot of criticism with Pope and Crawley either side of him. 

Duckett gets away with more because his average is still over 40 and he also has a good first class record to back it up, Crawley has a fairly unflattering test average along with a terrible first class average.

 

Pretty sure I posted it during the first test where someone reported he had scored single figures in like 40% of his test innings, which regardless of the occasional very good innings he has makes him a massive luxury player. 

 

Pope is a strange one, bit like Rory Burns where they do very well in County cricket but don't seem to able to really kick on at test level.

[Corky]

Brook is a liability right now. Crawley and Pope not good enough, Duckett out of form. Relying heavily on Stokes and Root again.

[RowlattsFox]

21 minutes ago, Tommy Fresh said:

Duckett gets away with more because his average is still over 40 and he also has a good first class record to back it up, Crawley has a fairly unflattering test average along with a terrible first class average.

 

Pretty sure I posted it during the first test where someone reported he had scored single figures in like 40% of his test innings, which regardless of the occasional very good innings he has makes him a massive luxury player. 

 

Pope is a strange one, bit like Rory Burns where they do very well in County cricket but don't seem to able to really kick on at test level.

I agree Ducketts average cuts him a bit of slack but he has been found wanting when it mattered most. 

 

You'll never get consistency from Crawley unfortunately but 2 half centuries and a 40 odd in 3 tests, considering he got a pair in 1 of the matches, shows he can do something. However having got into them positions, he should've gone on. 

Need a solid 3 behind him for when it doesn't come off and a middle order who can fire. 

 

Agree about Pope, you can add Sibley and Hameed to that list too. County cricket can highlight ability and give you confidence but it doesn't prepare you for test cricket. You need to be able to rise a level. 

[leicsmac]

2 hours ago, Corky said:

Brook is a liability right now. Crawley and Pope not good enough, Duckett out of form. Relying heavily on Stokes and Root again.

Brook has deeply frustrated me here. 

 

He's a damn good player and I'll happily challenge anyone who says otherwise, but the Aussies seem to have a plan for him that works again and again. At least with KP they had much more trouble getting to him in terms of technique.

[winteriscoming]

Seems so simple saying it but occupying the crease and you’ll get runs. 
Look at Crawley second innings and Stokes first innings. 
Imo bazball is completely overrated and we aren’t as good as what we think we are.