The Ashes 25/26

[Super_horns]

Well played Bethell .

 

Excellent innings giving us some sort of hope .

 

Shame to lose so many wickets near the  end
 

 

[AKCJ]

Well played Jacob Bethell.

 

I think if England still had Brook or Smith at the crease with him then I think they might have a had a chance of forcing a draw but I suspect Australia will rattle off those remaining wickets and Head will just go for it. Can't see this going into the last session.

[RonnieTodger]

Excellent Bethell. 
 

Im glad this is about to end, I cannot take anymore from this Rob Hatch guy. Apparently he’s a good cycling commentator, but TNT have taken the piss by hiring him. It’s blatant that he knows nothing about cricket and he’s blagged his way through five matches.

Edited 7 January by RonnieTodger

[Voll Blau]

40 minutes ago, Osavo said:

He's no worse a spinner, for sure. Still astonishes me they have persisted with Bashir for two years with this series in mind, only to not play him once. Wouldn't surprise me if the lad never plays another first-class match.

He will at Derbyshire. One of the few counties where he gets in as first choice spinner, which says it all about where his career is actually at compared to where the people who run the national team thought it was.

[Super_horns]

Crawley and Duckett actually have a good record as a partnership apparently but really does feel like it’s built on quick sand as is much of our batting .

Sounds like the management and Stokes aren’t going anywhere fast though.

[Lionator]

7 hours ago, RonnieTodger said:

Excellent Bethell. 
 

Im glad this is about to end, I cannot take anymore from this Rob Hatch guy. Apparently he’s a good cycling commentator, but TNT have taken the piss by hiring him. It’s blatant that he knows nothing about cricket and he’s blagged his way through five matches.

I’m a big rugby fan and I think Eykyn has been good but Hatch has been a disaster. They should’ve just used one of the Aussie feed’s to be honest. 

Edited 7 January by Lionator

[Osavo]

7 hours ago, Voll Blau said:

He will at Derbyshire. One of the few counties where he gets in as first choice spinner, which says it all about where his career is actually at compared to where the people who run the national team thought it was.

That's absolutely terrible though. I know your point and you're obviously making it, but why is Derbyshire's spinner England's first choice? There's not some bad options in the County game. 

 

Personally, I'd like to see the Ahmed brothers (both of them) given a go. I think Rehan is a batsman long term, with handy leg spin up his sleeve, but Farhan looks an absolutely fantastic off-spinner. Puts it in the right areas and gives it a rip, he's outrageous for his age.

[Voll Blau]

56 minutes ago, Osavo said:

That's absolutely terrible though. I know your point and you're obviously making it, but why is Derbyshire's spinner England's first choice? There's not some bad options in the County game. 

 

Personally, I'd like to see the Ahmed brothers (both of them) given a go. I think Rehan is a batsman long term, with handy leg spin up his sleeve, but Farhan looks an absolutely fantastic off-spinner. Puts it in the right areas and gives it a rip, he's outrageous for his age.

Agree. I reckon Farhan plays for England while still a teenager, if he carries on as he is.

 

I've never seen a young spinner so confident, even if he's getting slogged.

[Osavo]

Just now, Voll Blau said:

Agree. I reckon Farhan plays for England while still a teenager, if he carries on as he is.

 

I've never seen a young spinner so confident, even if he's getting slogged.

We haven't had a good off spinner since Swann and he genuinely looks the best prospect since then. He rips it and puts batsmen under pressure (far more than Leach, Bashir, Jacks, etc). I'd love to see him given a crack at the whip in the summer.

[Corky]

8 hours ago, RonnieTodger said:

Excellent Bethell. 
 

Im glad this is about to end, I cannot take anymore from this Rob Hatch guy. Apparently he’s a good cycling commentator, but TNT have taken the piss by hiring him. It’s blatant that he knows nothing about cricket and he’s blagged his way through five matches.

There will be a pile on for him which isn't totally fair but it shows the risks of taking a different approach. TNT went in cheaply and failed. Sky get much deserved criticism but their cricket coverage and commentary team is excellent. Bringing in commentators from other sports, not uncommon in the past but less frequent now, isn't what viewers want, and social media ramps it all up.

[RonnieTodger]

5 hours ago, Lionator said:

I’m a big rugby fan and I think Eykyn has been good but Hatch has been a disaster. They should’ve just used one of the Aussie feed’s to be honest. 

Yeah he’s been fine to be fair. You can tell he actually knows what he’s talking about.

 

Theyve done similar to this for boxing. John Rawlings was great and then they started using Darren Fletcher for PPV fights instead. 

[Super_horns]

37 minutes ago, RonnieTodger said:

Yeah he’s been fine to be fair. You can tell he actually knows what he’s talking about.

 

Theyve done similar to this for boxing. John Rawlings was great and then they started using Darren Fletcher for PPV fights instead. 

Someone on our forum said Eykun has played cricket so does understand the game but not sure about Hatch .

[StanSP]

Potts pulling out some fine shots! 

[AKCJ]

This is really annoying because i'm enjoying watching Potts knock it about but I know deep down that he'll be out soon and the Aussies will rattle off 160-170 in no time.

 

I'm knackered and know i'll be annoyed for staying up to watch us lose  

[Izzy]

1 minute ago, AKCJ said:

This is really annoying because i'm enjoying watching Potts knock it about but I know deep down that he'll be out soon and the Aussies will rattle off 160-170 in no time.

 

I'm knackered and know i'll be annoyed for staying up to watch us lose  

Don't do it to yourself mate. I'm off to bed now safe in the knowledge that I'll wake up to the Aussies winning by 10 wickets.

[AKCJ]

1 minute ago, Izzy said:

Don't do it to yourself mate. I'm off to bed now safe in the knowledge that I'll wake up to the Aussies winning by 10 wickets.

Yeah but how often can I watch Josh Tongue straight drive Mitchell Starc for four?  

[Super_horns]

Aussies need 160 for a 4-1 hammering .

[STEVIE B]

1 minute ago, Super_horns said:

Aussies need 160 for a 4-1 hammering .

At least 4-1 means there's no papering over the cracks ! 

Every 4 years we get lured into thinking 'we've got a great chance of beating the Aussies on their own patch'. 

It's a tough place to tour but we are so poor Down Under, we rarely even compete. Something has to change next time. 

[StanSP]

How did the umpire give that as Leg Byes?! 

[chrishlcfc]

Snicko has been absolutely abysmal all series. That just summed it up that weatherald dismissal. I mean it’s the 3rd umpires fault as much as snicko but after all that’s gone on how can it be given not out after some of the decisions that have been given out. 
 

Carse was rightfully steaming and no doubt will get a big fine for it which I don’t think is right at all. 

[chrishlcfc]

We can’t catch a cold. I mean that wasn’t easy the bethall one but have to take them to have any chance. We’ve created enough to be in the game 

[Super_horns]

Along with poor batting/bowling dodgy technology and very sub par catching has been a key feature unfortunately.

 

Along with poor batting/bowling dodgy technology and very sub par catching has been a key feature unfortunately.

 

Shame we couldn’t get a bigger lead but then been a lot of “if only”

Edited 8 January by Super_horns

[chrishlcfc]

4-1 is a fair reflection of the series. Disappointing. Actually quite a good effort in the 4th innings there because Carse is crap, Potts so bad he didn’t even bowled, stokes injured. So left too tongue who was good again and the part time off spinners

[1972 Fox]

4 hours ago, STEVIE B said:

At least 4-1 means there's no papering over the cracks ! 

Every 4 years we get lured into thinking 'we've got a great chance of beating the Aussies on their own patch'. 

It's a tough place to tour but we are so poor Down Under, we rarely even compete. Something has to change next time. 

Extended contracts for Key and McCullum should to the trick. 

[Voll Blau]

8 hours ago, Super_horns said:

Someone on our forum said Eykun has played cricket so does understand the game but not sure about Hatch .

Hatch had also played club cricket.

 

He's been awful but was also sold short by his bosses. Sat in a cold studio in London at 3am, watching a sport that's not his speciality, with only a foreign feed he has no idea about, is about as horrendous as it could get for a sports commentator.

 

In short, it's TNT's laziness amd unwillingness to invest in one of sport's most historic events that's to blame, not the people they put up as front men. The parallels with how the ECB approached this tour are quite something...