4th test Manchester

NorthCountryBoy said:
Crawley rode his luck in this test, let’s be honest. I know you always need to to an extent (Eg Bairstow nearly chopped on a couple of times too)but there were loads of swoosh play and misses in his first 50. Fair play he was superb after that though.
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Yeah that my point mate, he did change his style for this test match and batted in the same method he did in the other test matches
Sea to Shining Sea said:
But there’s never been a 1-0 borefest! I can’t remember any 1-0 borefests in a 5 test series in England.

Entertaining and interesting cricket didn’t start with Ben Stokes and Brandon McCullum
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They have took to a whole new level though!!

It would have been unthinkable for previous teams to score over 500 in a day in Pakistan and win 3 0 on those flat wickets.

Or absolutely destroy a great seam attack like Australia like they did on Thursday scoring at 7 an over in a pivotal pressure environment.

The bigger picture here imo is that whatever the result in this series.

They have not just started to entertain they win percentage is fantastic since they took over.

Their style is just not just good for England it is good for cricket as a whole we hevdcc bbc already seen a lot more better and positive cricket in the county championship which is great for the game.

The best thing they have done is get the players to play with freedom and eradicate the fear of failure and not feel the pressure even at the very highest level.

That is a rare commodity indeed and has been one of the reasons for our nations failures in other sports like football.
 
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Voice of fair play said:
Yeah that my point mate, he did change his style for this test match and batted in the same method he did in the other test matches

They have took to a whole new level though!!

It would have been unthinkable for previous teams to score over 500 in a day in Pakistan and win 3 0 on those flat wickets.

Or absolutely destroy a great seam attack like Australia like they did on Thursday scoring at 7 an over in a pivotal pressure environment.

The bigger picture here imo is that whatever the result in this series.

They have not just started to entertain they win percentage is fantastic since they took over.

Their style is just not just good for England it is good for cricket as a whole we hevdcc bbc already seen a lot more better and positive cricket in the county championship which is great for the game.

The best thing they have done is get the players to play with freedom and eradicate the fear of failure and not feel the pressure even at the very highest level.

That is a rare commodity indeed and has been one of the reasons for our nations failures in other sports like football.
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In the last twenty years our nation (relatively small in size and population) has had individuals win the Tour de France, tennis grand slams, feature right up at the top end of the Olympics leaderboard with golds in a plethora of sports, won the rugby World Cup and got to finals and we’ve won the Ashes, got to the top of the world rankings and won a T20 World Cup. There is pretty much only football where we haven’t.

What Stokes and McCullum have done prior to this Ashes series has been really impressive and has entertained. But that playing without fear of failure hasn’t seen us succeed in the most important cricket series of all. We’ve failed to win the Ashes. Might sound harsh, but it’s factual. Other leadership teams, perceived to be not as exciting and perhaps not as sexy, have achieved where this one hasn’t.
 
Sea to Shining Sea said:
In the last twenty years our nation (relatively small in size and population) has had individuals win the Tour de France, tennis grand slams, feature right up at the top end of the Olympics leaderboard with golds in a plethora of sports, won the rugby World Cup and got to finals and we’ve won the Ashes, got to the top of the world rankings and won a T20 World Cup. There is pretty much only football where we haven’t.

What Stokes and McCullum have done prior to this Ashes series has been really impressive and has entertained. But that playing without fear of failure hasn’t seen us succeed in the most important cricket series of all. We’ve failed to win the Ashes. Might sound harsh, but it’s factual. Other leadership teams, perceived to be not as exciting and perhaps not as sexy, have achieved where this one hasn’t.
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I wouldn’t say our country was small in population like.
 
HeroHurley said:
I agree. Just putting the point out there that the ICC aren't going to fine their own employees to attempt to hurry players up with the over rates when the ICC already bring in extra revenue by fining said players themselves for... slow over rates. The only thing that will work effectively is run penalties.
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Good idea.
Has there ever been any discussion around looking at the timings of test cricket? Maybe have longer sessions of the option to play extended time at the end of the day (light permitting) so fans aren't shortchanged.
England have been really unlucky with injuries as well. At least Lyon got one test in vs Leach's none and he took 8 wickets. Stokes hardly not being able to bowl and Robinson having to pack in mid test all pretty bad luck. Even the sharp/sly dismissal of Bairstow in the second test may well have decided the ashes. Just wasn't to be. Let's slaughter the at the Oval and we win on points.
 
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HeroHurley said:
I agree. Just putting the point out there that the ICC aren't going to fine their own employees to attempt to hurry players up with the over rates when the ICC already bring in extra revenue by fining said players themselves for... slow over rates. The only thing that will work effectively is run penalties.
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Use whatever the run rate was during that session?
 
Apologies if SEB, but a really good article on the Beeb about the anticlimactic nature of the Aussies retaining the urn:

www.bbc.co.uk

'How are we supposed to feel about this?'

The rain-ruined draw in the fourth Ashes Test was an anti-climax, but England must rouse themselves for the finale at The Oval, says chief cricket writer Stephan Shemilt.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk

My post Lords petulance aside, I agree with so much of it regarding the hollow nature of Australia’s retention. If, going into Old Trafford you told me this Test would be a rain ruined draw I’d have said bollocks to the Oval - I don’t care what happens there, we might aswell lose the series if we can’t win it and get the urn back. NOW however, I feel it IS important to stop the Aussies winning it. EVERYONE knows they’ve been absolutely battered here and everyone knows they’ve got completely out of jail. We know it, they know it.

I said coming into this week that despite being 2-1 up, momentum had swung and the Aussies had far more questions than answers about their team and about how they proceed. That’s still the same. They’re down to their last few bowlers, their batting is fragile and now they know they’ve got the urn back but they didn’t deserve to have done so.

Don’t get me wrong, England only have themselves to blame. If you go 2-0 down in a 5 game series there’s zero margin for error (or weather) and that has come to pass. We can all point to half a dozen ‘moments’ throughout the first two Tests that would’ve turned the tide and we could so easily be the ones sat here tonight 2-1 up going into next week needing only a draw to win the Ashes back. There’s even Aussie pundits saying we should be 3-0 up at this stage!

I’ve talked myself into it somewhat, but I am looking forward to Thursday now and what is more, given the state of the Australian side at the minute versus the current guise of ours - I’ll say what I’ve been saying about Durham for the last few years now - the future is bright :cool:
 
The last time Australia won the last test in England was 2015 though England won 3-2

I can’t remember off hand the last time they won the last test to clinch or confirm the winning of the ashes in england

possibly in the 90s?
 
brandon said:
Apologies if SEB, but a really good article on the Beeb about the anticlimactic nature of the Aussies retaining the urn:

www.bbc.co.uk

'How are we supposed to feel about this?'

The rain-ruined draw in the fourth Ashes Test was an anti-climax, but England must rouse themselves for the finale at The Oval, says chief cricket writer Stephan Shemilt.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk

My post Lords petulance aside, I agree with so much of it regarding the hollow nature of Australia’s retention. If, going into Old Trafford you told me this Test would be a rain ruined draw I’d have said bollocks to the Oval - I don’t care what happens there, we might aswell lose the series if we can’t win it and get the urn back. NOW however, I feel it IS important to stop the Aussies winning it. EVERYONE knows they’ve been absolutely battered here and everyone knows they’ve got completely out of jail. We know it, they know it.

I said coming into this week that despite being 2-1 up, momentum had swung and the Aussies had far more questions than answers about their team and about how they proceed. That’s still the same. They’re down to their last few bowlers, their batting is fragile and now they know they’ve got the urn back but they didn’t deserve to have done so.

Don’t get me wrong, England only have themselves to blame. If you go 2-0 down in a 5 game series there’s zero margin for error (or weather) and that has come to pass. We can all point to half a dozen ‘moments’ throughout the first two Tests that would’ve turned the tide and we could so easily be the ones sat here tonight 2-1 up going into next week needing only a draw to win the Ashes back. There’s even Aussie pundits saying we should be 3-0 up at this stage!

I’ve talked myself into it somewhat, but I am looking forward to Thursday now and what is more, given the state of the Australian side at the minute versus the current guise of ours - I’ll say what I’ve been saying about Durham for the last few years now - the future is bright :cool:
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Agreed. We walk away from this at 2-2 then the Aussies have to concede that they were saved by the weather
 
Ghfd said:
The last time Australia won the last test in England was 2015 though England won 3-2

I can’t remember off hand the last time they won the last test to clinch or confirm the winning of the ashes in england

possibly in the 90s?
Click to expand...

I'd be amazed if it was 90s, we took some absolute hidings from what I remember.
 
brandon said:
Apologies if SEB, but a really good article on the Beeb about the anticlimactic nature of the Aussies retaining the urn:

www.bbc.co.uk

'How are we supposed to feel about this?'

The rain-ruined draw in the fourth Ashes Test was an anti-climax, but England must rouse themselves for the finale at The Oval, says chief cricket writer Stephan Shemilt.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk

My post Lords petulance aside, I agree with so much of it regarding the hollow nature of Australia’s retention. If, going into Old Trafford you told me this Test would be a rain ruined draw I’d have said bollocks to the Oval - I don’t care what happens there, we might aswell lose the series if we can’t win it and get the urn back. NOW however, I feel it IS important to stop the Aussies winning it. EVERYONE knows they’ve been absolutely battered here and everyone knows they’ve got completely out of jail. We know it, they know it.

I said coming into this week that despite being 2-1 up, momentum had swung and the Aussies had far more questions than answers about their team and about how they proceed. That’s still the same. They’re down to their last few bowlers, their batting is fragile and now they know they’ve got the urn back but they didn’t deserve to have done so.

Don’t get me wrong, England only have themselves to blame. If you go 2-0 down in a 5 game series there’s zero margin for error (or weather) and that has come to pass. We can all point to half a dozen ‘moments’ throughout the first two Tests that would’ve turned the tide and we could so easily be the ones sat here tonight 2-1 up going into next week needing only a draw to win the Ashes back. There’s even Aussie pundits saying we should be 3-0 up at this stage!

I’ve talked myself into it somewhat, but I am looking forward to Thursday now and what is more, given the state of the Australian side at the minute versus the current guise of ours - I’ll say what I’ve been saying about Durham for the last few years now - the future is bright :cool:
Click to expand...

Fantastic summary.
Hopefully we confirm our dominance by given them a good hiding and send them on their way with the message see you in 2 years.
 
Overall very frustrating, but still huge pressure on us at the oval. If we win the match and draw 2-2 (being unlucky not to win 3-2) I think most people will accept that return.

If we don't win the final test and lose the series then people will rightly question a few key moments in the series (some of which were entirely in our hands). It's frustrating as Australia are obviously a good team, but they've performed at a 6 or 7 out of 10 at best so far.
 
Frustrating, but if we were 2-1 up in Australia with one test to play and we were 5 wickets down in the fourth test, there’s no way we’d be having this conversation.

It’s just the way cricket it is. And why we love it.
 

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