Ashes third test

[Guppyspotter]

Your correct. However, I don’t find England's batting in this series entertaining. It's very frustrating. In 2020 your have about 75 minutes to bat and wickets aren't that important. In tests you should be batting for at least a day in the first 2 innings. To do that needs ability to play straight and choose the right balls to hit hard.

I agree with you entirely
, I was speaking wrongly for the rest of the world. I would prefer to watch a cricketer with the ability to grind out the runs over 2 days with good technique and judement.

[Taffy on the wing]

Missed the business end today having gone to the Lancs League at Tod. Will watch the highlights but what a good result.

Thought you might be busy writing articles......

[Jimscho]

Anubody who hasnt enjoyed the last 3 tests and the tests since Stokes became captain should go back to watching paint dry.I accept the cricket is not for the purist but its fun,its exciting and its putting bums on seats.Those criticising cricketers getting out through bad shot selection thats true but its not new,its been going on since I have watched cricket,over 60 years.I once watched Boycott and Hampshire score 1 run in an hour in a Roses match.Now that was not fun or exciting.

[Andreshotboots]

Should move the one from lords as a penalty for the entitled ones behaving badly last test. Given that England have a poor record at the place, it would be a decent move.

That won't happen unless one of Manchester or Leeds would turn over more money - and there would be uproar from the red and yellow tie brigade. Most of that lot think that there is a match scheduled in the North at trent bridge. These are the same sort of people that think Watford Junction is on the m25 near the chalfonts.

The atmosphere at Lord's is shocking, England's record against Australia there is even worse, and pretty poor against a lot of visiting sides to be fair.

I know a current England player pretty well and he's told me it's the players least favourite ground to play an Ashes test at as it's all just too comfortable
and polite for the opposition.
Problem is the millions of pounds that a 5 day Ashes test brings in and the big wigs aren't going to give up on that.

[Andreshotboots]

Missed the business end today having gone to the Lancs League at Tod. Will watch the highlights but what a good result.

As somebody who I know has a very good understanding of the game like you have CT, I'd love to know your thoughts on the current England team and the style.

Mine personally are, it's highly entertaining, frustrating, ridiculous, captivating, naive, stupid, brave and is appealing to a new cricket audience.

Problem is all those thoughts usually are in one session watching them at the moment

[Andreshotboots]

Anubody who hasnt enjoyed the last 3 tests and the tests since Stokes became captain should go back to watching paint dry.I accept the cricket is not for the purist but its fun,its exciting and its putting bums on seats.Those criticising cricketers getting out through bad shot selection thats true but its not new,its been going on since I have watched cricket,over 60 years.I once watched Boycott and Hampshire score 1 run in an hour in a Roses match.Now that was not fun or exciting.

I totally agree. All I would say to slightly balance that is test cricket is about wearing down the opposing quick bowlers from a batsman's point of view, then cashing in later in the day.

The problem we have is that we very rarely now get to when a bowler is into his 4th or 5th spell and in his 35th over.

It's fine scoring at 5 an over but only lasting 50 overs. I think we can wave goodbye to big centuries, or even double hundreds playing this way unless the circumstances are desperate like the were for Stokes and Marsh where they just had to go for it.

Highly entertaining though, I'd certainly agree..

Sustainable? I'm just not sure at the moment..

[LeadBelly]

Superb series so far. Not going this year, but was at Old Trafford last time round. Was planning on going again next time round.

But just found out 2027 Ashes will completely bypass the North. Shocking

That's really disappointing but its all done on a monetary basis nowadays I think. For me personally (living in north Hampshire with v easy travel to London and Southampton) it's very handy but I dont like the idea of there not being one in Lancs or Yorks.
Likewise I regret the ashes not being live on free-to-air TV but, again, all down to getting the £££ rolling in.

[dandeclaret]

I totally agree. All I would say to slightly balance that is test cricket is about wearing down the opposing quick bowlers from a batsman's point of view, then cashing in later in the day.

The problem we have is that we very rarely now get to when a bowler is into his 4th or 5th spell and in his 35th over.

It's fine scoring at 5 an over but only lasting 50 overs. I think we can wave goodbye to big centuries, or even double hundreds playing this way unless the circumstances are desperate like the were for Stokes and Marsh where they just had to go for it.

Highly entertaining though, I'd certainly agree..

Sustainable? I'm just not sure at the moment..

Test cricket WAS that.... 13 wins from 17 says there are many ways to skin a cat.

Didn't Crawley score a big double century? Stokes 155, didn't Bairstow score 3 scores of 140+ last year?

[ClaretTony]

Thought you might be busy writing articles......

The ones I believe I need to write are written

[ClaretTony]

As somebody who I know has a very good understanding of the game like you have CT, I'd love to know your thoughts on the current England team and the style.

Mine personally are, it's highly entertaining, frustrating, ridiculous, captivating, naive, stupid, brave and is appealing to a new cricket audience.

Problem is all those thoughts usually are in one session watching them at the moment

I think I agree totally with you. It’s when it gets frustrating that you get a little bit negative about it but this England team is a great watch. I’ve seen better England teams and I’ve seen better Australian teams but this series so far is gripping. We could be 3-0 down but we could also be 3-0. I Just hope it continues through the next two test matches.

It really has been special.

[criminalclaret]

I totally agree. All I would say to slightly balance that is test cricket is about wearing down the opposing quick bowlers from a batsman's point of view, then cashing in later in the day.

The problem we have is that we very rarely now get to when a bowler is into his 4th or 5th spell and in his 35th over.

It's fine scoring at 5 an over but only lasting 50 overs. I think we can wave goodbye to big centuries, or even double hundreds playing this way unless the circumstances are desperate like the were for Stokes and Marsh where they just had to go for it.

Highly entertaining though, I'd certainly agree..

Sustainable? I'm just not sure at the moment..

I echo all of your sentiments and have done multiple times in this thread.

It's fine to congratulate positive improvements in some areas and still make criticism where it failing in others. That's balance.

Some people on are nailed to the cross of BazBall "all or nothing" approach and won't let any aspects be criticised just purely because of the dross we had to endure for the 2 years previously.

[summitclaret]

https://news.sky.com/story/the-ashes-wh ... t-12915315

[criminalclaret]

https://news.sky.com/story/the-ashes-wh ... t-12915315

That's a cracking article I love data driven pieces.

Their snapshot of the second test at Lord's is pretty accurate to my thoughts, high's of 190-2 were the last time we hit over 50% chance of winning until Stokes unleashed hell after the Carey/Bairstow incident.

[dandeclaret]

The betting markets had England 2’s on for most of today…. Or nearly 66% chance of winning. Hope these lads didn’t lose too much laying the arse out of their algorithm…. As ever, betting markets mikes more accurate than winviz, or other statistically flawed algorithms.

[Quickenthetempo]

As somebody who I know has a very good understanding of the game like you have CT, I'd love to know your thoughts on the current England team and the style.

Mine personally are, it's highly entertaining, frustrating, ridiculous, captivating, naive, stupid, brave and is appealing to a new cricket audience.

Problem is all those thoughts usually are in one session watching them at the moment

The best thing this Stokes era has done is take the mental side of cricket out of it.

Every cricketer who has played first class can play cricket, the majority can't handle the mental side.

[Commy]

Brook and Woakes having a chat.

https://twitter.com/englandcricket/stat ... 0653798401

[Newcastleclaret93]

Brook and Woakes having a chat.

https://twitter.com/englandcricket/stat ... 0653798401

Great watch

Both come across as good lads

[Quickenthetempo]

According to Lancs fans, Old Trafford has played a lot slower this year.
And with the 4th and 5th days falling on the weekend, they fully expect a CEO pitch to cash in.

[AfloatinClaret]

The atmosphere at Lord's is shocking...
Problem is the millions of pounds that a 5 day Ashes test brings in and the big wigs aren't going to give up on that.

Thumbs up for both of those.
Lords has always been an awful atmosphere, even back in the days when I got invitations to go for free as someone or other's guest I eventually began declining them. Just like me, a high proportion of spectators at Lords were there on corporate freebies and it seemed that a high proportion of those hadn't got a clue about what they were watching, but were sure that they knew all the answers and were eager to share them lOUDLY - a bit like this forum I suppose - I don't and never have claimed to be any sort of cricket 'expert', but I do understand the game well enough to know when I'm surrounded by twonks and that my enjoyment's being spoilt by listening to their slaver.