The Ashes Thread.

[Headworx]

No Aussie excuses yet?

[Dillinger]

It's a funny old game

[harrybarracuda]

Well England are going to have to shake up their batting AND their bowling or this will be a whitewash.

[Loy Toy]

At 128 for 8 in the first innings I thought the game was just about over.

Great fightback and a 251 run win was about the same runs Steve Smith scored in this game.

That scoreboard looks nice!

[Loy Toy]

[David48atTD]

Aided by a turning pitch was the Lyon GOAT







The two who did the damage ...




Lyon 6-49 off 20 overs

Cummins 4-32 off 11.3 overs

Ably assisted by the other Aussie quicks.

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Lyon, in taking his 300th wicket moved to 4th all time wicket taker for Australia.

Of those 6 wickets taken today, while the other 5 probably were vital to the win,
the wicket that would have given Lyon his inner glow would have been Moeen Ali.

It's the 8th time Lyon has scalped Ali.

---

Where is next?

Off to Lords, on Wed week for the 2nd Test.

[cyrille]

I very much doubt that Lyon was most pleased to get the wicket of someone unable to hit a cow’s arse with a banjo over the last 12 months.

If, like chitty, you’re so bereft of an opinion of your own that you c+p an uncredited source, then please make sure it isn’t completely clueless.

[Loy Toy]

I was quite shocked that Ali did not seem to extract the same turn that Lyon did on virtually the same pitch.

[cyrille]

He was terrible.

On a ground he knows like the back of his hand.

He was dropped on the tour of australia, and clearly needs dropping again.

Stone in for Jimmy, and Leach can’t do any worse than Mo.

The way England has focussed on the white ball game so much for four years really showed.

[grasshopper]

I very much doubt that Lyon was most pleased to get the wicket of someone unable to hit a cow’s arse with a banjo over the last 12 months.

If, like chitty, you’re so bereft of an opinion of your own that you c+p an uncredited source, then please make sure it isn’t completely clueless.

Possibly Ali was using the wrong grade of sandpaper, na?

[baldrick]

^ swing low

[David48atTD]

Lyon, in taking his 300th wicket moved to 4th all time wicket taker for Australia.

Of those 6 wickets taken today, while the other 5 probably were vital to the win,
the wicket that would have given Lyon his inner glow would have been Moeen Ali.

It's the 8th time Lyon has scalped Ali.

I very much doubt that Lyon was most pleased to get the wicket of someone unable to hit a cow’s arse with a banjo over the last 12 months.

If, like chitty, you’re so bereft of an opinion of your own that you c+p an uncredited source, then please make sure it isn’t completely clueless.

cyrille ... I'll take the time to reply.

So, my first question is for you. What team sport did you play at a competitive level?

I played many, cricket was one of them, but it was Rugby League where I played the most.

Due to my size, I was a Prop Forward/2nd Row. As a Footy Player you wanted to arm wrestle the opposition.
Specifically get one over your direct rival. My field position defensively I tried to align opposite him.
If he ran, I tackled him.
that works for the traditional 'softening up' period, the first 10 - 20 mins of the game.

It was a personal goal to get one up over my opposite number.

---

Taking that mindset to cricket. Here you have two of the best (top 10) Cricketing Teams in the world.
Each Team has one specialist spin bowler.

I know, if I was that one bowler, when my opponent came to bat ... he'd be the one I wanted for myself.
Ali, being a spin bowler should know most of the tricks used. Be able to pick the spin of the ball.
Understand flight, drift and spin.

As both are right arm off-spinners.
Ali should be able to pick the 'wrong un’ (googly), the Arm Ball etc.

... but he can't !

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As for "hit a cow’s arse with a banjo over the last 12 months." ... well Ali is judged by the English Cricket Team that he's not the worst batsman in the team and bats @ 8 in both innings. Better then Woakes, Broad and Andersen

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As for "I very much doubt that Lyon was most pleased to get the wicket of someone" ... here is Lyon discussing how he as a distinct plan specifically for when Ali is batting.
Indeed, the quote from Lyon is ... "Lyon reveals how he made Moeen his Ashes bunny"
Add to that the desire to be better then your direct opponent, the other spinner, I'm sure that Lyon prizes Ali's wicket very much.



As for "you’re so bereft of an opinion of your own that you c+p an uncredited source, then please make sure it isn’t completely clueless." nothing cut and pasted.

I don't know where you get off with making comments like this

---

So cyrille ... what team sport did/do you play? Which Country Cricket Team first 11?

[cyrille]

What a typically silly reply.

Are you seriously claiming Ali’s wicket meant more to Lyon than those of Root and Stokes? England’s key batsmen?

You must have bumped your head in the scrum a few too many times.

[cyrille]

I’m sure that Lyon prizes Ali’s wicket very much.

You’d better oil that bicycle. All your back pedalling is making it squeak.

[NamPikToot]

Syb on a major fishing exped after a mandatory time out.

[David48atTD]

Are you seriously claiming Ali’s wicket meant more to Lyon than those of Root and Stokes? England’s key batsmen?

My actual statement was ...

Aided by a turning pitch was the Lyon GOAT

Of those 6 wickets taken today, while the other 5 probably were vital to the win,
the wicket that would have given Lyon his inner glow would have been Moeen Ali.

It's the 8th time Lyon has scalped Ali.

cyrille ... did you not watch the video?

Here's a tester as neither are probably have a chance to ask Lyon the question.

Google "lyon discusses how to dismiss Root" ... nope, nothing

Google "lyon discusses how to dismiss Stokes" ... nope, nothing

Google "lyon discusses how to dismiss Ali" ... and BINGO

If you still not convinced, here is a whole article where Lyon discusses the plan to dismiss Ali.

https://www.bigbash.com.au/news/nath...hts/2018-06-11

[harrybarracuda]

cyrille ... I'll take the time to reply.

So, my first question is for you. What team sport did you play at a competitive level?

I am a black belt in Origami, Karaoke and Feng Shui.

Beat that.

[baldrick]

My actual statement

should have been

" fcuk off cywllie , you and your team could not bat their way out of a urine soaked paper bag " - FACT

[David48atTD]

^ Yeh, probably.

But there was a modest element of debate in his reply, hence the polite responce.

I'm happy to leave it at Umpires call

[harrybarracuda]

Jimmy ruled out of the 2nd test with a calf injury (and maybe the whole series).

Jofra the likely replacement.

[David48atTD]

Jimmy ruled out of the 2nd test with a calf injury (and maybe the whole series).

Jofra the likely replacement.

As mentioned a few pages back, I like Jimmy.

Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy Anderson as the Barmy Army are proud to chant.


Jofra is also respected and appreciated, but untested (pun intended).


What did prove interesting is that the coin toss doesn't always potentially produce the winner.

When the Aussies were 8/170 odd, England should have put them away ... but they didn't.

A monumental result on various levels, it was the biggest victory margin ever for a team that has been behind by 90 runs or more on first innings totals'

His (Lyon) complete hold over England counterpart Moeen Ali – he now has dismissed him nine times in 11 innings. SMH

At the bottom of that article is this below ...


Rough and ready: the art and science of reverse swing

[baldrick]

Rough and ready: the art and science of reverse swing

cool link

but whoops

The 2005 Ashes series was played later than usual in the English summer, when the grounds were drier, a boon for reverse swingers. This year’s series will be later still, not beginning until August. And the tendency of the hand-stitched English Dukes balls to swing more than others has had a boost: the England and Wales Cricket Board has asked Dukes to produce a ball with an especially prominent seam for the Ashes.

The plumper seam will encourage entertaining cricket, England says, and a fair contest between bat and ball. They also admit it should suit the home team’s fast bowlers. “There are elements of risk to it,” says England’s director of cricket, Ashley Giles. “They [Australia] have a formidable bowling attack as well but clearly Jimmy Anderson is one of our best weapons and one of the best bowlers ever to play the game. We want to bring him into the game.”

[Bettyboo]

We need to make a few changes...

Ali out! &, never back again! Rashid is a decent batsmen, equally average bowler, but I trust him more with the bat in hand. A bit sad that we don't seem to have a quality spin bowler; bring in a youngster, anyone, but Ali must go. i prefer Rashid to Ali, but hope for somebody better.

The West Indian geezer is in, obviously. We need a fast bowler. I'd quite like to fit Wood in too if we can find space. & that other fella, old fella, good bowler, gets wickets and always adds some decent runs at the tail.

Of course, our batsmen still need to bat. But, I'd probably drop a batsman, maybe Butler as he has done sweet FA for a long time. Our first 5 batsmen need to bloodywell bat and get some runs...

I'd kick Roy out of the test team and put Bairstow up top. I wouldn't add another batsman. So...

Burns (average or shite player, not sure yet)
Bairstow (up and down form)
Duckett (shite or really shite player, not sure yet)
Root (decent - needs more runs; needs to get 100s consistently)
Stokes (decent all round, needs to get plenty of 50s and a few 100s)
Rashid (decent all round, needs to bowl well and get some 50s)
Woakes (bowls well and gets runs sometimes...)
Plunkett (bowls well and often gets runs)
Broad (can bowl well and can get runs; a bit of a wanker though)
Wood (can bowl fast and furious)
Archer (bowler of the future)

Basically, our top 5 need to get 250 runs every innings and make sure we bat out 100 overs every innings. It's a long tail, but runs in it. &, lots of bowling options.

Might Bring Morgan in for either Wood or Plunkett, and would have Leach in the squad ready for when/if Rashid fuks up.

[cyrille]

Problem with both Rashid and Jofra is that neither have played red ball cricket this year, apart from Jof’s brief run last week.

The importance of that should not be underestimated.

I’d drop Buttler for Curran (makes things happen), Jofra in for Jimmy because despite my misgivings you just never know, and Leach in for Ali.

And Foakes will feel Bairstow needs to get a few at Lord’s.

[buriramboy]

Foaks will feel he needs to get a few runs himself in county cricket as that's why despite being the best keeper in England hes not in the team.