The Silver Fern

Was nice scrolling through this thread again!
Can see us getting pumped in both white ball series however. India have been shit at tests recently but they would be favs for the T20 WC next month and in ODIs Kohli is still scoring heavily

To me bowlers rarely make good captains. (Cummins seems to be one of the exceptions, when he’s playing)
They either over bowl themselves or under bowl. It’s like they feel they are biased if they put themselves into bowl.

It was pointed out Carse had one of the best strike rates on ashes series, 36 balls per wicket. He just went for a few runs. He seemed to bowl better in his later spells too which seemed to highlight he’s not really suited as an opening bowler. Does better when the ball is softer and older
Only other English bower who looked the goods was Tongue
Jofra to me is over rated. His record isn’t even that good. He improved before he broke down (again) but the series was already lost by then

Find it funny 9% who voted that combined team didn’t pick Head…

Pretty racist of England to get Khawaja out in his last test innings

@mariner4life said in Ashes 2025/6:

Bit late to be talking shit now Carse.

Tbf the 3rd ump stitched him up

@Cyclops said in Ashes 2025/6:

Bethell looks pretty classy. Wonder how the series turns out if he'd been playing over Ollie Pope. Hell, even just the Adelaide test could have been a big difference.

The difference between his first and second innings performances are pretty stark. Probably just an early career quirk, but wonder if there's something psychological there.

Was pointed out Bethell has faced more balls so far in this innings than Duckett faced all series. 232 vs 221

Makes you wonder if Jacks was under instructions to attack Webster from the start.
I have nothing planned tomorrow so would be great if England can show some back bone and bat into day 5 please

Jeez the Aussie coms love making excuses for Green don’t they
Dropped a sitter in the slips worse it would have been swallowed by Smith who he dived in front off

Smith finally gets a 100 this series
Easy when the pressure is off and your mates already won you the ashes champ

@booboo said in Ashes 2025/6:

@Virgil said in Ashes 2025/6:

It’s the Australia effect, how often do teams head over to Oz (us included) thinking they have a chance only to get pumped.
Only really India and South Africa play there well
It’s like when certain teams come over to play the All Blacks and lose before they even get onto the field ( I mean when we were good and had a decent coach….)

Genuine question: when did SA last tour Aus?

2022/23
Oz won 2-0

Before that it was 2016/17
SA won 2-1

Edit
SA have a good record in Oz
They won another earlier series in 2008/09 as well
(Cricinfo app kept playing up while I was trying to find the results)
They def carry no fear playing over in Oz

It’s the Australia effect, how often do teams head over to Oz (us included) thinking they have a chance only to get pumped.
Only really India and South Africa play there well
It’s like when certain teams come over to play the All Blacks and lose before they even get onto the field ( I mean when we were good and had a decent coach….)

@mariner4life said in Ashes 2025/6:

Head passes 500 runs for the series. He, Starc and Carey have been the difference.

Yeah was thinking that before stumps
Best 3 in this series have been Starc, Head and Carey
With honourable mentions to Boland and Nesser.
Not much else from the Aussies bar excellent all round fielding and catching.

For the Poms I’d only rate Root and the Kiwi ginger to consistently stand out
Maybe Duckets drinking too

@Donsteppa said in Ashes 2025/6:

They might have lost $10 million in Melbourne. But no one in Australia has spent a dime on their DRS technology.

Surprised they don’t have hot spot or something similar

@Cyclops said in Ashes 2025/6:

Yeah I think it's a point in Kane's favour when your compare him to Smith, Root and Kohli that he has almost always batted at 3. Much tougher spot to bat than 4. Kohli and Smith always had a world class 3 in front of them that kind of justified it, but no such excuses for Root.

Would be an interesting stat to see how many times Kane had to come in within the first 5-10 overs of an innings. In effect being a 3rd opener
Of course that can happen for any top order batsman even at 4 or 5 but certainly more common when you only ever bat at 3.

Averaged 48 as an opener, nearly identical to Langer and only behind Hayden who averaged 50 (Australia top openers)

The comms were pretty correct earlier
England should have won the 1st test before their brain fart threw jt away. The series could easily be 2-2 going into Sydney

No idea why this 5 test ashes series is scheduled over a month. They could have fit it inside 2 weeks

@booboo said in Ashes 2025/6:

@Donsteppa said in Ashes 2025/6:

Billion dollar stadium, Ashes Boxing Day Test, thousands travelling halfway around the world, and a two dollar groundsman.

Is this all down to the pitch? Do the batsmen need to take any responsibility?

And that's tea. 98 to win, 8 in hand.

Not the pitch that’s making the ball swing so much
Definitely too much movement seam wise but mixed with poor batting as well

Looking at the score board from the 1st test in Perth given it’s so similar at the moment.

England’s 2nd innings there only lasted 34.4 overs

Aussies 2nd innings just now lasted 34.3 overs

@mariner4life said in Ashes 2025/6:

Smith abdicating responsibility to Richardson was cowardice.

30 wickets in 4 and a bit sessions?

The strike rate for wickets in this test to date is a wicket every 21.93 balls