5th Test: Aust v Eng @ SCG 26' - AUSTRALIA RETAIN ASHES 4-1

[undertaker]

View attachment 108862

Promote whoever took this photo

That's an absolute beauty!

Well done

 

[undertaker]

Just needs Head in there

Dickwella and de Kock have entered the chat!

 

[undertaker]

Amazing how much shit that gets covered up comes out in the aftermath

SMH reporting Harry Brook got into a drunken altercaltion with a bouncer in Wellington a night before an ODI which he was captain and they got flogged in that game on the pre ashes white ball tour of NZ in October.

ECB fined him $60k AUD but only telling the world now

Harry Brook on last warning after pre-Ashes altercation with nightclub bouncer

The England vice captain was fined about $60,000 for the incident, which happened in Wellington during England’s white-ball tour of New Zealand immediately before the Ashes.

www.brisbanetimes.com.au

Using a white-ball series as preparation for the Ashes....hmmmmmmm....I wonder where else I've seen that before?

Oh, that's right...Australia did the same thing just before the 2010/11 Ashes, playing 3 ODIs and a T20I vs Sri Lanka, and we all know how that worked out...

 

[undertaker]

ROFL! Weak as piss.

Sounds like whoever wrote that is also writing Albo's speeches.

 

[undertaker]

Damage control begins:

 

[Twizzle]

Amazing how much shit that gets covered up comes out in the aftermath

Normally gets reported when they are on the plane on the way home. This is pretty common.

 

[Twizzle]

hahahaha, no bias here, no wonder they got shit on

 

[Twizzle]

haha, lol, yeah send them back Piers, and we'll kick their arse again

 

[PJ]

I

haha, lol, yeah send them back Piers, and we'll kick their arse again

I really struggle to understand how a cricket fan could find that performance entertaining.

 

[undertaker]

 

[undertaker]

 

[PARRA_FAN]

They are so delusional, they were beaten 4-1, threw so many wickets away, blokes under performing, up against a team that missed their captain and strike bowler and main spinner, and it sounds like theyre ok with their performance? McCullum sounds like he's lost it and still feels their tactics are good enough. As a coach that has been beaten 4-1, you should expect some criticism or tough questions from ex cricketers who have every right to be frustrated and disappointed, but instead McCullum is dancing around it and not acknowledging the problems

 

[undertaker]

They are so delusional, they were beaten 4-1, threw so many wickets away, blokes under performing, up against a team that missed their captain and strike bowler and main spinner, and it sounds like theyre ok with their performance? McCullum sounds like he's lost it and still feels their tactics are good enough. As a coach that has been beaten 4-1, you should expect some criticism or tough questions from ex cricketers who have every right to be frustrated and disappointed, but instead McCullum is dancing around it and not acknowledging the problems

Speaking of ex-players, good to see Darren Gough not drinking the Kool-Aid, not sugar-coating the Bazball cult:

 

[undertaker]

Here's the updated World Test Championship ladder:

2025–2027 World Test Championship - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

With no WTC points contested around the world until Pakistan tours Bangladesh in May, Australia sits comfortably on top.

Following on from Darren Gough's comment in my previous post about England not achieving anything in test cricket in recent times (re: more specifically, failing to qualify for the WTC final), England's chances of making the 2027 WTC final are close to none. After yesterday's loss at the SCG, they'd have to win at least 9 of their remaining 11 WTC tests, and also hope that results involving other teams go their way to possibly squeeze into second place. However, their three-test tour of South Africa in December could be the final nail in the coffin for them, meaning this will be a fourth consecutive WTC cycle where they've failed to make the final.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

For two + years, at least back to Ashes 2023, the rhetoric has been Bazball was the way forward, wowing crowds, etc. The ECB and the English press were deadset of the mind they would win the Ashes in Australia, that they had the players, game plan, nous, confidence etc to knock us off our perch. They were going to win. Pure and simple. The hype was immense. The tickets all but sold out in June/July, six months before the event.

Cracks appeared in that English winter vs India. A lot of Aussie ex players were questioning if the style would work in Australia but were howled down - you’re just scared type rhetoric (after it was 2-2 in 2023 and rain really saved Australia the Poms told us). There were many bold predictions about a tough, close Ashes series.

Hilariously, it fell apart very quickly.
Losing 8/100 in Perth and Head obliterating them in the 4th innings of a two day test. Wood breaking down. The pink ball test we broke them to go 2-0 up so they’d have to win 3, and Smith owned Archer. Then they decided to party at Noosa. The optics were horrid; the press had a field day. Adelaide we buried them. When it mattered 3-0 and they’d failed again. Melbourne was a laugh for both teams but Australia came back in Sydney wanting to seal it 4-1 despite best efforts to f**k it up. England couldn’t win moments, certainly can’t field and the much touted batting and bowling was impotent barring some efforts here and there.

No Hazelwood. Barely any Lyon. Cummins for one test. A spluttering batting line up whereby Khawaja should’ve stayed dumped after Perth, or at best, Adelaide. Mind you we had Starc, Head and Carey lift and there were efforts from Boland, Neser, Smith that supported that.

Once the series was gone, those English pundits like Vaughan, Atherton, Nasser, Gough, Agnew… they knew it was gone. They’d supported ECB like they should but had very much questioned lead up, prep, tactics but I guess they believed ‘this’ team had something so thought just maybe.

The English players seem likeable enough blokes but the hype did them in. Their lack of prep was laughable and now it seems their culture reeks of arrogance, and lads mucking about with no one able to question them. They have utterly failed and I for one am laughing, and will do forever more when this series is discussed. At least previous we pitied them and we were just better. This mob’s arrogance and the English hype about saving test cricket etc have brought them down. 4-1 is lucky for them. It should’ve been 5-0.

 

[undertaker]

For two + years, at least back to Ashes 2023, the rhetoric has been Bazball was the way forward, wowing crowds, etc. The ECB and the English press were deadset of the mind they would win the Ashes in Australia, that they had the players, game plan, nous, confidence etc to knock us off our perch. They were going to win. Pure and simple. The hype was immense. The tickets all but sold out in June/July, six months before the event.

Cracks appeared in that English winter vs India. A lot of Aussie ex players were questioning if the style would work in Australia but were howled down - you’re just scared type rhetoric (after it was 2-2 in 2023 and rain really saved Australia the Poms told us). There were many bold predictions about a tough, close Ashes series.

Hilariously, it fell apart very quickly.
Losing 8/100 in Perth and Head obliterating them in the 4th innings of a two day test. Wood breaking down. The pink ball test we broke them to go 2-0 up so they’d have to win 3, and Smith owned Archer. Then they decided to party at Noosa. The optics were horrid; the press had a field day. Adelaide we buried them. When it mattered 3-0 and they’d failed again. Melbourne was a laugh for both teams but Australia came back in Sydney wanting to seal it 4-1 despite best efforts to f**k it up. England couldn’t win moments, certainly can’t field and the much touted batting and bowling was impotent barring some efforts here and there.

No Hazelwood. Barely any Lyon. Cummins for one test. A spluttering batting line up whereby Khawaja should’ve stayed dumped after Perth, or at best, Adelaide. Mind you we had Starc, Head and Carey lift and there were efforts from Boland, Neser, Smith that supported that.

Once the series was gone, those English pundits like Vaughan, Atherton, Nasser, Gough, Agnew… they knew it was gone. They’d supported ECB like they should but had very much questioned lead up, prep, tactics but I guess they believed ‘this’ team had something so thought just maybe.

The English players seem likeable enough blokes but the hype did them in. Their lack of prep was laughable and now it seems their culture reeks of arrogance, and lads mucking about with no one able to question them. They have utterly failed and I for one am laughing, and will do forever more when this series is discussed. At least previous we pitied them and we were just better. This mob’s arrogance and the English hype about saving test cricket etc have brought them down. 4-1 is lucky for them. It should’ve been 5-0.

Well written summary of the Ashes series gone by!

 

[undertaker]

 

[King-Gutho94]

Imagine all those Barmy Army fans flying back to London today

Leave Sydney its 43 degrees and arrive back in London its 3 degrees

 

[TheParraboy]

Using a white-ball series as preparation for the Ashes....hmmmmmmm....I wonder where else I've seen that before?

Oh, that's right...Australia did the same thing just before the 2010/11 Ashes, playing 3 ODIs and a T20I vs Sri Lanka, and we all know how that worked out...

Another one...

The 2023 4 test tour to India

First test Feb 9

Most of the test players played a few weeks of BBL as the only preparation

We got considerably better after being belted in the 1st test, that india made a road for the 4th test to assure they win the series 2-1. A real opportunity lost

That 2010-11 ashes series, I Remember picking Doug Bollinger (replacement for Rhyno) for the Adelaide test, and he hardly had any matches under his belt for weeks. Was struggling to hit 125km. I cant remember an opening fast bowler looking as unfit as Dougie was that test. And that was his last test for Australia...

 

[TheParraboy]

Imagine all those Barmy Army fans flying back to London today

Leave Sydney its 43 degrees and arrive back in London its 3 degrees

Some my have jumped on Air-NZ and join Bazza and Stokes for a holiday across the detch ?