4th ASHES TEST: @ Old Trafford, Manchester July 19-23, 2023

[undertaker]

 

[undertaker]

He was going to bowl first in this test, merkin is cooked. Time for the people in charge to make some big boy decisions. His bowling now is also suffering.

Well, the good news is our bowlers didn't bowl for the last 2 1/2 days of the test match, so extra rest time leading up to The Oval.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Fatty Bairslow has cost the poms the ashes.

Missed about 37 chances in the first 3 tests. Then he waltzed off down the pitch like a loser.

Then instead of declaring when they were well ahead knowing that rain was coming they decided to keep batting so he could get a personal milestone. Which he didn't get.

Bazballing at its finest.

 

[Eelectrica]

Thank you England. I wasn't really feeling it before, but this melt down has made retaining the Ashes so much sweeter. Best meltdown ever.

Now please Australia, lets win or at least draw the 5th test.

 

[undertaker]

Whose your 3-2-1 in the comm box btw.

I am guessing KP won't be making cut.

My 3-2-1 for the Sky Sports commentary would be:

3: Mark "Fujitsu: Australia's favourite air" Taylor

2: Ricky "Tired....stressed....you'll feel better on Swisse" Ponting

1: Mel "Jonny Bairstow needs to eat more burgers" Jones

Honorable mentions go to Eoin "Nice to see you again, Torbie!" Morgan and Ian "My voice sounds like I'm preparing to officiate another funeral in 5 minutes time" Ward.

 

[undertaker]

My only wish is we were 9/70 when the rain hit because that would be even funnier.

What a bunch of sooks England are.

Well, similar scenario happened during the England vs India 2007 test series:


India were 9-down in the first test and hanging on for their dear lives, an LBW decision went their way (thanks, ironically due to Steve Bucknor of all umpires!), showers followed shortly afterwards allowing India to snatch a draw before they went on to win the series 1-0.

Where was Piss Morgan's whinging back then over the weather? Oh that's right, the prick was too busy hacking phones.

 

[undertaker]

It seems England never push the start time earlier to make up for rain delays (though do allow later finish)
At least in Australia they would have started at least 30 minutes earlier to make up time

At least they finally got with the times to allow using flood lights

The ECB experimented with scheduling test matches commencing at 10:30am after Channel 4 acquired the FTA broadcasting rights from the BBC, but it was pushed back to the traditional 11am start time in 2006 after numerous complaints about fast bowlers achieving excessive seam and swing movement in that 30 minute period before 11am over the previous few years. Therefore, that's why any lost time is added on after 11am, compared to Australia where the lost time from the previous day is added on before the scheduled start of play the following day.

Tests in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide also began at 11am before it was changed to 10:30am circa 2004, however for completely different reasons to the UK: so the additional 30 minute period post scheduled stumps didn't clash with Nine News at 6pm (i.e. broadcasting reasons).

Strangely enough though, both World Test Championship finals in the UK (2021 and this year) commenced at 10:30am. I guess the fact that India were involved in both of them may have played a part in the ICC's decision, due to more favourable starting time in the subcontinent.

 

[bazza]

Test matches in the UK began at 10:30am after Channel 4 acquired the FTA broadcasting rights from the BBC, but it was pushed back to the traditional 11am start time when Sky Sports got exclusive broadcasting rights in 2006 after complaints about the fast bowlers achieving excessive seam and swing movement in that 30 minute period before 11am over the previous few years. Therefore, that's why any lost time is added on after 11am, compared to Australia where the lost time from the previous day is added on before the scheduled start of play the following day.

Tests in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide also began at 11am before it was changed to 10:30am circa 2003/04, however for completely different reasons to the UK: so the additional 30 minute period post scheduled stumps didn't clash with Nine News at 6pm (i.e. broadcasting reasons).

Strangely enough though, both World Test Championship finals in the UK (2021 and this year) commenced at 10:30am. I guess the fact that India were involved in both of them may have played a part in the ICC's decision, due to more favourable starting time in the subcontinent.

pretty sure when there is time lost to rain that the Australian games start at 10:00 the next day
Seems like England never push the games earlier

 

[Eelectrica]

I love all the rule changes England suddenly want. Perhaps we could send T-Boon. All kinds of wacky rule changes coming. Introduce England to wonders of TopBall!

Baggers would have had the rain situation handled with a network of umbrella's tied together. Or get a giant umbrella that's big enough to cover the playing area. Have like, giant poles to hold it up. You could build a moat around the field for all the water to run off. The players could cross a bridge to get onto the field.
Also if the ball goes in the moat, it's 6 and out.

 

[Showtime]

 

[Eelectrica]

I'm starting to feel a bit sorry for England. They deserve a trophy... I know! They could get a trophy for being the worlds greatest whingers!
I'm sure that will cheer them up. If not, at least we tried.

 

[bazza]

I'm starting to feel a bit sorry for England. They deserve a trophy... I know! They could get a trophy for being the worlds greatest whingers!
I'm sure that will cheer them up. If not, at least we tried.

if only they had a trophy for the team that "feels like" they won the most

 

[undertaker]

pretty sure when there is time lost to rain that the Australian games start at 10:00 the next day
Seems like England never push the games earlier

That's correct, tests in Australia start half an hour earlier the following day when time lost to rain occurs, whereas in England, that half an hour extra time is tacked onto the end of the first and second sessions.

 

[undertaker]

Btw, Mike Hunt didn't happen to also be the groundsman at Old Trafford by any chance:

 

[undertaker]

Wonder how bazball will go in the ashes down under, in a couple of years time?

A seaming Gabba? Two pink ball tests?

Don't think the bazball approach will work on Australian grounds with longer boundaries.

Even though the ropes have been brought in a fair bit compared to what they were when they became mandatory in 2001, many of the 6s this Ashes series that have just cleared the rope by no more than a few metres would be caught by the fielder on the boundary in Australia

 

[undertaker]

 

[The Mad Hatter]

 

[undertaker]

Suck shit Piers


View attachment 77246

 

[hineyrulz]

 

[undertaker]

He was going to bowl first in this test, merkin is cooked. Time for the people in charge to make some big boy decisions. His bowling now is also suffering.

I know this may not be popular with many of the Aussie fans after the events which occurred 5 years ago, but I'd have no issue if Smith was reinstated as captain (considering there's no one else at the moment that's knocking down the doors as a serious contender for the position). How much longer Smith wants to play on for is another question though, as there have been rumours circulating about his retirement over the past 12 months.

During the recent tour of India, I noticed a very obvious change in body language and team spirit among the other Aussie players throughout the remainder of the Indian tour when Smith filled in as captain after Cummins went back to Australia. Smith is better at the micro-managing aspect of captaincy on-field compared to Cummins.

This was always one of the risks choosing a bowler, let alone a fast bowler, as captain: the work overload.

I just took a look at the upcoming schedule in the World Test Championship and after the completion of this Ashes series, we've got a very lean 16 months of test cricket, playing only 7 test matches: 3 home tests vs Pakistan, 2 home tests vs West Indies and 2 away tests vs New Zealand - three series that we should win. That's all the test cricket Australia will be playing. So with that schedule in mind, I can see the selectors persisting with Cummins against those lighter-weight teams (no offense).

The litmus test for Cummins' captaincy though (assuming he's still captain by then) will be the 2024/25 home series vs India, which will be ten years since we last won a home series vs India, when Smith filled in as captain after Michael Clarke got injured during the first test (we lost the subsequent 2018/19 and 2020/21 home series under Tim Paine's captaincy). Also, that series vs India will largely determine if we qualify for the 2025 WTC Final at Lord's.