Cricket - Matches & General Discussion Thread

Discuss cricket competitions and matches here.

Stick to the on field stuff or general discussion about competitions, etc.

If you want to discuss the racism issue at Yorkshire CCC, please use the thread below.
https://www.totalrl.com/forums/index.php?/topic/317456-cricket-yorkshire-ccc-racism/

Now, where to put the Tim Paine story ...

A B de Villiers takes the unusual step of retiring from all cricket because it’s the right time for him to do so rather than because allegations of stuff have resurfaced.

Start threads in 'the other place' for all the cruddy stuff that doesn't belong in AOB.

Keep this one about actual cricket matches that get played.

It's not that difficult.

58 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Start threads in 'the other place' for all the cruddy stuff that doesn't belong in AOB.

Keep this one about actual cricket matches that get played.

It's not that difficult.

Yes, the two above were my little joke. I apologise.

I have no real interest in why Paine has stepped down but I think it likely improves the Australia side.

And no allegations of anything, as far as I'm aware, linger around A B de Villiers who is retiring after a superb career.

5 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Yes, the two above were my little joke. I apologise.

I have no real interest in why Paine has stepped down but I think it likely improves the Australia side.

And no allegations of anything, as far as I'm aware, linger around A B de Villiers who is retiring after a superb career.

Who will be wicketkeeper and captain now?

Carey or Wade for keeper? Both would bat at 6 or 7?

Captain is tricky? Aaron Finch isn't in the test team, nor, surprisingly for me, Mitch Marsh. 

Smith or Warner look the best possible captains? But I don't know if they would be considered? 

Paine isn't the best wicketkeeper available to the Aussies, and some of the other keepers have better batting averages too. But he has been quite a calming influence on the team as captain.

14 minutes ago, Niels said:

Captain is tricky? Aaron Finch isn't in the test team, nor, surprisingly for me, Mitch Marsh. 

Smith or Warner look the best possible captains? But I don't know if they would be considered? 

Pat Cummins I would assume.

Pretty good news for australia , there are better keeper/batsmen and he had lots of help as captain if he wanted it or not . 

Ashes prediction - Australia 2-1 but could be the other way round.

If you look at the venues Adelaide - day / night Game, Melbourne - 4 Seasons in a day, Hobart - Bellerieve Oval bang on the Derwent River and also day / night. So at least three venues the English attack should be able to get the ball to swing around.

The return of Ben Stokes  squares things up a bit as a technically correct batsman and a fourth seamer who can bowl a "heavy" ball. England do have a punchers chance against a good but not great Australian team who at home are good front runners but not so hot if things do not go to plan.

And the forecast is rain in Brisbane, so maybe England will not be 1-0 down at the Gabbatoir. That said Englands batters need to be able to put a score on the board for the team to be competitive.

Ashes series can make players careers but they can also break them and there will be casualties after this series whose opportunities may become very limited in future.

A mate told me the Ashes start tomorrow morning which was news to me. With not having Sky or BT Sports i have heard nothing about it. 

I really have no idea how the Ashes will play out this time around. Okay, Australian home crowds and advantage, yes, but neither side seem clear favourites or whipping boys yet.

1 hour ago, Futtocks said:

I really have no idea how the Ashes will play out this time around. Okay, Australian home crowds and advantage, yes, but neither side seem clear favourites or whipping boys yet.

My reading is that England need to play very well and get a bit of luck. Australia can regress to their average and they’ll be fine.

Australia to sew the series up before the last test.

2010-11 was an anomaly , we’ve struggled  like heck for 30 years there to the extent where winning a Test is a massive achievement . Our form has been average and lots of focus is on our attack in Australian conditions … but our problem in recent times is getting the runs on the board to begin with . Our line up looks juicy if youre Cummins , Hazelwood etc . Big series for Root the batsman and Root the captain ( called totally unimaginative by Ian Chappell ). We’re putting store in the d/ n games but even so id go 3-0 / 3-1 at a push 

4-0 to England 

1 hour ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

4-0 to England 

Mr McGrath, you're looking in the mirror again!

And it’s over after the first delivery...good night.

11-3. Even the commentators seem to be drifting.

11 hours ago, Futtocks said:

I really have no idea how the Ashes will play out this time around. Okay, Australian home crowds and advantage, yes, but neither side seem clear favourites or whipping boys yet.

Well, now we know. 147 all out is going to break the TRL swear filter.

1 hour ago, Futtocks said:

Well, now we know. 147 all out is going to break the TRL swear filter.

As ever, it's more "147 like that" rather than it just being 147.

I look forward to the first correspondent positing that they were "distracted by domestic issues".

Starting half an hour earlier tomorrow.

I guess that may help England's bowlers a bit?

147. If only we were playing snooker!

Getting pegged by a leg stump half volley will be added to the list of calamitous Ashes first balls . Every other one has set the tone for what’s to follow 

It was nice to see a bit of optimism up-thread. Other forums I frequent seem to be debating whether we can snatch a draw in one of the games and make it 4-0 rather than 5-0.

It did feel like England had mentally written off this game before the start - wonder what Broad and Anderson would have made of the fairly green-looking, not entirely typical Gabba wicket today.

Yawn.