Extraordinary stat courtesy of the commentary. 10 times in the last year that England have failed to bat past 40 overs in Tests. I can’t have heard that right, surely
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It sounds right.
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Ok, new theory: England’s players hate McCullum and are trying to bring his reign to premature end.
It’s the only explanation.
Aus setting the field back for Atkinson to get Tongue on strike. All well and good when the good batter is a belter but you’ve got Brook, Stokes, Root et al out for less than 90. Just bowl normally to Atkinson and he’ll likely get one with his name on it as well. They’re letting England chip away with no jeopardy.
Yep
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Why have a pitch like this? I cannot understand it from any number of perspectives - commercial, spectacle nor spirit. Ultimately, is it even a Test, or is it that neither team can bat?
Bit of both. I remember Durban in the 90’s being a green mamba of note. Cricketers of today have a different approach to Test Cricket; always on the go at the ball which is probably a result of the shorter formats having become ubiquitous over the last 15 years. Therefore when they’re up against it with the ball moving and seaming they just can’t help themselves. Brooke 41 at much more than a run a ball to ultimately not really benefit the team total whereas Geoffrey Boycott, for example, would have batted all day on this, I’m sure. For the same score, maybe, but still.
Pitches that offer assistance suddenly become unplayable to batting line ups. I feel that more application is probably the key asset missing in a lot of batters.
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But why have these pitches? Tests are supposed to last 5 days but we could be see a scenario where a 5 Test series is concluded in under 20 days… I wonder if the broadcasting groups have tailored the contract accordingly. I guess the players don’t care and the grounds themselves also as it is money for nothing…
We will probably have about 17 of a possible 25 days.
I don’t think that’s what the authorities and advertisers want.
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The main difference, of course, being that the Aussies would spend longer in the field with the bowlers having to work a lot harder than just 30 overs, which might benefit England later in the game.
It wouldn’t surprise me now to see Australia buckle down and bat long and deep to really grind England into the dust.
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Yeah, that’s exactly what I predict.
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I think you are being a little harsh on Green. He has been shuffled around the batting order like a bowl of condoms at a swingers party.
Hadds hit the nail on the head after the Adelaide test, the selectors need to pick a spot for him and give him a run of 10-12 tests in that spot in the batting line up.
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But that’s what I’m trying to say. These types of pitches were not uncommon back in the day and while Test Matches lasting 3 days weren’t unheard of either, application of Test Cricket just is different. To me, at least. Some of these wickets today, nibbles to balls on 6th stump, Root advancing to dab at one, expansive drives through the gate or nicking off. Can’t blame the pitch for that.
You mention broadcasters. It’s the nature of the offering that everyone is looking for all action days of cricket. This is a grind of a pitch to get to 200/4,5 or 6 by end of the days play but lets face it, nobody really wants to see that anymore.
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It isn’t the pitches that have been the issue so far this Ashes series. It is the batsmen not being able to actually bat with a plan and build an innings by seeing off the new ball, getting settled and adjust to the conditions.
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Exactly. All the talk around cricket is moving the game forward quickly during the game. Bowling the Aussies out for 150 odd is a great effort. Being 60 or 70 for no loss at the end of that session would have been an absolute bargain for England but they went hell for leather, again, and limp off 46 behind. Fuck me.
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I would drop Brook for being a brainless idiot. Almost
Ike he was trying to stick two fingers up to the critics with that shot to Starc.
I am a McCullum supporter but the lack of discipline is making me think he needs to go.
And it’s not hard. They bowl line and we spray it about. They get 150 and we get 100.
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I agree on the whole but the quality is what it is and it is supposed to be a 5 day game, win loose or (is it even allowed a) draw, and people and companies pay for it…
This wicket specifically comes more to the point than maybe the other wickets so far. The series is won. There was plenty of time to prepare and fine tune the wicket. This wicket is a bit of a “we want to rub your faces in it” type of a wicket rather than a sporting wicket that will produce a Test spectacle and may back fire.
I’m not that fussed with cricket anymore. Ultimately, it is dying but it’s final throws are distractingly annoying.
You think so? It’s still the 2nd biggest sport in the world? People have been decrying the sport for decades. It’s changed immeasurably, that’s for sure but to say it’s dying. Phoar. Biggest Boxing Day crowd in MCG history, huge interest world wide in the Franchise T20 competitions, brilliantly supported Test Matches in most countries. That’s a pretty poor take, in all honesty.
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So maybe batsmen need to learn to value their wicket more.
The England team that won in 2010/11 in Aus would have managed to bat comfortably on all 4 of the pitches we’ve seen so far, as would the Aus team of the 2000’s because the batsmen had the discipline to not chase shots that were’nt there to be played. They also had a stronger base on the fundementals required to build an innings with the bat.
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I cannot and do not disagree. But. The change in approach may take a decade (or is it even possible?) before it can come to fruition. I put the part in parenthesis as the move to 20/20 may stymie or prohibit the possibility.