Feeling a lot more positive about our chances after seeing their squad and Cook/Stoneman in the runs. Will defo be stopping up for the first session on Wednesday night now
Feeling a lot more positive about our chances after seeing their squad and Cook/Stoneman in the runs. Will defo be stopping up for the first session on Wednesday night now
I remember Cook and Carberry scoring big tons in the 2013 warm up games. It didn't do us any good when the real action started :-(
In 2011? we had 2 'stickers' in Cook and Trott - both these 2 scored big runs and tired the bowlers out - we need 2 to do the same regularly this time, and the only 2 I can see doing it are Cook and Root - if they fail, we are in big sh1t.
Feeling a lot more positive about our chances after seeing their squad and Cook/Stoneman in the runs. Will defo be stopping up for the first session on Wednesday night now
Glad you said that, I had it in my mind it was Thursday night. Even sooner. Brilliant!!!
In 2011? we had 2 'stickers' in Cook and Trott - both these 2 scored big runs and tired the bowlers out - we need 2 to do the same regularly this time, and the only 2 I can see doing it are Cook and Root - if they fail, we are in big sh1t.
Shhh it's a secret! If the convicts find out how weak our top order is we're finished. Careless talk and all that Pres.
Feeling a lot more positive about our chances after seeing their squad and Cook/Stoneman in the runs. Will defo be stopping up for the first session on Wednesday night now
Glad you said that, I had it in my mind it was Thursday night. Even sooner. Brilliant!!!
Would it not be better to say Thursday morning as the match doesn't start 'til 00.00 GMT on Thursday? Unless you count the toss and preamble as part of the start of the Ashes of course,
Feeling a lot more positive about our chances after seeing their squad and Cook/Stoneman in the runs. Will defo be stopping up for the first session on Wednesday night now
Glad you said that, I had it in my mind it was Thursday night. Even sooner. Brilliant!!!
Would it not be better to say Thursday morning as the match doesn't start 'til 00.00 GMT on Thursday? Unless you count the toss and preamble as part of the start of the Ashes of course,
Well yes of course the preamble counts. I thought that was on Thursday night with the match starting at midnight (Friday). Anyway the preamble on BBC Radio5LiveXtra starts at 6.30pm on Wednesday. That's a lot of preamble!
I remember 24 Nov 2010, my wife went into labour with our first child about 5 am. Duly delivered early afternoon and mother and child kept in hospital overnight.
Excellent I thought, I can listen to the first test on the radio - programme started about 10 pm Listened to all the chat, the toss and even heard the openers strolling out to the wicket. Woke up about 7:30 am without hearing a ball bowled.
Budget on Wednesday afternoon, so I'm hoping I'll be able to get a few hours kip whilst Hammond is droning on and so can stay up into the wee hours a little later on.
I know these things are always highly subjective but that side is very questionable to say the least.
Anderson over Trueman, Snow or Willis? He has a ton of wickets but that's not to say he was a better bowler.
Border was a great player but spent the first eight years of his Test career getting battered by England before the tide turned in 1989.
If you are going to look back to Jack Hobbs then you'd be hard pushed to select Border over the great Walter Hammond (average 58.8 from 85 Tests), Denis Compton (average 50 from 70 Tests) or Len Hutton (average 56.6 from 79 Tests) or even Graham Gooch (average 49 from 119 Tests).
Four Englishmen is too light and Gilchrist is basically getting picked for his batting rather than his keeping which was no more than adequate, not in the same class as many 'specialist' keepers including Knott and Healy.
Great post. Only thing I will dispute is the wicket keeper issue. There is no greater fan than me of Knotty - he was one of my heroes growing up. However, in picking the side, I had to consider not only the massive impact that Gilchrist had batting at 7 but also the fact that keeping is all about the relationship that the keeper has with the bowler, something that is far more relevant when standing up to spin.
In this respect, Gilchrist knew Warne inside out. Had I picked Underwood as the spinner then, for the same reason, it would have been Knotty.
Snow wasn't even on the list of options as far as I could see!
That's a travesty if true given his contribution in 1971 in particular.
Is it me, or do these Ashes not seem to have the same intensity as usual? or is it the BT effect?
Would love to see the number of BT Sport subs against the number of Sky Sports subs.
With cricket having been scooped up by Sky in recent years, clearly a number of cricket lovers will have gone down the Sky route and are annoyed that they don't have access, but I think Sky subscribers sometimes overestimate the number of people with Sky sports subscriptions which is still pretty small.
If there's a difference this Ashes, it's that there are no separate terrestrial highlights coverage, which gives added publicity and interest.
Could only find some viewership numbers from the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
It shows that Sky Sports average daily viewership (in 000s) per channel is as follows:
& that BT Sport average daily viewership (in 000s) per channel is as follows:
All of BTs sport channels combined come to less than two thirds of the viewership of Sky Sports Main Event channel (where presumably the Ashes would've been shown) and only just over half of the viewership of Sky Sports News where there would've been round the clock updates from training camps etc and a little "countdown to the Ashes" clock in the corner, probably.
I'm on ee and didn't get that text... I shall investigate. Cant speak for others, but I'm excited, and so are my colleagues who like cricket... But there is no sense it's happening from most at my work, so it has yet to catch the public mood. I doubt it will either seeing as it's overnight. Interest like 2005 i doubt will happen again... But as I said I can't wait for this series to start. My favourite sporting contest by far.
I think have a chance. For us to do well one or two of our fringe players must have an exceptional tour. Stoneman, Vince or Malan with the bat and Woakes or Ball with the ball.
The Aussies have weaknesses we can exploit. An opener with no test matches behind him is a big call and a risk in an ashes series no matter what form he is in. If we can expose Smith early and get one of him and Warner out cheaply early on it'll put us on the front foot. Marsh and Paine at 6 and 7 is a seriously poor lower order and effectively starts the tail early. The lack of a 5th bowler is a risk (especially with Cummins injury record) if we can target one bowler and milk them for a few they will have to overbowl their quicks in long spells which seriously dents their potency. If Lyon goes for a few they will be worried.
Paine's keeping is another weakness. I don't care how good a gloveman he is in theory. He hasn't kept in a match for a while (3 games in 2 years) if we keep them in the field for a long period I'll be we will see errors from him.
Basically both sides have strong players and weak links. The team that wins will be the one that exploits the others weaknesses best and who's fringe players put on the best show.
I know these things are always highly subjective but that side is very questionable to say the least.
Anderson over Trueman, Snow or Willis? He has a ton of wickets but that's not to say he was a better bowler.
Border was a great player but spent the first eight years of his Test career getting battered by England before the tide turned in 1989.
If you are going to look back to Jack Hobbs then you'd be hard pushed to select Border over the great Walter Hammond (average 58.8 from 85 Tests), Denis Compton (average 50 from 70 Tests) or Len Hutton (average 56.6 from 79 Tests) or even Graham Gooch (average 49 from 119 Tests).
Four Englishmen is too light and Gilchrist is basically getting picked for his batting rather than his keeping which was no more than adequate, not in the same class as many 'specialist' keepers including Knott and Healy.
Great post. Only thing I will dispute is the wicket keeper issue. There is no greater fan than me of Knotty - he was one of my heroes growing up. However, in picking the side, I had to consider not only the massive impact that Gilchrist had batting at 7 but also the fact that keeping is all about the relationship that the keeper has with the bowler, something that is far more relevant when standing up to spin.
In this respect, Gilchrist knew Warne inside out. Had I picked Underwood as the spinner then, for the same reason, it would have been Knotty.
Snow wasn't even on the list of options as far as I could see!
That's a travesty if true given his contribution in 1971 in particular.
The whole thing was stupid Len. You couldn't pick two spinners if you wanted to. You had to, as in Sports Personality of The Year, go with the BBC's nominations.
Their tail may start early, but Cummins, Starc and Lyon can all bat and bat quickly, so we have to be careful of that
True. But taking a team from 4 down to 6 down quickly is the beat way to kill them off.
I don't get the selection of Paine but the Marsh selection baffles me even more. If you're gonna pick someone who can't bat at 6/7 they might as well be able to bowl.
I like a born optimist @cantersaddick! Nice analysis though. Hope the trains are in your favour today.
I wouldnt say I was that optimistic about our chances to be honest. I've said further up I expect us to lose but I don't except it to be a battering and we will win one test.
My hopes have risen with the Australian squad announcement and as the series has neared causing my excitement to grow. Could go either way.
I think we have a chance but the Aussies will edge it 2-1.
Thanks. Back to the usual 10 min delay which I can deal with.
still amazed there are no terrestrial highlights (C5 @ 7pm each night for an hour would do nicely!).
for that reason + the fact sky basically don't acknowledge it's even happening due to not having the rights, it won't particularly take off amongst the average bloke who doesn't mind cricket. 30 second snippets on the main news each night will have to do.
Comments
I remember 24 Nov 2010, my wife went into labour with our first child about 5 am.
Duly delivered early afternoon and mother and child kept in hospital overnight.
Excellent I thought, I can listen to the first test on the radio - programme started about 10 pm
Listened to all the chat, the toss and even heard the openers strolling out to the wicket.
Woke up about 7:30 am without hearing a ball bowled.
That's a travesty if true given his contribution in 1971 in particular.
If there's a difference this Ashes, it's that there are no separate terrestrial highlights coverage, which gives added publicity and interest.
Could only find some viewership numbers from the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
It shows that Sky Sports average daily viewership (in 000s) per channel is as follows:
& that BT Sport average daily viewership (in 000s) per channel is as follows:
All of BTs sport channels combined come to less than two thirds of the viewership of Sky Sports Main Event channel (where presumably the Ashes would've been shown) and only just over half of the viewership of Sky Sports News where there would've been round the clock updates from training camps etc and a little "countdown to the Ashes" clock in the corner, probably.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/42056362
I’m like a lot of others are not confident of our chances, but I really hope crap like this spurs the England side on.
The Aussies have weaknesses we can exploit. An opener with no test matches behind him is a big call and a risk in an ashes series no matter what form he is in. If we can expose Smith early and get one of him and Warner out cheaply early on it'll put us on the front foot. Marsh and Paine at 6 and 7 is a seriously poor lower order and effectively starts the tail early. The lack of a 5th bowler is a risk (especially with Cummins injury record) if we can target one bowler and milk them for a few they will have to overbowl their quicks in long spells which seriously dents their potency. If Lyon goes for a few they will be worried.
Paine's keeping is another weakness. I don't care how good a gloveman he is in theory. He hasn't kept in a match for a while (3 games in 2 years) if we keep them in the field for a long period I'll be we will see errors from him.
Basically both sides have strong players and weak links. The team that wins will be the one that exploits the others weaknesses best and who's fringe players put on the best show.
I don't get the selection of Paine but the Marsh selection baffles me even more. If you're gonna pick someone who can't bat at 6/7 they might as well be able to bowl.
My hopes have risen with the Australian squad announcement and as the series has neared causing my excitement to grow. Could go either way.
I think we have a chance but the Aussies will edge it 2-1.
Thanks. Back to the usual 10 min delay which I can deal with.
for that reason + the fact sky basically don't acknowledge it's even happening due to not having the rights, it won't particularly take off amongst the average bloke who doesn't mind cricket. 30 second snippets on the main news each night will have to do.