The Ashes 2023

[jazzy]

Has Stokes become the new Mike Brearley , only selected for his captaincy?

Clearly he is a very good batsman but hasn't made a score in ages and who knows when / if his knee will ever let him bowl properly again.

 

[jazzy]

Great opening day this, ebb and flow, solid followed by drama, changes in ascendancy. Just what you want.

Actually I'd prefer England to be 375 for 1

 

[Brennan]

Some of you lot aren’t half negative lol

This is on course to be the highest first innings test score for England since 2015 and aside from that since 2009.

It’s 314 for 6 right now too, not for 9

 

[Brennan]

* Make that 320

 

[Eggs]

* Make that 320

…erm, 323-7. Kiss of death

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Moen there was brainless. He's not Stuart Broad who thrashes for whatever he can get and has Joe Root in great form at the other end. At this rate he'll run out of partners and we might get 350. Seems that the approach is to whack come what may rather than use a bit of intelligence.

 

[Walken]

It appears to work and obviously is better to watch but it's not really test cricket to me.

Test cricket won't exist in 5 years unless more follow England's lead

 

[Goodison87]

Root! Magnificent…

 

[Moomin]

Test cricket won't exist in 5 years unless more follow England's lead

Imagine watching Everton win games 5-2 with all out attack football and we would still have people moaning about the defending.

 

[Connor]

Has Stokes become the new Mike Brearley , only selected for his captaincy?

Clearly he is a very good batsman but hasn't made a score in ages and who knows when / if his knee will ever let him bowl properly again.

Scored 100 last summer, few helpful scores in Pakistan when the games were racing away anyway

He’s not been needed to be the big game player in a while and he’s got plenty of leeway anyway

 

[Connor]

Don’t leave Root stranded like, lads

 

[ste d' indica]

Drat, this might fall quickly now.

 

[alwaysblue]

Test cricket won't exist in 5 years unless more follow England's lead

Spot on. I was trying to explain the test format (best format) to non Brits today. They glazed over (possibly me) and said how can it take 5 days blah blah blah. Unfortunately I don't think it's just them, youngsters must be feeling the same.

 

[Ivo]

This kind of cricket won't work every single game. No kind of cricket works every game, all teams win lose and draw.

But this cricket suits us, the last 13 games or so have produced almost complete opposite results to the previous games. We're a more successful team playing attacking cricket than we are playing defensive cricket so keep going.

Plus it's great to watch.

 

[alwaysblue]

This kind of cricket won't work every single game. No kind of cricket works every game, all teams win lose and draw.

But this cricket suits us, the last 13 games or so have produced almost complete opposite results to the previous games. We're a more successful team playing attacking cricket than we are playing defensive cricket so keep going.

Plus it's great to watch.

Exactly. Not so many years ago the wickets column would be the same but the runs would be half.