Ashes 2025-26 Fantasy League.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Now I'm back with our popular new feature, the isolated scores...

This time I'm reporting from Melbourne, which has been a settlement for 40,000 years. Today it is known for its laid back bohemian vibe and the neo-hippie vegan scenesters. It's another Australian city named after a British aristocrat or their foreign wife- Henry William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. But it's changed considerably since those days.

We're struggling for local heroes, but Scott Boland is from Mordialloc, formerly called Moody Yallock, which is a beach resort on the outskirts of the city. It has a population of 8886, as of the 2021 census.

Arthur...509

Red...469
alfie...455
gingerpele...442
bfl...440
mike...423

Durham...379
Junior...372
andy...365
sussex...364
Prof...358
Twins...350
GJ...348

A major shock with the number one spot. But I rechecked it and the total refused to budge.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Now the all important overall scores after the Fourth Test at the MCG. And it's looking like game over at the top. Unless Mitch2 steps on a cricket ball.


bfl...3157

mike...2896
Red...2841
Arthur...2715
Prof...2625
Twins...2648
gingerpele...2574

Junior...2496
andy...2448
alfie...2435
GJ...2347
Durham...2012

sussex...1979

See you next week for the final Test in Sydney.

[bigfluffylemon]

Looking like mine to lose. I'm sure I'll contrive to somehow. I expect Starc to step on a cricket ball any time now.

[GarlicJam]

I see that you were given Google for Christmas, Arthur, and are making good use of it.

As a former resident of Melbourne, I feel the need to arc up at your description of Mordialloc as a resort, as well as being on the outskirts.

A snippet of info that you might want to squirrel way for 4 years or so: Melbourne had the original white name of Batmania, and was also called Bearbrass. The indigenous name for the area was/is Naarm.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Good stuff. I saw the indigenous names but completely missed out on Batmania.

But haven't used google for about 20 years! Knowingly...

[GarlicJam]

Of course. I did know that. My apologies.

John Batman was the man who settled/claimed the area. He and Fawlkner sailed from Launceston

[Arthur Crabtree]

Poor Batman. But what chance do you have against a tie and a crest? Melbourne it is.

[alfie]

I see that you were given Google for Christmas, Arthur, and are making good use of it.

As a former resident of Melbourne, I feel the need to arc up at your description of Mordialloc as a resort, as well as being on the outskirts.

A snippet of info that you might want to squirrel way for 4 years or so: Melbourne had the original white name of Batmania, and was also called Bearbrass. The indigenous name for the area was/is Naarm.

Yes I think resort would be rather stretching it for Mordialloc... and it really isn't far down the highway from here in Elwood. I used to play for Mordialloc back in the last century and recall that the main ground was quite a nice arena , though the pitch tended to be rather sadly flat and slow so not conducive to exciting cricket. Also the bizarre situation in which the practice nets were situated at the bottom of a grassy hill so that any of us with aspirations of bowling off a normal pace bowler's run up had to commence by running quite sharply downhill for several metres before flattening out for the last few steps

[Arthur Crabtree]

I admit I read 'beach town' and translated it to 'beach resort'. Though with that population, it's hardly a town.

[Durhamfootman]

given England's still disastrous series (despite the dead rubber scramble over the line) I find it rather surprising that a team comprised solely of Durham and Yorkshire players with Stokes as captain, would be 5th with 2,655 points

okay, I included Boland as the second of the reserves, even though his Durham career consisted of pulling up after his first over and then going home, but he still counts (in my head at least)

oh, and Carse would have been the highest scoring member of that team before the captaincy bonus was added, with over 600 points, whilst Root is the lowest apart from 11 over Wood and yet to play Potts

[mikesiva]

Any chance Bashir will get a game?

[Durhamfootman]

England should remind Head that he's playing for me now. That ought to get him out pretty quickly

[bigfluffylemon]

No thanks - I need Head to protect me from all the Root joker points...

[Arthur Crabtree]

Root might get some bowling also.

I'm the nearest with Root as joker, but he alone won't make up the difference.

I started out intending to pick all Aussies, but somehow ended up with only 2/5 and 3/7 and a Pom as my star player.

[andy]

Looking at the way he went off with his back I doubt he will be doing any bowling