Ashes 2025-26.

[backfootpunch]

Ah well

At least the second test isnt at the gabba with the pink ball and australias best bowler returning

Oh wait...

[andy]

Cummins now rated 50/50 for the next test...they know they don't need to rush him now they can beat us easily without him!!!

[sussexpob]

I was really referring to the 7 year period hes been in the England team, maybe there hasn't been anyone obvious out there, but is he fortunate that England has gone through a dearth of quality openers in the county game, I don't know. As I said haven't been feeling the game for a long time so I'm a bit clueless with who's been out there in the past 5 or so years. Wasn't he a number 6 when he was first selected and somehow found his way to the top of the order, All I know is is his technique doesn't suit an openers, zero fiot movement when the ball is new. But I guess maybe he suits the way test cricket is now played under McCullum, smash it if you feel comfortable.

Face that fits, isnt it. McCullum even went as far as to say he didn't need to regularly score, and that he was there for his one off match winning ability. One gets the feeling that England's management at this point stick with him out of dogmatic insistence they made a good decision, more than anything. I think they hoped with unlimited chances he'd grow into the role, but the basic answer to that is he hasnt.

I think he benefitted a lot from the years before he came into the side where we couldn't buy an opener. But really at this stage he's had the most chances, and he's not done any better.

[alfie]

Well that was horrible. I mean , fair play to Travis Head , was a brilliant innings and sometimes you just have to tip your hat to someone who was just too good on the day... but it was what went before that really disappointed.

Not that I was altogether surprised , as I don't think this England batting outfit are (a) nearly as good as they think they are ; and (b) incapable of batting time when the situation demands it. But at lunch , with nine in hand , a lead of a hundred , and Duckett and Pope mostly playing without too many risks , I had begun to hope they might get through that next hour , as the pitch flattened out ...and then likely go on to setting a really tough target - plus giving the bowlers a decent rest for once. But then ... bang bang bang and five go down in twenty minutes and Australia go from nearly on their knees to strutting around cocky again ...

And further , we see how daft the failure to just soak up a few quiet overs was because Carse and Atkinson are able to take advantage of the pitch going to sleep and the ball getting older - so much so that Smith resorts to scattering his fielders to the boundary and hoping for an error : make no mistake , the Aussies were rattled , even with 7 down : imagine how they'd have felt had , say , Brook and Stokes been at the crease at that time ? What is wrong with blocking a few balls , leaving a few balls , letting the bowlers tire themselves out before resuming the assault ? A huge chance frittered away.

As for the attempted defence of 204 , I am still very disappointed with the way they fell apart under the Head onslaught. In the first innings , they bowled well to Head , leading to his dismissal basically from frustration. This time around , they lost heads and line and length and looked beaten a long way from time. Some excuse in that they had once again been given scant rest after their first innings labours ; but still I would have expected better. Archer was a shadow of his first innings self , Wood was all over the place instead of the mean machine ; and the others really couldn't make any impact - far too much short stuff , often ill directed. As I say , Head was great and it is hard to stop someone in "the zone" like that ; but the loss of any control so quickly was alarming.

So is there any way back after this ? Pretty hard to see , with a pink ball game up next - and no obvious ways to tweak this XI , given the scarcity of batting options. They did bounce back well at home last Ashes ; but doing so in Australia seems another order of difficulty. I will continue to hope , as I think we saw vulnerabilities in this Australian team that really should have been exploited instead of gifting them a lifeline they were only too ready to seize. But I won't be putting any money on a swift comeback I'm afraid - this one has shattered my confidence so heaven knows what it will have done to the players....

At least you fellows can get a decent night's sleep now for extra days

[Arthur Crabtree]

This is the England Lions team.

Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Jordan Cox, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Nathan Gilchrist, Tom Hartley, Tom Haines, Josh Hull, Eddie Jack, Ben Kellaway, Tom Lawes, Ben McKinney, Matthew Revis, James Rew, Thomas Rew, Mitchell Stanley, Asa Tribe.

Presumably England's next batters are in among this lot. Can't see them going back to Sibley or Haseeb, who both scored well last season.

Despite all previous evidence, I don't expect they will persevere with Crawley's failures much longer. At least beyond the end of the series.

[andy]

Rather worriyngly.i can see bethell being brought into open

[Slipstream]

This is the England Lions team.

Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Jordan Cox, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Nathan Gilchrist, Tom Hartley, Tom Haines, Josh Hull, Eddie Jack, Ben Kellaway, Tom Lawes, Ben McKinney, Matthew Revis, James Rew, Thomas Rew, Mitchell Stanley, Asa Tribe.

Presumably England's next batters are in among this lot. Can't see them going back to Sibley or Haseeb, who both scored well last season.

Despite all previous evidence, I don't expect they will persevere with Crawley's failures much longer. At least beyond the end of the series.

Ben McKinney

[Durhamfootman]

Wonder where it leaves their plans for the series. I guess they won't adapt their tactics.

I shouldn't think so. They'll have this down as a really good idea, poorly executed. They might even be right, but this was a test they absolutely had to win if they wanted any chance of a competitive series. Pink ball under lights, which they almost never play apart from Australia every 4 years, at the Gabbatoir, graveyard of England batters and against perhaps the best pink ball exponent anywhere in Mitchell Starc. 2-0 down after 2 and the series becomes a question of how many will they lose by. They had to win here, it was their best chance of actually winning a test in Australia for 14 years and they didn't even come close despite skittling Australia for 132 in the first innings

I don't suppose it matters what they do now, as long as they bat better

[Durhamfootman]

And how the hell has Zach Crawley played 59 tests

that first ball boundary off Cummins at Edgbaston and probably only that

intent, you see.... that's all it takes to get a pair in Australia

[Durhamfootman]

This is the England Lions team.

Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Jordan Cox, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Nathan Gilchrist, Tom Hartley, Tom Haines, Josh Hull, Eddie Jack, Ben Kellaway, Tom Lawes, Ben McKinney, Matthew Revis, James Rew, Thomas Rew, Mitchell Stanley, Asa Tribe.

Presumably England's next batters are in among this lot. Can't see them going back to Sibley or Haseeb, who both scored well last season.

Despite all previous evidence, I don't expect they will persevere with Crawley's failures much longer. At least beyond the end of the series.

Ben McKinney

I thought when Durham signed 2 top order bats ahead of the county season it was because they thought McKinney was quite possibly going to end up replacing Crawley at some point in the home test series earlier this year.

[Durhamfootman]

G'day chaps. I trust everyone is well. I'm still kicking. I must admit, I do love the Ashes. Many fond memories over the years. I can't believe that Harmlesson first ball was nearly 20 years ago. Anyway, the First Test didn't last long. I was hoping for at least a three day game. How good is Travis Head? Looking forward to the rest of the series. I'll be sure to stick my nose in here over the next couple of months. I am a little worried about the Oz batting giving how thin our ranks are at domestic level. I'd love another sweep, but I'll settle for a series win one way or the other.

Hi Buddy

keep buggering on as Churchill used to say

[Arthur Crabtree]

I read they had a 2 day DN game scheduled before the second Test to practice under lights but have cancelled it.

[Durhamfootman]

That test match was another example of why I have little interest in cricket these days.

stick with Auf Wiedersehen Pet...... you know it makes sense

nice to hear from you again

[Arthur Crabtree]

I read they had a 2 day DN game scheduled before the second Test to practice under lights but have cancelled it.

Lions are going to play it instead!

[Durhamfootman]

well, you can't accuse them of not preparing properly

They clearly don't care about any outside noise, or they'd be wary of the reaction to that should they lose the second test.... especially if they lose it as badly as they did the first

maybe half the lions side are going to be drafted into the test side and they don't want it to get out?