• Welcome to the Green and Gold Rugby forums. As you can see we've upgraded the forums to new software. Your old logon details should work, just click the 'Login' button in the top right.

Ashes 2019

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
Fielding has been way down this test bar Bancroft’s grab. Where we were head and shoulders above everyone else in the 2000s we’ve come back to the field.

That aside, if we can get a roll on we could win amazing Adelaide style. 2-0 up would be massive. We’d only need a draw to retain the Ashes which would probably be the greatest victory this decade given the context.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
Still right in this. A few wickets in the first session will make that England change room a bit nervous. I think they should go for broke in the first hour and see if they can knock England over by lunch or the first hour thereafter. If we're chasing too much then shut up shop and reload for the next test.

The opening pair will need to change for the next test I think. We need to see off that new ball and not rely on Smith (and often Head) to rescue us, because at some point in the series one of those blokes is going to get a good one early and we're 3/30.
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
We just need to win one more now to retain the Ashes. Well played by Labuschagne and Head but if Smith is out next test we really need Warner to fire.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
We just need to win one more now to retain the Ashes. Well played by Labuschagne and Head but if Smith is out next test we really need Warner to fire.


In 10 tests in England, Warner averages 30 and has a top score of 85.

I'd love for him to score a century in the next test but his record in England doesn't really provide much reassurance that it's just a matter of time before he makes runs.
 

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
So Leeds next. Apparently one of the fastest pitches in the world? Pattinson back in or Starc? Or both?
 

barbarian

Phil Kearns (64)
Staff member
We were a bit fortunate to escape with the draw. Our non-Smith batting continues to struggle, but the really annoying part of this test was our fielding. We dropped at least four simple chances, a couple of which cost us in a big way.

If Khawaja holds onto his chance, we get Burns early and there is a chance we roll them for under 200. Same goes for Warner and Stokes in the second dig. The game was there to be won but we didn't take the chances we had.

I'd be giving Peter Siddle a rest and bringing in Starc or Pattinson for Leeds. I'd also think about bringing Marcus Harris in for Bancroft, though with Smith likely out I suspect the selectors will opt for continuity where they can.
 

Brumby Runner

David Wilson (68)
Continuity with players severely out of form just doesn't seem right to me Barbs. Warner and Bancroft have been truly out of sorts, and one at least needs to go from the team for Leeds. Khawaja is also out of sorts, but has the class to come good at any time. Despite his century in the first test, Wade does not look like a test batsman to me.

Before the first test, I was querying the relative form of players like Bancroft and Wade in SS and county cricket against the incumbent test players in form against Sri Lanka. Nothing has made me change my mind.

For Leeds, either Harris or Burns has to replace Bancroft (notwithstanding the love Langer has for his WA mate), Smith will have to be replaced and Labuschagne should come in after his effort last night together together with his ability to bowl into the footsteps outside the LHers off stump. Personally, I'd also bring Patterson in for Wade.

Lyon suffered by not having footprints to bowl at and that might bring Starc into the equation. Otherwise, I believe Starc and Pattinson are competing for the one spot and Siddle and Hazelwood are competing for another. Cummins needs to play every test he is fit for. Hazelwood must stay for Leeds and that means Siddle drops out.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Stats after two tests:

Batters:
Smith 378 @ 126 - high score 144, 2 100s, 1 50
Labuschagne 59 @ 59 - high score 59, 1 50
Head 135 @ 45, high score 51, 1 50
Wade 118 @ 29.5, high score 110, 1 100
Khawaja 91 @ 22.75, high score 40
Paine 66 @ 16.50, high score 34
Bancroft 44 @ 11, high score 16
Warner 18 @ 4.5, high score 8

Bowlers:
Cummins 13 wickets @ 16.30. Econ 2.56, Super Rugby 38
Lyon 12 @ 27.58. Econ 3.03, Super Rugby 54.5
Hazlewood 3 @ 33.66. Econ 2.88, Super Rugby 70
Siddle 5 @ 36.40, Econ 2.71, Super Rugby 80.4
Pattinson 2 @ 55.50, Econ 3.17, Super Rugby 105
 

Tex

John Thornett (49)
When the English were hyping up Archer I thought meh, there's pace bowlers who've hit 150-155 for years, he's nothing special. But fuck he was impressive. I watched his spell to Smith and it was some pretty scary stuff. I guess it's one thing to be excited for express pace when the bowler is on your team, totally another when he's whipping it in against your batsmen.

Love it.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
One of the openers needs to go I think. Move Ussie up to open and bring Marnus in at 3. If Smith doesn't play, then it's Harris to open and Marnus at 4.
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
A few interesting ICC player rating statistics:

Smith has now moved back to 2nd in the ICC test batting rankings after only 2 matches back. He's only 9 points behind Kohli who is currently at 922. Remember Smith has the 2nd highest ever rating behind Bradman and it will be interesting to see if he can surpass his former highest points tally.

Pat Cummins is clear at the top of the bowling rankings by 63 points and now has the 5th highest rating for a bowler ever. I'm not sure I really appreciated just how good he was until this series. He's also 5th on the all-rounder ratings (these are very weighted towards bowlers who can bat a bit though).
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
He's also 5th on the all-rounder ratings (these are very weighted towards bowlers who can bat a bit though).


The all rounder ratings are weighted equally between batting and bowling. You multiply the batting and bowling ratings then divide by 1000.

You just aren't going to end up with a decent rating if you are terrible at one of them.
 

barbarian

Phil Kearns (64)
Staff member
Is anyone else a tiny bit worried about Smith? You just hope he can brush the Archer bouncer off and keep plundering runs at a historic rate, but.......

There's a small chance that this incident worms into his head and the short ball becomes a problem. It's a small chink in the armour but it's enough to get him out once, then twice, and all of a sudden he's not the batsman he was.
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
The all rounder ratings are weighted equally between batting and bowling. You multiply the batting and bowling ratings then divide by 1000.

You just aren't going to end up with a decent rating if you are terrible at one of them.
Interesting. The top 20 all-rounders appears to be heavily stacked with those who are bowlers but can bat a bit. Maybe a reflection of the improvement in tail-enders in the modern era.

Re Smith: that ball that hit him on the elbow was the real problem imo. He said that his forward defensive shots were hurting him which is why he started having more of a go. On the mental side of things I don’t think much gets in his head, when you see him out there he’s almost in a dream world just doing his own thing. I’m also sure at first opportunity he’ll have the bowling machine cranked up at full blast aiming missiles at his head for 12 hours. Might just be wishful thinking on my part, though.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Interesting. The top 20 all-rounders appears to be heavily stacked with those who are bowlers but can bat a bit. Maybe a reflection of the improvement in tail-enders in the modern era.


From the All Rounders
1. Jason Holder - batting 571, bowling 770
2. Shakib Al Hasan - batting 604, bowling 662
3. Ravindra Jadeja - batting 488, bowling 794
4. Ben Stokes - batting 625, bowling 588
5. Pat Cummins - batting 371, bowling 914

I guess the way the rating system works if you don't really get much of a bowling ranking if you are a part timer and rarely bowl/take wickets.

Cummins is by far the worst batter on that list. The other guys all average over 30. Al Hasan almost average 40.
 
Top