2013/14 Ashes thread

[TightEnd]

Here

http://stats.thecricketer.com/Grounds/596_t.html

77 and 05 first Ashes tests at Lords, 2nd Tests apart from that

[Karabiner]

Here

http://stats.thecricketer.com/Grounds/596_t.html

77 and 05 first Ashes tests at Lords, 2nd Tests apart from that

You must have read my mind as I was thinking back to an Ashes game that I was taken to in 1964 as a reward for caddying every Saturday for Norman Isow who owned the Soho restaurant located almost opposite Raymond's Review Bar.

I can remember looking forward to watching one of my heroes "Lord" Ted Dexter and the legendary Colin Cowdray bat but they both failed to make much impression. According to the card in that link Dexter opened and Ken Barrington batted at three although I remember it the other way around.

It was a fair while back though...

[redarmi]

Would quite like to pick Tightys brain here a bit.  When a team gets an unexpectedly low score as England did today how much of that would you typically put down to the pitch and how much is the team and the way they play.  It strikes me from a betting perspective that it is almost always the case that the market overreacts and makes the bowling team too short ie. overestimates the team factor and underestimates the pitch/conditions factor and that teams that get out for fairly low scores and generally decent value.  of course this also swims against the tide of punters on exchanges desperately trying to dump their positions on those teams.   Am I missing something?

[TightEnd]

I just posted elsewhere

"today was the worst standard of batting in 35 years of watching Test Matches"

some of it was nerves

some of it was technique

some of it I think is progressive, scoring rates rise as batsmen are attuned to one day cricket, but they play more shots. more shots=more wickets and also means more results

I reckon of the 14 wickets to go today only Root, Clarke and Rogers (unlucky) can say they were got out by great bowling/poor decisions

In terms of in play, betting markets always over-react to the most recent event

Australia go odds on at 4.30pm today, England are odds on an hour later. In practice this is a 50-50 match here, especially if England are a bowler down.

5 day tests ebb and flow and I reckon (from modest personal experience) that being contrarian at most points (going against the money) is the way to go as long as the sides are reasonably matched. These sides are reasonably matched enough because Australia have a very competitive seam attack, and a bad top six

[Evilpengwinz]

I reckon of the 14 wickets to go today only Root, Clarke and Rogers (unlucky) can say they were got out by great bowling/poor decisions

To be fair, not sure we can criticise the bowlers' shot selection, Root as you mentioned got a good delivery, and although Bairstow's dismissal didn't look great, it's understandable that he's looking to play shots when England were 7 down. No excuses for the rest of the batsmen though. Very poor batting nonetheless, and frustrating that all of the top 6 got to double figures and nobody got to 50.

First impressions of Ashton Agar? Think it's very harsh on Nathan Lyon but I like what I've seen from Agar so far. I'm quite excited to see how he performs in the 2nd innings.

[TightEnd]

Swann pops one straight to cover, Broad hits one straight in the air etc etc

Apply yourself, occupy the crease and don't give your wicket away. Quite pathetic to watch

Only Finn and Anderson are forgiven crap dismissals really on account of tailendedness


Agar is a ridiculous selection really. Lok at a transcript of Lehman's press release to explain why they selected him. they issued a press release to explain it lol

"because they have eight right handers" ok then.

Could well be a good one in due course but patently not ready to be thrown in at 19.

 

[Woodsey]

Shockingly poor display from England.  Hope Aussies put on 600 now so they actually focus on playing diligently in the other 4 tests.  Really hope they don't get away with this slipshod performance by the Aussies collapsing as well.

If I was Aus I wouldn't be trying to take the final wicket tonight.  Could easily find themselves 3 down by the close.

 

[Woodsey]

I just posted elsewhere

"today was the worst standard of batting in 35 years of watching Test Matches"

some of it was nerves

some of it was technique

some of it I think is progressive, scoring rates rise as batsmen are attuned to one day cricket, but they play more shots. more shots=more wickets and also means more results

I reckon of the 14 wickets to go today only Root, Clarke and Rogers (unlucky) can say they were got out by great bowling/poor decisions

In terms of in play, betting markets always over-react to the most recent event

Australia go odds on at 4.30pm today, England are odds on an hour later. In practice this is a 50-50 match here, especially if England are a bowler down.

5 day tests ebb and flow and I reckon (from modest personal experience) that being contrarian at most points (going against the money) is the way to go as long as the sides are reasonably matched. These sides are reasonably matched enough because Australia have a very competitive seam attack, and a bad top six

Meh most of it was standard, even 'bad' play is standard sometimes.

[Woodsey]

Was at the game today, can't write too much as I'm at the bottom end of 10+ pints, but it was a great days cricket 

Might post a few pics depending on how i feel shortly.....

[DungBeetle]

"Swann pops one straight to cover, Broad hits one straight in the air etc etc
Apply yourself, occupy the crease and don't give your wicket away. Quite pathetic to watch"

Bit harsh to critisize the tail Tighty?  I have plenty of issues with Cook, Bell, Pieterson, Prior and Trott giving their wickets away, but once that has happened I'd rather the tail play to their batting strengths.  In the case of Broad and Swann that is hitting quick runs?   I'd rather Broad had a smash and got 20 than sat in the crease for 90 mins before being bowled for 10.

[TightEnd]

In this instance I disagree

Broad and Swann are quite capable of occupying the crease, which is what the situation demanded

When you win the toss on what you know is a wearing pitch you need to take time out of the game so that you bowl when that pitch is wearing

While I agree that the shots played by some of the top six were the main fault, Broad and Swann are all rounders and it was vital for the tail to wag yesterday.

[DungBeetle]

Being Devil's advocate, if the forecast of no cloud cover today is correct, it was a potential strategy to get quick runs in session 3 yesterday once the top order had messed up and get a look at the Aussie under cloud cover before the close?  I doubt this was a planned strategy, but in the end it got them back in the game. Aussies starting their innings this morning would look bleak if the forecast is correct?

[TightEnd]

Being Devil's advocate, if the forecast of no cloud cover today is correct, it was a potential strategy to get quick runs in session 3 yesterday once the top order had messed up and get a look at the Aussie under cloud cover before the close?  I doubt this was a planned strategy, but in the end it got them back in the game. Aussies starting their innings this morning would look bleak if the forecast is correct?

Yes but that wasn't the plan

The other plan, the correct plan, was to bat out the day blocking and then rebuild this morning and try to bat for as long as possible so Swann is in the game by the time Australia bat

Going to be tough going for England today with a half fit Broad and no cloud cover (cue collapse)

The Aussie tail outbatting England's is quite possible and will confirm my fears and criticism's late order of England yesterday

[Nakor]

If anyone needs a stream today

google "cricfree tv" it seems to be a constant live stream of all SS and Eurosport channels.

Checking the internet logs at work today it seems 30+ people used it all day yesterday. 

[DungBeetle]

Australian batting really is weak.