1st Ashes Test England v Australia June 16-20 1930hrs @ Edgbaston

[Snarls Barkley]

Just brilliant from Cummins. I thought he'd cooked it when he started taking risks but all the calculated risks (backing away to slap a four on the off side, whacking root over the field) were actually well calculated and put the pressure back on England in an intelligent way and, more importantly, paid off. Ice in the veins!

I thought just giving Cummins singles was pretty dumb - the guy isn't Bradman so unsure why they would give him easy 1s with 20 to get.

And Lyon isn’t Chris Martin, didn’t make sense

 

[The Casey Cat]

Poms need to go back to the drawing board. Barstow as a batsman ok, but is a liability behind the stumps. Moeen was poor. Anderson and Robinson were mostly non threatening throughout.

Yep. Had their noses in front a fair amount of the match, credit where due. But I feel we underperformed. Really should have got 500 first innings on that pitch. I feel we have more improvement in us than they do and possibly by a fair margin.

 

[shotgun_blues]

The early declaration showed us no respect and that's what you get. Suck it up Spazball.

 

[kickazz]

For what it's worth, the decision to declare first innings - although it may have proven costly - at home and with a couple of wickets on offer, perhaps you can see the appeal. I wouldn't do it myself, but in a good position it could be a gamble that pays off for the whole series.

It's merely the sycophantic idolisation of every "unconventional" decision or impulse, and the aggressive criticism of Australia for simply playing their game and not joining in, that bristled a few hairs.

Rather than "saving" Test cricket, simply say there's a fascinating clash of styles in which both teams offer a lot but perhaps pay for weaknesses in their approach.

Regardless, a fiercely competitive match, but it is the focus on ideology rather than the actual battle, that has provided a source of annoyance.

He did it because he thought he'd get Warmer out before stumps and get some sort of psychological edge

Never mind he still had his country's only world class top 10 batsman at the crease playing well.

It was a stupid move born out of the cowardice that is bazball.

 

[Titch3Votes0MooreAA]

Sir Winston Churchill would be turning in his grave right about now, seeing the actions of some of his countrymen (Ollie Robinson...)

 

[Mr Meow]

Just brilliant from Cummins. I thought he'd cooked it when he started taking risks but all the calculated risks (backing away to slap a four on the off side, whacking root over the field) were actually well calculated and put the pressure back on England in an intelligent way and, more importantly, paid off. Ice in the veins!

I thought just giving Cummins singles was pretty dumb - the guy isn't Bradman so unsure why they would give him easy 1s with 20 to get.

Spot on. It wasn't recognised on the Sky Sports commentary but it was in fact Australia who had the last say in dictating opposition fields, and reacting accordingly to what was given to them.

In the English 2nd innings all we could hear was how masterfully the English picked our bowlers and captains apart - setting a mighty 281 to win on a docile pitch. Australia had a large period of the innings where they seemed out of ideas, but bizarrely once Carey went out, a becalming quality came to the two at the crease. A hairy moment or two, but by and large just solid decision making. it was thrilling and unexpected.

 

[Cap]

Why isn't their a million videos up of the winning runs

Even by cricket Australia

 

[kickazz]

We let our cricket do the talking.

 

[Cap]

Sir Winston Churchill would be turning in his grave right about now, seeing the actions of some of his countrymen (Ollie Robinson...)

Churchill did good things.

But he was a huge racist, so he'd be fine with Ollie.

He also abandoned Australia, so he'd love the English behaviour

 

[JP Sauce]

Sir Winston Churchill would be turning in his grave right about now, seeing the actions of some of his countrymen (Ollie Robinson...)

I mean, Churchill would’ve probably agreed with a lot of Fat Ollie’s previous comments.

 

[Iceman!]

Crawley dropped and Bairstow open? I probably would’ve leant that way pre series but it’s unlikely Bairstow would have the same impact with the bat when not in the middle order. I can’t see them dropping any one from 3-6.

Think they’ll persist with Bairstow and back him to do a better job with the gloves. He pretty much gave all his runs in the first innings back with his keeping.

Very possible, depends on the pitches as well i think. If they are trotting more like that i think Bairstow short term could be okay as an opener. He is just costing them so many runs with the gloves, i hope he keeps them.

 

[Mr Meow]

He did it because he thought he'd get Warmer out before stumps and get some sort of psychological edge

Never mind he still had his country's only world class top 10 batsman at the crease playing well.

It was a stupid move born out of the cowardice that is bazball.

I'm absolutely not backing the move. I agree that there are elements of the approach that come across as showy and if you are being kind, "mind games" that are not necessary when they have elite cricketers who can play the basics expertly.

More that the extra joy I felt, on top of any euphoria-backed close victory, wasn't that the England team themselves were overly arrogant. More that the media and public went so ridiculously over the top in convincing themselves every "mistake" was a masterstroke. Then again, if the players do buy into it, I back it wholeheartedly.

I have no doubt such an approach will need to at least one famous victory this series, if not two. We need to punish them when we can and we did so today.

 

[Mop]

I literally got sent home (on a full shifts wages) five minutes after the runs were hit


What a night. Still buzzing

 

[Kapow!!!]

Woke up about 3am

Just in time to see Carey get out

Resigned to losing.

227/8 and decided to try to sleep.

Tossed and turned for ages and eventually turned on 9Now on my phone .....just in case.

24 to win!

Then of course, couldn't possibly turn it off.

Pat Cummins. What a legend.

Elated with the win , especially after suffering through so many close test losses going right back to the 80"s .

So pumped now that sleep is going to be impossible.

What the heck.

There's always tomorrow night

On SM-G973F using BigFooty.com mobile app

Similar journey to mine: Woke up just after Ussie got out. Put the phone down when Carey got out, picked it back up after realising I wasn't sleeping now anyway (~30 seconds later), fist pumped the blanket under which I was watching it incredibly violently when we hit the winning runs. Somehow didn't wake up my partner in all this...

 

[Sarcoidevo]

Immense win without our 2 best batsmen firing .... bring on Lords

 

[Outshined]

For what it's worth, the decision to declare first innings - although it may have proven costly - at home and with a couple of wickets on offer, perhaps you can see the appeal. I wouldn't do it myself, but in a good position it could be a gamble that pays off for the whole series.

It's merely the sycophantic idolisation of every "unconventional" decision or impulse, and the aggressive criticism of Australia for simply playing their game and not joining in, that bristled a few hairs.

Rather than "saving" Test cricket, simply say there's a fascinating clash of styles in which both teams offer a lot but perhaps pay for weaknesses in their approach.

Regardless, a fiercely competitive match, but it is the focus on ideology rather than the actual battle, that has provided a source of annoyance.

This sums it up nicely. Parochialism is understandable and adds some spice, but there's something so fitting about England losing after skewering Australia's method for 5 days straight.

Shockingly, it turns out you can still win tests without playing Bazball.

 

[Mr Meow]

Starc by himself screaming in delight with the raised fist was somehow more joyous than everyone scrambling over seats to embrace each other.

 

[JP Sauce]

Why isn't their a million videos up of the winning runs

Even by cricket Australia

The only bad part about this incredible win was how it actually ended. Instead of a punch through cover and immediate images of the batsmen celebrating, we got a shot to third man and a bit of confusion.

“They’ll come back for two… oh no its over”

Equally brilliant but less exciting, perhaps.

 

[Mr Meow]

This sums it up nicely. Parochialism is understandable and adds some spice, but there's something so fitting about England losing after skewering Australia's method for 5 days straight.

Shockingly, it turns out you can still win tests without playing Bazball.

The opposition were happy to go at 4-5 an over and so we reacted with a still respectable 3-3.5. Neither side shut up shop and neither went in to pure T20 mode (okay, Root had his moments for half an hour). Overall a fiercely competitive game of cricket where neither team was really in the ascendancy until Australia made it to the last 10 runs. So praise belongs to both, but it's basic commonsense the winner gets a smidge more of the plaudits as England did in Edgbaston '05. One certainly shouldn't be rubbished, especially if it was proven to work.

 

[Kapow!!!]

So are we calling it "Wokeball" yet? I can get behind that label

 

[Blue1980]

The only bad part about this incredible win was how it actually ended. Instead of a punch through cover and immediate images of the batsmen celebrating, we got a shot to third man and a bit of confusion.

“They’ll come back for two… oh no its over”

Equally brilliant but less exciting, perhaps.

Ah well, bit reminiscent of the confusion at the finish of the 99 World Cup semi final.

My immediate thoughts with the shot were if they run 2 scores were tied and we can’t lose, but then suddenly we had won.

 

[Mr Meow]

The only bad part about this incredible win was how it actually ended. Instead of a punch through cover and immediate images of the batsmen celebrating, we got a shot to third man and a bit of confusion.

“They’ll come back for two… oh no its over”

Equally brilliant but less exciting, perhaps.

Very true but as that shot went out and the initial commentary was of a fielder recovery, my eyes lit up and the ball finding the rope brought a special kind of delight.

 

[Moonwatcher]

Love this reply

That's beautiful

 

[Outshined]

So are we calling it "Wokeball" yet? I can get behind that label

Wokeball and Cumball are currently the clubhouse leaders.

 

[Mr Meow]

That's beautiful

There's no Night Hawks because we're not English, but the Night Crows certainly flew in from the darkness.