Ashes Test Cricket 2023

[mikeyboy]

Just a couple of weeks away from the oldest rivalry in test Cricket  , England  Australia .

Really looking forward to this Series starting at Edgbaston 16th June , with 4 tests to follow .  18 months ago OZ won 4-0 in Australia , but i suspect this will be very different .

England play Ireland in a one off test starting today at Lords and Australia play India at the Oval next week for world test championship .  Warm up games perhaps .. 

The main event starting at Birmingham is what most people are waiting for .  England's new ultra positive approach to test cricket is going to be really put to the test , and will be very interesting how Australia respond .      Can't wait for it to start and i will make no predictions other than without bad weather there should be a result in all the matches  .  Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum don't seem interested in draws .  

What do you guys think ?

Mikeyboy 

[olic]

Can't wait and I think it'll be a closely fought series. It's always hard to win in England.

[Ah dinnae ken]

You have to take 20 wickets to win. Poms select a guy averaging 40+ in first class cricket this year to play in their latest test, desperation showing.

Good to see kiwi mgr & captain leading the way to add some class to the Poms

😂😇

[mikeyboy]

1 hour ago, Ah dinnae ken said:

You have to take 20 wickets to win. Poms select a guy averaging 40+ in first class cricket this year to play in their latest test, desperation showing.

Good to see kiwi mgr & captain leading the way to add some class to the Poms

😂😇

With 2 weeks until the first test , good to hear the insecure Aussies are already worried .     

Also a side containing a couple of cheats who served their time , and their best batsman being a South African it should be a good series .      😂😜

[davidge]

30 years ago today Shane Warne bowled THAT ball to Mike Gatting.

 

[mikeyboy]

2 hours ago, davidge said:

30 years ago today Shane Warne bowled THAT ball to Mike Gatting.

 

Best bowler iv'e ever seen .   After the 80's dominated by seam bowlers , it was a breath of fresh air watching a magician at work .

I remember the look on Mike Gatting's face , complete bewilderment . 

 

 

[Jaidee2017]

Will be in town for the duration of the third test match I think and will be looking for somewhere to watch the game. I enjoy listening to the commentators too if possible. Is there any bars you guys recommend for a quality viewing experience? 

I remember watching the 2nd Ashes test in 2005 in the old Premiership Bar on Soi Diana but pretty sure that closed ages ago. Great memories.

I'll be staying on Soi Bukao but know my way around pretty well. However, will be my first visit for a few years so maybe there are some new places to check out. 

[Mstn2014]

All the Ashes Test Matches start at 5.00pm Thai time, a great place to watch the start is Danny's sports bar in Tree Town.   The bar will be getting the evening sun and you can watch the Ashes, turning around to see what else is going on in all the adjacent bars.   I will be there for the third Test onwards. 

Once you have had one or two drinks there it is easy to bar hop around town between the different sports bars.   Beer Hub also has a huge projector on the roof and the owners like cricket.

[Jaidee2017]

That’s great intel. Thanks very much. The time difference really works in our favour for once with the chance to enjoy the game from early evening until about midnight. Maybe see you there!

[daytripperz]

I'll be in Pattaya for the 2nd and 3rd tests. Can't wait!

I tried to explain cricket to a TG once lol

[davidge]

With the news that Jack Leach is out of the series there’s lots of speculation about who might replace him.

Ahmed, Dawson, Ali???

My guess is they’ll play an extra seamer instead of him at Edgbaston, especially as Stokes can’t really bowl at the moment. They might call a spinner into the 16 or even call up another seamer. 

[Ah dinnae ken]

Picking the kid would be in line with bazball ethos. Will they have the guts or chicken out & lengthen their batting by picking Weakes. With a bit of luck for OZ they'll pick Tongue

[Macawber]

On 03/06/2023 at 20:55, mikeyboy said:

With 2 weeks until the first test , good to hear the insecure Aussies are already worried .     

Also a side containing a couple of cheats who served their time , and their best batsman being a South African it should be a good series .      😂😜

If memory serves me correctly you tried this approach when you sniped away on the thread during the last Ashes series... a fat lot of good that did you. 5555   

Edited June 5, 2023 by Macawber

[davidge]

Usually reliable cricket journalists reporting that England have asked Moeen Ali to consider coming out of retirement.

Not the most positive move tbh.

[mikeyboy]

15 hours ago, Macawber said:

If memory serves me correctly you tried this approach when you sniped away on the thread during the last Ashes series... a fat lot of good that did you. 5555   

No , only replying to some negative Pom bashing that seems to be more important to some Aussies than the actual cricket itself . 

I would much rather talk about the matches and how they are progressing , hoping you feel the same way too ....  🙂

Mikeyboy

[mikeyboy]

3 hours ago, davidge said:

Usually reliable cricket journalists reporting that England have asked Moeen Ali to consider coming out of retirement.

Not the most positive move tbh.

Have to agree , never really rated him as a test player even though he showed flashes of brilliance , he was far too flakey .

Liam Dawson would be the obvious replacement , as too early for the 18 year old leggie .   Matt Parkinson's form has dropped recently ...

Have to play a front line spinner , and Joe Root is far from that .   Dry pitches and all  , unless they produce a grassy seamers track .    

Mikeyboy

Edited June 6, 2023 by mikeyboy
add

[davidge]

Confirmed. Moeen has agreed to come out of retirement and has been added to the Ashes squad.

 

Disappointing to say the least! Though I was already predicting 4-0 to the Aussies anyway.

[mikeyboy]

4 hours ago, davidge said:

Confirmed. Moeen has agreed to come out of retirement and has been added to the Ashes squad.

 

Disappointing to say the least! Though I was already predicting 4-0 to the Aussies anyway.

Plainly the wrong decision , picking somebody who hasn't played a proper first class match for over 2 years .  A slap in the face for the guys wheeling away in County Cricket .  

Together with dropping the best keeper in the land , not a great build up for England to an ashes series . 

Still Stokes and McCullum have got most things right in their year in charge . We'll see .. 

Mikeyboy 

 

  

[Ah dinnae ken]

He'll be a great inclusion

Moeen's bowling average (64.65) and strike-rate (100.5) are worse against Australia than any other opponent. Steve Smith has eaten him for breakfast, averaging almost 114 against Moeen. Similarly, in the last year of Moeen's Test career, 2021, his average of 37.50 and strike-rate of 63 were his worst since 2016.

The left-hander's batting powers were also on the wane in the latter part of his Test career. In 16 Tests from the start of 2018, Moeen averaged only 16, less than half of what he achieved in 48 matches prior to that point.

[mikeyboy]

17 minutes ago, Ah dinnae ken said:

He'll be a great inclusion

Moeen's bowling average (64.65) and strike-rate (100.5) are worse against Australia than any other opponent. Steve Smith has eaten him for breakfast, averaging almost 114 against Moeen. Similarly, in the last year of Moeen's Test career, 2021, his average of 37.50 and strike-rate of 63 were his worst since 2016.

The left-hander's batting powers were also on the wane in the latter part of his Test career. In 16 Tests from the start of 2018, Moeen averaged only 16, less than half of what he achieved in 48 matches prior to that point.

 

Stats are interesting , but to me somebody who has not played any meaningful Cricket in 2 years cannot be bundled into a side before players who are performing on the County Championship circuit . 

Spinners Dawson , Ahmed , Jacks have all been involved in the England setup over the last year and its a insult going back to Ali.  

[Ah dinnae ken]

You have to take risks sometimes. Warnies first test he took 1/150+/-. they should give the young-un a go in the first 2-3 tests wickets dependant. Rolling out 4 seamers plus Root well look whats happening in the TCF

[mikeyboy]

Good warm up for the Ashes for Australia winning the World Test Championship .

All the main players contributed in some way except Usman Kawaja who has not scored runs in England in two previous tours .  Smith ,  Labuschagne and Travis Head looked in ominous form .   Scott Boland will surely play in first Test , even if Hazlewood is fit ...   

Mikeyboy

[Ah dinnae ken]

My prediction for the series 3-1 Aust  1 lost to weather 1 bazball works 3 aussies dominate

Can not believe Eng left Wood out as Aussie have shown weakness against fast short pitched bowling.

Dry wicket forecast, Gary will be licking his lips

[mikeyboy]

On 15/06/2023 at 07:14, Ah dinnae ken said:

My prediction for the series 3-1 Aust  1 lost to weather 1 bazball works 3 aussies dominate

Can not believe Eng left Wood out as Aussie have shown weakness against fast short pitched bowling.

Dry wicket forecast, Gary will be licking his lips

I'm making no predictions or punting on this .  2 strong teams with long batting line ups against very decent bowling attacks should make for a great series.

Mark Wood will play at Lords all things being equal .

It's been roasting hot here for a couple of week now , very tricky for the groundsman to have enough moisture in it at the start to allow the match to go 5 days if needed , without bowling first a big advantage .

Toss / decision will be interesting ..

Mikeyboy

[mikeyboy]

Great start to to the Ashes  ,  England 393 / 8 declared  off 78 overs .  Root 118 # , Bairstow 78 , Crawley 61

Lyon got 4 wickets .  England have given themselves 20 minutes at the Oz openers 

Mikeyboy