The Cricket Thread 2025

[Azza]

It’s not possible… it’s necessary.

[gangrenous]

It’s a bit tough on the pitch saying no team was able to score 200. The Aussies almost certainly would have gone over in the second innings had they not already won.

[julian87]

On the Ashes and Bazball discussion…

I’ve got no stats to back this up but in all the cricket I’ve played and watched that ultra aggressive style is generally more conducive on decks that are hard to bat on. Playing like that on flat decks increases your chance of getting out whilst high class players playing traditionally tend to wear teams out as they fill their boots.

The Konstas and Pant innings in the series just gone are mini examples of this imo. Compared to some the earlier McSweeney/Khawaja innings in which they were essentially just sitting ducks with no thought or putting pressure back onto the bowling. If the average team totals are 200 or so you’re not really taking huge risks by trying to change your arm and being ultra aggressive.

[Azza]

CASE, get ready to match our spin with the retro thrusters.

[Hong Kong Raider]

On the Ashes and Bazball discussion…

I’ve got no stats to back this up but in all the cricket I’ve played and watched that ultra aggressive style is generally more conducive on decks that are hard to bat on. Playing like that on flat decks increases your chance of getting out whilst high class players playing traditionally tend to wear teams out as they fill their boots.

The Konstas and Pant innings in the series just gone are mini examples of this imo. Compared to some the earlier McSweeney/Khawaja innings in which they were essentially just sitting ducks with no thought or putting pressure back onto the bowling. If the average team totals are 200 or so you’re not really taking huge risks by trying to change your arm and being ultra aggressive.

This just doesn't make sense. I understand that on seaming and green pitches (or poor spinning pitches like in the India v NZ series) that you'll get a ball with your name on it so as a strategy you may want to score quickly but that doesn't necessarily make it easier to do so. It defies logic that you can score quickly when the ball is seaming and swinging around. Stokes requested fast flat good wickets in the 2023 Ashes so they could score quickly.

[julian87]

On the Ashes and Bazball discussion…

I’ve got no stats to back this up but in all the cricket I’ve played and watched that ultra aggressive style is generally more conducive on decks that are hard to bat on. Playing like that on flat decks increases your chance of getting out whilst high class players playing traditionally tend to wear teams out as they fill their boots.

The Konstas and Pant innings in the series just gone are mini examples of this imo. Compared to some the earlier McSweeney/Khawaja innings in which they were essentially just sitting ducks with no thought or putting pressure back onto the bowling. If the average team totals are 200 or so you’re not really taking huge risks by trying to change your arm and being ultra aggressive.

This just doesn't make sense. I understand that on seaming and green pitches (or poor spinning pitches like in the India v NZ series) that you'll get a ball with your name on it so as a strategy you may want to score quickly but that doesn't necessarily make it easier to do so. It defies logic that you can score quickly when the ball is seaming and swinging around. Stokes requested fast flat good wickets in the 2023 Ashes so they could score quickly.

Poorly worded perhaps on my part. It’s not easier on tricky wickets. But makes more sense in such conditions imo.

[Northern Raider]

Regarding the bowlers' workloads, we have seen Bumrah brake down and the BCCI still silent as to what it actually is. Akash Deep, after only playing two tests, was also injured.

We have four Test quality fast bowlers - ranked no 2 (Cummins), 4 (Hazlewood), equal 9 (Boland) and 14 (Starc) in the ICC Test bowling rankings. I get peeved off when the Australia selectors keep on selecting the big 3 when there are injury concerns. We saw that with Hazlewood in Brisbane and Starc was not right in Sydney. I don't think Hazlewood and Starc should play in every Test next summer. Boland should play if the pitch is green.

It's a good point around bowler workloads. While nobody could question that Cummins, Hazelwood and Starc are our best 3 quicks for the past 5 years it doesn't mean we need to pick them for every match they're available. Particularly when you have such quality in the backups with Boland, Neser and Richardson. The latter 2 in particular should have been given more Test matches in relief of our top 3.

[Azza]

Come on TARS!!

[-PJ-]

Smudge tee’d off in BigBash tonight.

121* off 64 balls

[Azza]

Yeah, I don’t have any interest in big bash but it was a noticeable achievement

Also can’t believe none of you mofos jumped on my interstellar quotes

[gangrenous]

[Matt]

Regarding the bowlers' workloads, we have seen Bumrah brake down and the BCCI still silent as to what it actually is. Akash Deep, after only playing two tests, was also injured.

We have four Test quality fast bowlers - ranked no 2 (Cummins), 4 (Hazlewood), equal 9 (Boland) and 14 (Starc) in the ICC Test bowling rankings. I get peeved off when the Australia selectors keep on selecting the big 3 when there are injury concerns. We saw that with Hazlewood in Brisbane and Starc was not right in Sydney. I don't think Hazlewood and Starc should play in every Test next summer. Boland should play if the pitch is green.

The pitches next year should be interesting. Bazball requires flat and good batting tracks. Stokes called for such decks in 2023. It would be a risk though if the curators prepared green decks like this summer if Archer, Wood, Carse and Atkinson are in the England squad. I think we can beat England if Australia prepares its traditional decks that are good for batting and cricket in general. Our spinner is much better than Leach/Bashir and in every series (save for 2010-11) we have beaten England on our usual good decks that offer pace, bounce and some spin. Our bowlers are better then theirs. I think the likes of Crawley, Duckett, Bethell* and Pope will struggle to Bazball on the usual Australia decks coupled with the Kookaburra ball. They don't have good techniques. I'm astonished that Crawley is still selected for England (*I haven't seen much of Bethell besides the BBL for the Renegades)

I would not be moving Head from No 5. He is an ideal 5 much like Pant and Harry Brook - counterattack if he's in early, or put them to the slaughter if he has a platform. It will be interesting to see if they play Green as a pure batter in the World Test Championship and if so, who he replaces.

They said back spasms during the Test.

[-TW-]

Yes, the Indians who notoriously don't tell anybody anything said back spasms

You don't need scans for back spasms

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[-PJ-]

The Womens Ashes started today. 1st ODI from North Sydney Oval.

ENG 204
AUS 6/205

AUS wins by 4 wickets.

AUS 2
ENG 0

[Matt]

The Womens Ashes started today. 1st ODI from North Sydney Oval.

ENG 204
AUS 6/205

AUS wins by 4 wickets.

AUS 2
ENG 0

Great knock Healy.

[Matt]

Yes, the Indians who notoriously don't tell anybody anything said back spasms

You don't need scans for back spasms

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Jasprit Bumrah to miss group-stage matches of Champions Trophy 2025 due to back swelling: https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-new ... BHP28JfnzA

[Azza]

Well, they'll have Shami back, which will mitigate the loss to some degree.

[-PJ-]

AUS squad for ICC champions trophy.

Pat Cummins
Alex Carey
Nathan Ellis
Aaron Hardie
Josh Hazlewood
Travis Head
Josh Inglis
Marnus Labuschagne
Mitchell Marsh
Glenn Maxwell
Mathew Short
Steve Smith
Mitchell Starc
Marcus Stoinis
Adam Zampa

[Matt]

AUS squad for ICC champions trophy.

Pat Cummins
Alex Carey
Nathan Ellis
Aaron Hardie
Josh Hazlewood
Travis Head
Josh Inglis
Marnus Labuschagne
Mitchell Marsh
Glenn Maxwell
Mathew Short
Steve Smith
Mitchell Starc
Marcus Stoinis
Adam Zampa

Nothing jumps out as a mistake ir a surprise here.

I'm not a big Stoinis guy, but sure

[Azza]

Stoinis, crikey, bloke has done nothing for aaagggesss.

[Northern Raider]

Seriously. How the **** does Stoinis keep getting picked? He hasn't scored a ODI 50 since 2019.

[Northern Raider]

Aaron Hardie is 26. Short and Inglis are 29. The rest are 30+. Would have to be the oldest squad in the tournament.

[Hong Kong Raider]

Agree with the sentiments of Stoinis. Still living off the back of his 146 no in his second match v NZ in 2017. Done nothing ever since in ODI cricket. Had a chance v Pakistan when all the Test players pulled out but didn’t show he’s capable of a substantial contribution. Takes ages to get going v spin.

I would have liked a second spinner in the squad as the pitches in Pakistan and the UAE will be doctored against us.

Hardie is there for Green. Short deserves his chance and it was a great innings v Brisbane Heat in the T20 on the weekend.

Too many Test players for mine which is fine if a winning score is 280-300 but I recall pitches in the UAE (where we have to play India) were high scoring and the team batting second usually chases a decent total. Don’t know about Pakistan pitches.

[-PJ-]

One omission some might find 50/50 was Fraser-McGurk.

[Hong Kong Raider]

One omission some might find 50/50 was Fraser-McGurk.

Wasn’t impressed with JFM and how he played v Pakistan or his BBL form.

I think we are fine with top order players like Head, Marsh and Short and I don’t see JFM usurping them. If they wanted a non Test player, someone like Tim David was worth considering as he can make a 280-300 score into a 350 plus score. He also has experience of playing in the PSL so would be familiar with the pitches.

We don’t know whether the tournament will be high scoring or not but teams are not safe with 300 if there is dew in the second innings

[-PJ-]

One omission some might find 50/50 was Fraser-McGurk.

Wasn’t impressed with JFM and how he played v Pakistan or his BBL form.

I think we are fine with top order players like Head, Marsh and Short and I don’t see JFM usurping them. If they wanted a non Test player, someone like Tim David was worth considering as he can make a 280-300 score into a 350 plus score. He also has experience of playing in the PSL so would be familiar with the pitches.

We don’t know whether the tournament will be high scoring or not but teams are not safe with 300 if there is dew in the second innings

Clearly the selectors weren’t impressed either.

[-TW-]

JFM sucks

Extremely overrated

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[Azza]

JFM sucks

Extremely overrated

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Yeah, he’s no Tom Davis that’s for sure

You think they’d want to start building towards the next World Cup shortly… we did a great job winning the last World Cup from nowhere in India, might be awhile before we win the next one though

[BadnMean]

JFM sucks

Extremely overrated

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He needed to do something in the BBL to get in there. Pinch hitting well in a single t20 stint isn't quite enough to make an odi squad of 15 for an ICC trophy. Might get you a series somewhere but not for the biscuits.

[-PJ-]

Womens Ashes 2nd ODI from Junction Oval Melbourne.

ENG won the toss and will bowl.

[-PJ-]

AUSW all out 180.

They were cruising at 2/120. Lost 8/60.

Perry made 64, the rest stink.

[-PJ-]

AUS wins game 2 in the ODI’s.

I have no idea how ENG blew that.

Womens Ashes.

AUS 4
ENG 0

3rd ODI on Friday from Hobart.

[Northern Raider]

JFM sucks

Extremely overrated

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He had a really good IPL last year which promised a lot. Since then.....well yes, he's sucked.

[-PJ-]

JFM sucks

Extremely overrated

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He had a really good IPL last year which promised a lot. Since then.....well yes, he's sucked.

He sucked again tonight, run out for 7.

[Hong Kong Raider]

JFM has difficulty facing more than 10 balls per innings in any form of cricket.

But Punter rates him highly and thinks he can represent Australia in all forms of cricket.