The 3rd Ashes Test

[Leicesterbaggie]

Have always been a fan of Woakes but must admit that he hasn't had the best of times of late. Having said this, all players, with the odd exception, have their down periods. Hopefully, Woakes can come out of this bad patch as when he is playing well he is a great asset to the side.

[Dubbag]

Dubs as with any sport surely you can not compare the old days to now, be it football, cricket, cycling or whatever.

The old game was slow, based on technique, not giving your wicket away, of not losing. I loved it. Watching it was like fishing, slow, relaxing and if the weather was great you could even go to sleep for a bit! Crowds were respectful, the game was beautiful in a sedate and very English way! Oh the sound of leather on ball (not balls that’s just the public school boys)!

Kids nowadays would have hated it.

Yes technique has gone but in its place has come entertainment, noisy crowds, increases in runs per over, less drawn games, fitter athletic fielders, great catches, different formats so you can catch a game after work if you want, even their equivalent of VAR is great.

Yes it is different, better for some but give me Wisden and a deckchair in the sun and no one within 30 yards of me so that I can watch the technique any day.

All very well made points Yarm......and I do agree all manor of life evolves...and can not be avoided.
However, some old things survive very well today in this modern era. Perhaps our concept of entertainment is evolving.
I guess quality never really shows its age...which is why somethings and some people are timeless...

[mickd1961]

All very well made points Yarm......and I do agree all manor of life evolves...and can not be avoided.
However, some old things survive very well today in this modern era. Perhaps our concept of entertainment is evolving.
I guess quality never really shows its age...which is why somethings and some people are timeless...

I agree with you Dub,the points made by Yarm are spot on.

I think though that there’s still a place in cricket for good old fashioned resolve and stickability at certain times.

I know Leach only faced 17 balls but he showed such solid technique and guts.

If you remember Jimmy Anderson had an amazing batting stat for the first few years of his international career where he was never out for nought and he had a lot of “not out” scores.

Him and Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann used to be a massive plus for our batting but in recent years Jimmy and Broad just seem to bat like they don’t care less anymore.

I was frustrated yesterday that we didn’t push Leach up to 9 as I thought that was a no brainier seeing as he’d opened the batting v Ireland and scored a very attractive and technically correct 93.

Last night they were discussing how to get Sam Curran into the side and I’d seriously consider leaving out Buttler for him as this would add the left arm medium fast bowling option and Curran bats in a correct fashion and very responsively.

The other option is to play Bairstow purely as a batsman and play our best wicket keeper Foakes as he too is a very good batsman.

I’d like to try a new opener but I can’t see them dropping both Roy and Denly.

I’d look at this line up......

Burns

Denly

Root

Stokes

Bairstow

Roy or Buttler or Curran

Foakes as wicket keeper

Archer

Leach

Broad

Anderson

[Dubbag]

I agree with you Dub,the points made by Yarm are spot on.

I think though that there’s still a place in cricket for good old fashioned resolve and stickability at certain times.

I remember reading about how the great Don Bradman use to train as a very young child. He would throw a golf ball against an uneven wall and bat it back with a single stump...not a bat a stump. His father use to say they could never get him in for tea or food...all they would hear is the continued sound of the bounce of the golf ball of the wall.
I think one day his mother went out annoyed that he had not come in when called...and she went to give him an ear full she was amazed to see him smacking the golf ball with full gusto against the wall and batting it back each time...never missing.
She ran back in, I believe and told her husband he will play for Australia
There is the basic skill in that sport...that they great Don trained himself to perfection.
Ronnie Wheelan use do the same when we were children growing up. He didn't just play football like the rest of us...he trained himself with a ball against a wall or anything he could find. He would kick a ball against a bus stop and react instantly to where it might go...
Basics are still important.........I like test matches...

[mickd1961]

I remember reading about how the great Don Bradman use to train as a very young child. He would throw a golf ball against an uneven wall and bat it back with a single stump...not a bat a stump. His father use to say they could never get him in for tea or food...all they would hear is the continued sound of the bounce of the golf ball of the wall.
I think one day his mother went out annoyed that he had not come in when called...and she went to give him an ear full she was amazed to see him smacking the golf ball with full gusto against the wall and batting it back each time...never missing.
She ran back in, I believe and told her husband he will play for Australia
There is the basic skill in that sport...that they great Don trained himself to perfection.
Ronnie Wheelan use do the same when we were children growing up. He didn't just play football like the rest of us...he trained himself with a ball against a wall or anything he could find. He would kick a ball against a bus stop and react instantly to where it might go...
Basics are still important.........I like test matches...

You brought back some distant memories there Dub for me personally.

As a kid I once moaned to my dad when he didn’t fancy a kick about with me.

We were in Yorkshire on holiday and had gone to his mum and dad’s old Yorkshire stone cottage so he took me outside into the yard and pointed to the side wall of the house.

“Kick it against that like I used to do” he said.

He was an only child and had to self amuse a lot of the time.

So I tried it and moaned at the inconsistency of the way the ball came back off the wall due to the irregular shape of the stones.

My dad was a very good non league centre forward with a great first touch even when he was playing with our kids in his 60’s and he attributed it to using that wall for hundreds of hours.

From then on I used our multiple walled back garden for football and cricket practice and played cricket with myself using a golf ball as well although I was no Brahman 😆

I also used it for catching practice as well and even now I can still pluck out great catches when we muck around in the garden.

It’s all about training the brain as it sticks forever I think.....like riding a bike.

I once read that the great South African fielder Jonty Rhodes used to ping a tennis ball around his living room an kitchen whilst he was on a day of just so he could constantly hone his reflexes.

It’s all about the hard work.

[Dubbag]

You brought back some distant memories there Dub for me personally.

As a kid I once moaned to my dad when he didn’t fancy a kick about with me.

We were in Yorkshire on holiday and had gone to his mum and dad’s old Yorkshire stone cottage so he took me outside into the yard and pointed to the side wall of the house.

“Kick it against that like I used to do” he said.

He was an only child and had to self amuse a lot of the time.

So I tried it and moaned at the inconsistency of the way the ball came back off the wall due to the irregular shape of the stones.

My dad was a very good non league centre forward with a great first touch even when he was playing with our kids in his 60’s and he attributed it to using that wall for hundreds of hours.

From then on I used our multiple walled back garden for football and cricket practice and played cricket with myself using a golf ball as well although I was no Brahman 😆

I also used it for catching practice as well and even now I can still pluck out great catches when we muck around in the garden.

It’s all about training the brain as it sticks forever I think.....like riding a bike.

I once read that the great South African fielder Jonty Rhodes used to ping a tennis ball around his living room an kitchen whilst he was on a day of just so he could constantly hone his reflexes.

It’s all about the hard work.

I enjoyed reading your post Mick.
Thanks....

[WBA1955]

Reading all the posts on this subject, I think that there is a lot of egg on face tonight!

Well, i think they probably read my comments about them and thought, well we'll jolly well show him what we are made of. Top hole, hooray for Harry and GSTQ.

[TipperaryBaggie]

I agree with you Dub,the points made by Yarm are spot on.

I think though that there’s still a place in cricket for good old fashioned resolve and stickability at certain times.

I know Leach only faced 17 balls but he showed such solid technique and guts.

If you remember Jimmy Anderson had an amazing batting stat for the first few years of his international career where he was never out for nought and he had a lot of “not out” scores.

Him and Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann used to be a massive plus for our batting but in recent years Jimmy and Broad just seem to bat like they don’t care less anymore.

I was frustrated yesterday that we didn’t push Leach up to 9 as I thought that was a no brainier seeing as he’d opened the batting v Ireland and scored a very attractive and technically correct 93.

Last night they were discussing how to get Sam Curran into the side and I’d seriously consider leaving out Buttler for him as this would add the left arm medium fast bowling option and Curran bats in a correct fashion and very responsively.

The other option is to play Bairstow purely as a batsman and play our best wicket keeper Foakes as he too is a very good batsman.

I’d like to try a new opener but I can’t see them dropping both Roy and Denly.

I’d look at this line up......

Burns

Denly

Root

Stokes

Bairstow

Roy or Buttler or Curran

Foakes as wicket keeper

Archer

Leach

Broad

Anderson

That line up looks good Mick and I certainly agree with you about bringing Foakes in as a specialist wicketkeeper. Curran for Buttler would seem the obvious move.

[Leicesterbaggie]

I have to admit that I've thought a lot about the selection of the side but am still no wiser in my own mind. There are pluses and minuses in all the permutations. However, another issue for me is how fit is Anderson. The selectors must be 100% sure that he can cope with a 5 day test as we just cannot afford for him to 'pull up' half way through a game as he did at Edgbaston. Glad it's all someone else's decision!

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

Seems that everytime it gets close and a team needs a bit of bottle there is only ever one winner.

Headingly 81 Aus need 130 Eng win by 18
Edgbaston 81 Aus need 140 Eng win by 29
Oval 97 Aus need 124 Eng win by19
Melbourne 99 Aus 175 Eng win by 12 runs
Edgbaston 2005 Eng win 2 runs

Headingly 2019 England show how to run chase.

PS We need a specialist opener in there. Get one in leave out Roy or Buttler.