O/T:- The Ashes 2023

[The_Don_ORiordan]

It was the part time spinner with the uninjured fingers. Was it a mistake to select a retired Mo, hindsight suggests it was, because of the hand injury. I doubt the alternative would have suffered the same.

However, we shouldn't down play the missed catches and stumpings. Mistakes do indeed happen in games due to pressure, fatigue etc. Both sides were under pressure for long periods, both will have been fatigued now how many simple chances did the Australians put down or miss over the 5 days? And how did that compare to England?

The costliness of those mistakes in a game of fine lines between two great , talented sides dwarfs the runs given away by avoidable ill discipline.

It was indeed a great game of cricket, I thoroughly enjoyed the bits I saw, listened to.

Thing is, this isn’t hindsight. It was a crazy decision before the start.

Taking 23 wickets @ 65 doesn’t suggest at his peak he is going to be our frontline spinner against Oz.

He went for the highest runs per over of any of our frontline bowlers. So provided no control or pressure either.

I like Moeen, he’s a good cricketer. I don’t blame him.

But the decision looked stupid well before the game, and was proven to be idiotic following the injury caused by him bowling more than 3 times the number of overs he’s bowled in a day in over 3 years.

Now we will probably pick a younger spinner in a game we need to win at the worst test ground in the world for spinners.

Great work selectors.

For me you drop Anderson, and Ali and bring in Foakes and Wood.

But they won’t, because that highlights their other error in dropping Foakes.

I’m a big fan of Bazzball.

We have the talent to beat this poorer than expected Australia side. We just need to play our best side.