Ashes 2023.

[GUNTERYY36]

If you want to talk about religion gunt please start a religion thread

Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.

Will do, AF.

[ramAnag]

As predicted...Anderson for Robinson on Wednesday...a good thing I think, although getting the all important win on a ground we last beat the Aussies on 42 years ago with the current weather forecast will be a tough ask.
Moeen Ali to keep the number three spot...not convinced but good luck to him...he has the skills, not sure he has the temperament to resist the risky hook shot. We’ll see.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Not a fan of bringing Anderson back, but well see, when he takes 5 before lunch on the first day my mind may change. Bairstow lucky to still be there.

If I was Australian selector I'd seriously consider pushing Labuschagne up to open in place of Warner and playing Green and Marsh to give the extra 10 over an innings bowler option. You may say that Labuschagne is not a natural opener, but he's done it so often when Warner had been dismissed early doors, why not formalise it. Hazelwood back in place of Boland who has been ineffective to date.

[ramAnag]

Not a fan of bringing Anderson back, but well see, when he takes 5 before lunch on the first day my mind may change. Bairstow lucky to still be there.

If I was Australian selector I'd seriously consider pushing Labuschagne up to open in place of Warner and playing Green and Marsh to give the extra 10 over an innings bowler option. You may say that Labuschagne is not a natural opener, but he's done it so often when Warner had been dismissed early doors, why not formalise it. Hazelwood back in place of Boland who has been ineffective to date.

I never give any thought to the Aussie selection, but agree with what you say about Green, Marsh, Hazelwood and Labuschagne. Suppose what Warner brings, apart from being an amusing hate object, is that he’s the only one of their top order who favours scoring quickly.
Hopefully Anderson and Bairstow can both prove you wrong. They’ll need to!

[macstheman]

Smith and Labuschagne looking threatening!! Oops Smith out on review! Good review!

[macstheman]

Need another wicket!

[Geoff Parkstone]

or 3 more. Jimmy an afterthought again - time for him to clean up tail

[ramAnag]

Lovely day for watching...the sun, untypically, shone all day...so not so good for bowling. Broad and Anderson disappointing, can’t help thinking this may be JA’s last Test unless he pulls something out of the bag in their second innings. Sad but inevitable some time soon.
Woakes was magnificent imo and seeing Wood in the flesh you have to be impressed by the huge effort he puts in.
Thought at one stage we’d be looking at 350-5 by close so a decent comeback, but with three days of very ‘mixed’ weather forecast I fear the Aussies have done enough and are now content to just take time out of a game England simply have to win.

[MadAmster]

Broad moves on to 600 Test wickets. That's twice as many as Fred Trueman when he became the first bowler to take 300 Test wickets and, back then, the commentators of the time though the feat would never be emulated. 59 years on, 36 bowlers have gone past Fred's final total of 307 in 67 Tests and, top of the tree is Muralitharan with 800 in 133 Tests. Of course, there are way more Tests played these days but Mura still averaged more wickets per Test. Fred, rather than 37th in the list would be top 10 on strike rate.

Comparisons don't mean much. Different times.

[macstheman]

Broad moves on to 600 Test wickets. That's twice as many as Fred Trueman when he became the first bowler to take 300 Test wickets and, back then, the commentators of the time though the feat would never be emulated. 59 years on, 36 bowlers have gone past Fred's final total of 307 in 67 Tests and, top of the tree is Muralitharan with 800 in 133 Tests. Of course, there are way more Tests played these days but Mura still averaged more wickets per Test. Fred, rather than 37th in the list would be top 10 on strike rate.

Comparisons don't mean much. Different times.

Agreed, but how many County games did he play compared to today and how many wickets did he take at that level?
One of Fred's best comments when yet again he nips one past the edge was 'that one were too good for thee lad'!