NWR Cricket

Fearful choke by Australia, I must say. The run-out at the end was beyond tragic. And as soon as the review was squandered (and it really was squandered) I knew it would come back and bite us; Adelaide 93, Edgbaston 05. Except we weren't the ones chasing on this occasion.
After a lovely Day 4 start, it all went off the rails with some terrible bowling with the new ball. Almost exactly as Shane Warne cautioned against (on the TV feed we got here in Oz). The man may be a goose in many ways but he really does read a game of cricket.
Stokes best real batting was until Leach came in. After that it was just a matter of whether his luck held until the runs were made. Which obviously it did!
 
Agreed about Warne, he seemed to be a very good reader of the game, indeed it seemed he was the one pulling the strings of Ponting's captaincy. His own captaincy very proactive.

Yes difficult to criticise an umpiring mistake when Stokes should have been out LBW, when they blew a review on a ball that pitched a good foot outside the line of leg stump. Reviews are there to overturn howlers, and if they are blown on frivolous reviews, then yes there is a risk it will cost later on. Whilst nothing like a football 'surround and push the ref', I hope there was nothing untoward in the Aussies converging on the umpire when the decision went against them. We'll see if there are any match fee deductions / demerit points.

Easy for the bowlers to lose their line, but from what I saw the pitch was still improving as a batting track (it was only day 4 after all). Indeed it seems England had much the better of the conditions, yet needed a miracle to win. Smith likely to return for the next test will make it even more important England recognise the lesson of graft before flamboyance that could get lost in the celebrations. Australia were the best side for the majority of that match.

Changes for next test?
Jason Roy might be dropped for England, with Dom Sibley the likely replacement. Alternatively Joe Denly might be moved up to open, but I reckon they'll pop him into 3.
Assuming Anderson is fit, then Woakes, Broad or Leach to drop out?

Australian selectors will tinker - it is their way. Wade or Khawaja to make way for Smith, unless they really go for it and drop Captain Paine. Pattinson for Starc as well I reckon.
 
some "unusual" comments here.
this is not sour grapes, because I have written it on this thread many times since the end of that first Test umpiring debacle.
what happened was inevitable when you have three incompetent clowns chosen as umpires for not one, but THREE Tests. A Test match, perhaps a series, decided by the actions of an incompetent clown. When a ball from a spinner, not doing a lot, is crashing into TWO stumps, not clipping them but crashing them, and is given "not out", Test match cricket has a serious problem which the other set of clowns in the ICC need to immediately fix.
yes, amazing batting , fantastic comeback blah blah blah
but at the end of the day, this Test was won because Joe Root is a (much) better captain that frazzled Tim Paine, and England used it's referrals better.
I'll say it again, England won because it used it's referrals better. What a joke.
Can't wait, as I have said before, for the next 10 minute delay whilst they remove a drunk spectator from behind the sight-screen, or the next 10 two minute delays as they check the shape of the ball, or the next five minute delay as a bowler gets his footwear changed. Then I can remind myself that there are only two referrals per innings to avoid slow play.
 
Alex Jagger said:
Lovely to see how gracious Tim Paine managed to be.
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‘Paine said: “I saw it live. I thought it was out. I don’t need to see it again. I have no issue with it, I don’t think I’ve got a referral correct the whole series so I can’t sit here and bag the umpires.

“To sit down and single out an umpire is unnecessary, he is no different to everyone else, he is allowed to make mistakes.” ‘
 
Nigel Wilton said:
Then I can remind myself that there are only two referrals per innings to avoid slow play.
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It was a bad decision and the umpiring has been poor all series. However, I am not sure I agree with the concept of increasing the number of referrals. Two should be plenty - they were ultimately only used up by Australia (an awful decision) only just before the end of the match. It should be remembered that you do not lose a review if i) the review was sucessful or ii) the review was unsucessful but falls into the 'umpires call' category.
 
thanks Duncan, you have written exactly what I expected someone to, and have precisely proven my point. The state of umpiring is now so absolutely atrocious that use of the referral system has become a vital part of Test cricket. The concept itself is ridiculous.

Duncan Watt said:
It was a bad decision and the umpiring has been poor all series. However, I am not sure I agree with the concept of increasing the number of referrals. Two should be plenty - they were ultimately only used up by Australia (an awful decision) only just before the end of the match. It should be remembered that you do not lose a review if i) the review was sucessful or ii) the review was unsucessful but falls into the 'umpires call' category.
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But having said that, if we can manage to put the umpiring aside, it was the greatest Test match ever played IMO. Ben Stokes' innings will be all-time legendary, unimaginably good, and we should never forget the almost equally Herculean bowling effort by the same player when Archer went down. The great Ian Botham would be proud of what the English team did.... Dunkirk like in bravery.
At 1-1 after three Tests, and with a new batch of (hopefully competent) umpires, the final two Tests will be extraordinarily exciting... bring it on!!!
I have always believed the English team is a class above this Aussie side who should have stolen an unforgettable Ashes win, but I would guess the cream will rise to the top and provide the English with a 2-1 or 3-1 victory, particularly if Anderson is back.
3rd Test:
Out: Paine, Wade plays as keeper-batsman, and in Mitch Marsh (the Aussie selectors won't do this, they are too stubborn, but clearly Paine is shot, totally lost the plot as a captain, batsman and keeper). With Paine playing, it is painfully obvious the Aussie tail is too long.
One other change, Starc for Pattinson.

Clearly the English need to replace Roy, who ain't a Test openers backside, and I suspect Woakes will make way for Jimmy.
 
Nigel Wilton said:
3rd Test:
Out: Paine, Wade plays as keeper-batsman, and in Mitch Marsh (the Aussie selectors won't do this, they are too stubborn, but clearly Paine is shot, totally lost the plot as a captain, batsman and keeper). With Paine playing, it is painfully obvious the Aussie tail is too long.
One other change, Starc for Pattinson.

Clearly the English need to replace Roy, who ain't a Test openers backside, and I suspect Woakes will make way for Jimmy.
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I think we're in pretty close agreement, though presumably you'd also include a fit again Smith - to replace Khawaja? The alternative is Smith for Paine, though that persists with three quicks and Lyon, which might be a problem if England remember the benefits of batting long. I know a few Aussies who don't rate either Marsh brother, and put selection down to family ties, but getting a 5th bowler might be a very sensible precaution. IIRC Wade hasn't kept in recent years in state cricket? A consideration, but FWIW I'd probably make that change anyway.

There has been a lot of praise for field placements / bowling plans, which might point to Paine, but probably says more about the senior ex pros in the mgt team, plus the analyst. Difficult to say.
 
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Ian, there are a few Aussie journos who get the impression Smith is far from a certainty to be available for the next Test. His hit-out in the interim match will prove invaluable in determining his availability. Yep, if available, you would assume Kawaja will be unceremoniously dumped from the side.
 
one of Australia's best comedians, Titus O'Reilly, has provided a magnificent appraisal of Joel Wilson. If that man ever sees the inside of a Test arena again, the members of ICC administration need to be certified.
 
Whinging Aussies - tut tut!

Two referrals are more than adequate given that “umpires call” doesn’t count.

I’m still not convinced that ball tracker is totally fool-proof there have been a few seemingly strange tracks this year.

However, one point that’s always missed is that we don’t have the umpires eye view of what they see, do we?

It should be perfectly possible to produce this using technology such as HoloLens or some such.

On a happier note I see that neither Fareham Wine Cellar, Solent Cellar, OZ Wines, Averys or even TWS stock such a thing as a Tasmanian Sauvignon Blanc which I shall take a sure sign from God that the Aussies were “got to” by KP and threw the match in a huge betting coup, which having looked at the dropped catch and failed run out seems eminently plausible.;)

I think there could be a film about it, Gambon to play Keith obviously, with one line cameos for Ray Winston and Shaun Ryder playing Mark and myself.:D

In the meantime I’m deciding whether either a Loire Sauvignon Blanc or a different Tasmanian wine would be an acceptable compromise.:p
 
Gareth J Welch said:
Whinging Aussies - tut tut!

Two referrals are more than adequate given that “umpires call” doesn’t count.

I’m still not convinced that ball tracker is totally fool-proof there have been a few seemingly strange tracks this year.

However, one point that’s always missed is that we don’t have the umpires eye view of what they see, do we?

It should be perfectly possible to produce this using technology such as HoloLens or some such.

On a happier note I see that neither Fareham Wine Cellar, Solent Cellar, OZ Wines, Averys or even TWS stock such a thing as a Tasmanian Sauvignon Blanc which I shall take a sure sign from God that the Aussies were “got to” by KP and threw the match in a huge betting coup, which having looked at the dropped catch and failed run out seems eminently plausible.;)

I think there could be a film about it, Gambon to play Keith obviously, with one line cameos for Ray Winston and Shaun Ryder playing Mark and myself.:D

In the meantime I’m deciding whether either a Loire Sauvignon Blanc or a different Tasmanian wine would be an acceptable compromise.:p
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wine merchant has plenty of options!

Does this Sparkling Coolers count instead of Shiraz?
D2CB30B0-557B-40D3-8B08-D6DAAA6B8B19.jpeg
 
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