The Ashes 25/26

[Jim05]

MCG pitch to get an “unsatisfactory” rating and receive 1 demerit point

[The Dark Knight]

MCG pitch to get an “unsatisfactory” rating and receive 1 demerit point

Under the ICC's four-tier pitch-rating system, "unsatisfactory" is the third ranking and characterises a pitch that "does not allow an even contest between bat and ball… by favouring the bowlers too much, with too many wicket-taking opportunities for either seam or spin". The MCG pitch had received the highest "very good" rating for the past three Boxing Day Tests.

"The MCG pitch was too much in favour of the bowlers," Crowe said. "With 20 wickets falling on the first day, 16 on the second day and no batter even reaching a half-century, the pitch was 'unsatisfactory' as per the guidelines and the venue gets one demerit point."

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/ashe ... ry-1517468

Gus Atkinson also ruled out of the Sydney Test with that left hamstring injury joining Archer and Wood on the England injury list. Matt Potts, Matt Fisher or potentially Shoaib Bashir are the options to replace him.

[jackpot jim]

I found it interesting that the curator said he kept it long due to the warm forecast on Day 4 & 5, why worry about those days when the pitch will be deteriorating by then anyway?

Found his comments and reasoning quite puzzling.
It's like he was trying to play God and get the pitch to last in good nick through to Day 5
The whole idea of a 5 day Test is that the pitch deteriorates as the match progresses due to weather conditions and wear and tear and becomes difficult for the batsmen.
He's basically prepared the pitch upside down to make it very difficult for the batsmen early in the match and for it to be playing well late into the match
The gamble backfired with the result being a very expensive clusterf**k. admittedly with the help of some loose batting.
I also question him if he had any thought for spin bowlers? 3 out of 4 Tests selectors and Captains have basically ignored spin. Dont think thats the road we want to be going down especially that we're struggling to see 80 overs in a day let alone the required 90

[am Bays]

Nailed it JJ

[Lightning McQueen]

Just read this morning that Tim David has also been ruled out for the Sydney test.

[mal]

CAMERON GREEN
Born 3/6/1999
His age, ability and all round talents means he must be selected

My team
1
2
3
4
5 GREEN
6
7
8
9
10
11

[whufc]

Slightly off topic but got some spare time so thought i would raise a conversation starter.

What are two words you havent heard in cricket for over 5 years............"Reverse Swing"

Now i know these tests haven't lasted overly long but remember for a while teams were starting to get it reverse after 30 overs.

Every since sandpaper gate we don't see reverse swing in cricket anywhere around the world.

Was the mystery of the reverse swing purely code for 'ball tampering coming into effect'..........im all but certain it was.

[amber_fluid]

Slightly off topic but got some spare time so thought i would raise a conversation starter.

What are two words you havent heard in cricket for over 5 years............"Reverse Swing"

Now i know these tests haven't lasted overly long but remember for a while teams were starting to get it reverse after 30 overs.

Every since sandpaper gate we don't see reverse swing in cricket anywhere around the world.

Was the mystery of the reverse swing purely code for 'ball tampering coming into effect'..........im all but certain it was.

Cmon man, the Aussies only did it that one time!

[am Bays]

Slightly off topic but got some spare time so thought i would raise a conversation starter.

What are two words you havent heard in cricket for over 5 years............"Reverse Swing"

Now i know these tests haven't lasted overly long but remember for a while teams were starting to get it reverse after 30 overs.

Every since sandpaper gate we don't see reverse swing in cricket anywhere around the world.

Was the mystery of the reverse swing purely code for 'ball tampering coming into effect'..........im all but certain it was.

Going to kill the conversation:
From 2023
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/reve ... al-1406872

Starc and Wasim master class from 2024
https://youtu.be/RuLGrgbx6cA

Bumrah, Starc Wood all current bowlers who still use it.

[whufc]

Huh.......that Starc and Wasim masterclass is Starc explaining the grip so you 'should' be able to get reverse swing (he doesnt bowl a single ball in the interview) and them then showing footage of cricket in the bloody 80's or something (the footage is that old it might as well be black and white hahaha) with the ball reversing!!!!

We can all post an article of people saying where is reverse swing gone...even the ICC is acknowledging reverse swing is pretty much gone.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/sa ... 52hs3.html

https://www.news18.com/cricket/reverse- ... 95692.html

[whufc]

Slightly off topic but got some spare time so thought i would raise a conversation starter.

What are two words you havent heard in cricket for over 5 years............"Reverse Swing"

Now i know these tests haven't lasted overly long but remember for a while teams were starting to get it reverse after 30 overs.

Every since sandpaper gate we don't see reverse swing in cricket anywhere around the world.

Was the mystery of the reverse swing purely code for 'ball tampering coming into effect'..........im all but certain it was.

Cmon man, the Aussies only did it that one time!

Yep.....you dont have to be einstein to see that even Starc isnt really getting much reverse swing in Australia anymore.

There would be the odd occasion the ball reverses im sure but for a while there teams were doing it in Australia, South African and even in England, sometimes getting the ball to reverse around 30 overs into an innings.

It's obvious that teams were able to find ways to get reverse earlier and earlier in games and also in any conditions.

Its one of the reasons we see tailenders getting bounced out now versus simply not being able to play the reverse swing.

Players are calling for the saliva ban to be lifted to try and get more reverse swing back............will that actually do anything???

[am Bays]

Whilst it isnt as prominent as it once was, I agree on that point, It is still definitely happening in 50 over cricket as the ball roughs up and it does happen on the sub continent and Bumrah was using it last year at the MCG.

Starc still uses it for variety as well

[The Dark Knight]

Slightly off topic but got some spare time so thought i would raise a conversation starter.

What are two words you havent heard in cricket for over 5 years............"Reverse Swing"

Now i know these tests haven't lasted overly long but remember for a while teams were starting to get it reverse after 30 overs.

Every since sandpaper gate we don't see reverse swing in cricket anywhere around the world.

Was the mystery of the reverse swing purely code for 'ball tampering coming into effect'..........im all but certain it was.

Have you watched any test cricket in Pakistan since Sandpaper Gate and before Pakistan decided to make their pitches absolute raggers to assist their spinners in recent series there? I've seen fast bowlers find reverse swing watching cricket played in Pakistan in that time, Starc and Cummins found reserve swing during the Aussies 2022 tour there as did Naseem Shah for Pakistan. The conditions/pitches there were conducive for reverse swing.

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/3319350
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... BcOLVrFtvE

With the reconditioned Kookaburra Ball with the extra lacquer on it keeping it 'newer' for longer, the drop in pitches with extra grass left on them, not being able to use saliva on the ball due to Covid and the heightened scrutiny around the way cricket balls are handled in the field due to sandpaper gate reverse swing in Australia is a thing of the past for now.

[daysofourlives]

Reverse swing will be back in Sydney, the pitch will be dryer than a nuns ... CA will make sure of that.

IMO its purely down to the pitches currently being prepared in Australia.

I cant remember the last time both teams made over 400 in the 1st innings. I would love to know the highest scores over the last 5 years in 1st innings for both teams, anybody good at doing stats?

[Jim05]

Reverse swing will be back in Sydney, the pitch will be dryer than a nuns ... CA will make sure of that.

IMO its purely down to the pitches currently being prepared in Australia.

I cant remember the last time both teams made over 400 in the 1st innings. I would love to know the highest scores over the last 5 years in 1st innings for both teams, anybody good at doing stats?

Without looking at the stats I’d say that the last time both sides made 400+ first dig in Australia was probably the Ashes in 2017?
I remember us getting near on 700 at the WACA and the Poms made 450 ish for memory

Doesn’t help that in the last 4-5 years we have played a heap of series against minnows here. A couple of series against the Windies plus tours from Pakistan and Sri Lanka plus the South African team that was terrible at the time.

[Lightning McQueen]

Damien Martyn in an induded coma after falling ill with meningitis, my prayers and best wishes are with him.

Same thing happened to my son a few years back while on a volleyball tournament on the Gold Coast, I had to take the next flight up there and ended up there for some time and we missed Christmas with the family, it was the scariest time of my life. Just reading the Martyn story has broken me as all of the memories came flooding back, the nurses and staff at the Gold Coast Universtiy hospital saved my sons life on many occasions.

[gadj1976]

Damien Martyn in an induded coma after falling ill with meningitis, my prayers and best wishes are with him.

Same thing happened to my son a few years back while on a volleyball tournament on the Gold Coast, I had to take the next flight up there and ended up there for some time and we missed Christmas with the family, it was the scariest time of my life. Just reading the Martyn story has broken me as all of the memories came flooding back, the nurses and staff at the Gold Coast Universtiy hospital saved my sons life on many occasions.

Wow! On both counts.

Is your son ok?

[Lightning McQueen]

Damien Martyn in an induded coma after falling ill with meningitis, my prayers and best wishes are with him.

Same thing happened to my son a few years back while on a volleyball tournament on the Gold Coast, I had to take the next flight up there and ended up there for some time and we missed Christmas with the family, it was the scariest time of my life. Just reading the Martyn story has broken me as all of the memories came flooding back, the nurses and staff at the Gold Coast Universtiy hospital saved my sons life on many occasions.

Wow! On both counts.

Is your son ok?

He lost all of his body weight, his hearing in his right ear, his balance and motor skills, he went from being a very talented footballer one who struggled picking the ball up on the run. About 18 months later he woke up and could hear out of his right ear again, the hospital said it was a miracle and then on the Sunday he kicked 4 goals in the first quarter and got BOG, he has never looked back from then.

I got a bit teary a few years ago at a family Christmas show and he said "Dad, it's the past and we got through it, let's leave it there".

So yeah, we were very lucky, I still have to reflect on the time, I can't bring myself to delete the photos.

[Arry Gablett]

Why is the test match not starting tomorrow?

[The Dark Knight]

Reverse swing will be back in Sydney, the pitch will be dryer than a nuns ... CA will make sure of that.

IMO its purely down to the pitches currently being prepared in Australia.

I cant remember the last time both teams made over 400 in the 1st innings. I would love to know the highest scores over the last 5 years in 1st innings for both teams, anybody good at doing stats?

Without looking at the stats I’d say that the last time both sides made 400+ first dig in Australia was probably the Ashes in 2017?
I remember us getting near on 700 at the WACA and the Poms made 450 ish for memory

Doesn’t help that in the last 4-5 years we have played a heap of series against minnows here. A couple of series against the Windies plus tours from Pakistan and Sri Lanka plus the South African team that was terrible at the time.

I've had a quick look and yeah, at the WACA in 2017 England made 403 and Australia 9/662 declared. It hasn't happened since the WTC has been adopted (2019) and it didn't happen when India won in Australia in 2018/19.

@daysofourlives
https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/to ... 2027-16977
The highest match aggregates in the 2025-2027 WTC so far, you can just match up the aggregates in the Australian test matches and same with the 2023-25 cycle-
https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/to ... 2025-15144
And the 2021-2023 cycle- https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/to ... 2023-14028