The Ashes (Australia tour of England)

[Dutch]

New Ball...last throw of the ol' dice?

 

[Dutch]

Since Smith came in he has had four partnerships with a total score of 277 runs of which he has scored 137: that is the main difference between the two teams......with whom can England consistently build any kind of partnership?[DOUBLEPOST=1567690977][/DOUBLEPOST]But coming up to the 140's so England's best chance is dawning.....

 

[Dutch]

Love this kind of stat (from the bbc)

"Jack Leach has bowled just under 15,500 first-class deliveries. The Smith out-not-out was, I think, his 14th no ball.

Assuming all Leach's no balls were correctly called, the probability that Smith might fall to a Leach no ball is ~one in every 1,100 balls (~183 overs)."

 

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

I might be wrong and Jofra Archer has done some heroics recently but the hype around him will just die down. He could very well be England's Ajanta Mendis (a tad bit better).

 

[Dutch]

England look utter shattered and short of ideas! Currans drop was ghastly......the wheels have come off!

 

[Dutch]

Ben Stokes, pre-match: "We've forgotten Headingley"......time to remember it again?

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Steven Smith is the best test batsman in the world. Nobody is even close to him. The Kohli's, Williamson's, Root's are way behind when it comes to test cricket. This bloke is outstanding. It makes it more special since its not easy to come back after a gap of a year, but what does this super human do? Continues from the same point where he left off! Well done Smith for yet another 100.

This knock of Smith brings up a gulf of difference between Kohli and Smith at the Test level. For a moment most of us felt that Smith's ban was a blessing in disguise for Kohli. Kohli still miles behind.

 

[Deleted member 193590]

Think England need to start carrying kryptonite in their pockets when Smith's at the crease.

 

[zimrahil]

This knock of Smith brings up a gulf of difference between Kohli and Smith at the Test level. For a moment most of us felt that Smith's ban was a blessing in disguise for Kohli. Kohli still miles behind.

Smith appears miles ahead of everyone currently, not just Kohli

 

[Yorkshireman]

Dear god. No balls, dropped catches. Absolute dire stuff from England...

 

[Dutch]

The fact is that however great Smith well or may not be, England have been abject this series and no-one has taken responsibility apart from a few mad, do or die moments from Ben Stokes. We just ain't good enough: we cannot beat the Aussies away from home and we can't beat them at home in our own conditions.[DOUBLEPOST=1567697257][/DOUBLEPOST]

Dear god. No balls, dropped catches. Absolute dire stuff from England...

The three dropped chances have been systematic of an utter lack of confidence. There is a lot going on behind closed doors I am sure of and all this talk of "momentum" is utter crap. The only momentum is England sliding off the nearest cliff...

 

[Dutch]

Englands session after tea!

 

[Aalay]

The sheer consistency that Smith has shown at the test level is incredible. I have been fortunate to see some modern greats of the game in the recent past but I don't remember anyone scoring runs with this amount of consistency. I have seen all of the fab four (Smith, Kohli, Williamson, Root) now bat in every conditions and Smith and Kohli has scored runs everywhere they have went. However, with Kohli you can still feel that you can have him nick off early if you are bowling in that channel outside the off stump because he likes to keep the game moving and keep the scoreboard ticking. Therefore, you will get him to play at one that he shouldn't play at. Smith on the other hand will keep leaving those deliveries and is ready to grind it out if he has to. That is one main difference between Smith and Kohli and that is also the reason why Smith is best in test cricket at the moment.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Time to get nine men on the boundary

 

[Dutch]

Time to get nine men on the boundary

Root's go to tactic.......