A series that means everything to both boards financially could easily be derailed by an outbreak at the wrong momentAs Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser went to sleep after the fourth day of the Adelaide Ashes Test, they could easily have been wondering about what might soon come to pass. Both have bowled well as Australia’s replacement fast bowlers, and over the first four days neither has outperformed the other.Richardson bowled aggressively in the first innings without a wicket, Neser more economically took one. Richardson has so far taken two in the second innings, Neser another. Patrick Cummins will definitely return for the Melbourne Test, Josh Hazlewood might. If there is still a vacancy, the fifth day in Adelaide may...
Pyrrhic victories and pointless triumphs were all the tourists had to hold on to on a sometimes comical day four in BrisbaneFor England, a day of pyrrhic victories and pointless triumphs. It was their first good bowling day of the series: unfortunately, it began with Australia almost 300 runs ahead in their second innings. Jos Buttler restored his fragile confidence with two fine sprawling catches, either side of the regulation chance he dropped off Steve Smith’s first ball.Rory Burns finally showed some fight at the top of the order, his 34 knocking off a little over 7% of England’s 468-run target. And the captain, Joe Root, courageously batted on despite receiving two painful blows to what was euphemistically described as...
All-rounder’s numbers are not too special but he has curtailed England by twice removing their talisman in these AshesDecades from now, when some awkward teenager in a biosecure bunker tries to forget about the grimness of the dying planet outside by scrolling through old cricket statistics on their settlement’s offline intranet, they will think that Joe Root in 2021 must have been kissed on the nose by a sunbeam. Not only did he get to spend time outdoors, above ground, with no concern for atmospheric chlorine or flying sharks, but he made runs wherever he went, against all-comers, racing up the record list like a 12-legged scorpion up a respirator pipe.For his final stanza, the tour of Australia, his numbers...
Detailed analysis shows Australia have been better in three key areas so far: batting, bowling and, er, fieldingTen minutes before tea on Friday evening the sky above Adelaide had retreated behind a potent-looking white veil as Jimmy Anderson came on to bowl the 139th over of Australia’s innings. Even from the other side of the world it looked like vicious, sweaty work, in a city where the heat clings to you like a woollen three piece suit.Australia were cruising at 383 for five, sucking time and possibilities out of the game, the day, the series. Steve Smith and Alex Carey had put on 89. Anderson narrowed his eyes, grimaced and ran in to bowl his 26th over, legs pounding the...
Do the pink-ball matches offer the tourists their best chance of a win over Australia? Previous results suggest otherwiseIt is curious how an idea can become accepted as a general truth. For months leading up to this Ashes series, one of the tenets largely accepted by punditry has been that the Adelaide day-night Test would be England’s best chance of getting into the series with a win. When the fifth Test at Perth was moved to Hobart, the framing became whether this second day-night match – without having seen the first – would tilt things even more in England’s favour.The concept is that the pink ball and the evening conditions can offer more chance of making the ball swing and...