In order to keep it nice and tidy.
Well it’s almost upon us and we know how well we do with that first ball. Australia seem clear favourites but the odds for the results have England about 7/1 to win 3–2 and 6-1 for Oz to win 3-2 so somewhat mixed.
There are injuries for the Ozzies but if we can stay fit esp Stokes I think we can do this. History says there is a 50/50 chance of one game being drawn through rain, I don’t think any others will.
We probably need to win in Perth … we definitely need to win in Adelaide and I think we will win the day night … I’m going 3-2 to England … at least 2-1 up after 3 if not 3-0
Some interesting info in this article :
According to PitchViz, Australia is the toughest country in the world to face fast bowling in the past five years. The pitches here are the bounciest, quickest and second most inconsistent – all factors that should discourage extravagant strokeplay.
Since 2020, Australia have the second-fullest average length – 6.22 metres – needed to clip the top of the stumps; that’s about 35 centimetres fuller than in England.
Take your pick.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/nov/19/ashes-2025-26-guardian-writers-predictions-for-the-series
Gee how long since you won a match down here let alone a series, no test equivalent matches, towelled in NZ, notoriously fragile quicks and so many tipping an English series win!
Tell em they’re dreamin.
I think you already have.
I think Australia will have a home ground advantage
Last year they lost to India in Perth but won the series
It’ll be fascinating, so looking forward to the contest
England are gambling on three bowlers who have no realistic chance of lasting a whole series. They do have a proven top seven but you still think they’ll Bazball their way to 50-5 off six overs and shrug off criticism because it’s entertaining.
They’ve got belief. Plenty of previous teams haven’t and confidence matters. Whether it is warranted, we are about to see.
TBH I don’t really care who wins. I’m just hoping for some damfine games of cricket, willow on leather etc. If England do win it’ll be a nice surprise, as is the discovery that 7+ is showing all matches free. They’ve even signed up Bumble.
Recent history would suggest any game involving England will be a blinder
I suppose the hope is that those bowlers may get them 2-0 up before crocking – if they do stay fit that long that’s a real possibility. But if that happens, and given that those bowlers will definitely get crocked sooner rather than later, the question is how on earth they protect a lead over the remaining tests.
Of course 1 or 2 of them may just pull up lame on the first morning and then we’re buggered from the start.
I reckon 3-2 or 4-1 Australia. Whatever happens, can’t wait!
Given the Aussie injury news I am adjusting my prediction from 3-1 to 2-2
My heart says 3-1 England. My head says 3 or 4-1 Australia. As everyone is saying it will hinge on who stays fit.
The first ball often seem to foretell the series doesn’t it? Who remembers Rory Burns being bowled round his legs in 2021? Or DeFreitas being pummelled by Michael Slater in 1998?
I’m excited today. Let’s see how long that lasts.
Looking forward to hopefully a close series at least.
Not so easy to follow here with the huge time difference…think it starts at 230am here….and only on subscription channel, no free to air coverage even for highlights. So TMS and YouTube for me – perhaps the day night test might be more user friendly time wise.
Hopefully it’s not all over by Christmas !
Licensing legislation requires certain national sporting events be made free to air down here.
Was thinking of signing up to TNT but then I’d only catch a few hours every day first thing so it’s TMS I reckon.
I’ve a sinking feeling the Aussies will prevail.
Just discovered there’s an hour’s highlights package available each day on BBC i-player.
Here we go , here we go, here we go.
Wicket to Starc in first over.
🦆🦆🦆
Woke up at 4am in a freezing Cornwall and put the telly on to see a magnificent stadium and a lovely, sunny Perth.
Lunch now, highlights showing Crawley losing his absolute mind to Starc’s 6th delivery.
Hope Ben and Baz take him to a darkened room after stumps and give him a right going over for that effort.
Suspect England need a win here. Aus attack only going to get better and better.
It was all going so well…until it wasn’t. 🤨
7 fer!
Starc you legend.
Can’t help thinking this lack of a decent few games on Aussie soil really showed. Height of the bounce etc. And as Broad said in commentary, Bazball is one thing but it is 85 metres to the square leg boundary in Perth. 4s and 6s a bit harder to come by.
Get Smith early and it’s interesting though. It may or may not be the best way to win The Ashes but this England team is great to watch.
Yep these blokes are quick.
And that was cunning of your tail end to collapse so quickly so Khawaja couldn’t come out to open.
Captain Cheat goes. 30-3. It’s never over till it’s over, is it?
England have bowled so well. Making an actual match of this. 2 day test, anyone?
They’re good
It’s the length they’ve bowled – maybe a foot too short at times but pretty impressive overall.
Never in doubt etc
Well if this first day’s play is anything to go by this series is going to be a humdinger. Wonder how many days of play we’ll actually get out of the 25 seeing as it’s on fast forward?
Texting with a mate and said I’m not as pessimistic as you. He replied, “I’m not pessimistic – we’re fucked”.
Hmmm
Serms a trifle early in a five Test series to pull that trigger…
83-6. Bloody hell. And Australia have a fairly long tail. Time for some more Mark Wood.
I think he meant this test but yes premature even for this test. Lyon and Starc can bat – shorter than portrayed.
Surely not two complete innings in one day? One over to go…
Hell of a day!
First time this many wickets fell on one day of Ashes cricket since 1909*
*according to chatGPT so a pinch of salt required possibly.
Also according to the Guardian.
it’s what Zaltz has said on TMS and you have to trust the statistician
England’s day and not just the runs differential. It’s how you came back.
Respect.
England need to bat all day tomorrow – will fancy them if they can do that. Cricket Australia will be gutted – two/three day tests are not what they’re after.
“It took Jofra Archer two balls to reduce Weatherald to a puddle of dissolved batsmanship…” – Simon Burnton, Guardian.
🙂
Poor bugger. The senior, established opener stuffs up so he goes out , unplanned, with Marnus and has to face that steam train for his first Test experience.
Apparently played a golf tournament, and won, the day before. Perhaps not the smartest thing to do.
Khawaja played golf….
Khawaja looks a problem for you though doesn’t he @junior-wells? Not the best against proper pace and looking old. How many chances do you think he’ll be given?
Well…that was some day 1! Australia looked shell shocked and the momentum is now with England – we looked a better side all round, but they really do need to win this one now.
Nicely poised, super fight back but losing the last 5 English wickets for 12 runs must be a concern. Could effectively be a one innings shoot out now.
Not easy to sleep with this going on is it? Never mind, should be able to have a nice lie in tomorrow. A two day test is looking odds on at the moment. Stokes looks like he’s the only England batter prepared to leave it when it’s wide outside off stump.
Spoke to soon on that one Paul.
Yes Uzzie getting old and as I type he is walking off gingerly looks like a leg strain.
Struggling to find the other opener let alone replacing him.
Yep didn’t I just. A good one that got Stokes though. The Smith decision looks a poor one to me. Not so different from the Labuschagne one that was given not out in the Aussie first innings. And the spike wasn’t even when the ball went past the bat. I just don’t see how you can give it.
With the review system we use down here they allow one frame delay on nick and snick sound. That was one frame.
Smith did walk when he watched it and he certainly looked pretty anxious about it. But hey , reviews.
Yes I just saw that on the coverage here. And Smith just walked off, so probably the right decision.
How many do you fancy chasing?
Jesus, I’m gonna have to get up even earlier. I was kidding about a 2 dayer 😯.
Looks like Bazball is the way to play this one, given the Atkinson / Carse run blitz now occuring….
Got to have a lead of 200 at least?
201?
205 to win then. Frustrating by England. I like the way they play these days, but some of the shots were so poor and brainless. With just a modicum of common sense they could have nailed the game down. I reckon it’s about 50/50 who is favourite now. Always hard to win by scoring the highest total in the match though. This last session should be a belter.
Head going the tonk. A thing of beauty.
If only England were good enough to switch from Bazball to, er, Boycottball or Tavareball at will.
If they decided to spend the whole of day 2 batting defensively, they could have rested the bowlers and perhaps accumulate 200 runs in 90 overs. Then back to Bazball on day 3.
Sensible words BC
Exactly this. It’s so frustrating that there is no Plan B and no adaptation to conditions. Some of our shots that led to wickets were bonkers in a 5 day test in Australia.
Correct tactics were so obvious…as mentioned above, bat sensibly today and consolidate then attack on day 3 and put the game out of reach, leaving days 4 and 5 to bowl the opposition out. If we can see it, why can’t they….sheer hubris I suppose.
Yes BC is dead right. There is a machismo attached to the whole Bazball method that makes them lose sight of the fact that they’re actually trying to win matches. This one is gone now. Great call by Aus to open with Head. England’s bowling has been as poor in the second innings as it was impressive in the first. This is a statement knock by Head.
Which is why, entertaining though they can be, they’re a hard team to like.
Do they refund Day 3 tickets?
They would at English grounds. I assume the same is true in Australia but perhaps one of our local correspondents knows better…
A sell-out I believe. They’ll probably sue Stokes for loss of earnings
I wondered about that. Not just the tickets but bars, food concessions, nearby pubs and hotels, TV advertisers, and people you’ve booked to travel from the UK for days three and four – what compensation do they get for England playing hit&giggle cricket?
Does Cricket Australia need to tell its team to nurse the opposition along for the rest of the series?
Travball quickly eclipsing Bazball. Oh dear.
Not going to win many Tests with two scores below 200.
Bazball is either a spectacular success or a total disaster with nothing inbetween.
Defeat snatched from the jaws of victory and the worst possible start to the series for England.
I don’t like Stokes and I don’t much care for this English team.
I think they’re stupid.
Sorry and all that.
If they do get hammered this winter, maybe they’ll ditch Stokes and start playing the game in order to win Test matches rather than to create headlines (see the truly awful, and wildly unsuccessful, England football team of Beckham and Rooney).
Embarrassing, predictable and entirely self inflicted
Test matches used to go on forever.
This one will be over almost before it began.
Root needs to play the Root way and forget Bazball. At least that would provide some stability. As for Crawley, thought they had stuck with him as he would flourish on the pitches in Australia….
He doesn’t really flourish anywhere does he? Poorest opener with so many caps in test cricket?
Certainly not predictable. This English team is different to those before and I thought we were done.
Complete capitulation – can’t see a way back now – the Aussies will have their tails up now.
If they’re photographed on the golf course tomorrow they really are going to piss people off. Me included.
With the fear of sounding like a dinosaur, I don’t understand why a test batsman can’t look to spend time out in the middle and also sometimes look to hit 1s, 2s. Feels like Crawley and Brook, even Root, are looking to score boundaries every shot. It’s madness…
On those big outfields there should be plenty of 2s and 3s there for the taking.
That’s how Atkinson played. Hit 1s and 2s and the bad balls. Still proactive batting. Why the top order didn’t do the same before him, with a 100 lead, one wicket down, is completely crazy to me.
Nope @native , you are not a Brachiosaur.
That’s exactly what they should have done as a few here have said. If we can see it, why can’t they?
Aggers on TMS: “Australia need 1 run to win and they’ve got 3 days to get it…”
Stokes’ post-match interview with Aggers was quite depressing. Apparently a two day pink ball match has been arranged for an England XI but Stokes doesn’t think any of the test team needs game time practice. They’re just going to focus on net practice. The Aussies have only lost one day-night pink ball test on home turf.
2-0 after two seems almost inevitable.
I agree. The ignorance/arrogance of that statement belies belief.
I would loved to to be proved wrong.
Me too. The arrogance is extraordinary. They were undone by not having enough practice on bouncy pitches and now seem intent on passing up the chance for pink ball practice. They seem to be philosophically opposed to doing anything that could be described as orthodox. They seem posturing is starting to wear thin. A shame as, when it works, the positive approach has achieved some extraordinary things. But mostly, as at Headingly this year, when mixed with a healthy dose of pragmatism.
Reports said Cricket Australia were due to refund $4 million
… giving the lie to any notion of this English team being the ‘saviours of Test Cricket’.
As Head ducked casually under yet another futile bouncer I yelled (to myself) Enough with the bouncers already!
But Mrs thep is thrilled not to be a cricket widow for the next three days, so there’s that.
Nobody’s addressing the really important question though…why do Head and Stokes both have that weird shaved down the sides haircut? Is one taking the piss out of the other? Is it a helmet thing? (No pun intended.)
Amidst all the gnashing of teeth and righteous criticism of England aren’t we forgetting one thing? Cricket has changed, most likely forever, and Australia (Head) won by being better at Bazball than England.
Cept we dont call it Bazball. It is just aggressive cricket. See Warner, Gilchrist, Marsh Etc.
Bazball seems to be aggression irrespective of the appropriateness to the circumstances.
I was being ironic using “Bazball” but the point remains the same – can you imagine five years ago any team coming out on a tricky pitch needing 200 to win and knocking off the runs as though it was a limited over game?
No, you can’t. – Call it what you like but it ain’t cricket as us oldies know it. No more “Boycott has been at the crease for nine hours”….
I love the aggression, the confidence, the swagger but I’d also like Tests that don’t finish in 2 days.
Me too and to be honest I’d rather the aggression was tempered according to conditions and the state of the game.
However, do I want to go back to 5 day bores when the experts wittered on about building an innings, playing every ball on merit, maiden over after maiden over, going out to walk the dog and an hour later 7 runs have been added , look there’s a No17 bus passing the Stretford End and we’ve just been delivered a sumptuous cap from Betty Thomson of Redcar?
No, I do not.
Betty Thompson’s cap? She does a nice cake, mind
Good point @junior-wells
I’m all for their style of cricket where the circumstances allow. Day 2 was not one of those .
I’ve said before that Bazball is just a PR exercise: we can’t bat out two innings worth; let’s stop trying to and just call it a massive tactical innovation.
The Aussies did what they do when they win – find some players who’ll step up when needed. And, crucially, make changes. Compare Boland and Archer, and who improved across the match, for example. Starc stepping up and controlling the bowling; Head, and the support of Marnus. The English bowling just went walkabout in the second innings.
I told my old Aussie boss this wouldn’t go two days and he expressed some doubt. England have said that their approach will save Test cricket; how? By destroying it?
And my favorite bit from Australia: this proves that good Head beats a subpar Root.
There have been a few of those off-colour puns in cricket, the most memorable probably being “the bowler’s Holding, the batsman’s Willey”
On of the best was from the normally dour Ian Chappell, who described the New Zealand bowler Bob Cunis as neither one thing nor the other