NWR The Ashes 2021-22

Will Devize said:
In direct contrast to Bairstow's recent Test knocks which have been a curious mix of hesitant, impulsive and untrustworthy, today he was very impressive and played what must be his best ever Test innings from a horrible position against a quality attack on a pitch that was doing a bit. He picked length very well and played the ball late. He was uncharacteristically decisive in his shot-selection and was especially assertive when sweeping Lyon. His game looked in excellent order and even a nasty whack on the thumb couldn't derail his concentration. He looked in complete control until flapping in the nervous nineties.

Hameed and Crawley were both castled in a way that no decent Test opener should ever be, Malan was roughed up then sucker-punched, Root's spirit looks crushed, Stokes chanced his arm for 66 but is clearly carrying a nasty injury, Buttler - see Root, Wood help-hooked Cummins thrice into the stands and put on a vital and frisky partnership with YJB.

Good, clean fun and should at least make for a marginally less painful defeat than the previous three, although who knows what tomorrow will bring. I could quite easily see us losing by an innings again.
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Thanks Will.

Hameed’s shot would have been laughed at in a Surrey League second XI match.
 
Will Devize said:
I could quite easily see us losing by an innings again.
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Luckily, I think that is now not possible as we’ve avoided the follow on. Otherwise I’m sure that we’d be able to contrive it. The Bairstow/Stokes/Wood partnerships strike me as one of those things that tends to happen every so often based on the probability of ‘getting away with it’ once in a while. I don’t see it as anything other than a blip within the normal progression of the series and remain convinced that only rain can save England from a fourth defeat.
 
Yes- I should of course said a heavy defeat rather than an innings defeat. I guess following England has conditioned me to default to the latter.
 
This was a lot of nailbiting fun but my favourite of England’s various ‘rearguard actions’ over the last decade plus remains Auckland. The one with Monty diving to get in from about halfway down the pitch and unsurprisingly landing rather short.
 
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I almost expeced to see bunting all over English social media this morning. Definitely a get out of jail day. Certainly some pluses going forward though it has not changed how dire English test cricket actually is. At least morale for Hobart will be more positive. Billings for Buttler feels like the right call unless they feel Pope needs another go. Will Barstow and Stokes be fit to bat and field - I assume Stokes will not bowl. Crawley cemented his place for a while and Thorpe clearly a fan. But who should replace Hameed who should be retired from test cricket for his own mental well being. Will Silverwood be selecting the team with Root or is he treated as yesterday’s man before the axe falls. Plenty to keep us talking.
 
Apropos of nothing, I thoroughly enjoyed Barney Ronay's recent article, 'The ballad of Jack Leach: a leaf blown along the road and into the Ashes', especially the following passages:

'Smith was on 22 off 26 by now and cruising. There was a brief delay as Haseeb Hameed, who always seems to be tumbling out of the door with his school tie askew clutching a piece of toast, fiddled his way into a pair of shin-pads.'

'Ollie Pope’s wicket-keeping was lithe and limber. There was even something refreshing in the sound of his eager, piping chat, a pleasant change from the silent sadness of Jos Buttler, who crouches for every ball with the look of a laudanum-addled poet splayed in his garret composing his latest ode to death.'
 
Keith Prothero said:
The interesting Test series is in South Africa . Amazing if the Proteas can win the series, considering what a hopeless batting side they have , and the strength of the opposition.
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Great result for the Proteas.

Again, shows how hard it is to win away. That is not to detract from two fabulous chases in a row from the home team though. Don’t know what they’ve been feeding Bavuma with, but he might just be the most improved batsman in world cricket over the past year.
 
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