5th Test Thu 27-31 July 2023 - Kia Oval

[Leysboy]

Yesssssssss Broady

Love it!!

Series drawn 2-2 and I think probably just about a fair result, because both teams have been pretty even. Yes we could have won at Manchester but rain denied us. Then the early declaration at Edgbaston, but the series as a whole has been very good.

 

[LowerSouth]

My enthusiasm has slowly ebbed away after the last test. If this had been a decider, it would have been an absolute corker and yes, I know we can still draw the series but it's all just a bit meh somehow. Stokes' drop earlier on just epitomised the rather careless way we have managed chuck it away by being cavalier for the sake of it at various points in the series - it sometimes seemed that was being done more to prove a point to the critics of 'Bazball' rather than to maximise our chances of winning.

You missed an epic finale

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Well, Broad scored a 6 with his last hit and took a wicket with his last ball.

Just a shame this wasn't a decider.

 

[Sarge]

Broadyyyyyyyy.... what a way to end your career, winning an ashes test by taking the final wicket

 

[ZeroTheHero]

You missed an epic finale

Oh, I've been watching and listening!

 

[Leysboy]

All the test matches were close, and people are saying test cricket is dead. Nah! It’s the best format of the game, and I love it!

 

[unification]

A Desmond series.

Sort of fair. England didn’t deserve to win in for their sloppiness in tactics and Australia didn’t deserve to win it for being a bit meh all series.

It’s been a fun series regardless.

 

[unification]

All the test matches were close, and people are saying test cricket is dead. Nah! It’s the best format of the game, and I love it!

Whatever.

The real cricket in The Hundred starts tomorrow .

 

[Marked Ox]

Lovely stuff.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

Amazing.

For me, England were the better team and deserved to win given that the Aussies were praying for rain and got an unlikely two days rained off, but overall an amazing series and shows how test cricket is still by far the best format.

 

[yellowbow]

Loved that Broad did his bails trick (this time at the non-strikers end) just before taking Murphy’s wicket

 

[Northstandboy]

A fairy tale end for Broad, what a fantastic player and career!

 

[Foley]

Unbelievable test series.
Well done England. They really deserved that!

 

[Foley]

To be fair to Stokes and the selectors, they were right on Crawley ( despite many suggesting that they were wrong)

Bairstow recovered ( averaged 40 and his keeping improved in the last 2 Tests) and Moeen justified his selection ( no real alternatives)

Bad decisions/ catching in the first couple of Tests cost us.

 

[SteMerritt]

The group 'Just Stop Oil' have said in court that there is no evidence that the Second Test at Lord's was taking place legally, therefore they can't be guilty of disrupting it...

Telegraph Article



I think they have a point. The game wasn't lawful, so we won the series 2-1. Now, where is our urn?

 

[Oufcrealist]

A mostly enjoyable and entertaining series. I still think we threw the first two away with bad decision making and poor catching/fielding.
But the series changer for me was the introduction of Woakes and Wood. They changed the match dynamics instantly. If Pope hadn't got injured only one of them would have played each game, probably on rotation and that would have seriously affected our chances of winning.
One more thing that annoys me intensely is that Test cricket should never be ending at the end of July in this country, quite frankly it's ludicrous!!

 

[SteMerritt]

One more thing that annoys me intensely is that Test cricket should never be ending at the end of July in this country, quite frankly it's ludicrous!!

Yeah agreed. And it isn't just Test cricket finishing, the County Championship is also on pause, so there is no red ball cricket being played. We have a month of The Hundred and the One Day Cup.

 

[Foley]

Yeah agreed. And it isn't just Test cricket finishing, the County Championship is also on pause, so there is no red ball cricket being played. We have a month of The Hundred and the One Day Cup.

We can at last watch some proper cricket now!!
There must be quite a few players who in the middle of summer, have no games to play for virtually a month?

 

[SteMerritt]

There must be quite a few players who in the middle of summer, have no games to play for virtually a month?

Probably a few who are only playing red ball for the counties, although any player who is picked up for The Hundred is unavailable for their county in the One Day Cup, so there will be a few gaps to be filled. Not sure how many Middx players are gone, Eskinazi and Bamber have deals I believe.

 

[Oufcrealist]

Yeah agreed. And it isn't just Test cricket finishing, the County Championship is also on pause, so there is no red ball cricket being played. We have a month of The Hundred and the One Day Cup.

Plus we have the whole of September with International 20's and one dayers, understandable with the world cup in October.
Looking at next year's England home fixtures there are no Tests until 10th July , 3 against Windies. Then a gap with 2 against Sri Lanka in August.
20's against Pakistan in May then nothing at all in June which I presume is the Hundred and one day cup being brought forward.
All does suggest to me that Test Cricket has to fit around all else.
Money, money money!!