The Ashes (Australia vs England) 5th Test: Jan 4-8, 2018 at Sydney

[Leo]

Jan 4-8, 2018
10:30 local (02:30 GMT)

Australia
Steven Smith, David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Mitchell Marsh

England
Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, Joe Root, Dawid Malan, Gary Ballance, James Vince, Moeen Ali, Mason Crane, Ben Foakes, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Jake Ball, Craig Overton, Tom Curran

[Leo]

Good Luck England

[raja]

Maybe we should just let them have a consolation win so that they go back to England feeling a bit better.

[[Lofthouse]]

In 2014 I remember reading that Broad dashed into a team mates bedroom yelling out that there was a ghost in his room,I wonder if he has seen any ghosts in his rooms in Australia?

[Verity]

Steven Smith is the best since Sir Don, makes Kohli look like shit.

[Katto]

Steven Smith is the best since Sir Don, makes Kohli look like shit.

Kohli much better ODI player though

we'll see how Kohli goes in South Africa shortly and be able to compare with Smith a little later in their season

[raja]

Mentally prepared for a defeat and a 3-1 series scoreline.
Somehow this time it doesn't feel too bad.
I guess it is because this Aussie side has already over-achieved.
I fully expected them to lose the series - wouldn't even have been surprised if they had lost 0-5.
From that level of expectation (0-5 to ending it at a possible 3-1) is massive.

[Katto]

hopefully Smith can find some elusive form

[Boycs]

hopefully Smith can find some elusive form

It would be nice if he could find his elusive bat edge

[Mick180461]

Jan 3-7, 2018
10:30 local (02:30 GMT)

Australia
Steven Smith, David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Mitchell Marsh
Your Australian squad is short one player, Ashton Agar has been added to the squad
England
Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, Joe Root, Dawid Malan, Gary Ballance, James Vince, Moeen Ali, Mason Crane, Ben Foakes, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Jake Ball, Craig Overton, Tom Curran

[Boycs]

Would you leave Moeen out? Both Swann and Vaughan think it’s the right call to bench him. But for whom? Another bat? Surely not Mason Crane the nothing spinner.

[Loose halo]

There is talk of Australia playing two spinners in Sydney.

I checked with an ex Test player and he called a selector and it appears they are currently in disagreement.

Only thing I can think of is Mark Waugh has a Sydney bias.

[Katto]

There is talk of Australia playing two spinners in Sydney.

I checked with an ex Test player and he called a selector and it appears they are currently in disagreement.

Only thing I can think of is Mark Waugh has a Sydney bias.

SOK vs Agar

[raja]

I can see Moeen, Crane and Root spinning England to victory at the SCG.

[Katto]

I can see Moeen, Crane and Root spinning England to victory at the SCG.

SCG doesn't spin as much as it used to.
Its pretty similar to the MCG the way it plays.
So expect Anderson and Broad to skittle Australia with reverse swing extracted from bounced outfield returns.

[raja]

I can see Moeen, Crane and Root spinning England to victory at the SCG.

SCG doesn't spin as much as it used to.
Its pretty similar to the MCG the way it plays.
So expect Anderson and Broad to skittle Australia with reverse swing extracted from bounced outfield returns.

Yes, now that we have a rejuvenated Broad, we can expect him and Anderson to run through the Aussie batting line-up.

3-1 beckons.
Congrats, Boycs!

[Loose halo]

It went like this.

Starc Cummins Hazlewood Lyon Marsh

or

Hazelwood Cummins/Starc Lyon Agar Marsh.

[Katto]

It went like this.

Starc Cummins Hazlewood Lyon Marsh

or

Hazelwood Cummins/Starc Lyon Agar Marsh.

I dunno if Starc will be fit
but who to drop for Agar if he is?

[Loose halo]

Cummins would be rested.

[baggygreenmania]

Happy New Year all CF members. May 2018 be a great cricket year for you all. (first posted on Jan 1)

[baggygreenmania]

Australian cricket has been embarrassed by the ICC rating the MCG drop-in pitch for the Boxing Day Ashes Test as "poor" following a dull draw in which only 24 wickets were taken over five days.

[baggygreenmania]

Cummins would be rested.

Please do not rest Cummins. He needs to be bowling as much as possible. Has missed enuff cricket. Agar for Bird it has to be as the Birdman was wingless in last test.

[baggygreenmania]

Maybe we should just let them have a consolation win so that they go back to England feeling a bit better.

You changing sides at this late stage raja?

[baggygreenmania]

Has anyone seen a pic of the SCG deck? Word is it could be a green top as Sydney has had some unsettled weather of late. Had a massive thunderstorm last nite.. another predicted tonite.

[baggygreenmania]

Cummins/MS/Haze/Lyon/Agar/Paine
& 5 specialist batsman.

Which batsman are you dropping?

[Yorkshire]

Shocking news coming from Australia as they dropped Maxwell for ODI vs England but I am sure he will be back in tri series in Febuary

[Yorkshire]

Baggy,

Its all clear from Australian 'Think tank', Agar will sits out despite, Curator predicts Track help to spinner as the game progress.Aus Go with Lyon only plus 3 fast bowler+ MM will be handy as 5th bowler.

Mason Crane will début tomorrow for England.Tourist expects to win before test series vs Newzeland in NZ.

[Yorkshire]

Loose Halo,
20 year old fast bowler, Jhye Richardson might not gets chance to play in any of 5 Games unless Ms or TYe left out for at least one game, I think he had couple of games in t20i vs Lanka but in FC his best is 71 with 21 wickets so he can bats little bit besides his fast bowling skills.

[Yorkshire]

hopefully Smith can find some elusive form

According to Verity, Australian tracks are total ( smith -605 in ashes)road but his skills will be tested during Southfrica test series in 2018.

We all know how he was doing on spin Friendly wicket in India or Bangladesh.

[Mick180461]

Starc back In for Bird as the only change to the Aussie side for Sydney.

[baggygreenmania]

Good experience for Agar to be around the squad. Should now make the Saffer tour.

[baggygreenmania]

Shocking news coming from Australia as they dropped Maxwell for ODI vs England but I am sure he will be back in tri series in Febuary

Smith has said he wants more consistency from Maxie. He is only averaging mid 20s in limited overs. Not good enuff. Inconsistency has plaqued his career. Should Lynn come off then I see no way back in ODI for Maxwell. He is still a chance for the Saffer tour tho.

[Yorkshire]

Woakes out of Sydney Test with side strain
http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/99 ... f-scg-test

If smith win toss England will be in big trouble without Overton/Woakes and inexperience Of debutant Crane on non supportive wicket on day one.

[Boycs]

Oh god they are going to give Crane a go? Worse than selecting Pattinson - at least he could bowl play.

Crane is going to get massacred. Over four and a half an over I predict.

[bolero]

Sydney always a pitch that offers some turn.

[Boycs]

Yeah but you have to be able to bowl spin

[Boycs]

Ooooo it’s tonight! And I don’t have to work tomorrow!

It’s all coming up roses for Boycs

[Boycs]

Argh Woakes is out with a side strain though

[Shambles]

With Starc coming back, that'll bring Cook back to the player who averaged 13. Lyon will become a handful for Englands batsmen & we could struggle here. Cant see an England spin duo of Moeen & Crane giving Australia anything but easy runs. Looking like 4-0 to me.

[Boycs]

Agreed

[baggygreenmania]

Guess you have to make your Test debut some time but against a side with the momentum and confidence of Ashes winning Australia. Crane evidently impressed NSW Blues selectors last year as he was given a rare game for the state. Took a five for from memory. Since then he has not overly impressed against the CA X1 kids. He does bring variation..Aussie batsmen do not like playing the ball that spins both ways. In fact not a lot of batsmen do.

[baggygreenmania]

It is overcast in Sydney so I see swing master Jimmy doing some early damage should Root win toss and bowl. On other hand Starc could do similar damage should Smith also bowl first. All reports are the SCG deck retains plenty of green tinged grass. So the seamers will also like it. Will we finally get a fair contest between bat and ball.

[baggygreenmania]

This should be music to the ears of Haze, Starc and Cummins..

The Aussie bowlers have been encouraged by the sight of a well-grassed SCG pitch, the first for the new curator/ground manager combination of Adam Lewis and Justin Groves. "We've made it to be a traditional SCG pitch," Groves said. "It will break up towards the end, the factor of the weather does come into it, but that's the way we've prepared the pitch.

Will the last Ashes match finally provide a fair contest between bat and ball?

[Loose halo]

I am waiting for the toss to rule out the draw.

[Boycs]

Hah Vic Marks “I wouldn’t have picked him. I can’t believe they picked him”

And at least “he may play more tests than Liam Dawson”.

“Don’t expect too much”

Ripping endorsement. Dawson was an idiotic useless pick too.

They wonder why they didn’t try borthwick again. He didn’t do terrible.

[Boycs]

Stoneman I think has done a better job than his average this series suggests. I don’t think vince is a long term prospect at current ability.

Malan I can’t tell now. If he goes and milks easier runs in the Home series will he suddenly look like hot shit?

[baggygreenmania]

What to expect: Although the SCG has a reputation for a turning pitch - Australia played two spinners in the last two Tests here - the early indications are that this surface may be more helpful for the seamers which should mean one spinner only per team. The forecast is for hot but changeable weather with cloud and rain forecast at various stages of the match.

Sydney has started summer with this unsettled weather. Sweltering one day.. cooler and wet the next. More spring than summer to be honest.

[baggygreenmania]

Could giving Crane his test debut today be a case of throwing the youngster to the lions? His selection mirrors that of Scott Borthwick in the corresponding game four years ago. How did he go after so much hype? 1-49 off 7 overs. Was his first and last test match.

Gotta think tho that the England camp have pulled off a knee jerk selection over the misdirected notion that the SCG is a spinners paradise.

That is a long way from the truth.

It may have been back in the 90s and can be curated to resemble one when needed today. But the SCG is nothing more than a good cricket wicket with plenty in it for the batsmen, pacers and spinners at the back end of the match.

[baggygreenmania]

A little drizzle delaying start of the Pink Test. Radar shows no visble rain after this.

[Leo]

Good to see that Cook is scoring. But can he continue? Hope so.