The Ashes 2025/6

As everyone is getting ready to go home here are some blog stats. I think with nearly 3000 views it has been worth it.  I hope those of you that dipped in enjoyed it. When I get home I will archive the blog and share the location with everyone via the EST WhatsApp groups Thanks again! Tim just the raw numbers A time-series of daily views Locations

 A fascinating days cricket today, but in the end we just didn't have enough runs. Another hundred and we might have snuck it as the pitch started to break up and get some turn. Jacks got Steve Smith with a beauty, probably the best ball he's ever bowled! I was privileged to be able to watch today's play from the member's enclosure in the pavilion. All 4-1 and 1-4 all For me this was the match where Jacob Bethell proved beyond doubt that he can bat at #3 in spite of doubts earlier expressed by most people. His was a superb display of Test cricket amongst some of the usual snafus, such as dropped catches daft shots and wayward bowling JG Bethell c Carey b Starc 154 I grabbed a curiosity a snap of Jake Weatherald and Joe Root in the same frame who both wear the same shirt number Weatherald and Root both have the number 66 When all is said and done, the teams show respect for each other by saying their farewells until next time.. Thanks for the memories There will be a rec...

Today's headline pic is of two beautiful police horses outside the ground coloured in Pink Horses for courses A great days cricket today, I thought. I was really pleased to see Jacob Bethell achieve his maiden first class 100 in an Ashes Test match at the SCG. That sorts his pension out - in 20 years time he will be taking part in pre-Test events of the sort we've experienced  here on this tour. Being only 22 he has plenty of time to super annuate  his pension by actually winning an Ashes series here in Australia. He got to his century off the bowling of Beau Webster who last season was a Warwickshire team mate of Bethell's (hence the title of today's post).Here is a video of the moment, once again courtesy of Kitty Perry from our group. Bethell (Warks) hits a four of Webster (Warks) to bring up his 100 Littered around Bethell's innings was the usual Bazball dross; Crawley leaving a straight one from Starc, Jacks holing out to the deep second ball, Smith needlessly ...

I'm going to start today's post with a picture of the flags flying over the pavilion Flags over the SCG pavilion, form L-R; Cricket Australia, the Aboriginal flag , the Australian Flag, The Torres Strait Islander's flag and the England flag. Here are the same flags fluttering in the welcome breeze Flags in the breeze There isn't much to say about the cricket today, except that following on (in the journalistic sense, not the cricketing sense) from yesterday, England's bowling was atrocious, allowing Head to pile on the runs and Steve Smith to swat the ball all over the ground for his unbeaten 100. Some dropped catches (Jacks, Crawley), wasted revies on the night watcher, Neser. I wll however highligh Bethell's bowling. I hadnt seen him bowl for so long (i.e. since he last played for Warwickshire), that I took a quick video of him bowling right after Steve Smith straight drove him for 6. Jacob Bethell bowling A pretty grim day. It will be grimmer tomorrow Austr...

  So we have at least seen Root Score a couple of brilliant centuries on this tour Root celebrating his second century of the tour. That proved to be the highlight of the day for England fans. As fellow tourer Mike Bailey (from Bury not Burnley - ed) predicted, Brook got giddy and got out within touching distance of his maiden Ashes century, with Root going on to complete his. And mostly for my loyal reader at home here is an edited video of the moment, captured by fellow tourer Kitty Perry. (the full version is too big to load on the blog) Root gets his 100 (video shot by Kitty Perry) Root lost batting support eventually with Jamie Smith getting out to the worst shot of the tour holeing out to cover to a half tracker from of all people Marnus Labushagne. So all out for 384 easily our best total in the series, and we needed a good bowling performance to reinforce our position. What is wrong with this sentence? "England opened the bowling with Carse and Potts". The bowling was...

And so to the final Test. Perth seems such a long time ago. With gloriuos weather to start the day, we were all hopeful of a good days play. The day got off to an emotional start (for me) as the first responders to the Bondi terrorist attack were recognised including the guy who got the gun off one of the attackers. I always try to capture the first ball of a Test in case Crawley edges it, but he and Duckett got us off to a reasonable start, putting on 35 for the first wicket, Duckett going first caught behind of Starc just as he had got going. Crawley went lbw next playing around a straight one from Neser with total on 51, and then Bethell played at one from Boland that he perhaps could have left, but it was a good ball and Carey did the rest behind the stumps. That was 3-57, with three bowlers sharing the spoils with one apiece. And now Root and Brook were at the crease both on 0 and things could've gone quickly downhill from there, but the Yorkshire boys steadied the ship and pl...