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The Ashes 2023

There's an 80% chance of rain throughout the day, which is not the same as an 80% chance of rain all day.

kabbes
It’s so unclear what the % chance of rain means that More or Less once write to the Met Office to ask them, and the answer they gave just confused things even further.

My interpretation of the nonsense they came out with is that it isn’t even really “80% chance of rain”. It’s more that “when weather conditions have resembled these in the past, 80% of those times [over some time period that remains completely opaque] resulted in some rain being experienced”. And the time period is critical to that calculation, but the Met Office’s answer on that score was as clear as mud.

Basically, it’s almost certainly going to rain on Sunday, but it isn’t at all clear that you should expect rain during any given hour of that day.
 
It’s so unclear what the % chance of rain means that More or Less once write to the Met Office to ask them, and the answer they gave just confused things even further.

My interpretation of the nonsense they came out with is that it isn’t even really “80% chance of rain”. It’s more that “when weather conditions have resembled these in the past, 80% of those times [over some time period that remains completely opaque] resulted in some rain being experienced”. And the time period is critical to that calculation, but the Met Office’s answer on that score was as clear as mud.

Basically, it’s almost certainly going to rain on Sunday, but it isn’t at all clear that you should expect rain during any given hour of that day.
The WinViz of weather.
 
Great shame. Can't see them getting anything like 40 overs in over the 2 days. May even be 0 overs. The game doesn't just start again when it stops raining, we all know that.

So point a) is yes, quite a dismal defence of the Ashes by an incredibly negative Australia

But point b) is that fucking stupid declaration on day one of the first Test.

This will prove costly
 
Can I also say that I've absolutely fucking loved watching England this summer. It's been beautiful and Stokes is the man I would want to be. Even when we lost the first two. I fell out of love with cricket for a bit but am back now.
Absolutely! Sitting on a train grinning to myself listening to Bairstow creaming 6's was just brilliant. Cricket as the exciting, wonderful sport it should and can be.
 
It’s so unclear what the % chance of rain means that More or Less once write to the Met Office to ask them, and the answer they gave just confused things even further.

My interpretation of the nonsense they came out with is that it isn’t even really “80% chance of rain”. It’s more that “when weather conditions have resembled these in the past, 80% of those times [over some time period that remains completely opaque] resulted in some rain being experienced”. And the time period is critical to that calculation, but the Met Office’s answer on that score was as clear as mud.

Basically, it’s almost certainly going to rain on Sunday, but it isn’t at all clear that you should expect rain during any given hour of that day.

The synoptic chart for Sunday is unclear and wind change is likely bringing in other fronts (from my half arsed hill walker reading).

Sunday at midday:

IMG_0018.jpeg
 
It's been a great series. And you never know, Stokes' scripts seem to get more and more outlandish but I think that's it. Hopefully next time they'll pick a keeper who can keep and knows the rules instead of one who can only blast 99 in a lost cause. It really is Dad's Army but it's been a ride.

Where does bazball go from here? There's only three of them in their 20s (i think)
 
It's been a great series. And you never know, Stokes' scripts seem to get more and more outlandish but I think that's it. Hopefully next time they'll pick a keeper who can keep and knows the rules instead of one who can only blast 99 in a lost cause. It really is Dad's Army but it's been a ride.

Where does bazball go from here? There's only three of them in their 20s (i think)
Like mate. I'm not particularly picking on you but the amount of negativity in this thread is just astonishing. So fucking miserable. As a rule. I mean feel free to count yourselves either in or out of that categorisation as you wish. But God.
 
The series deserves a decider. England have embarrassed Australia's champion bowlers in this match and would be cruising to a victory with a day to spare were it not for the rain.

The stupid declaration on the first day might just have cost England the Ashes. That will be a massive shame if it happens. But fuck, you can't legislate for losing two whole days to the weather. England have done everything they could to move this game along.

There have been lots of mistakes along the way. Mark Wood. Was he really unfit for the first two matches? Chris Woakes. We all know his pedigree in England. Where was he? Jimmy. Was it really right to pick him after clear signs of underperforming. Bairstow with the gloves and no Foakes. I'm always going to think that was a mistake.

But I'll give credit where it is due. Crawley is the series top scorer for either side right now. I didn't predict that. Yes, he's ridden his luck but that selection has worked, for this series at least. Got to admit to that.

This series really deserves a decider. If England manage enough play to force the win, I don't fancy Australia's chances in the final game at all. They have been frazzled by Bazball. They have not had the answers.
 
Nobody associated with the England cricket team is still talking about the fucking declaration on the fucking first day of the first test. I mean guys.
They've thought about it though. I don't doubt that.

Do we have to avoid mentioning really bad mistakes because of all the other good stuff? It was an awful decision, and this isn't hindsight. It was clearly a stupid thing to do when it happened.

They have clearly learned from it. As today, grind the opposition into the dirt when you're on top. Don't let them off with a silly punt.
 
Nobody associated with the England cricket team is still talking about the fucking declaration on the fucking first day of the first test. I mean guys.
I think it's fine to mention the declaration and the dropped catches in the sense of things that explain why England are not 2-1 up. It's a measure of how England have caught up with and actually outperformed the best team in the world.

However the series ends up, it's a measure of the power of positive thinking or summat. I always thought Bazball would come up short when faced with the best team in the world. Technically, that's what has happened, in that England probably won't win the series, though they have just about been the stronger team. I know Bazball isn't just about being positive and aggressive, there are still tactics, but it's certainly an advert for things like trusting your team mates and being more confident about succeeding that fearful of failure. It's a thing of beauty for a cynical age. :thumbs:
 
They've thought about it though. I don't doubt that.

Do we have to avoid mentioning really bad mistakes because of all the other good stuff? It was an awful decision, and this isn't hindsight. It was clearly a stupid thing to do when it happened.

They have clearly learned from it. As today, grind the opposition into the dirt when you're on top. Don't let them off with a silly punt.
No, I really think they haven't. I don't think they"learned from it". I think they thought it was a shot worth taking, didn't work, on with the next game. That's it.
 
No, I really think they haven't. I don't think they"learned from it". I think they thought it was a shot worth taking, didn't work, on with the next game. That's it.
Nah. Bairstow and Wood/Broad/Anderson's fun today could and should have been Root and Robinson's fun on day one. They pulled out with Root and Robinson already in and having fun. Terrible decision, not playing the game situation or the percentages. Hence they haven't repeated it.

What you're saying is even worse tbh. It implies that they don't think they ever make bad calls or can learn from mistakes. I think they're better than that and have learned from that bad call. Couldn't predict the whole series might hinge on it. But that's where we're now at.
 
"Asked whether he regretted declaring before stumps on the first day, Stokes replied: ‘No, not at all. I thought that was a time to pounce.

‘I am not going to change the way I have gone about my cricket because it is the Ashes. Who knows we could have got an extra 40 runs or lost two wickets in two balls. I am not a captain who gets by on what ifs.

‘We saw it as an opportunity to pounce on Australia and really start day two on top".

That was at the end of the first test, I can guarantee he gives less of a shit now.
 
It's been a great series. And you never know, Stokes' scripts seem to get more and more outlandish but I think that's it. Hopefully next time they'll pick a keeper who can keep and knows the rules instead of one who can only blast 99 in a lost cause. It really is Dad's Army but it's been a ride.

Where does bazball go from here? There's only three of them in their 20s (i think)

Spoken like a true Australia fan!

You’ve just seen some of the best cricket England have played for years. If this gets washed out, Australia absolutely have to win or draw at the Oval. If the series ends up drawn, everyone who’s watched it will give it to England and say Australia were saved by the weather and didn’t deserve to keep the urn.
 
Nobody associated with the England cricket team is still talking about the fucking declaration on the fucking first day of the first test. I mean guys.

It was a big mistake though. If he truly thought it was a good idea he’d have done it again yesterday.
 
I'm not going to get sucked in to talking about this fucking declaration again. 😁

Read his own words.
People might say one thing in public but think something else privately. They may also say something immediately after a failure, but reflect upon that failure and change their mind later.
 
Nobody associated with the England cricket team is still talking about the fucking declaration on the fucking first day of the first test. I mean guys.

It's a series. Not a collection of individual games that have nothing to do with each other. Yesterday you saw the utter demoralisation of the Aussies, which carries forward.

Imagine if that'd happened in the first Test.

Cricket is about psychology as much as anything else. We made a mistake. Gave away a massive advantage. Quelle surprise, it turns out to have mattered.
 
If you watch the archive footage from the 90s, while it rains, you’ll see how pathetic the WSCs bowling is. 78mph? It makes Dean Headley look like Shoaib Akhtar.
 
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