2025-26 Ashes

Worthy of a thread of its own this series.

England have announced their squad for the Ashes now, the most surprising is Will Jacks coming in having not played a test since 2022.  Bashir also the only front line spinner alongside 6 quicks, suggesting that the batsman may be asked at times to provide the spin bowling.

Worth noting for historical purposes, the first England squad to tour Australia this century not containing one James Anderson.

Rent free for you, sniper 👐

Important we pay some respect to the NRL Final Series

Panthers trying for 5 in a row 

I may be able to bring that date forward 1 week.....result dependent 

Carl.

Do you think a couple white ball matches in NZ and an intra-squad match at Lilac Hill will be sufficient warm up for them? Although I guess given the Australian MO of recent times has been to give them a game against a team called the "cricket Australia XI" that consists of a combination of good club players and a couple of old guys who couldn't make the Shield team that week, all played out on the national highway.

It's unfortunate we won't see an Ashes series played out as they used to be, when the England side would play first class fixtures against each of the Shield sides, plus the Australian XI, plus the traditional One Day fixtures thrown in against teams like the ACB Chairmans XI at Lilac Hill to open a tour, the PM's XI in Canberra and even the Bradman XI in Bowral.

Oh and take no notice of wunwun, the NRL thread is heading toward the crescendo of him thinking his NRL teams success is directly linked to himself, he just needs everyone to watch, its less about Penrith and more about his self-proclaimed greatness.

Centuries yesterday for Henry Hunt, Matt Renshaw, Jake Lehmann, Peter Handscomb and today Marnus Labuschagne, of these probably after Marnus Renshaw is probably the one who's the greatest chance of an Ashes call-up if he can put up big runs to start the Shield season.  Although Handscomb may be an outside chance of playing a test if injury were to strike the middle order.

In the bowlers Fergus O'Niell went wicketless while his new ball partner Boland took 2 in his usual economical way, Michael Neser took 4/75 to lead the way for Qld, including the wicket of Jake Weatherald, considered by many as the leading candidate to partner Khawaja up top.  Nathan Lyon has gone wicketless so far for NSW but his one time replacement Ashton Agar took 3/5 in 5.5 overs (including Lyon) to help dismiss the blue caps for 170, Agar right now is batting with WA still 35 behind.

Shield round-up today.

Konstas made a duck, Harris 4, Weatherald 18, Bancroft 3, Labuschagne yet to bat of the contenders.  Green and Webster are both not playing.

Of the bowlers Scott Boland removed Konstas in taking 1/18 off 6 overs, Fergus O'Niell also chipped in with 2/12 off 8 overs, Nathan Lyon went wicketless, Sean Abbott was the first ever injury substitute in first class cricket, not something he would have wanted this summer with a test debut potentially on offer, Michael Neser took 4/30 in 15.3 overs in dismissing South Australia, he may be a chance to come in for Brisbane if they decide to go with 4 quicks or rest/injury rules one of the others, Mitch Swepson also took 4/50, although given how Sydney has played in recent seasons his next realistic test hope may be early 2027 for the tours of India and Bangladesh.

I think the pace bowling is nearly a more fascinating race than the batting with Jhye Richardson, Lance Morris and Spencer Johnson all injured, Fergus O'Niell may be able to rocket himself into a test debut this summer with a good run of bowling in these pre-Ashes Shield fixtures.

I have Webster ahead of Green also (if those two end up having to be split)