[Cricket] The Ashes - England v Australia - 5th Test, Oval, July 27-31, 2023

[Mellotron]

Its a strange one. If Stokes had only held on to it as long as he did, but more deliberately threw it up / away in celebration, it would have stood.

I agree with the decision though. Bugger.

I don't quite understand the instinct to immediately throw it up in the air. Just complete the catch first, make sure it's safe, then worry about celebrating.

I dunno. Just frustrating that we've done ourselves in with unenforced errors at multiple points this series, a series where we have played some phenomenal cricket.

 

[Eeyore]

I don't quite understand the instinct to immediately throw it up in the air. Just complete the catch first, make sure it's safe, then worry about celebrating.

I dunno. Just frustrating that we've done ourselves in with unenforced errors at multiple points this series, a series where we have played some phenomenal cricket.

It's instinct. And these happenings are rare. I remember taking a catch close in once in wet conditions. A really sharp catch. I brought my hands down and the ball slipped out. The batsman had turned and walked.

I didn't call him back.

 

[Jim in the West]

I don't quite understand the instinct to immediately throw it up in the air. Just complete the catch first, make sure it's safe, then worry about celebrating.

I dunno. Just frustrating that we've done ourselves in with unenforced errors at multiple points this series, a series where we have played some phenomenal cricket.

Yes, we've definitely played the better cricket (despite the Aussies having an excellent bowling line-up, and the two best batsmen in the world). Would be incredibly unfair if we lost the series 3-1. We could so easily have won it by the same margin. [Sorry - nothing original there!]

 

[Questions]

Irrespective of how today ends - and we must all hope the weather doesn’t intervene - it’s been a superb series. If you can’t enjoy this then you’re not a cricket fan.

 

[The Fits]

I don't quite understand the instinct to immediately throw it up in the air. Just complete the catch first, make sure it's safe, then worry about celebrating.

I dunno. Just frustrating that we've done ourselves in with unenforced errors at multiple points this series, a series where we have played some phenomenal cricket.

Feels very, very similar to us. You can never have perfection with such a high risk high reward mentality I guess. Even with the very best 11 players I suspect there's stil going to be some fairly amateurish mistakes every few days/matches.
Bloody exciting though.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I don't quite understand the instinct to immediately throw it up in the air. Just complete the catch first, make sure it's safe, then worry about celebrating.

I dunno. Just frustrating that we've done ourselves in with unenforced errors at multiple points this series, a series where we have played some phenomenal cricket.

I reckon there is a tiny chance that if Stokes had tried to style it out - just run off celebrating the moment it slipped out, it could have been given. Just had to look convincing that both the catch AND the release of the ball were 'controlled'. By standing there looking confused, he gave the umpires no real option.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

I reckon there is a tiny chance that if Stokes had tried to style it out - just run off celebrating the moment it slipped out, it could have been given. Just had to look convincing that both the catch AND the release of the ball were 'controlled'. By standing there looking confused, he gave the umpires no real option.

sums up the series really, lazy and just stupid.
Australia stroll on to another easy victory, embarrassing.

 

[Jim in the West]

I reckon there is a tiny chance that if Stokes had tried to style it out - just run off celebrating the moment it slipped out, it could have been given. Just had to look convincing that both the catch AND the release of the ball were 'controlled'. By standing there looking confused, he gave the umpires no real option.

I agree. I think the issue is that Stokes seems a very decent guy. And if he HAD done so, knowing it wasn't a fair catch, my respect for him would have taken a bit of a knock.

 

[dazzer6666]

I reckon there is a tiny chance that if Stokes had tried to style it out - just run off celebrating the moment it slipped out, it could have been given. Just had to look convincing that both the catch AND the release of the ball were 'controlled'. By standing there looking confused, he gave the umpires no real option.

No time to go through that thought process…….instinctively basically went ‘oh bollocks’. If his hand hadn’t hit his thigh the ball would have been thrown high in the air and they’d have all been high-fiving as the batsman walked off and the ball dropped to the ground. Frustrating.

 

[dazzer6666]

sums up the series really, lazy and just stupid.
Australia stroll on to another easy victory, embarrassing.

Not stupid in any way. Hand his his leg on the follow through from the catch. Just unlucky.

 

[HangletonGull]

sums up the series really, lazy and just stupid.
Australia stroll on to another easy victory, embarrassing.

Lazy and stupid comment his hand hit his thigh , embarrassing

 

[Is it PotG?]

At least if you're going to spit in disappointment you can manage to get THAT right.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Looking very likely. It´s a pity that we were sloppy in the first two tests and unlucky with the weather at Manchester overall England have played some great cricket and ought to have won the series but have to accept that this Aussie team knows how to grind out a win.

We messed this series up good and proper in the first two Tests. In our desire to assert ourselves ( nay......attempt to bully the Aussies into submission ) we failed to play the percentages, tried to force the pace too much and our errors tilted the balance in their favour. The margins have been pretty fine in this series and we helped them to a 2-0 lead.
Against the best team in the world, it was a huge ask to retrieve that deficit. We have done well to stay in the series but the effort of that is finally taking its toll. You can try and steamroller lesser sides but these guys are hardened cricketers, with a lot of pride and even though they have been pressurised and ruffled, they have the resilience to hang on in there.
We missed Leach big time but that was counterbalanced by them losing Lyon. Wood was introduced too late. Anderson has been persevered with for too many Tests. Tongue deserved another chance. We paid for the rash declaration on Day1/Test1. The decision to not select the best wicketkeeper is out there for debate. It clearly cost us in the first two Tests, as Bairstow missed a third of the chances presented. He could still have been picked as a batsman.
We could have won the series against an Aussie side that hasn't hit the heights. That is the most frustrating thing. They have felt the pressure and we had our chances. Any momentum was lost at a damp OT but that is the luck of the draw. Too many Tests crammed too close together and suffering from the same weather fronts. Weather may yet have the final say.

 

[pasty]

Why are the Sky commentators referring to that as controversial? Nothing controversial about it whatsoever. Yes, Stokes caught it but dropped it when his hand hit his thigh. Not out.

 

[pasty]

Oh balls. Players come out after lunch and it starts raining before a ball is bowled

 

[Bodian]

Was it Harry Brook just in front of Stokes - he could have caught it after Stokes had dropped it.

 

[SeagullsoverLondon]

Oh balls. Players come out after lunch and it starts raining before a ball is bowled

It's my wife's fault. Every time it stops raining here , she goes out and hangs the washing on the line again.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I sincerely hope Anderson can pull something special out of the fire in what remains of this test because when he reflects on this series I fancy he'll blame himself for not having Broad's good sense to know when the game is up.

Statistically, the two teams are close but Jimmy's 5 wickets at 85.4 apiece is the glaring difference.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Lazy and stupid comment his hand hit his thigh , embarrassing

Meh
So we haven't thrown this series away then over all the games, with lazy fielding, batting, and decisions ?

 

[Mellotron]

I reckon there is a tiny chance that if Stokes had tried to style it out - just run off celebrating the moment it slipped out, it could have been given. Just had to look convincing that both the catch AND the release of the ball were 'controlled'. By standing there looking confused, he gave the umpires no real option.

This. I was thinking JUST PRETEND! But it's a split second moment, I know.