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Test Cricket News, Australia wraps up the 5th Test within three days as they win by 146 runs & completed 4-0 clean sweep in the 2021-22 Ashes Series v England

by Sports Benches

It’s over and done within three days of the 5th and final Ashes Test at Blundstone Arena in Hobart, Australia began Day 3 still on their 3rd innings spell on 37-3 where Keeper Alex Carey extended their lead to 270 after being all out for 155.

England then have to respond the 271 target to win not long after lunch, Unfortunately, they weren’t up to the task despite a good opening partnership as they are bowled out for 124 & Australia win by 146 runs + wrap up 4-0 in the series.

England disappointed once again when they showed some fight especially with the ball on hand, Stuart Broad can still be a threat to the opposition at age 35 alongside Mark Wood, who is outstanding, where he collected 3 wickets in the 1st & six in the 3rd innings.

Credit to Sam Billings filling-in the gloves for Jos Buttler as well as Zak Crawley with his numerous catches & 2nd innings spell as Opener on 36, however, the rest just couldn’t face up to the standard set by Australia which is where they were eaten up this quick before it was too late.

And Australia, how good is it to wrap up a 4-0 clean sweep with their 150th Test victory v England. Although there’s still some room for improvement from their Top 4 batsmen, but there’s a few that stood out amongst the Starting XI where they turned the tide and made their way towards the homestretch.

The fast bowling cartel is always in great hands with Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins & Scott Boland, the same goes to Travis Head with the bat who saved their day in Australia’s 1st innings spell and played extraordinary in the middle-order at 5 & Cameron Green can not only bat handy runs but also take wickets where he will be a long-term fixture here at No.6.

The Ashes is done for now here as the next edition will take place in England mid-2023, bring on the Australian Open Tennis over the next two weeks to round off the summer of sport starting today.

#Cricket #Ashes #BlundstoneArena #Australia #England #MarkWood #StuartBroad #TravisHead #CameronGreen #PatCummins #ScottBoland #MitchellStarc #ZakCrawley #SamBillings #AlexCarey #AUSvENG

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Test Cricket News, Pat Cummins & Mitchell Starc shared amongst the wickets in reply to England’s 1st innings spell on Day 2 but Australia lost their Top 3 early as of late

by Sports Benches

There’s so much going on yesterday on Day 2 of the 5th Test at Blundstone Arena in Hobart, Australia resumed with the bat earlier in the afternoon on 241-6 when the end of the first day’s play was cut short due to rain as they were all out for 303.

Then England came in to bat and couldn’t catch up to the Aussies inside 50 overs where they were eventually wiped off on just 188 not long after tea, although the away team fought back early after the innings change with the ball but they are still behind by 152 runs going into Day 3 today. Meanwhile, Australia will resume with the bat once more at 37/3 with Steve Smith on 17* & nightwatchmen Scott Boland on 3*.

England still have deeper batting issues to address even though they’ve made more wholesale changes, yes it’s unlucky to see Rory Burns being run-out on his recall in place of Haseeb Hameed as Opener but it’s woeful when three of their Top 4 were trapped by Australian skipper Pat Cummins before Mitchell Starc shared the workload & finished the job. With the ball, it’s great to see England bounce back when the Australian Opening pair were sent back upstairs early plus Marnus Labuschagne, however, they better complete this batting collapse ASAP & go big if a win is possible for the first time in this Ashes Series.

Australia had some great moments when Nathan Lyon smashed a handful amount of runs on 31 at No.10 which is great to bow out past 300 during their 1st innings spell, they also restricted England in return of 188 thanks to Captain Cummins with a 4fer plus Mitchell Starc who finished the opposition’s bottom-half batting card. They were not good with the bat, however, in the 3rd innings when Dave Warner & Usman Khawaja were out again that cheap plus Labuschagne as they were very vulnerable off the England bounce. All they can do now is take their time with a few hours of play today, otherwise use that 4th innings spell with the ball as their main weapon & finish it up ASAP for the win.

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Test Cricket News, England off to a good start thanks to the winning toss & early wickets but Travis Head and Cameron Green saved Australia’s day as of late on Day 1

by Sports Benches

This is top-notch Test Cricket on Day 1 yesterday with both bat and ball from Australia and England at Blundstone Arena in Hobart, England off to a brilliant start having won the toss & bowled first through a earned a couple of early wickets but Australia fought back later on before rain called stumps slightly early for the night.

Australia is still batting in the middle at 241-6 going into Day 2 later this afternoon.

Credit to Ollie Robinson and Stuart Broad with the early wickets that sent the Australian top-order packing early, they bowled a good and fuller bounce plus the read on areas where the opposition struggled to execute and use it as their best strengths through to slip. Speaking of catches Zak Crawley made 3 which is nice from their opener on the field. However, but England just couldn’t hold Travis Head and Cameron Green accountable when these two came in & were punished with plenty of leaked runs, they better bat big in return with Rory Burns back in the side plus two new players in due to finger injury issues.

Australia would be disappointed with their Top 4 after they were dismissed cheaply against the England quicks, Usman Khawaja’s red-hot recall after his pair of centuries last week didn’t continue yesterday when he was moved from the middle-order to Opener with David Warner and so far it’s the complete opposite. While Warner & Steve Smith were booted for a duck, Labuschagne did bat okay on 44 then again his experimentation shot tying to hit leg-side was an error of his judgment when he was clean bowled by Broad.

In the end, it’s not all doom and gloom thanks to Travis Head who saved Australia’s 1st innings spell with another Test 100 at 5 when he come back from iso and batted big which is sensational as Head deserves his long-term spot here. Hats off also to all-rounder Cameron Green where he communicated well with Head before he secured another half-ton on 74, although Alex Carey & Mitchell Starc just came in bat not long before stumps but they can bat some handy runs before Australia bring their bowlers in.

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Test Cricket News, Selecting Australia’s starting XI for the 5th & Final Ashes Test in Hobart on Friday

by Sports Benches

Travis Head will reclaim his spot at 5 after he was tested positive to COVID which saw him sit out the last test in Sydney, Usman Khawaja played an unreal spell in his place off the bat even though he usually comes in at top-order with two centuries made in an Ashes match.

It will be tough to leave Usman out who is playing his best cricket at Test level especially when he’s 35 right now, but there’s one man he should replace and that is Marcus Harris as an Opener with David Warner. Yes, Harris did score a half-ton at his home ground during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, however, he didn’t provide the consistency the selectors expected through chance after chance without success.

So let Usman take his place & try to prolong that good start with Warner as he still has some energy left in the tank, then the rest of their batting line-up such as Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green & Keeper Alex Carey looks spot on before we turn attention to the bowlers. While Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc remains undroppable, there’s some injury doubt from Scott Boland on his right thumb off England’s Ben Stokes fast-bowling while batting at the tail end last week in Sydney.

If Boland recovers on time & is fit to play for the final Test then no problem, otherwise bring back Jhye Richardson who entertained the crowd not just with the ball but also a bit from the bat during the 2nd Test in Adelaide last month and that was under a day-nighter.

How good would it be if Jhye plays again for another Day-Night Test in Hobart and knocks down England both through the stumps and downtown, his experience in those areas would give Australia the extra dimension to hopefully finish this Ashes Series 4-1 on home soil.

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Test Cricket News, Selecting England’s starting XI for the 5th & Final Ashes Test in Hobart on Friday

by Sports Benches

The England Opening Batsmen slots may be a huge mess and still needs fixing, but Zak Crawley played well during England’s 2nd innings spell on 77 a few days ago in Sydney as he deserves to keep his spot for Hobart and go from there to make up regular numbers like this one. However, Haseeb Hameed is the ultimate disappointment after he was given so many chances through four Test matches down under and was taken down too easily by the Australian bowlers which clearly shows he has to go.

I would have liked to gamble on Jos Buttler in his place by giving the gloves away as he knows how to get off the mark with a few blocks + range of dynamic strikes, but he had to go home over a broken finger. Rory Burns will take over Hameed where he also didn’t do well in the first two Tests, but he did score 34 in England’s 2nd innings at Adelaide Oval just before he was dropped & deserves a recall with Crawley that would hopefully turn out well than the previous opening pairs.

As said earlier, Buttler had to go home over a broken finger that gives Ollie Pope a recall this time in his place as the Wicket Keeper. He made a whopping four catches behind the stumps even though he was a sub fielder for Buttler last week in Sydney, now the runs may still be required but at least Pope will have the other half responsibilities and try to get the Aussies out with his gloves on.

And the rest remains unchanged with David Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes & Jonny Bairstow in the batting department; The same goes with the bowling through Mark Wood, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad and James Anderson plus Stokes included as a fast-bowling all-rounder.

It’s only the final Test to just stick with the full squad England sent out to Australia beforehand, then come back home and look out for not just a couple of opening batsmen but also frontline seamers to back Broad and Anderson up.

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