In short
England’s Ashes hopes after going 2-0 down, their break in Noosa, and what to expect for the next Tests in Adelaide (including pitch/strategy, day-night debate, and squad changes like Mark Wood’s return-to-home and Josh Hazlewood’s absence).
Guests
The episode features two cricket figures—one is former England captain Ben Stokes (commentary references his press conference; he is not a live guest in the transcript). The main on-air guest is former England/Essex batter and commentator Butch (identified by references to Essex, Adelaide Uni, and playing in Adelaide). The host is also a cricket broadcaster (referred to as “you” throughout).
Key claims
England’s main issue is decision-making under pressure (“thinking” and handling situations), not effort; Noosa/R&R is needed to “clear the brain.” Mark Wood’s body is failing despite his mental strength; England may need a front-line spinner in Adelaide. Pat Cummins’ return strengthens Australia; Hazelwood is out.
Notable examples
Crawley’s four-for at the start; Adelaide Oval redevelopment and its cricket feel; Stokes’ frustration quote (Klopp “friend, not best friend” analogy); past Adelaide Test memories (Waugh debut, 1994-95 win with Tuffers catch, Vaughan’s 100, Peterson’s 220 in 2010); England’s plan to play aggressively despite conditions; references to Rob Key/Nasser Hussain discussion about pace vs wicketkeeper.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOReflections on Recent Ashes Victory
0:00 to 1:24
Discussion on England's recent success in Australia and the ongoing Ashes series.
“Pat Cummins has led his team to a famous victory.”
Exploring Adelaide and Cricket's Foundation
1:41 to 6:07
A discussion about Adelaide's cricket culture and personal anecdotes from past experiences.
“You seem to be a really good player for Essex.”
Adelaide Oval: A Historic Cricket Venue
6:07 to 7:50
Hosts reminisce about the Adelaide Oval, its history, and recent developments.
“Oval were going there one of the great grounds in Australia.”
Day-Night Tests and Their Impact
7:50 to 8:23
Exploration of the merits and challenges of day-night cricket matches.
“and asking him about day night cricket here because traditionally this has been the venue for day-night cricket.”
Memorable Matches and Personal Stories
8:23 to 14:00
Hosts share memorable matches played in Adelaide and their personal cricket journeys.
“The Barmy Army will always find a bar whatever time.”
Recollections of Past Matches
14:00 to 14:47
Discussion on past cricket matches, including memorable moments and controversies.
“they bought them enough time to bowl Australia out twice.”
England's Trip to Noosa and Criticism
15:04 to 17:08
Exploration of England's decision to relax in Noosa despite criticism, focusing on mental preparation.
“So then the second one, before that, they could have gone and played a two-day at Canberra, but we all agreed, well, that's not the conditions you're going to get at the Gabba.”
Analyzing England's Performance and Strategy
17:08 to 22:53
In-depth analysis of England's cricket strategy, player decisions, and challenges faced.
“I think the great mistake was prior to the first test.”
Mark Wood's Career and Injury Concerns
22:53 to 24:47
Discussion on Mark Wood's injuries, his impact on the team, and the challenges of fast bowling.
“you've probably gone through it with your back, actually.”
Fast Bowling: An English Perspective
24:47 to 28:02
Examination of England's fast bowling legacy and how it affects current strategies against Australia.
“Gary stood up and Nisa getting all these wickets.”
Show all 12 chapters
Discussion on Player Performance and Selection
28:02 to 28:38
Explore insights on player performance and potential selections for upcoming matches.
Teasing Upcoming Guest and Light Banter
28:38 to 29:19
Anticipate the next podcast episode featuring Greg Blewett with humorous exchanges.
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Nas:Last start, that is from Crawley. Chris Wokes nails it for four. The Ashes alive and Test cricket alive.
0:08Ath:Ice in his veins. Pat Cummins has led his team to a famous victory. Yeah, he's done. He gets his goal. It's out of ending. England's captain, Ben Stokes.
0:19Nas:While he is there, England have hope. Put the beer away. Put the champagne on ice. 24 years of pain in Australia. finally they're beaten at home by England
0:32Ath:OK, the Sky Cricket podcast have made our way to the Adelaide Hills we're about 30km east of the city you're staying here actually for a few nights aren't you on your jolly around Australia
0:45Nas:like the England team I'm having a little bit of a break between the test matches I've not got noose up mental recuperation I've gone to Mount Lofty House which is about 20 minutes from here very nice, lovely spot, I recommend it
0:57Ath:So we're at the Lane Vineyard, which is a vineyard here in the Adelaide Hills. It has been producing wine since about the mid-1990s. Big Germanic influence, actually. It's near a village called Handorf, I think. And it was the Germans who settled the Adelaide Hills in the late 19th century. But they've been producing wine here relatively recently compared to some of the great winemaking regions around Adelaide. And a city you know well. You came here, didn't you? I did.
1:28Nas:I think you left me out of one of the England tours when you were captain. So I had to make my own way in life. And Adelaide Uni sort of rang me up and said, Will you come? You seem to be a really good player for Essex. Will you come and get runs for us? Well, I came, but I didn't get many runs. So I had a great time at Adelaide Uni.
1:48Ath:One winter or more than one winter?
1:50Nas:One winter, I think. I did a winter in Sydney where I got even less runs. But here I had a great time. the Adelaide Uni crew looked after me. I was there yesterday, or the day before yesterday. I went for a little run round and saw the pitch. Grade cricket, I mean, I first...
2:06Ath:I was going to ask, it's a long time ago, and I never came to play grade cricket because the first year after uni, I ended up getting picked on a England Beat Tour and then didn't have a winter after that. But, you know, it's the bedrock of Australian cricket, really, isn't it? Grade cricket. And there's that very clear pyramid structure that if you have a really good season in grade cricket, you could end up in the state side the following year. And if you have a really good season in the state side, you could end up in the national side. So there's a very clear pyramid path.
2:37Nas:There is. I rocked up for that winter. And David Hooks, who we both know well, fantastic cricketer, really top guy, sadly passed away. But Hooks, he rang me and he used to do this phone-in and a chat, like they all do now. Healy does it, Ian Smith does it in New Zealand. So I said, yeah, David, I'll come on. and he could not be nicer. Did him for about half an hour. He talked about English cricket, grade cricket, what he had been through. And the next weekend, we played against David Hooks. He came out, smashed about 80 in 40 deliveries. Sledged me as much as I've ever been sledged by an Australian.
3:11Nas:I think I might have even bagged a pair because I got a good in first innings and then it rained. And then you go out to bat again on a sticky dog or whatever. So the standard was incredibly high.
3:21Ath:Well, you say the standard was high. Where would you pitch it? Not compared to club cricket in England because it's obviously higher than club cricket. Is it somewhere between second, 11 and first class cricket? Yeah.
3:32Nas:What would you say? It's sounding a bit like in my day, but our first team, first class cricket, would involve all those overseas greats and players. So we'd have Mark Waugh and Alan Borda in our dressing room. You'd have Patrick Patterson, Wazim Akram, whoever. So it wasn't quite that standard, but somewhere in between. and often a long history of England players coming over here. My lad went to watch a game in Perth during the Perth Test match and he said James Bracey was playing for one of the sides. Your lad's here, isn't he? He's playing in Adelaide. How's he going this year?
4:04Ath:Well, it's been quite a wet start to the summer, actually, unseasonably or unusually cool and wet. So they've had two weekends rained out. I think he's going OK. A bit like you said there, he said the standard is very good. but when all the state players are available it's excellent he played one game they played over two weekends and the first Saturday I think they were playing Kensington I can't remember which club but one of them had like six state players and they were all available Jake Fraser McGurk played and got 140 and he said the standard was outstanding and then it dropped off the next Saturday because they all had a state game and they all had to disappear but it's quite a strong Middlesex link Luke Holman is here.
4:48Ath:In fact, Sturt are playing Tea Tree Gully on Saturday, which is Travis Head's club. And Luke Holman plays for them. So Josh will be playing against him.
4:56Nas:I read you about Alex Carey, actually, yesterday. You wrote about it. And grade cricket's a little bit like that. You're not given everything. You do have to work hard. You have to wait for an inning. You could go three weeks. Whereas in England, you talk about county cricket or second-eleven cricket, there's always another innings around the corner. So you don't get a bit blasé about it. but you're like okay I'll get runs tomorrow here if you don't get them you have to wait a long time
5:20Ath:every innings count so I noticed Michael Vaughan's lad Archie came to Sydney's come to Sydney Mossman but I think the very first week he was here they will put him in the second grade it's that kind of yeah I mean it's a little bit classic I think that's just because he's Vaughan's lad to be honest that's fair enough but it is that you've got to earn your stripes here which is a pretty good fundamental to have I think in any at any level of cricket because it is performance based and once you are judging on performance you know that's fairly simple
5:51Nas:metric isn't it and as you can see it beats being in England you know however you're going you can do whatever you want.
5:58Ath:Who were the other, can you remember other English cricketers that were here playing grade cricket at the same time or not?
6:02Nas:So long ago F I can't remember to be honest I'm wrapped up in my own game.
6:06Ath:So the Adelaide Oval were going there one of the great grounds in Australia. It's been redeveloped. It was redeveloped about 10 years ago, so it's a multi-sport stadium now. They play AFL in the winter, so it's a drop-in pitch, which never used to be a natural soil pitch, but it's still very much got a cricket ground feel about it, whereas the Optus, which we've been to, and the Gabba, which are basically just concrete bowls, this one you can still tell the ground as it was. They still have the old scoreboard there which I think is a listed building now and the hill and the Morton Bay figs just behind it so although they've done it up they haven't lost that feel of a cricket ground
6:45Nas:no I went across there day before yesterday my wife's here with me and we went across she'd never seen the ground and we remember it before then if you remember we had that youth world cup semi-final here where we lost to Australia despite my remarkable runs to try and keep us in the game but so it has changed so much since then and since we played here and you're always worried because this was you do q a's and you you do various things and they ask you what's your favorite ground most cricketers around the world would say adelaide for just the feel of a cricket ground it feels like a stadium but it feels like an old-fashioned cricket ground and you were sort of worried whether they would do it up and it would just be another bowl but it's not it's just lovely and I've seen some of the day night games here they just do it lovely and just the infrastructure that bridge straight across town into the middle of it and they're so welcoming I went in it may not happen at Lord's or the Oval I went in and said can we have a look around and the lady just went yeah they let you in they didn't let me in for again for services to
7:45Ath:Australian cricket over the years I was chatting to the CEO of this vineyard just before we started and asking him about day night cricket here because traditionally this has been the venue for day-night cricket. Obviously, the Gabba had it this year, and we've got a day game this year. And he surprised me. He said that they're very disappointed not to have the day-night test. I would have assumed that the kind of restauranteurs would have preferred a day game because then after the day's play, people pile into town. But he said what they found was that in a day-night game, they had almost a double whammy at either end.
8:19Ath:People were having lunch before, game finished at half nine, and then they're still piling into the bars.
8:23Nas:The Barmy Army will always find a bar whatever time. Have you changed your mind on that? Did the Gabba change your... You're quite stubborn from what I've known over the years. Has anything changed your mind having watched that Gabba day-nighter?
8:37Ath:Listen, it's not my personal preference, but I recognise the game is much bigger than that. It is part of the calendar here now, and I recognise that. I do think, and I'm not going to change my mind on this, that the 150th anniversary test, which is in 2027, to obviously celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first England-Australia test, I do think that should be a day game. That reflects the whole history, 150 years of Ashes cricket, and 99.9 % of that has been played in the daytime, and I don't know what Melbourne's like in March either. It might be a bit fresh, but anyway. No, I've not changed my mind on that, but I recognise that day-night cricket is part of the deal here.
9:23Nas:And Adelaide memories for you, good or bad? Well, mixed.
9:29Ath:Inevitably. Well, I remember that World Cup, the Under-19 World Cup game. And I was thinking about that a little bit, about the strength of Australian cricket, because they smashed us in that semi-final, which you'll remember. Some of us. and I think we had from that under-19 team about seven or eight players that went on to play test cricket and I think there were two from Australia and one of them played for us. Alan Mulally.
9:55Nas:Stuart Law as well.
9:57Ath:And Alan Mulally was the other one and he played for us. So I was thinking, you know, they were much better than us at 19 and yet so many of their players didn't go on to have even first-class careers, never mind international careers. So with six states, it is very hard to get into. And I think that's part of the strength of cricket here in Australia. Anyway, I had laid memories. 1990-91 was my first test here. It was Mark Waugh's debut. Steve Waugh got dropped. Mark Waugh came and got 100. And the thing I remember most about that was David Gower getting out. he got out I think what became the last ball before T caught at fine leg they'd set about three men out on the leg side and Murph Hughes was just bowling down his backside and Gucci was at the non-strikers end you have to remember this was about a week after the Tiger Moth and anyway the last ball before T Murph sent one down the leg side and Lubo just flicked it straight to fine leg and Gucci's face was like thunder and you get an infection Gucci just after that I remember he missed the start of the tour he didn't play in the first game at the Gabba in those days it went Brisbane Melbourne was the second Sydney the third so Adelaide was the fourth test before you went to Perth so Gucci had recovered by then so that was 1990 94-5 we won we had a kind of unbelievable against the against the head win here we only had 11 fit players at the start we only played five batters because we those were the only ones who were fit and then Devon and Louis bowled us to victory on the final day.
11:41Ath:Tuffers took the most unbelievable catch somewhere down at Fine Leg, Michael Slater hook, right in front of the hill where all the Barmy Army were. And this was the tour where they'd unveiled a massive banner, the Phil Tufnell Fielding Academy, because he'd been so appalling in the field and had been four years before.
12:00Nas:That was a lend us your brain, we're building an idiot. That's that tour.
12:04Ath:Anyway, he took a great catch. We won that game. 98, you played in that game. It was about 46 degrees on the first day. Justin Langer got 100. And the thing I remember about that day was Darren Goff. The last hour of the day, he came steaming and he bowled for about an hour. Everybody was on their knees. You opened your mouth and you felt like your throat was going to catch fire. It was so hot. But that was an incredible performance from him. And then you captained here in 0-2-3.
12:31Nas:Yeah, badly. But I remember Michael Vaughan's innings. Big 100. He came out here and while everyone else was struggling, he just played so beautifully. The rhythm, pulling a little bit like the Aussies do, actually.
12:42Ath:Well, he got out pulling, didn't he? Because there wasn't that unbelievable catch by Glenn McGrath just in front of the gate.
12:48Nas:And they were comparing it last game, the Labashain catch with the McGrath. I think McGrath just wins it. He got lucky. He didn't get lucky, didn't he?
12:54Ath:He kind of went.
12:55Nas:He's lucky that McGrath caught it, basically. I think Ricky has said that for a number of years. But Vaughan, he played beautifully. We got like 340, 334 or something first innings. And it was classic, you think, in England. That's all right, isn't it? It's not Adelaide or the old Adelaide. They got 500 and McGrath bowled us out second time around. Came back here for 06, that famous game.
13:15Ath:06, 07, talking about not enough. England declared on first innings for 500 and odd. Flintoff captain. Got beat. Shame-worn, unbelievable performance on the last day. As England dug a deep, deep hole. We can skirt through the rest.
Read the full transcript
13:30Nas:Well, I remember 2010 because Peterson got a magnificent double hundred. And there was two things important about that. One was I was watching every boundary because there's only one good record I hold against Australia. A number of boundaries. A number of boundaries by an Englishman against Australia. And he was getting close. He was getting close. I cheered when he got out for 220. But he scored so quickly that it meant there was a massive storm about 10 minutes after the end of play. Massive storm. and because England had scored so quickly, they bought them enough time to bowl Australia out twice.
14:04Ath:I remember that storm because then they put sheets on the square and I was there quite late because I was writing probably. And then after about an hour, Collie appeared and did a big kind of, you know, big dive on the sheet.
14:20Nas:I think Beefy and Gepelli may have just had a few words as well.
14:23Ath:They might have had a row in that game. And then 13-14 got beat, obviously, and then two day night games which didn't go that well either.
14:43Nas:Missed the post-match analysis of the big games on Sky Sports? Then check out the Sky Sports Premier League podcast. After every live game, top pundits like Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards chat about the big talking points and we hear what the managers and players have to say as well. That is the Sky Sports Premier League podcast available wherever you listen to your podcasts.
15:17Ath:England have gone to Noosa. Have you been to Noosa?
15:21Nas:Yeah, a very long time ago. It's lovely. well yeah i wasn't on an england tour but it was like a holiday but i wasn't i mean there's been
15:27Ath:predictably a bit of flack flying around that you know the local media have sent people there and i mean it's inevitable if you're two nil down you're going to get stick but you know what what are people what are they supposed to do sit in a darkened room and eat bread and water it seems to me that they've actually been you know i saw ben stokes he posed for some photographs didn't he and i thought good on you actually that you've got to be able to laugh at yourself and you know they've gone for some r &r and then they're going to be switched on
16:00Nas:again sunday all said that the major problem in the two games has been about their thinking hasn't it the understanding situations times when to defend when to attack and so it's that top bit of your body the brain that's what's let them down so i think it is right to clear the brain not come to the next venue sit there train every single day and that mental scarring and baggage stays with you they have to clear the brain the only thing i'd say is that in isolation each of their decisions look decent like before the first test they were in new zealand playing white ball cricket they couldn't they they like their own little in-house game which they had against like They've done it before, and that's been successful.
16:42Nas:So then the second one, before that, they could have gone and played a two-day at Canberra, but we all agreed, well, that's not the conditions you're going to get at the Gabba. But then this one, go and clear your brain, because you've got three, now the next three games come, bang, bang, bang. So get ready for back-to-back-to-back games. So in isolation, each of those decisions look, OK, there's understanding to it. But to turn up to the third game with only one in-house game, and not playing A-state at all or an Australia A-side or something.
17:12Ath:I think the great mistake was prior to the first test. I think three days or four days at Lilac Hill against the Lions is inadequate for what's coming. But the Canberra decision and the Noosa decision, absolutely fine in this series.
17:26Nas:And the McCullum quote, we overprepared, if anything?
17:29Ath:Yeah, I mean, it will wind England fans up because what they will see is a team that's not playing a lot and not necessarily practicing that much. I think what he meant by that was that they arranged, because of that test finishing early and the fact that they didn't go to Canberra, what was they had three days practice became five because they booked extra nets. And his point is five days netting, which is the point you've just made, can kind of actually dull your sharpness a bit. you get over netted so i knew what he was trying to say but it was a kind of little bit dough and def wasn't it and would have wound england supporters up um but i think you use your nets wisely to be sharp but again that that was his call to to book the extra decisions and i think he probably feels well you just we were listening too much to the the criticism public criticism and we'll book extra sessions but i've always said in in the modern day whether you can
18:32Nas:whether you do have to have one rule that fits everyone really and i know it can be quite difficult to sort out go and get people playing somewhere else get those because there must be someone that wants a hit in the middle well but we said about camera didn't i said that you know
18:45Ath:zach crawley had come out on the back of that pair and if i was in charge to come and said i really want to go and have a hit in canberra you you you allowed that it reminds me actually when you kept leaving me out in the caribbean in the west indies um bumble or who would that have been fletch maybe
19:02Nas:Keith Fletcher who I know at Essex keeps leaving me out he said go off and play we've sorted you out a game and it was like the police I was playing for Barbados police I robbed up Gary Sobers it was yeah they batted me at eight I went in 150 for six or so I've seen you play supposed to be batting three in the test side they've got them batting me at eight cheers
19:21Ath:the other post-match comments that we didn't touch on were Ben Stokes and he talked about It was really the first time, you said Australia's no place for weak men, there's no place for that in my dressing room either. It was the first time really where you felt he was unbelievably frustrated about the performance of his players. He's always been incredibly loyal, he's very rarely said anything that even has a kind of element of negativity. But you sensed he was deeply frustrated by the performance there.
19:55Nas:He was. I've written about it this week and it reminded me of, I did that leadership documentary with Jurgen Klopp and that quote from Klopp about how he manages and his relationship with his players, that he's their friend, but he's not their best friend. And what he means by that is I'll be there for you for as long as you can. I'll always be there for you until I feel you're letting me down and then I ain't your friend anymore. And that's what I got from Stokes' press conference at the end. Now, I've looked after you. I've backed you. I've even pushed you in this direction. Let's be honest.
20:27Nas:He's even asked them to play. He went out and played like that. If you remember Butch, Butch and him at the presentation had a little do. Why are you batting like this? So he's taken them in this direction to play like this. And now they're not assessing situations and not handling pressure like he handles pressure and assesses conditions and situations perfectly. Some of them aren't.
20:49Ath:The problem, though, is if you're saying, you know, you get into a stage where they're not performing and you're not my friend anymore, I'm going to leave you out. The backup options are thin, aren't they? Let's be honest, they're pretty thin.
21:02Nas:They are. I mean, it would have to be either rejigging, which neither of us really like with jacks or something, or Bethel coming in on the back of a few runs. A guy who's 21 and never scored a first class hundred. Yeah, and also in the bowling, obviously now Mark Woods, something we haven't touched on since that last game. Mark Wood, unfortunately, he's going back home. So we've got back-to-back-to-back test matches in this heat. So what are they going to do with Archer? Is he going to play?
21:31Ath:Let's talk about Mark Wood because, I mean, you know, who knows whether it's the end of the road as an international player for him. He said he's going to try and rehabilitate and get back, but he's 36 in January. and the Ashes often starts a new cycle, doesn't it? They often move on from players at the end of an Ashes. So it seems unlikely to me, but who knows? We wish him well, obviously. But he's been a terrific cricketer over the years.
21:58Nas:Yeah, and you feel for him because he's been around nearly 11 years now. He's played 38 tests in 10 years. And that is just fast bowling taking its toll.
22:05Ath:But it's fast bowling for him, isn't it?
22:07Nas:Yeah, and the way he bowls and the way he hurls it. And I know he's changed his run up and having spoken to Michael Holding and all that, but he still keeps getting injured. And it's just proof that Josh Hazelwood's out of the series as well. Fast bowling is hard work. Your body's not meant to bowl like Mark Wood. But in a time when the captain is asking for some mental strength and resilience, Mark Wood has that in abundance. His body keeps letting him down. Not his mind, his body. And when they did go 2-0 down in the last Ashes series at home, who was there to help him at Headingley with bat and ball, bowled a lightning spell to get Kawaja out, stumps everywhere, He turned it around with Wokes, who also is obviously retired now.
22:46Nas:But, you know, they will miss that energy of Mark Wood. And you have to feel for the individual because rehab, you've probably gone through it with your back, actually. I've not been through it, I can imagine.
22:57Ath:And he's done it more than most. So we wish him well. Who have been the fastest bowlers that you've seen? I mean, none of us saw Larwood. You can see him on black and white. He was obviously sharp by the look of it. They all talk about Tyson in 54-5. who might be the nearest equivalent to Mark Wood because he kind of burst in off a short run and was skiddy and he was very fast for a very short period of time. But England haven't been blessed with millions of genuinely fast bowlers over the years, have they?
23:28Nas:No, going back to your original, who have I seen? I'd say Brett Lee bowled a spell down doctor at Perth on a flat pitch at the time that I think he hit Alex Tudor. He hit him in the eye. Yeah, that was rapid show. that was when you kicked those crutches in the dressing room oh no i got the worst decision ever caught behind off shane i hit the ground and rudy curtson with that silly disney like just if you're gonna get me out get me out quickly like i'm not hitting it mate and then there's like crutches of nine different england players that were injured on that trip and they all went everywhere um so show abuse to bowl a very rapid he's the quickest yeah rapid delivery so um of england of england
24:07Ath:cricketers i mean if 90 mile an hour plus is genuinely fast you'd have harmeson there wouldn't you yeah simon jones he'd be touching 90 but yeah not i don't know about as consistently as no um martwood has been lately steven finn freddy freddy would be 90 and joffra obviously a lot
24:31Nas:about it in the wrist you know you watch joffra and you watch freddy and stuff there's that flick of the risk I never realized never bowled fast in my life but you do get a lot of zip and snap from that it's just going back to you're discussing fast bowling but is it about fast bowling have England got it slightly wrong for years they've planned for this trip and they see Alex Carey standing up to Scott Boland and Michael Nisa and I mean I'm sure you've seen that thing doing the
24:57Ath:rounds on Twitter you know they it's a cruel place isn't it Twitter but they took that a conversation Rob Key had with us on the Sky Cricket podcast where he says, you know, Nass, we've worked out that you can't bowl 75 miles an hour with a keeper up in Test cricket. And then they showed, bang, bang. Gary stood up and Nisa getting all these wickets.
25:22Nas:If it's the old Adelaide pitch, you may need a bit of extra pace. Adelaide is going to be different.
25:29Ath:Assuming it's the Adelaide that we know, and it has been the Adelaide pitch that has been in the last 10 years, it is not going to have the pace and bounce or the Gabba or Perth. You've got those short square boundaries. The one thing I hope is that England just don't go into their shell. I just don't. I mean, obviously, they've got to assess conditions and they've got to be pragmatic. And there's moments when you have to suck it up and you have to earn the right to be aggressive. All those cliches that we come out with all the time. But the DNA of this team is to be aggressive. And they cannot blink now.
26:01Ath:You can't blink now. They've got to still try and take the game to Australia. Otherwise, what is this team about?
26:07Nas:Well, it can be conditions dependent on that. When they've done that in Pakistan and got 500 in a day, it's been a road. When they've done it in England at Edge, Baston, Lords, wherever, when it's been flat, bang, they've gone like that. So this could be, you're right, this could be an opportunity of old school. I wouldn't do what Stokes sometimes does. We'll have a bowl and chase because it can turn. it can turn here and they will play Nathan Lyon. Pat Cummins back for them as well. They look a stronger side, so it's going to be even more difficult.
26:36Ath:Yeah, I mean, they've got a bit of news, isn't there, that Hazelwood is out of the series, so that's a good thing for England because obviously he's top class but not unexpected. Cummins back, very close to playing at the Gabba. Back now, they say, he's absolutely raring to go. It'd be hard to see him playing three now, though, wouldn't it, on the bounds, having not played since July, coming back depending on how deep these games go but bang bang bang he might have to miss one of those three lions bound to come back he described himself as unbelievably filthy after being left out which is a classic Aussie term but he's going to come back for Adelaide so they don't look weaker for sure so England have to be on their game yeah and England you said you wanted time to think about
27:21Nas:the Bethel thing and you've still got plenty more time they're still on their lounges in Noosa at the moment but but one thing worries me is if you go bethel and jacks they are two part-time spinners on a pitch that can on day four day five warny bowled them out on that last day it was spinning square so um against a front line spinner of line or do you need to play a front line spinner in
27:43Ath:adelaide this is your job we've well generally yes but the only thing i would say is that from what i've seen jacks is bowling as well as bashear now whether you just discount you know nets and lilac hill and all that and say well he's been our premier spinner and therefore we're going to back him but you remember he he bust his finger at the end of that india series he hadn't played until they got to lilac hill and then he was got some tap and from what i saw jacks just as nicely i thought he was under bowled a bit actually at the gab of will jacks um anyway if I was a betting man I suspect they might just bring in they might not they'll keep Pope at three I suspect we'll find that's a long way and we've got plenty of time to discuss that because we're getting Greg Blewett on the podcast on Monday and he can tell us a bit about conditions
28:36Nas:don't mention the catch by the way Old Trafford one hand one bounce
28:40Ath:when you cheated him out I'm not sure cheating might be just pushing it
28:44Nas:it just may have hit one bit of grass
28:46Ath:it would have been sent upstairs today and you probably still didn't you get am I right in thing in his first three ashes tests he got 300s or something he definitely got 100 on debut anyway he's a very good player that's Monday you'll have sunk about 300 bottles of Chardonnay between now and then the lame Chardonnay we'll just throw that in and yeah we'll look forward to seeing Greg Blewett then and yeah enjoy the rest of Adelaide Hills
29:18you
From the publisher
Ahead of the 3rd Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval, they chat about their memories of playing and watching cricket at the famous ground.
They also discuss England's decision to head to Noosa for some rest and relaxation after the 2nd Test and the news that Mark Wood has been ruled out of the rest of the series with injury.
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