Let the Ashes banter begin

The banter between Australia and England ahead of the upcoming Ashes series starts to heat up just weeks out from the first test in Perth.

Alyssa Healy's big 100 leads Australia to a record-breaking win against India at the Women's World Cup.

The domestic season continues in Australia, and once again Marnus Labuschagne is among the runs.

Pat Cummins gives us the best indication yet as to whether or not he'll play in the Ashes this Aussie summer, and we take a look at which bowlers could be next in line to take his spot in the squad.

Thank you for listening! Be sure to follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and/or Instagram.

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to another edition of the Ashes to Ashes podcast where we delve into everything related to the Australian and England cricket teams, both men's and women's, as they gear up for another Ashes campaign, and they're always gearing up for another Ashes campaign. I'm your host, News Quest journalist and avid cricket fan, Patrick Glover, and as always, we have plenty to get through on today's show. We're going to relive the Healy heroics that led to Australia's record-breaking victory over India in the Women's World Cup. The Ashes banter has begun to heat up with just weeks to go until the first test, so we dissect everything that's been said in the past couple of weeks from the likes of Zach Crawley, David Warner, and Stuart Broad. We take a look at all the one-day cup results from over in Australia as the great Aussie Badoff continues for top order spots in that Aussie team. And we get an update on Pat Cummins and his injury as he races to be ready for that first Ashes test. All that and plenty more on today's episode. We're going to start today's episode by taking a look at Australia's record-breaking World Cup win over India. So Australia won the toss in that match, sending India into bat with the host nation posting 330 uh bold out in the 48th over, so just short of their 50 overs there. So the openers, Smritti Madana and Pratika Rawal led the way there, uh putting on 155 for the first wicket. Mandana making 80 from 66 deliveries and Rowal making 75 from 96. For the Aussies, it was Annabelle Sutherland who did the job with the ball, taking 5 for 40 from 9.5 overs. So taking her first ever five for Australia on her 24th birthday as well. So congratulations there to Annabelle Sutherland and Sophie Molyneux also chipped in with 3 for 75 from her 10 overs. Megan Schutz sent a bit of a scare through the Aussies camp when she left the field at the start of her seventh over with Cramp. But she has since played in Australia's next game against Bangladesh today, which we will get to in a minute. So nothing too serious there, which is good news for the Aussies. In reply, it was Captain Alyssa Healy who led the way from the front. She scored 142 from 107 deliveries. Elise Perry also chipped in with 47 not outs. She had to retire Hurt. So she came in at three and retired Hurt with cramp and then came back at the very end to finish off the job. Phoebe Lichfield also chipped in with 40 and Ash Gardner with 45 as well. So a really good, well-rounded performance there from Australia. So they managed to post 7,331, making India's score with one over to spare. So an amazing run chase there. It's the second highest chase in one-day international World Cup history, and that's in both men's and women's. And it was a highest successful run chase in women's one-day international history as well. So an amazing job by the Aussies there. And Alyssa Healy back in form with a big ton there to lead her country to victory in what was a really tough run chase. It just shows why Australia are the best in women's cricket and have been for a long time. You look at that batting depth there, obviously Alyssa Healy making 140 at the top of the order helps, but 40s from Elise Perry, Phoebe Litchfield, and Ash Gardner, and then even people coming into the end. So you look at Kim Garth came in and made an important 14 off of 13 right at the very end to sort of support Elise Perry and get the Aussies home. Alana King also chipped in with 51 knot out against Pakistan the other day to bump the Aussies score up when they were really struggling with Beth Mooney. So the batting depth there is amazing and the bowling as well. Just about all of them bowl. You look at their team, they've got eight players that can bowl. You take out obviously Alyssa Healy, who's the week keeper, Phoebe Litchfield doesn't bowl, and neither does Beth Mooney. But everyone else would be one of the first people picked in any other women's team around the world. So it just goes to show how dominant that Australian team is. And and just when you think they're beginning to age, there's they've obviously got some older players in that squad, but they're also able to unearth some young talent that will then take the team forward in years to come. So you look at like Phoebe, Phoebe Litchfield uh is gonna be one of the the best batsmen to ever play the the women's game. She's only 22 and already doing amazing things. Annabelle Sutherland, she scored test hundreds, she's as I say, took five in that game against India, so she can do it all with both bat and ball. And then George Evol as well, who's in this Aussie squad, but yet to play a part in this this tournament yet. She's only 22 as well. So that next generation is already part of that squad and learning off of players like Healy, Perry, Gardner, Mooney, it's just a fantastic environment and success breeding success, really. So Australia once again doing exciting things and a bright future ahead. They then enjoyed a comfortable victory over Bangladesh to keep their unbeaten run in the tournament alive. Bangladesh won the toss in that game and posted nine for 198 from their 50 overs. The wickets for the Aussies were shared around with two each for Gardner, Sutherland, King, and Wareham. And then in reply, the Aussies chased the total down, none down in the 24th over. So they finished none for 202 from 24.5 overs. So they were on, you think about that score, they were on track for a mammoth total there, if you think about it. So Alyssa Healy continued her fantastic form scoring 113, not out from 77 deliveries, and Phoebe Litchfield continuing on her good form as well, finishing unbeaten on 84 from 72 deliveries. Meanwhile, England also remained undefeated in the World Cup tournament. Their most recent fixtures, they had a comfortable win over Sri Lanka in their third game of the tournament. They posted nine for 253 thanks to a century from Nat Siva Brunt. Sophie Eccleston then ripped through the Sri Lankan batting order, taking four for 17 of 10 overs to dismiss the Sri Lankans for 164. However, their fourth game didn't go as smoothly, and they were heading for a defeat against Pakistan before rain intervened. England posted nine for 133 in that match from a rain reduced 31 overs. Charlie Dean top scoring there with 33. And Pakistan in reply were cruising at none for 34 off 6.4 overs before rain stopped play and the match was abandoned. So got out of jail there a little bit, England. Australia's next match is against England, and then they finish the minor round against South Africa. Well, England play India before facing Australia and then finishing their minor rounds with a match against New Zealand. So a few interesting fixtures there coming up before the playoffs. We're just over a month away from the start of the Ashes series over in Australia, and already things are beginning to heat up with bands are being thrown back and forth across the ditch. And this week in particular, things have got very spicy. So we spoke the other week about Jeffrey Boycott slagging off the Aussies, saying, I don't think the Aussies are that great. The UK media then had a field day after original reports came out that Pat Cummins was set to miss the first test. So him pulling out just one player pulling out of the team. The BBC described Australia's resources suddenly looking very thin, not thinking about the other ten players or the rest of the squad they've got to pick from. Mike Latherton said that it left a giant hole to fill, which yes, it does leave a bit of a hole in that side, especially with Patty's bowling capabilities and captain capabilities as well. He also went on to say it would provide a huge lift for the England team. And then Lawrence Booth then went a step further and said that if there was further injuries to the likes of Stark, Hazelwood, or Scott Boland, then the Aussies would have to delve into what he described as a less impressive second tier of seamers. And he said if that happens, England really will be licking their lips. Now I I get where these guys are coming from, but one player isn't gonna change how good the Australian cricket team is. You you go through the rest of that team. Even if you take Patty Cummins out of that side, you've still got Stark, Hazelwood, and Boland. All three would be your first choice seamer in any team around the world at the moment, comfortably. So I I don't know everyone why everyone's getting rolled up with with one person missing. And and look, Pat might be back for and play some part in the Ashes series. If they're worried about Capnancy side of things, Steve Smith is gonna step up and and take on that role, you would assume. So I think they're they're getting a little bit ahead of themselves and and and focusing too much on Patty's injury. There's there's as I say, there's ten other blokes that are gonna be on the field and and a whole other squad that they're gonna have to pick from. Then you've got this week Zach Crawley, so England's test opener, has just come out and said that so firstly he's come out and said that Basbol winds the Aussies up. Well, that's definitely not the case. The Aussies haven't come up with Bas Ball, so why would it wind us up? Basbol has been created by the English media. If anything, it it pisses Brendan McCullum off. So it doesn't annoy the Aussies. We think it's crap, to be totally honest. So one stupid comment there from Zach. And then he went on to make mention of the the moral victory. So that comment obviously surfaced after the the last Ashes series over in the UK in in 2023, which ended in a draw, so a two-old draw, and was obviously there was the the Johnny Bearstow incident where he was he was run out by by Alex Carey and um the the the English weren't happy about it, and and that obviously then caused it caused a a whole saga. But so Crawley in an interview said all that stuff last series talking about the moral lashes after what happened with Johnny Bearstow, that was just a consequence of us drawing the series. In my eyes, if they'd won, they would never have said it. So it's a compliment that they felt the need. But if I remember rightly, Zach, I think if you go back and and have a look, it was the English that came up with this, it was Harry Brooke that mentioned the moral victory. It was England trying to make themselves feel better because there was the they were whinging about oh we we we should have won the the test over in Manchester, but there was a wash out, and yet we if we win we win the last test and and it's a two-all draw, then we've we've claimed the moral ashes. Well, yeah, good on you, but it's still a draw and Australia retained the ashes. The English have a very short memory span, or Zach Crawley does anyway, so I don't know why he's bringing up moral victories. So at the start of the English summer, Brendan McCullum said that England need to be a bit more humble in the way they go about things, the way they play their cricket, and the attitude they have towards the game. They then came out and their behaviour against India was deplorable. In in one of the tests, they tried to bully, is the word for it, India into ending the game early when the England knew they weren't going to win. They had Washington Sundar and and Jadesia were batting and wanted to bat and make their hundreds, rightly so. Washington Sundar had never made its S hundreds, so rightly so wanted to go on and make it and and did, but you had the POMs constantly nagging at them. You had it was again Crawley was involved, Ben Stokes was involved, Harry Brooke, all just chirping away at the the Indians and saying, What are you getting out of this? And it was yeah, not very the opposite of humble, really. So yeah, great, great that they've obviously taken on on the words of their coach and and being really humble about the way the way they play their cricket. That's that's great. Then good old Davy Warner, he's he's not playing Test cricket anymore, but bless him, he's still making headlines. He came out during the week and said that Australia are going to win the Ashes because and this is a quote, we're we're playing for the Ashes and they're playing for a moral victory. So obviously playing off Crawley's words, and this immediately caught the attention of Warner's on-field arch nemesis Stuart Broad, who responded on his podcast by saying it's probably the worst Australian team since 2010, it's probably the best England team since 2010, which is the last time that England won the Ashes in Australia, by the way. He he went on to say that Australia generally have to be very bad to lose in home conditions, which is true, and England have to be very good. But he said there's a good chance of that happening this series because of the two sides. And as much as I hate to agree with Stuart, I he did make a good point. He went on to explain that if you look at the team back in 2010, the Aussie team back in 2010, they'd just lost the likes of McGrath, Shane Warren, Maddie Hayden, Justin Langer. So they were in that transition period where they were still trying to find a spinner. Nathan Lyon hadn't come onto the scene yet. David Warner hadn't quite come through yet either. So they were they were looking for a cut they were looking for to fill quite big spots in that side and and massive holes from those four players are arguably four of Australia's and the game's greatest players ever. So obviously big shoes to fill. So he he's got a point, and the English media absolutely love this comeback from Port. My phone and notifications were were blowing up. Within an hour of Stuart Brough's podcast dropping, I think there was just about every news outlet in the UK had a story about how he'd come back and was calling the Aussies the worst in in 15 years and and how their crap and England are better, but yeah, good old English media. But I I think I think it's all well and good to have a crack at the Aussies, and and yes, there's there's still some question marks around a few of the spots, and and we'll get to those in a minute, and I think one of them's been answered, but as I say, we'll get to that shortly. But I haven't seen too many articles from the English media lately about the weaknesses of the English team. Yeah, they've got um uh a fairly solid batting lineup with the likes of Joe Root, Harry Brooke, Ben Duckett, but there's a lot of talk about Pat Cummins' injury, but Ben Stokes is coming back from his own injury, so they've got their captain that's that's coming back from an injury. There hasn't been much talk about him, and the Aussie media haven't been going after Ben Stokes. There's still a question mark about who bats at three, so Jacob Ethel or Ollie Pope, there's they still haven't decided, so there's still a spot up for grabs there for the the England sides. And I don't know why Zach Crawley's shooting his mouth off, because his spot in the test team isn't exactly concrete at the moment. His his batting record hasn't been outstanding of late. And then and then the bowlers as well. You've got your two frontline bowlers, so the two seamers that are going to be the most important for them in this Ashes series have barely played any Test cricket recently. Joffrey Archer's played two tests in the last five or so years. Mark Wood hasn't played a single test in in over 12 months, and the rest of the bowling attack haven't played any Test cricket in Australia ever. So you've got a completely inexperienced bowling lineup coming into completely foreign conditions, and on top of all that, they've got barely any long format warm-up games. So usually you think coming into a test series, you're gonna have a a bit of a warm-up game, an extended warm-up game, I guess, against maybe a county team or a shield side or a prime minister's 11 or something. But England have a white ball tour of New Zealand, so they've got three T20s and three one days against New Zealand, and then they've got a a three-day game against the English Lions before the first test on November 21st. Now, this has obviously been picked up, and and finally, an Englishman speaking some sense is Sir Ian Botham's come out and said that uh this warm-up schedule for the Ashes will leave England undercooked and almost borders on arrogance. So, yeah, well done, Beefy. That's well said. I think that's that's very true. Obviously, there's there's that underlying issue. There's been a lot of talk about the England cricket team and and they'd prefer to be on the golf course, and that arrogance as as Beefy mentioned, it creeping into that that England setup. So there's all that still floating about, and then you've got all these comments being thrown thrown about just because one player in the team is is injured, and there's there's probably maybe one spot up for grabs at the top of the order, and and all of a sudden Australia's crap. But I think they'll will find very quickly that that's not the case. Come that first Ashes test. On top of all of that, you've got a little side battle going on between uh between Joe Root and and former Aussie opener Matty Hayden. So Matty Hayden came out the other week and said that if Joe Root didn't score 100 in Australia this summer, he would do a lap around the MCG nude. So Joe Reed's obviously seen that and and has come back and said, when we look back in five years' time, no one is going to remember what Matthew Hayden said to me, Greg Bluett, Mark Ward, whoever it is. So a bit of a as as Maddie Hayden referred to it, as a bit of a drive-by there. And and he came back within a hundred years' time. If he doesn't so if Joe Root doesn't make a hundred in Australia, everyone will remember that. And he's he's not wrong. He went on to say, We've all had our careers, mate, we've made hundreds in both countries. Now it's over to you to actually show how good you are. Plenty of touring sides have come here and have disappeared with the earning ashes. So pretty much just throwing the ball back in Joe Root's court, and and I totally agree with Hados. I think Joe Root is obviously the second highest run scorer in Test cricket history, and and will go down as as one of the greatest batsmen to ever play the game. However, if he doesn't make a century in Australia, there's a massive asterisk next to that. As as Maddie Hayden said, a lot of the greats have have made hundreds in every country. The great bowlers have taken wickets in every country. But Joe Root, again, there's just that still that question mark over not having made a hundred in Australia. So there'll be a little bit of extra pressure on Joe Root, I think, this summer. He's he's had a fantastic couple of years since since COVID, really. Just been making runs for fun. So it'll be interesting to see if he can continue that form and and can finally tick off that that hundred in Australia. Okay, well, let's take a bit of a break from from all that band. So that does get me wound up a little bit, some of that. But uh we move on now to the one-day domestic cup going on in Australia. The third round of that competition took place the other day. So in that third round, we had Tasmania defeating Queensland, five for 317 uh plays 311, South Australia eight for 273, defeated Victoria 194, and New South Wales 331, defeated WA 244. The bat off obviously still going on uh for the the top order spots in Australia's test team, but I think Minus Labashane has all but sewn up a spot in in that top three. Personally, I think he should slot back in at three, and and then we need to obviously sort out who's gonna open. But Manus hit uh 105 from 91 deliveries in in Queensland's lost to Tasmania, so that makes it three centuries from four innings for Marness, and he's he's gone and made another hundred in in the Sheffield Shield game that's currently underway. But we'll we'll talk about that next episode. So um at this point in time, so after the one-day cup match, he he had three centuries from four innings. Maddie Renshaw, who's just been called up to the the Aussie one day side, uh, he made 38 from 35 deliveries. While uh for Tasmania, it was Tim Ward who made uh his own century finishing 105 from 96, while Jordan Silk finished unbeaten on 85 from 61 deliveries to guide his team home there. The South Australian game, Nathan McSweeney, who was also in a battle for one of those top spots in the Australian side, he could only manage 29 in his team's victory over Victoria. Jason Sanger as well was another interesting one. There was a bit of talk about him coming into the summer and and as a potential sort of middle order player for the Aussies, but he hasn't had a great start for South Australia. He made a golden duck against Victoria in that match, but but a man that that is in some top form for South Australia was Jake Lehman. He made 85 from 95 deliveries in that game and just continues his fantastic form from the last 12 months. And good to see Nathan McAndrew back in action as well for the South Aussies. He uh took five for 23 with the ball from 8.1 overs to Skittle the Vicks for 194 in that game in there, Chase. So really good to see him back amongst the wickets. While in the New South Wales WA game, Sammy Constance managed 40 from 28 deliveries at the top of the order for New South Wales, and Curtis Patterson was back amongst the runs as well, scoring 66. Well, for Western Australia, Cameron Bancroft made 48 batting at number seven, and another man that's been in fantastic form in the white ball setup for Australia and could be a potential smokey to open the batting in the Ashes series. Mitch Marsh was also in action for WA in that game. He can only manage two from six deliveries for WA in their loss there to New South Wales. But as I say, he's been in fantastic form in the White Ball setup. He's a former Allen Border medalist and has made runs at test level before. So although he's pretty much ruled himself out, I think, of of opening the batting in the ashes, he could be a potential option. So after the third round of the one day cup series, I don't think we're still really any of the wiser as to who's gonna be opening the batting for Australia come November 21st. I I think we are a little bit closer to understanding I think the makeup of the team. And and look, as I said last week, I I've got a feeling the Australian selectors have a pretty good idea of the setup they're gonna go with. I for me, I think it's really the top three spots that are really up for grabs. I think the rest of the team sorts itself out and and will stay as is. I think Kawaja will open, I don't think there's any doubt about that. I think he'll he'll maintain that spot. I think it then comes down to it's gonna be a battle really between maybe Constus, Labochane, Green, maybe Weatherald and Renshaw for for the next sort of two spots. I think as I mentioned, we're we're halfway through round two of Sheffield Shield action and Marness has just peeled off another century. So for me, I think he slots straight into number three for Australia. I think that's a a given. The form that he's in at the moment, it's too hard to ignore, but that then causes a headache. Where does Green fit into that team? For me, if he's not bowling, if he's not fully fit, then then he doesn't play as a specialist batsman. He needs to be in the team as an all-rounder. But at the moment you've already got an all-round option there in Bo Webster. But he hasn't played any shield cricket yet. He's he's suffering from a minor injury as well. I think they're hoping that he'll be back shortly, but if he's still injured, then that could maybe open up a spot for Cameron Green. But I think Laboucher needs to play. I think Usman opens, but then it's who opens with him. So I think it then comes down to to Constance, Weatherhill, or Renshaw, really. But we'll go into that a little bit more detail once the next round of Sheffield Shield is concluded. Pat Cummins, probably the most talked-about cricketer in the world right now, has come out and spoken in public this week, openly discussing his back injury. So but despite this, I don't think we're really any the wiser as to whether he's gonna be playing any part in the in the upcoming Ashes series. So the the update that we got is he's he started running, he's sort of running on and off every every couple of days, then he's gonna start bowling next week uh and obviously build his load up from there. But he's really given us the the clearest indication yet as to whether he'll be lining up in that in that first test on November 21st. He said at this stage it's probably less likely than likely that he will be playing in that first test against England on November 21st. But it's still a matter of wait and see at this stage as to to how much of a role he plays in the Ashes. So that poses the question: who is then next in line behind Pat Cummins and who comes into that Ashes squad as cover? I spoke about Nathan McAndrew before. I think he's a bowler that's not talked about enough when it comes to the Australian squad and back and support options for those for the quicks. He's he was the leading wicket taker in Sheffield Shield last season and has done a fantastic job since crossing over to South Australia. So I think he's one that needs to be in the conversation. Fergus O'Neill was the Shield player of the year last year, and I think he's gonna be an important part of Australia's bowling future going forward. You've then got Michael Nieser is still doing an amazing job at first class level for Queensland. He's been out of the Aussie setup for a little bit because of injury, and and now there's there's obviously guys that have jumped ahead of him in the pecking order, but he he's one for me that could come straight back in and do a job straight away. Jai Richardson's just coming off uh he's had major shoulder surgery in the offseason, so he's just coming back into cricket now. So whether he's going to be ready in time for the Ashes, Sean Abbott's another one, but he's now injured himself as well uh in the the most recent Sheffield Shield round. In fact, became the first player in Sheffield Shield history to be subbed out of the games. But we'll again we'll speak about that in in the next episode when we do a deep dive into round two of Sheffield Shield action. Brendan Doggett's the other one, he also had a fantastic Sheffield Shield season last year for South Australia, was the player of the final, took 11 wickets in that match, and he was the he was the backup for the the World Test Championship final and was going to be for the West Indies tour as well before he suffered an injury. So I think there's enough there. There's there's definitely options there that will come in and do a job. You've got guys like Lance Morris as well, who Australia identified as as being sort of next in line to come into that pace battery, but he's obviously suffered from injuries and hasn't been able to give it a good crack. And and then you've got guys like Riley Meredith as well, who has had his own injury problems, but again, just raw pace and and does a fantastic job in the shorter formats. And if he can get his body right, he could be a potential another option. There's a good group of young, young fast bowlers coming through as well. Like you look to the like as Straker and Vidler, and there's a good future there for Australia's next generation of bowlers. You obviously look at Mitchell Stark, Josh Hazelwood, Pat Cummins, Scott Boland to a lesser extent, and Nathan Lyon. This once in a generation, a once-in-a-lifetime bowling attack that have played so much cricket together and have given guys behind them not much of a chance to have a crack at international level. But I think there's an enough talent coming through from the next bunch of guys that when they do get their chance, they will be able to do a job for Australia, and yeah, they will be able to do a job for Australia. While we're on the subject of injuries, uh the Aussies have been forced to make a couple of changes to their squad for the first one day international coming up against India on October 19th. Josh Inglis has been ruled out of the opener as he hasn't recovered from a calf injury in time, so that's the same calf injury that kept him out of the limited over series against New Zealand. Well, Adam Zampa has been forced to withdraw due to family reasons. So Josh Phillip comes into the squad as cover for Inglis and is expected to take the gloves in that in that first game. As Alex Carey has also been released. From that one day squad to play in the Sheffield Shield for South Australia as he gears up for obviously an important summer of Test cricket. Well, Maddie Koonerman comes into the squad for the one day setup to replace Adam Zampa for that first match. Both Alex Carey and Adam Zampa are expected to rejoin the Aussie squad in Adelaide for that second one day international. So there's three one days there between Australia and India. That will be on October 19th, 23rd, and 25th. And that will be followed by a five-game T20 series on October 29th and 31st, and November 2nd, 6th, and 8th. And England are also in action over the next couple of weeks in the lead up to the start of the Ashes. As I mentioned earlier, they have a White Ball, a couple of White Ball series against New Zealand. There's three T20s which will take place on the 18th, 20th, and 23rd of October before three One Day Internationals on the 26th and 29th of October and the 1st of November. So that brings us to the end of another edition of the Ashes to Ashes podcast. Thanks again for tuning in. Before we wrap things up, just a quick reminder to be sure to follow us and give us a rating wherever you listen to your podcast, whether it be Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else. And also give us a follow on TikTok and Instagram as well to keep up to date with all the latest cricket news and clips from the podcast. I am away next week, so there won't be an episode next Friday, but I will return the following week where we'll catch up on all the latest cricket news. So I'll see you then.