The Ashes are back, and so is the anxiety that comes with watching England's top batsmen struggle against Australia's pace attack. For me, it's all about Ben Duckett – a man who has slipped under my radar until now.
As I sit in my Melbourne home, surrounded by family chaos, with Mrs Rushden yelling from the garden and 10-month-old Willie following through in his paddling pool, my attention turns back to the Gabba. Ben Duckett walks out to join Joe Root at the crease. What should we be worried about? The Aussie bowlers, or poor old Zak Crawley who's already on 27?
Starc is on a mission, leaving Duckett a meaty length ball that swings in sharply – a beautiful ball. But Duckett's not having it. He plays a defensive shot and lets it go outside the off stump for four. The tension is palpable. I'm more worried about Ben than I should be.
The game continues with the ebb and flow of Australian quicks, and England's batsmen showing glimpses of hope but ultimately succumbing to the pressure. But let's focus on that Duckett guy. What was going through his mind as he watched Starc deliver a wicket ball?
It wasn't easy – the stress, the worry – but we can never fully understand what goes through a cricketer's mind during those intense moments. All we can do is watch and offer support from afar. Maybe one day I'll be sitting in the stands with Willie, his half-Australian baby, cheering on Zak Crawley as he takes on the Aussies.
The hour has passed – maybe it feels like longer for us England fans. We know that cricket isn't always easy to follow. But sometimes, all we need is a little hope and a 50-ball partnership to make everything seem possible again.
As I sit in my Melbourne home, surrounded by family chaos, with Mrs Rushden yelling from the garden and 10-month-old Willie following through in his paddling pool, my attention turns back to the Gabba. Ben Duckett walks out to join Joe Root at the crease. What should we be worried about? The Aussie bowlers, or poor old Zak Crawley who's already on 27?
Starc is on a mission, leaving Duckett a meaty length ball that swings in sharply – a beautiful ball. But Duckett's not having it. He plays a defensive shot and lets it go outside the off stump for four. The tension is palpable. I'm more worried about Ben than I should be.
The game continues with the ebb and flow of Australian quicks, and England's batsmen showing glimpses of hope but ultimately succumbing to the pressure. But let's focus on that Duckett guy. What was going through his mind as he watched Starc deliver a wicket ball?
It wasn't easy – the stress, the worry – but we can never fully understand what goes through a cricketer's mind during those intense moments. All we can do is watch and offer support from afar. Maybe one day I'll be sitting in the stands with Willie, his half-Australian baby, cheering on Zak Crawley as he takes on the Aussies.
The hour has passed – maybe it feels like longer for us England fans. We know that cricket isn't always easy to follow. But sometimes, all we need is a little hope and a 50-ball partnership to make everything seem possible again.
he's got some serious game 
cant believe how good starc is tho!!! 
but anyway i think england's batsmen r gettin a lil too much pressure from australia 
they need 2 chill out and just play their natural game 
or watever u say 
anyway its defo intrestin watchin these guys clash on the field 
and i'm curious about ben duckett's mndset 2 
maybe he'll be england's next hero 
anyway back to cricket, it's just so hard to watch the pros struggle against those Aussie bowlers 
and starc is on a roll lol what's next? 
ben duckett saving england from the aussie bowlers with his sick batting skills 
can't wait to see if he lives up to the hype
. These cricketers have families just like me, with bills to pay and kids to feed. The pressure on them is immense! And you know who's not feeling the heat? The sponsors, of course 
. They're raking it in while these athletes are putting their bodies on the line. I mean, what's fair about that? Can we say it's a matter of class struggle here? Poor Ben Duckett vs. the Aussie bowlers and our benevolent sponsor overlords 
but let's be real, Joe Root is still a liability at 3 and 4 
. He's always going to be the one holding England back. And what's up with these English batsmen thinking they can take on Australia's pace attack? Newsflash: they're not the Aussies! 
Ben Duckett might not be the most high-profile player, but he's definitely got me intrigued now. His defensive shot against Starc was so tense to watch, and I can only imagine how his mind was racing during that moment. 
As an England fan, it's great to have a new player to watch and root for, even if he's not Zak Crawley... 
Will Duckett be the one who brings some hope back to our team? Only time will tell! 
. 
. After all, cricket is a game of ups and downs – and with a bit of hope and some good form, anything seems possible again 
.
. It's defo tough to predict what goes through cricketers' minds in those intense moments, might need a few drinks with the family after this match 
[Duckett's reaction GIF] : Ben Duckett: *looks at ball* "Is this thing on? 
[Starc's menacing stare GIF]
["Why do we always fall for it?" meme]
[Crawley's "I don't know what's going on" GIF]
[Clock ticking, as if the clock is running out for England]
But what's really got me thinking is how mental pressure affects players like Duckett 
He's calm under pressure, which is more than I can say for some of their other batsmen 
hope zack crawley gets back in form soon tho 
. But you know what? I think it's awesome that he's giving it his all and showing some determination 
I felt my heart sinking when that wicket ball came in. And poor Zak Crawley 
at least he's trying, right? The thing about watching cricket from home with the fam chaos around me 
! I think Zak Crawley's been struggling lately, but he needs to step up his game. Poor Ben Duckett has slipped under everyone's radar, that's a shame 
... 
! There's something so relatable about the writer's anxiety while watching Ben Duckett play - I mean, who hasn't felt that pressure? 
The way they describe the tension and stress is so spot on 
. The writer's willingness to poke fun at their own England team's struggles (hello Zak Crawley, 27 and struggling? 
