Bresnan.

Bresnan I think. Can’t risk Finn, even on his home ground.

When is Tremlett going to be fit again? I thought he was magnificent in the last ashes series.

Bottom line, Jimmy was nearly perfect but two of the others were average and Finn was poor. If all four bowled well, the Aussies are up shit creek from what I’ve seen so far.

I make you right. Finn is a very frustrating bowler – he has the ability to be devastating with his pace and bounce, but seems to lack the confidence and aggression needed to go with it.

That said, has Bresnan pulled up any trees since his elbow op?

Tremlett had a back operation, which i never think bodes well for a quick. Even if he recuperates, i doubt he’ll ever have the same menace as he had before. That said – if he could get fit enough to bowl at 80-odd but hit length and line consistently, from his height he’ll always be a tough prospect. i reckon in the modern game, on hard pitches, height and bounce are worth more than out and out pace. Put the two together, which is what Finn has on his day, and you’ve got a very tricky test.

Bresnan – maybe not but he is out and out reliable. If Jimmy and Broad can operate as proper strike bowlers, I don’t think having someone who can bowl 25 overs a day and keep the score under control is a bad thing, particularly if it means they have to try to score off Swanny at the other end. Swann seems to bowl better when the batsmen are looking to score against him, gating the right handers and getting the lefties to nick off when they’re driving is much more likely than when they’re just defending.

What do you need to get a 12?

Out of 10? Poor mathematics.

Interesting article on the BBC website about the ICC’s review of the umpiring in this past test.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/23333065

The ICC’s overall assessment of umpiring in England’s dramatic 14-run victory at Trent Bridge revealed that officials made a total of 72 decisions, which is well above the average (49) for a Test match featuring DRS. 65 out of 72 (90.3%) were made correctly on the field, including review by DRS 69/72 (95.8%) were considered right.

The three uncorrected decisions were Trott’s LBW, Broad’s edge, and also a Broad LBW that hinged on whether he was playing a shot or not.

Odd that Aleem Dar will be criticised ever more for the one he clearly missed rather than the 30-40-odd he got right. Such is the way of being an adjudicator in any level of sport.

Another interesting one:

Brad Haddin didn’t need to wait for the replay to know he had hit the ball that sealed Australia’s first-Test defeat. And he said he had no problem with Stuart Broad’s decision not to walk earlier in the Test.

”I hit it, so I knew I was gone,” said Haddin, who stood, pale and exhausted, in the middle of the pitch with James Pattinson and waited for the third umpire to make his fate official.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/i-knew-i-was-gone-haddin-20130716-2q23v.html#ixzz2ZEaDVjvC

Filthy cheat! He should be banned (or at the very least, stoned).

Surely it makes you more of a cheat if you don’t walk when you’ve hit one which isn’t obvious than if you don’t walk when you’ve thrashed the leather off one?

…interesting that they don’t mention the stumping, but then I guess we all agree that was a marginal call.

2nd Test, here we go again….

The Aussies are in disarray

The ABC understands documents filed to the commission by Arthur showed captain Clarke and all-rounder Watson were constantly at odds with each other.

Clarke also allegedly described Watson and his faction in the side as “a cancer”, with Arthur calling himself the “meat in the sandwich” between the conflicting camps.

“There was major tension between Michael Clarke and Shane Watson,” the Seven Network reported from Arthur’s document of claim.

David Warner says he was left shattered after he learned he would play no part in Australia’s first Ashes Test against England at Trent Bridge.

After Englands dominations limp over the line at Trent Bridge, it’s going to be interesting to see what happens next.

Will Agar make it back to number 11 by the end of the series?
Will there be any coaches left in the Aussie team?
Will the NHS have enough Defibrillators to cope?
Will it ever rain?

From TMS Flickr

Tuffers, Aggers and Henry Moeran at the end of the Trent Bridge Test by Test Match Special, on Flickr

Boycott Bingo Cake by Test Match Special, on Flickr
and most importantly what will be the best cake they send to TMS?

Amazing cake at Trent Bridge by Test Match Special, on Flickr

Interesting photo above ^

Because I heard on the news yesterday that the queen had told a little girl on a walkabout yesterday, that she doesn’t mind what Kate has, just as long as it’s soon, because she’s off on holiday shortly. And my immediate thought was that she was bluffing and fancied a 5 day break in St Johns wood with a gin in one hand, a sporting life in the other, watching her colonial subjects taking a pummeling.

I’ve got a sneaky feeling Finn will play, after Haddin revealed that they deliberately targeted him in the last test just so chef would have to bring Jimmy back without a rest. Or is that a double bluff, because they want us to play Finn instead of Bres? Who’d be a selector, even an armchair one?

And my immediate thought was that she was bluffing and fancied a 5 day break in St Johns wood with a gin in one hand, a sporting life in the other, watching her colonial subjects taking a pummeling.

Well, one thing’s for certain – I won’t be spending five days at the Adelaide Oval this year, as they’re in the middle of rebuilding it, meaning that about 90% of all available seats are members’, and the remainder are either in really crap places, or very expensive, or both. I could just get general admission and stand with the Barmies, but they even get wearing for me after a few hours!

To say that I was a bit disappointed when I found this out would be an understatement. If it goes to five days I might head down.

Anyway, back to the point at hand…

Second test v Open Champinships – choices, choices….

Interesting question, in which event do the Aussies have a better chance of winning?

Integrating to read Gilchrist this morning, forget the compass (lost long ago) lets just hope Broady has well fitting boots this time!!

So where’s the outrage for Haddin not walking THM?

In the same place Grum, exactly the same place. But my comment was more about our shyness regarding bowling at tailenders, which is what Gilchrist picked up on. Boycs was going on about England having more bottle and yet we were scared to let our best spinner bowl at their low order. That’s not bottle in my corner!

But I hope the result is as exciting and that we have an English winner in both events. Time for Lee Westwood to fulfil his dreams at Muirfiled I hope.

and yet we were scared to let our best spinner bowl at their low order.

Not scared, more pragmatic. Swann (who plays for Nottingham himself) says he never has much luck at Trent Bridge – it’s a seamer’s track.

Can’t wait for the bell today. Lords in the sunshine and England already 1 up. Hope we bowl first this time 😉

Second test v Open Champinships Alpe d’Huez

FTFY!

I’m with teamhurtmore. The tour is boring and only worth it for the scenery

Thanks ransos, almost forgot the AdH double wammy. TV, computer and ipad required at the same time to keep on top of it all!

Thanks ransos, almost forgot the AdH double wammy. TV, computer and ipad required at the same time to keep on top of it all!

And the fact you bastards all play sorts in the middle of the night!

I’m with teamhurtmore. The tour is boring and only worth it for the scenery

An opinion without validity when expressed by a golfist…

🙄

Yeh but you love it really zokes. A few tinnies and late night/middle of the night sport (no not that kind).

Houns, I enjoy the TdF but more likely to dip in and out. Bloody hooked on the golf already (hidden ipad). Looking for my younger one who is working there!

Funnily enough houns/ransos, links golf courses are not always things of beauty and not like beautiful Alpine scenery from the tour. But Muirfield does look good on the tv this morning!

Missus is on call tonight so should manage to catch at least the tour and a fair bit of cricket with a couple of fine ales

This is supposedly a faster track which would favour the pace bowlers however given the baking weather I would imagine the top order batsman must fancy this.

You would have to bat first on winning the toss? A big score and your in the driving seat – I would hope we are batting into the evening session with 300+ on the board and 2 recognised batsman at the crease! What do you reckon?

Tour boring but for the scenery but golf exciting..it does take all sorts

Just to be clear here – i simply forgot about AdH today. Its only houns that said the tour is boring. I will be watching it (TdF) today alongside the cricket and the golf.

Bresnan in and England win the toss to bat first

I will be watching it (TdF) today alongside the cricket and the golf.

Dont know which is more impressive your number of TV’s or your number of eyes and I dont blame you though not the golf for me- I id not knwo that was on till mentioned here

Yeh but you love it really zokes. A few tinnies and late night/middle of the night sport

Hmmm. There’s this tedious thing called ‘work’, and the older I get, the fewer excuses I have to hide in the lab doing something that doesn’t require much brain, rather than writing papers and grants (which seem to require at least 8 hours sleep these days). Which is a pity – I stayed up most of the night in 2007 when I was still in the UK, and that really was a waste of a good night’s sleep!

Morning/Evening all… Starc kind of unlucky to be dropped, I might’ve lost Pattinson tbh… Cowan a no-brainer and good to see Khawaja getting a go, hope he does well! Shame for Cowan but them’s the breaks eh? Harris is a good choice, though he’ll probably end up injured from this Test and be out for the rest of the series…

Could be a looooong hot day for the Aussies, here’s hoping for some early breakthroughs, the conditions should surely suit us better than you Poms eh? 😆

I think anyone would struggle to bowl/field all day in this heat, batting is also hard work but you would know its harder for the bowler and they will tire quickly. Forecast is fairly consistent for the 5 days so you would think each team will get there time in the sun and a fair contest – glad we won the toss though.

Edit: Bresnan call is a bit harsh especially when it’s likely to be high scoring game and we should not need his additional batting ability. Sets a precedent though of, if you don’t hit the top of your game your out which is no bad thing.

Evening Psychle, how long are you in for tonight?

Shall we have a southern hemispheric role-call? I’ll probably be about until the TdF finishes…

Evening Psychle, how long are you in for tonight?

Probably till Lunch, we’ll see… so that’d be midnight I think? Or 11pm?

EDIT: it’d be 23:15pm here in Oz wouldn’t it? Seem to recall from the First Test that I was dragging my butt off to bed…

mostly sorted for work so could be a late one.

Cook just went, might be an early one if I say England all out or end of the tour (dual screen time)