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Will England be more pleased or Australia more pissed? Redemption a different feeling to victory?
I don't know, my head can't work out what just happened yet.
grabbed this
As a non cricketist, I found that amazing. I’ve been watching the final 90 minutes sitting in my undercrackers not jumping in the shower as I was supposed to because I did t want to miss he end. Glad I didn’t.
WOW
I’ve watched or listened to most of all of the ashes tests since before 2005. That beats them all hands down.
It ranks alongside the 81 Headingly test for sure....
Listened to it earlier. Will have to watch C5 highlights tonight.
That was an epic 1 not out for Leach. Great last wicket partnership.
Oh I think he does.
That was quite something, I remember the 81 test, listening to it on the way up the motorway going on holiday, this is another that’ll live in the memory for ever. Stokes played like Boycott at times, like Botham at others and the whole time had the calmness and intelligence of Brearley.
Still Dormie 2 though
Nudging it for 2's when they were all on the boundary...... 😂
Genius. Over 5 hours of increasing pressure. King of Cumbria (of course he's Cumbrian!)
"Alan from Accounts" a legend too - best 1* ever.
<img src="<img src="https://i.imgflip.com/38uv7l.gif" title="made at imgflip.com" />" alt="null" />
Much like the bogan bowlers finishing off a tail end, I suck at meme posting.
Dormie 2?
One all, two to play surely
as in we still can't afford to lose another...
I went cycling as the pessimist in me didn’t think we had a hope.
Fool.
Thank heavens for the highlights.
This test series is interesting for different reasons to 2005. Then was 2 great teams going hammer and tongs. Now it’s 2 flawed teams who could collapse at any stage. Still fascinating though!
Bloody amazing. Well done stokes. Shoe in for spoty if they go on to win the series
. King of Cumbria (of course he’s Cumbrian!)
Ermmmmm!
Had an ace day on my bike and switched on the radio about 4pm and caught the end of it. Just watched the highlights with a beer. Bikes, beers and Ben Stokes, what a day!
I'm struggling to remember a better test match innings from a batsman.
The tenacity, patience and power on display was exemplary.
Oh, and test match cricket is just the best, isn't it?
Just incredible. The ebbs and flows of test cricket. Summer continues!
Perhaps this is what’s needed to make the selectors and coaching staff realise that test matches are not T20?
going to be some nightmares and sleepless nights for the aussie bowling attack. Bogey Man Ben is coming to get you. That was some savage brutal hitting and a lot of nous.
going to be some nightmares and sleepless nights for the aussie bowling attack. Bogey Man Ben is coming to get you. That was some savage brutal hitting and a lot of nous.
I would not get too carried away. England have to find runs from someone else. Also it's likely Steve Smith will be back for the next test, and unless England are prepared to pepper him with bouncers they have to find a way to deal with him. I haven't seen England manage this yet.
Great entertainment and individual performance by Stokes, but a freak result which hopefully won't distract the selectors from the problems in the top order.
Aussies should have wrapped it up at the death and it was only bad umpiring that prevented that.
Stokes - with no mean contribution from Leach - grabs victory from the Esophagus of defeat, but his heroics wouldn't have been possible without the foundation laid by Denly and Root, that is what England need to take away.
Yes, Smith will be back but so may Anderson, England lost the first test when they were one bowler down for most of the match, so yes Stokes's superhuman effort won this, but it evens stevens for the rest of the series in my view.
Call off Test cricket now. In fact, call off all cricket. Not because it could never get any worse than this, but because how could it ever be better, surely? That’s talking as a cricket fan and connoisseur of the incomparable drama of sports, not as an Australian partisan. Let’s all die happy now, or only a little bit sad, and permanently awe-struck.
I’m not convinced by that last LBW. I watched it again in slow mo. The ball deflects off his pad slightly which Hawkeye picks up.
The Hawkeye protocol is that from the first point of impact, the trajectory goes straight, there is no prediction of spin or swing. Hawkeye picks up the first deviation off the pad and uses it before the “straight on” phase. I think that ball was actually missing.
Hawkeye is as good as we have, but it’s certainly not infallible.
Blimey, had to double check the website of that article CFH
The SMH actually write some well balanced articles.
Watching in NZ - I watched till the Woakes dismissal around 0120hrs. At 7 down I was convinced England had no chance so I went to bed. Absolutely amazed and thrilled when when I saw the headlines this morning. Cricket is just an incredible sport - love it!
When did Private Joker change his name to Jack Leach?
No, won’t be eating humble pie. Yes, it was an outstanding performance, but we should not have been close to a situation of needing it.
You can’t paper over our batting performances prior. Is wholesale change needed? Possibly not, but we’re not going to win the next two when the Aussies have an extra 100ish on the board from Smith if we bat like we have so far.
Sorry to be a party pooper, but it’s a test series, not a hit and giggle franchise game
To the tune of ‘here we go’.....
I was there, I was there, I was there....
I was there, I was there, I was theeeee-er.
I can safely say I have never waved my shoe around at a sporting event before, but..... shoes off, if you love Ben Stokes.
Unbelievable.
Aussies came apart at the seams, bowled a load of dross with the new ball and then lost their bottle with the run out and burnt review.
That LBW was plumb, but look in the book, folks.
No, won’t be eating humble pie. Yes, it was an outstanding performance, but we should not have been close to a situation of needing it.
You can’t paper over our batting performances prior. Is wholesale change needed? Possibly not, but we’re not going to win the next two when the Aussies have an extra 100ish on the board from Smith if we bat like we have so far.
Sorry to be a party pooper, but it’s a test series, not a hit and giggle franchise game
^This. England need a win and a draw in the next two tests to win the ashes. I cant see this happening with Smith returning. I hope I am wrong.
Some valid points by the ‘party pooper’, but that game has hit factory reset on the series.
There are players in both teams who will now be looking over their shoulder. Roy and Woakes will be worried. Roy has looked all at sea and Curran’s golden arm stuff might get him in for Woakes.
Harris is technically not as good as Bancroft. Head can’t buy a run, so he’s gone for Smith to return. Pattinson will most likely be dropped for Starc (Paine will come under a lot of pressure if he loses the Ashes with Starc carrying the drinks). But Starc can be fragile under pressure. This game was the first time England managed to keep the Aussie bowlers out there long enough to tire them. The four man attack came apart at the seams yesterday when the quicks had to perform with the second new ball. None of them performed as they should have.
Sure, England still have to work Smith (and Labuschagne to an extent) out, but it is now a two match series with the momentum on England’s side.
but it is now a two match series with the momentum on England’s side.
Perhaps I’m being too much of a party pooper, but everyone was saying Smith’s absence and the way it came about from Archer was a big momentum shift. 67 all out followed.
On a related note, more unexpected magnanimity from (some) of the Aussie press:
Anderson ruled out of the rest of the series
I'm reluctantly, disappointedly glad. He was too great a risk. Stick with the same team and use Woakes more.
Is Woakes fit? He's had a poor series overall and I've seen it suggested that he's not fully 'bowling fit'.
Given the form of Roy and Buttler we may as well pick another bowler, they're hardly going to score any less runs!
I would not get too carried away.
Spectre of Ben Stokes gives Tim Paine sleepless nights before Ashes battle 😀
Morning all.
Straya win toss and bat.
i'm actually quite relieved we bowl. an england collapse on the first day is now less likely*
*please note i didn't say impossible
Warner...
made my day 😀
A good morning so far.
Smith & Labuschagne now at the crease - I fear we will we be saying this at tea...
RM.
scoreboard ticking over....
I really wish that they'd **** Boycott off.
Smith and the one with the hard to type surname are going to be here at the close aren't they.
Not a bad start this, and it appears that the bowlers are hitting their lines.
Smith is like a brick wall, isn't he? His innings showing once again how (overly?) reliant Australia are on him.
All out for 167 I reckon
Denly looks about as strong and stable as Theresa May did 😟
However this Overton fella looks like a decent top order batsman... 😂
RM.
Newb question: when Denly and Burns were padded-up in the pavilion awaiting the Aussie declaration, does that mean that England were two short in the field?
no, you can use a substitute fielder(s) to replace a fielder at any time; in theory it's at the umpire and opposing captain's discretion but spirit of cricket says that it's rarely refused. There's supposed to be a reason, eg: injury, illness, or going off for a wee. That's where it gets a bit tricky, certainly in the modern era players have gone off for a massage after a bowling spell, or to change out of bowling boots into more comfortable shoes and in general it's also accepted.
The fielder is not supposed to be a specialist (particularly a wicketkeeper isn't allowed unless specifically agreed) but it's not unheard of for the sub to be a very lively 20 year old replacing a knackered old bowler! Google Gary Pratt for what happens there......
and the sub can't bowl, or if the injured player is prolonged injured, can't bat either when their turn comes. The relatively recent exception is a head injury / concussion replacement; new laws allow a like for like replacement if a player is removed from the game as a result of a head injury, so that the right decisions are made for concussions. What does like for like mean - eg: a batter can't be replaced by a specialist bowler - but I don't think they force a left hander for left hander, for example. Just our luck that when Smith got pipped by Archer, Australia's like for like seems to be almost as good, when he previously wasn't even in the team!!
Thanks, that's clear.
Next q; why didn't Eng start with night Watchmen given low light, cold, only 10 overs etc?
Night Watchman opens; out quickly - then what?
It's a fallback option, not first choice.
You might consider using a nigh****chmen as opener if there is literally only 1 or 2 overs to go and the loss of a wicket would then end the day's play, but with a few overs to go and a fair chance of losing a NW and then having to send an opener in anyway isn't generally worth it.
Also as an opener there's a pride in doing a duty that most others don't want to do. To send in a sacrificial NW instead of facing up to their responsibility - just wouldn't really be the done thing.
All over by an innings defeat by lunchtime tomorrow?
Another stickball question from me to thatothervonj: I’ve just watched Overton getting out. What’s he trying to do when he edges that to whoever was at mid-silly-leg-side-slip-on-loafers and what’s he done wrong/the bowler done right?
Another stickball question from me to thatothervonj: I’ve just watched Overton getting out. What’s he trying to do when he edges that to whoever was at mid-silly-leg-side-slip-on-loafers and what’s he done wrong/the bowler done right?
He's trying to play a defensive shot and the ball has bounced a little high off the pitch and/or has moved away from the batsman a touch.
What the bowler has done right is put the ball at a line and length where the batsman has to play the ball and has perhaps generated a bit of movement off the pitch from where he's landed the ball (either by landing it on the seam or just by hitting the right spot on the pitch). It also looks like it arrived a bit sooner than Overton expect which means the bowler has put a bit of extra effort in.
A better batsman may have left the ball alone as it looked a bit high and a bit wide, they may also have kept the bat closer to the body which makes it easier to judge the line of the ball and get the bat on it. A good batsman would have judged the speed better too.
What’s he trying to do when he edges that to whoever was at mid-silly-leg-side-slip-on-loafers and what’s he done wrong/the bowler done right?
In all honesty, not an awful lot wrong. It's a good length ball (one that is too short to reach out to and smother, but too long to step back to and wait for) and was threatening to hit the top of off stump which is commonly recognised as the ideal line. Overton's doing the right thing to use a dead bat to block it.
Then as noted above, the ball has deviated slightly and as a result instead of hitting the middle, has hit the edge. Perhaps also bounced a bit more than expected which just happens sometimes, can happen when the pitch becomes worn and uneven, or may as above indicate a little more effort (side note, they say effort but if that comes from the shoulder and arm then usually batsmen can spot it, almost subconsciously) It's when the bowler gives a bit more wrist that the action looks the same but it catches people out - Archer does this well which is why he regularly hits people.
Do differently? If you watch it through he just pushes his hands and bat towards the ball rather than wait for it, some batters have 'soft' hands so even if it finds the edge the ball doesn't carry as well. Have better hand eye coordination to have a better chance of it still finding the middle? Or even be worse / luckier and miss it completely. I don't think he could reasonably have left it alone, in hindsight the bounce and movement means it wouldn't have hit the stumps but you can't play for that, or if you do then pretty soon you'll be out bowled or LBW not playing a shot and look a bigger chump.
Definitely a wicket to the bowler in this case rather than a negative against the batter for me.
When I look at Overton bowling I just think of Tim Munton, Alan Igglesden and Jimmy Ormond. Good, honest, county trundlers - but who are simply not good enough for Test cricket on a regular basis.
Root said Overton was in as a tall bowler to 'hit the wicket hard'. From what I've seen he's just bowled loopy outswingers and anything back of a length has just sat up and begged to be hit.
Cheers Jon & lunge. 🏏
Moen has had a nice day at the seaside - very pleased for him
I wonder - just a bit - could we have one of those special days now.
Probably not, we’ve already had two matches of a lifetime this year.
Broad has his bunny again. Amusement over. Now for Loosebuschange (followed by Smith) to bury us. Sadly.
not a match....just one of those sessions would do.
When I played and was in form, I could never stop myself from thinking that it wouldn't go on for ever, and the longer it did, then the closer the end of it must be.
Smith'll get another 50 just to prove me wrong though
I’m starting to think we should just give Smith 150 runs each innings in lieu of him actually batting
Game on!!
Review that one you bastards
we should just give Smith 150 runs each innings in lieu of him actually batting
Give him a single as soon as he's on strike and bowl at the other end.
I'm half serious......if he scored a run an over across say an average 100 over innings, would we wrap the other end up faster than when we bowl half the balls at him?
Heh! His average has just come up: bang on 150 for the series.
Either way there must be some mutually agreeable solution that would save a lot of bother. It’s not like we’re gett him out cheaply any time soon.
Play proper shots, for christ's sake!
He'll never do anything in test cricket with a technique like that
A rare failure for Smith 🙄