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Australia’s management has requested the MCC investigates the incidents in the Long Room at lunch
after what happened they would have known it was coming, so to bite back at whatever was said is just daft. Not excusing what was said (IDK, I just hope that as it was Khawaja that bit first that isn't an indication of the nature)
Oh well, never mind.
Everyone* been hating Bazball the last 4 days
Not me. But they haven’t been playing it very well, if you look at last year, they were much better at adapting to the game situation.
All over now, but Australia lost the toss, had the worst of the conditions, and lost their main spinner. England only got close because of one brilliant innings.
The result goes back to the three cheap wickets England chucked away in the first innings for me. But in such relatively close contests there will be plenty of what ifs.
Hating Bazball?
No. Not enjoying watching world class English batters slapping tennis overheads to fielders? Guilty. Not enjoying watching two of the greatest seam and swing bowlers in history bowling 80mph long hops? Guilty.
Wanting England to play positively 90% of the time, intimidating the opposition with their attitude. Yes. But Cummins would have been rubbing his hands together watching his plan of last resort yield three cheap wickets.
This positivity is great - particularly in its wider mission to 'save' Test cricket. But a strategy and team are judged by their results and you cannot win a 75 session test series by hitting the max odds gamble button relentlessly.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/66082409
MCC have acted quickly so I'm assuming it's all on audible record.
Probably a bunch of New Money Hooray Henrys getting lippy after too much shampoo. For once, I think I would have respected Warner if he'd chinned one of the loutish ****s.
The stumping of Bairstow was 100% fine. Bairstow was stupid to just go wandering around whilst the ball was still live. The ruling against the Starc catch was also 100% fine.
A lot of this has to be laid at the door of the media and their football-isation of the Ashes. This stuff has been going on on the field for generations. First test after WW2 down under - a batter (I think Aus) nicked one to slip, wasn't given out and didn’t walk. The comment from the fielder was "well, that's a fine ****ing way to start a series". But the media weren't all pervasive and whipping it up.
Cricket ought to be above all this crap that is put out there to appeal to the bellend element of the crowd.
100% agree. I just hope the clowns with stripes on their ties didn't use any slurs it's the last thing the ECB need.
Oh great.
Little Rishi, the pintsized pocket pillock has seen an opportunity for some gammon courting.
How undignified.
The stumping of Bairstow was 100% fine
Nah, it was snidey. Technically correct but just like the mankad you give a warning first. The umpires had turned and were of the opinion it was end of the over, Bairstow even stamped his foot in his crease. The aussies shouldn't have let it go to review.
As for the catch it was fine but he should have turned his hand and not land on the ball, if he hasn;t got time to turn his hand how do we know he had it under control and wasn;t using the ground to control it. Personally I think it was a catch, but he shoul dhave turned his hand.
Pope out of the rest of the Ashes, BBC saying they will bring in Dan Lawrence. Surely this would be a good time to bring Faokes back and move Bairstow up to 3?
Surely this would be a good time to bring Faokes back and move Bairstow up to 3?
Apparently they're only looking to promote from within the current squad which rules Foakes out. Can't help feel there's something going on, like Stokes and Bairstow are too matey, to drop the latter. So as much as I'd like to think we'll be fired up and put in a winning performance at Headingly, I reckon letting Bairstow continue with the gloves is going to cost us too many wickets again.
Another great win for Scotland today. West Indies and Zimbabwe beaten in recent days; one more win and they’re off to India.
Games come around quick, don’t they?
So it is Headingley today - a pitch that every former bowler worth their salt knows does not respond to whacking the ball in halfway down. Hopefully we will see less of the clown cricket over the next five days.
Time for England to stop playing playground games about the perfectly legitimate Bairstow dismissal and actual walk the walk. They have to - two-nil after two games.
I'm dissapointed with the England team selection for Headingly
with Pope out I would have picked Foakes as Keeper and moved Bairstow to No.3 (an ideal time to see how the England team can work with a specialist Keeper who is no slouch with the bat)
Moeens' inclusion is by default as there not brave enough to pick any of the other spinners
I thought Josh Tongue deserved another game
Still not convinced by Robinson
Ultimately England don't have enough pace and accuracy in their attack on what appear to be dead pitches
^^^
The inclusion of Wood is the only positive for me.
Moeen is not test match fit - in the sense that he can't bowl more than six overs without his finger blowing up and his eye seems to have gone with the bat.
Boland is a horses for courses pick, admittedly I would have expected Starc to make way, but perhaps Hazelwood isn’t fit for back to back games. Murphy is a lovely bowler, he really floats a hard-spinning delivery.
Let's see if England can make some early inroads.
Mitch Marsh in for Cameron Green feels a retrograde step by the Aussies, but not a massive one.
Broad's bunny back in the hutch again already.
Wickets with the new ball - hooray!
Let's see if Gobbo Robbo can pitch it up enough.
Out field is so fast so can england keep the ball on the ground for easy 4's or will we go all out and play smack it in the air?
I took the family to the KIA Oval for the womens T20 v Australia last night. 20,000 in and a great atmosphere. £1 tickets for the kids. We got tickets up on the new Lock Balcony, which is usualy hospitality and has its own bar/terrace - lovely up there!
This morning I shared my train journey into Leeds with lots of smartly-dressed and very civilised people all on their way to Headingley. I can't say I'm looking forward to the journey home tonight with those same people 🤣🤣🤣
Woody's got wheels today! 150kph and a hint of swing. Marnus likes to bat out of his crease to negate the lbw a bit, I wonder if he will today.
[edit - 155.3 last delivery]
277-9 doesn't sound like a lot, but sounds as though it could be a tricky pitch to score on. Could be a tight one.
I took the family to the KIA Oval for the womens T20 v Australia last night. 20,000 in and a great atmosphere. £1 tickets for the kids.
£1 tickets for kids is excellent, and what cricket really needs. Bollox to making up new ways to ruin the games (Hundred, looking squarely at you), and here's to making the game more inclusive and inviting!
Wood's spell is already one that will be talķed about for a while. But, bowling like this, he needs to take a wicket or put a batter in hospital in the next 12 deliveries.
Love watching it, though.
Got to get Khawaja down that end.
Yeeeeeessssssss!
It's a half volley, but at 95mph they are wicket-taking deliveries.
🔥🔥🔥🔥
Oh dear! Jonny
Smith is a right ****, burns a review 😀 it wasn't even faint!
YJB owes the team a big ton already.
Unfortunately non-natural keepers will be exposed by two things - standing up to spinners and really quick bowlers with a bit of movement. He really should have taken that second one.
But, four wickets in the first session - that is a session win for England.
Nasser informs us England have dropped 13 catches and had a missed stumping
we’ve had two tests and one morning of a third
Remind me again. What do ‘catches’ do…? 😀
Beaten by Bas (deLeede) ball 🙁
Oh well, at least England should be well on top by now… Oh crap, I hate this game sometimes.
Bonkers session this afternoon. Marsh out last ball before tea then suddenly Wood and co are on a purple patch. One more wicket required and suddenly we'll be batting with plenty of time to start chipping away at the Aussies' score.
Basbowling now. That injection of genuine pace from Wood has hurried them all up
England two down. It is starting to feel lìke those dropped catches will cost England dear.
Don't understand Brook coming in at no 3. Just when you need a calm head in the event of an early wicket, and sure enough look what happened. Anyway, lets hope Bairstow can repay some of the debts he's accrued. He owes everyone a big innings.
Anyway, lets hope Bairstow can repay some of the debts he’s accrued. He owes everyone a big innings.
As does Root. By my reckoning they owe about 130 between them before they are in credit.
It is imperative that England get a first innings lead of 100+. Headingley has tended to flatten out in recent times. This is prime batting time. They simply have to work themselves into a position of ascendancy. Mitch Marsh played Bazball yesterday without a spinny-round bow tie on. England have to do the same.
TBF to Root he was unbeaten on 118 in the first test when they made the mistake of declaring, should have let him carry batting for a bit longer.
His reaction to the catch yesterday was enough for me, he's knows he's better than that.
This is prime batting time.
Especially with today's forecast - I'm working in the centre of Leeds and there's barely a cloud in the sky.
You feel like Root has a bit of credit in the bank, Bairstow however...
TBF to Root he was unbeaten on 118 in the first test when they made the mistake of declaring, should have let him carry batting for a bit longer.
His reaction to the catch yesterday was enough for me, he’s knows he’s better than that.
Hopefully he knows he is also better than getting the reverse ramp out until he's got 150.
They have to capitalise on these conditions. Chucking wickets away with premeditated clown shots is not acceptable.
Bollocks.
He owes us now!
Thats a first innings lead looking a lot less likely.
Unbelievable.
Hopefully he knows he is also better than getting the reverse ramp out until he’s got 150.
Yeah, but he didn't get out with that shot, in fact you could argue it's one of his safer shots. In fact, maybe he should have ramped this morning instead of playing traditional and edging to slip...
Chucking wickets away with premeditated clown shots is not acceptable.
Not acceptable to who? Test cricket right now is the most engaging and entertaining it's ever been, part of that is because people are playing "clown shots".
To get people interested in cricket we need exciting, close cricket. Right now, England are doing that by playing a bit silly, it's bloody brilliant. They'll gain more interest by do that and losing then playing slow and winning.
England are doing that by playing a bit silly, it’s bloody brilliant.
Is it worth losing an Ashes series 5-0 for? A series in which England had promising if not winning opportunities?
Mitch Marsh vs Wood and the others was fantastic viewing. As was Wood, full-stop.
Not a reverse ramp or tennis overhead to the fifth bouncer* of the over in sight.
🤷♂️
*Long hop with a soft old ball when everyone has run out of ideas.
What is the point of Bairstow?
Can't catch, can't bat.
Series over.
<p>Ability to catch the difference in this match. They may as well chuck the bat at everything now. </p>
What is the point of Bairstow?
Can’t catch, can’t bat.
I was just about to post exactly the same thing!
I doubt Stokes was expecting that he'd have to repeat his Lords heroics in this innings. 🙄
I don’t agree with Bairstow as wk but over 5500 test runs at 37 across his career and an explosive home summer last year is a bit better than “can’t bat”
Series over.
Yes, I think so.
What is the point of Bairstow?
Can’t catch, can’t bat.
He's had a mare of a series so far, but he is the spirit animal of the Stokes-McCullum approach and had an annus mirabilis last year.
What winds me up about Bairstow is that he is a real hark back to the frightened England of the 90s - he is a poor keeper, always has been and always will be. Similar to Alec Stewart.
Unfortunately I think a lot of this runs back to Stokes' knee. Apparently we can't have Foakes if we have to pick another bowler. So you end up with a fielder with pads on behind the stumps and missed chances all over the place. Foakes has a right to be massively pissed off.
Picking Moeen over Liam Dawson is also stupid. Moeen is not fit to do a proper spinner's workload and his eye has gone when batting. Dawson would do a job for the series.
Anyhow - looks like Pidge's traditional prediction could be on the cards.
Got to be a conversation about Bairstow for the next test, surely? Bang average behind the stumps, not scoring runs, not good at all.
Yep, I love Bairstow but he doesn't deserve his place at the moment. TBF though neither does Crawley. Moen just isn't a good enough batter anymore.
I hope Woakes bats ok as he can be a proper all rounder.
Maybe they need to think about bringing Foakes back in and maybe Dan Lawrence. Or see if Bairstow without the gloves gets him back t his best from last year....
Got to be a conversation about Bairstow for the next test, surely? Bang average behind the stumps, not scoring runs, not good at all.
Unfortunately yes, I think so.
But the whole series is done by end of July, I believe (no late August hazy Ashes afternoons at the Oval this time).
TBH, with the series gone, it might be worth doubling down to see if they can make it 3-2 with rollicking cricket and save the concept. Who knows?
Dan Lawrence
And you think Harry Brook bats like he's on acid?
I like Brook. Just maybe not at 3.
Series over
Yes - probably a whitewash.
One thing we know about Headingley tests is that anything can happen.
IF we can get 1st innings parity then who knows how it'll pan out....
Crawley averages more than Bairstow so far this series and hasn't given away hundreds of runs in missed catches, missed stumpings and byes.
He won't be dropped though, or even retained as a Batter with Foakes as keeper. It's weird, with Foakes as keeper England win virtually everything, with Bairstow they lose virtually everything. I feel there is a connection...
FFS now Stokes is (more) injured. It's all falling apart isn't it?
It's not just the chances JB has missed, it's a confidence thing as well. Do the bowlers believe he will snag the next one, and does that influence their confidence or even their tactics (bowl for more lbws and bowled rather than attacking the outside edge because consciously or subconsciously you don't have absolute faith that wk and slips will take the chance if it comes)
As above, it's reminiscent of Stewart vs Russell....except Stewart was a better batter and keeper than JB, and Foakes is a better batter than JR even if he can't possibly be as good a keeper.
Foakes is the best keeper in the world, and a thoroughly useful no.7 batter…
I am a huge fan of Bairstow’s, but his keeping has always been 2nd rate at best, and his batting inconsistent. When he’s on form, he’s world class. When he’s not, he’s a liability.
But as has been discussed, he is seen as England’s embodiment of the Stokes/McCullum approach… And with Stokes’ injuries, they can’t afford to drop a bowler and bring Foakes in, hence it comes down to Foakes OR Bairstow sadly…
Right now, I’d rather Foakes… 😔
As said above, it is no coincidence that England seem to perform better, winning more games, with Foakes behind the stumps. Those missed catches and stumpings are worth quite a bit more than a few more runs with the bat, that Bairstow currently isn’t scoring.
It isn’t even in the same league as the Stewart/Russel argument… Stewart was a more consistent batter and keeper than Bairstow. Russel was a great keeper, and could very occasionally hang around with the bat a bit, but Foakes is his equal (if not better IMO) behind the stumps, and much better with the bat in hand too… Arguably Foakes is a better batter than no.7, but given that’s as high as he could fit in in the England team, I’d take him there every time…
I know I said in the last test that the time to learn new skills isn't in the middle, and that's why eg: Brooks kept going hard at the short ball. It's also an aspect of the amount of short form played, that a ball ducked or avoided is a scoring opportunity missed.
But having watched Woakes just get pipped, which must be about the 20th time in this series the helmet protocol has had to be invoked, can someone please learn not to just turn your head and wear it, no matter how good the equipment is. It's causing more discarded plastic than the drinks industry right now!
Well that was another shocking session for England.
7 down at lunch and not expecting Eng to turn this one round, so I'm wondering what happens if JB drops another couple of catches in the second innings and gets himself out cheaply with the bat... will the hierarchy acknowledge that at 3-0 down it might just be worth swapping him out with Woakes? If that's what it takes then I'm up for that, as it might bring us longer term success even at the expense of a possible 4th innings miracle.
“I’m turning off all coverage for the summer,” says Kevin Grey. “I’ve become used to England being rubbish over the decades I’ve followed them, but not rubbish by design. Embarrassing.”
From a correspondent into the Guardian.
I wouldn't quite go that far, but it is difficult to put up much of a defence to that.
🤦♂️
What price for an Australian first innings lead of exact amount of runs Marsh got after Root shelled that catch?
105? 106?
Seems like Wood has decided he's only going to last a few balls so might as well score some runs 😂
and he did!
Must've been an interesting lunch.
Amusing tail-end cameos aside - literally "so what?"
Even if England get close to parity (20-30 behind) it will have taken so much effort to get there I reckon Warner will come good and get the scoreboard rattling around.
6
6
Dot
Out
And we're back to 90s panto time with two crocks hobbling around and slogging.
Remember that this still leaves England a bowler short...
And we’re back to 90s panto time with two crocks hobbling around and slogging.
At this point I reckon it's the best strategy. They're not going to catch up by nudging it so might as well do the opposite and see how far they get, and who better to do it?
Looks like a decent batting track now. Aus to declare at 350?