Ashes 2013

It’ll still be Australia’s first innings by the time I get there on day 4 at this rate…

Stokes finally gets his maiden test wicket. And Clarke is finally gone…

And MJ also…

Declare for 550?

Siddle…

EDIT: Mike, I’d be bloody annoyed if it got to 550 now!

Trying to work out when to leave the tv and have an afternoon beer… Going to get a few comments on the score

It’s just not happening for Swanny 🙁

Or anyone really time for tea

Finally!

570/9d FFS

Oh dear.

Johnson looks unplayable

**** lost this for sure!

FFS. So that’s what happens when you drop catches.

Catches win matches, drop them at your peril…

But WTF was Cook doing?

I think Joe root needs another dinner partner tonight.

I think Joe root needs another dinner partner tonight.

Bloody Carberry had two lives there. Would have deserved to be run out for not being awake, then should have been out LBW but wasn’t given.

Not being awake? If he’d been in shorts and running spikes that was still a tight one, and I’m pretty sure it was among the last thing he expected with 2 balls left in the day.

Not being awake?

He was leaning on his bat watching the ball. He should have already been on his way when the call came.

He should have expected it. The object of the game is to score runs. He’s an opening batsman, not a tail-end bunny who needed sheltering.

listened till the out on th eno ball then it was obvious what was going to happen

Aussie were precarious for a while but they turned it round

England need to bat and under pressure

i doubt anyone has much faith in that happening

They cannot win this match from here anyway that much is certain

They cannot win this match from here anyway that much is certain

Well, they can. But they need to bat and bowl like they did last time they were here.

Even that won’t produce a favourable result on this pitch. What they need to do now is bat for two days and take the edge of Mitchell Johnson’s confidence. Can’t see that happening either, but hey ho.

But WTF was Cook doing?

Harsh, to say the least

Johnson bowled him with a 93MPH ball, that moved from middle to off. I’d say that was as unplayable a ball as you’re likely to see.

If he’d been in shorts and running spikes that was still a tight one

He went, hesitated then went again. If he hadn’t of hesitated he would have been in by a mile.

Harsh, to say the least

His earlier gropings and flashings prior to that ball don’t exactly lead me to conclude that it was solely Johnson.

He also knows how fast Johnson bowls, and is one of the best opening batsmen in the world. I don’t doubt that it was a good ball, but it certainly wasn’t unplayable by a player of that calibre. And he did seem to lose the will to bother in the field.

His earlier gropings and flashings prior to that ball

oh, no doubt, some very half hearted wafting going on, and it was only a matter of time, but I thought that ball was an absolute peach.

Draw should be possible but really it looks like win for Australia. Can’t see England coming back from 2-0 down. Maybe time to drop Swann for Month especially given the number of right handers in the Australia team.

This threads gone awfy quiet. The casual observer might believe the English only sing when they’re winning.

Which has been on a regular basis in recent years. You need a break now and again.

Confidently predicting two hundreds tomorrow. There, I’ve gone and done it now 😕

Think Swan was calling it quits after this tour anyway?

stevenmenmuir – Member
This threads gone awfy quiet. The casual observer might believe the English only sing when they’re winning.

Just that the cricket has finished for the day, I escaped to the LBS/pub to listen to the evening session, not really worth it. Going to be the day we see if England are in this series today.

I haven’t seen Cook’s dismissal yet, so perhaps too early to comment but the picture I have seen has his back foot in front of his front foot, but still only just on the crease. Tends to suggest he got squared up by a ball that moved from leg to off. Probably a good’un, but Cook is a good enough (and analytical enough) player to realise that he probably ought to be taking guard on middle and off to Johnson and looking to get a stride in. Sometimes you have to do all you can to load the odds in your favour. He is a good enough player to be able to rock back if necessary.

Anderson is a little over quick medium these days, so the comparison is not entirely valid, but the way Rogers played him and Broad was an example. He was punch-driving waist high balls on the front foot. Not something you can do on a quick wicket. This would have made Johnson have to think a bit more, but he does have a very decent slower off cutter if memory serves, so perhaps he could have used that on Cook if he had been ‘coming at him’.

Anyway, England need to play proper bloody test cricket for a day and a half. Daft shots completely in the locker and any run outs should be a capital offence. You should never, ever be run out in a test match unless you are in a last ditch run chase, or looking to score quick runs to declare! You have to make the opposition TAKE your wicket at all costs.

Wonder if England can bat for three days (probably using both innings) – 3 days in the field could tire the Aussie’s out a bit, especially Harris and Clarke who are about as strong as Aussie lager, hopefully put them out the next match. Next test follows straight after…….clutching at straws I think unless KP knocks in a quick double ton!

Personally I think we’ve done a great job of lulling them into a false sense of security. Root and Bell to hit double centuries, declare on 900 then Monty and Swanny to clean them up for less than 300. Easy 🙂

We’ve got a plan!

I’ve not seen/heard much of the cricket what with it being on overnight, which is why I’m not saying much. It’s not looking great but things can change quickly in cricket. We’ll be lucky to save this game I suspect.

Win some tosses and hang on to some catches and things could look very different.

Nope, I was wrong. Cook should have been forward, simple as. Before anyone says that it is difficult to get forward to someone bowling 90+, Cook is an accomplished test opener and the wicket is slow. He should have been forward.

I’m now worried. This is starting to look (god forbid) like an England tour of Australia in the mid 90s. Losing players to injury/other things. Dropping sitters. Taking wickets with no balls. Taking daft singles in the last over. Seeing open contempt for teammates in the field (Panesar), especially Anderson, who is quite a nasty piece of work when things aren’t going his way.

Time for Mr Flower and his huge support staff to earn their corn. England have to remember, they are playing an Australian test side that has Shane Watson batting at three and includes Steve Smith. Neither of them would have got to clean boots in any Australian side from 1989 to 2003.

Please, please, please. This cannot degenerate into a mid 90s style farce. I really cannot ‘go there’ again. 🙁

Any lower a run rate and it would be negative.

FFS Root

Channel 9 commentators really are clueless. Vaughn and the fat one were convinced that KP hit that.

At least he has improved the run rate – TMS only though no tv

Personally I think we’ve done a great job of lulling them into a false sense of security. Root Carberry and Bell to hit double centuries, declare on 900 then Monty and Swanny to clean them up for less than 300. Easy

Root! Come on man, so much better than that. Just before it is bowled he eyes the boundary up.

KP

you

Doughnut