My dear old things, it's STW TMS!

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?