The Ashes thread! (spoilers)

I have a sense of ominous foreboding.

This has all got a very familiar ring to it

Blowers on TMS, “England batting like the Greek economy”

Then straight on to seagulls.

🙂

Root to the rescue again?

I think Lunch stopped the flow of wickets…

aussie line and length is all over the place at the moment.

Now I want to say something about England, but if I do I know what will happen. So we can all just think it instead…

Nice to see the sun coming out.

Well the view at Tea is a lot better than the view at Lunch, some great batting and hoping that both these 2 get past the next milestone. Good turnaround and be interesting to see how the Aussies come out after the break – I’ll catch that one in the morning I reckon…

surprised by the rank bad bowling and fielding from the aussies. Haddon was pretty useless behind the stumps too. Got to be pretty demoralizing for the bowling attack when the keeper drops such sitters. The slips take their position from the keeper and he stands too far back (to cover for his lack of mobility) and a couple of edges dropping short of the slip cordone.

Doesn’t move his feet well. I think his time’s coming to an end; his runs are useful but you can’t give England’s best players extra lives. Including byes he’s already 150-odd in debt.

Shame, because he seems such a lovely bloke.

Disappointing last session for England but it could have been a lot worse after that start. Ali looked good so hopefully the tail can hang around for a bit for him. Another 100 would give them half a chance.

Oh my, just seen Stokes highlights, bet that kept the Aussie bowlers happy 🙂

Quite a batting display.

Here’s hoping Moeen can go on for a few this morning. Put them in just after lunch, maybe?

7 down it might be optimistic to suggest “putting them in” as many as we can please 400 and hopefully get a couple of early ones.

Not saying anything….

Highest England score of the last 6 tests against Australia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013%E2%80%9314_Ashes_series

Good start.

Shhh!

That was your fault Flashheart!

Oops.

Sorry

Now to see how good/bad that pitch is…

Well there we go, hands up who had 430 on their mind at this time yesterday?

Batting in depth, something that has been missing in English cricket for a long time. Even allows Ian Bell to see if he can find his feet in that line up. the standing ovation for Johnson 0-100 was worth seeing. Strangely enough not one of my Aussie mates has said a word yet, cue 600-3 or something like that. Key wickets? Warner & Haddin

Great knock to at least put some pressure back on Australia after yesterday’s shaky start. Interesting day coming up.

I think whatever happens getting a decent score against their bowling attack will do england a lot of good. After a five nil thrashing with no score over approx… 370?…. first innings last time that’s a great mental ‘win’

Five of them were against Australia however…
(from @BBCTMS)

dodgy tash back in the pavilion

So in a 5 day game I go to take a leak just when tash gets out…

Mike, could you nip back for another shake?

ouch!

In the words of a commentator somewhere on one of those events.
Don’t rub em count em

IN THE PLUMS!

@CaptainFlashheart
I might need to drink more beer to make that happen
PPGift email in profile 😉

🙂

yeah I went for one honest…

bye bye Smithy

Tea – or bed time as we call it here in Oz….

Bit stubborn these Ozzies could do with a couple of wickets. England have the runs on the board –
I applaud Cook for batting first even in questionable conditions as this is a good ashes score for England whatever at this point.
Australia have the good batsmen who can get out, the England bowling needs to step up a bit, maidens and tight make them play.

I applaud Cook for batting first even in questionable conditions

Agree with this although the aussies missed a chance to rip into england in that first session when the weather favoured the bowler.

Nicely poised today. On paper, England on top with runs on the board and the Aussies to bat last on a wearing pitch; reality says that we don’t clear up tails well and theirs could wag hard. Hopes for Stokes to bully a few out, he strikes me as a heavy ball bowler in the Freddie mould.

There’s also a rain threat for Sunday that might make us want to push the game on a bit.

Interesting stat this morning on Moeen Ali. He takes a wicket every 53 balls; better than Murali, Warne, Swann, etc. He doesn’t tie an end up quite as well, too many bad balls that supposedly relieve pressure, but is that to his benefit, that batters look to attack him more than the others listed above and hence give more of a chance? On the basis you have to take 20 wickets to win a test, can you give up a run an over for a strike rate that’s 15% better than Swann’s?

Add his runs; I think he’s a key man this series.

We’ve still got to get Haddin out. Let’s hope his batting is as good as his keeping. But if he bats like he did in the last Ashes…

Watson lbw, who would’ve guessed! Bit unlucky there IMO.

We went to the first day, here’s a picture – if you look carefully you can see the ball just about to be caught by Warner (Lyth out!)

Next up, Haddin was the backbone of the tail back in Oz. The Oz batting line up is venerable, Haddin has been the saviour for a lot of tests. This is the key wicket.

7 down