We have World-class bowlers who can bowl anyone out in England.
We have amazingly talented batsmen who can score quickly.
What we don't seem to have is smart batsmen who will stay in for an hour or so until the ball softens and the bowlers tire so they can then attack... England should be averaging nearly 500 in their first innings and then they'd win virtually every match.
I haven't checked but I bet their first innings average is around 200-250 for the last couple of years. Which is not good enough.
I understand why this team are so defensive when criticised - the way the media treats them is appalling but... but... it's SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO frustrating. We know how good they are; please, please, please England, someone knock some heads together, we want the Ashes back!
...What we don't seem to have is smart batsmen who will stay in for an hour or so until the ball softens and the bowlers tire so they can then attack...
AFZ
I was thinking about this. In the ODI World Cup the two batsmen who could adapt their game to the conditions and bat appropriately were Stokes and Butler, who aren't playing. So, hopefully their inclusion might help matters.
...What we don't seem to have is smart batsmen who will stay in for an hour or so until the ball softens and the bowlers tire so they can then attack...
AFZ
I was thinking about this. In the ODI World Cup the two batsmen who could adapt their game to the conditions and bat appropriately were Stokes and Butler, who aren't playing. So, hopefully their inclusion might help matters.
Yep. And whilst Root hasn't had the best match here, he's the only one I don't worry about...
Ireland 16-2. The game could be levelling out, but I'll epect Ireland to hve one or two partnerships. It depends on how long they can make them last.
No! 19-3! Porterfield and Stirling have gone but, crucially, Kevin O'Brien is at the crease. A lot of Irish hopes (not to mention spare cash) could be riding on him.
Oh what a pity for Ireland. Still they will have the memory of skittling the English to tell their grandchildren. Bra... bra... bra...vo to the E. E. E. no I can't manage it.
I'm going to congratulate Ireland for coming to Lord's, playing out of their skins and note that they were undone at the end in bowler friendly conditions. This morning eleven wickets have gone down in under 16 overs, with all of them bowled, lbw, or caught by the wicket keeper or slip which indicates accurate bowling that has moved about a bit. OK, Woakes and Broad are skilled operators, but I don't think any batting side on earth would have got much past 200 in these conditions.
Following up Test Match cricket with cycling is like following up a meal at a Michelin-star restaurant with an afternoon at a motorway service station.
Following up Test Match cricket with cycling is like following up a meal at a Michelin-star restaurant with an afternoon at a motorway service station.
Leaving aside men putting their bodies through hell on Earth, especially as 80% of them have no interest in winning, what is Irish cricket to do. There’s talent and passion, but they need more competition, ideally as a first-class side playing the eighteen first-class counties regularly and often. Maybe just six or eight matches to start.
... Following up Test Match cricket with cycling is like following up a meal at a Michelin-star restaurant with an afternoon at a motorway service station.
I know the square root of diddly-squat about either cricket or competitive cycling, but that tickled my funny-bone.
I’m not sure why England have selected five quick bowlers (plus Stokes and Woakes): maybe doubts remain over Archer’s fitness. Otherwise I would prefer Rashid to Moeen as he is more likely to take wickets and on current form he is batting better too. Really not sure why Denly is included.
Given the fourteen then I’ll have what AFZ selected, although Woakes must stay ahead of Moeen.
I'm going to congratulate Ireland for coming to Lord's, playing out of their skins and note that they were undone at the end in bowler friendly conditions. This morning eleven wickets have gone down in under 16 overs, with all of them bowled, lbw, or caught by the wicket keeper or slip which indicates accurate bowling that has moved about a bit. OK, Woakes and Broad are skilled operators, but I don't think any batting side on earth would have got much past 200 in these conditions.
In similar conditions today Australia, who are a good batting side, but not a great one, are at 154-8 at tea. Smith has made 66 which must be worth a hundred.
It looks like Jimmy Anderson is injured and the English crowd are making a lot of Smith, Warner and Bancroft being reprieved cheats, forgetting various dirt-in-pocket and chewing gum ploys by England captains of the fairly recent past.
All the chat tonight seems to be about Steve Smith's excellent innings. And it was brilliant and dragged Australia from a likely 140-150 all out to nearly 300.
But.
We know how frail English batting has been of late, but 284 shouldn't be enough.
Let me put it like this: IF England are still batting at the close of play tomorrow, they'll win this Test Match. Simply because if they go enough past Australia they can set up a very gettable total.
If.
And that's not bad for a team that lost its best bowler after 4 overs.
Bat sensibly, bat all day, score big in the third session; put Australia to the sword. COME ON ENGLAND!
I never try to prognosticate until both sides have batted. I didn't see the innings, but I did read an article in a Sydney paper suggesting that Australia should drop the pretense and just name Smith captain now. Personally, I have been bouncing around all day.
Although Root was a bit dodgy when he started and (from what I heard on the radio) Roy needs to adapt better to the 5-day game.
Some of the batting has been iffy but by all accounts the umpiring has been the worst since the "Elite" panel was introduced, with all-neutral umpires. So far there have been nine reviews called, with five successful.
In other news and thanks to the bails not falling when Root's stumps were hit, England have passed 100 with one down.
England bat out a day! Only 4 down and 17 behind. Actual test cricket!
Yep. I am counting no chickens but they really should be fixated on 400+ at this point.
Someone should take that young Burns aside, tell him he's done a brilliant job - he's now in the side for the whole summer - but if he maintains his focus and makes it a double-ton that'll be something he remembers for the rest of his life and the test will be mostly won...
I woke up on the couch with a sore back in the wee hours and looked at the television. I swear I saw Steve Smith in a numberless white robe walking on water. It was probably someone in the crowd playing dress-ups.
Neat double by Steve Smith. His first hundred prevented Australia losing the Test and his second has probably won it. It’s not often that any first-class match is won by a batsman, let alone a test match.
Although I haven't really been following today, it does sound like a Proper Test Match ... and into the final day, too! (Do you remember the days when they took the day off on Sunday?)
Although I haven't really been following today, it does sound like a Proper Test Match ... and into the final day, too! (Do you remember the days when they took the day off on Sunday?)
Yes. And I remember Tom Graveney, one of the most elegant batsman of his time, being banned from three test matches after playing in a benefit match on a Sunday. My parents were not amused!
The hope, forlorn though it may be, is that Rory Burns will be able to do on the 5th day what he did on the 2nd, by batting the whole day. The more likely stat that England want to avoid is being bowled out for less than 111. Not because of the Nelson superstition, but because if they do, then Australia's margin of victory would be greater than Steve Smith's contribution with the bat.
The pitch was starting to show some variable bounce yesterday, so I fear that some of the quick bowlers may get cheap lbws today. In all likelihood, though, we'll look back on the England innings and say that at least 6 or 7 of the batsmen got out playing needlessly risky shots.
Unless we have just discovered the only potential good of fracking; that is, if it sets off an earthquake that cracks the pitch open and renders it too dangerous to play on?
Well, we can take some heart by looking at back at the Greatest Ever Series. In 2005, we got off to a great start, reducing the Australians to a low score in the 1st innings. We went on to lose that match heavily. But we came back triumphant in the series.
Maybe we can use this loss as a launch-pad to do similar again.
If we contrast our 2005 team against our team now we are going to struggle. I think Anderson, Woakes, Stokes and Root might have got in the 2005, but nobody else.
If we contrast our 2005 team against our team now we are going to struggle. I think Anderson, Woakes, Stokes and Root might have got in the 2005, but nobody else.
The 2005 team did have Ian Bell in it, who, for the most part, was a dead weight in that series.
Yes true. The time to get cocky is before the series begins. After that, it's all stress and nerves. Still, I do like it when the singers fall silent, and the catcalls.
If we contrast our 2005 team against our team now we are going to struggle. I think Anderson, Woakes, Stokes and Root might have got in the 2005, but nobody else.
The 2005 team did have Ian Bell in it, who, for the most part, was a dead weight in that series.
Yes, Root for Bell is a good call. Anderson now is a better bowler than any of the 2005 bowlers including of course the 2005 version of Jimmy Anderson (had he been fit).
I would include Foakes (who should be in now, as Bairstow is in rotten form) but despite all those wickets I wouldn’t include Broad as I would open with Anderson and Hoggard, with Harmison and Freddie to follow.
If we contrast our 2005 team against our team now we are going to struggle. I think Anderson, Woakes, Stokes and Root might have got in the 2005, but nobody else.
The 2005 team did have Ian Bell in it, who, for the most part, was a dead weight in that series.
Yes, Root for Bell is a good call. Anderson now is a better bowler than any of the 2005 bowlers including of course the 2005 version of Jimmy Anderson (had he been fit).
Bell should never have been in that team - it should have been Thorpe...
But yeah Jimmy was badly missed over the weekend.
Jones was awesome in that series but sadly never bowled that well again.
The King of Spain was a giant in that series, I would take Ali of 2018 over him though... not sure about this year's version...
I am very sad about today's result but it's a long series...
Comments
Bring back Foakes!
We need that middle of Stokes, Foakes and Woakes.
We have World-class bowlers who can bowl anyone out in England.
We have amazingly talented batsmen who can score quickly.
What we don't seem to have is smart batsmen who will stay in for an hour or so until the ball softens and the bowlers tire so they can then attack... England should be averaging nearly 500 in their first innings and then they'd win virtually every match.
I haven't checked but I bet their first innings average is around 200-250 for the last couple of years. Which is not good enough.
I understand why this team are so defensive when criticised - the way the media treats them is appalling but... but... it's SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO frustrating. We know how good they are; please, please, please England, someone knock some heads together, we want the Ashes back!
AFZ
Yep. And whilst Root hasn't had the best match here, he's the only one I don't worry about...
No! 19-3! Porterfield and Stirling have gone but, crucially, Kevin O'Brien is at the crease. A lot of Irish hopes (not to mention spare cash) could be riding on him.
What a bonkers match.
There's still the TdF...
A mad end to a mad match.
You know so little.
Off to the Quotes File ...
Anyway
I want to include Curran as well... more importantly the batting is clearly talented, explosive and fragile...
AFZ
Given the fourteen then I’ll have what AFZ selected, although Woakes must stay ahead of Moeen.
In similar conditions today Australia, who are a good batting side, but not a great one, are at 154-8 at tea. Smith has made 66 which must be worth a hundred.
It looks like Jimmy Anderson is injured and the English crowd are making a lot of Smith, Warner and Bancroft being reprieved cheats, forgetting various dirt-in-pocket and chewing gum ploys by England captains of the fairly recent past.
All the chat tonight seems to be about Steve Smith's excellent innings. And it was brilliant and dragged Australia from a likely 140-150 all out to nearly 300.
But.
We know how frail English batting has been of late, but 284 shouldn't be enough.
Let me put it like this: IF England are still batting at the close of play tomorrow, they'll win this Test Match. Simply because if they go enough past Australia they can set up a very gettable total.
If.
And that's not bad for a team that lost its best bowler after 4 overs.
Bat sensibly, bat all day, score big in the third session; put Australia to the sword. COME ON ENGLAND!
AFZ
Some of the batting has been iffy but by all accounts the umpiring has been the worst since the "Elite" panel was introduced, with all-neutral umpires. So far there have been nine reviews called, with five successful.
In other news and thanks to the bails not falling when Root's stumps were hit, England have passed 100 with one down.
Yep. I am counting no chickens but they really should be fixated on 400+ at this point.
Someone should take that young Burns aside, tell him he's done a brilliant job - he's now in the side for the whole summer - but if he maintains his focus and makes it a double-ton that'll be something he remembers for the rest of his life and the test will be mostly won...
Two entirely random things that lodged in my brain today.
1. Aggers once faced Mike Brearley bowling under-arm lobs.
2. Jo and Billy Root both wear 66 as a shirt number. Root 66...
AG
I woke up on the couch with a sore back in the wee hours and looked at the television. I swear I saw Steve Smith in a numberless white robe walking on water. It was probably someone in the crowd playing dress-ups.
Yes. And I remember Tom Graveney, one of the most elegant batsman of his time, being banned from three test matches after playing in a benefit match on a Sunday. My parents were not amused!
The pitch was starting to show some variable bounce yesterday, so I fear that some of the quick bowlers may get cheap lbws today. In all likelihood, though, we'll look back on the England innings and say that at least 6 or 7 of the batsmen got out playing needlessly risky shots.
Maybe we can use this loss as a launch-pad to do similar again.
The 2005 team did have Ian Bell in it, who, for the most part, was a dead weight in that series.
Yes, Root for Bell is a good call. Anderson now is a better bowler than any of the 2005 bowlers including of course the 2005 version of Jimmy Anderson (had he been fit).
I would include Foakes (who should be in now, as Bairstow is in rotten form) but despite all those wickets I wouldn’t include Broad as I would open with Anderson and Hoggard, with Harmison and Freddie to follow.
And you haven't mentioned Jones, either.
Bell should never have been in that team - it should have been Thorpe...
But yeah Jimmy was badly missed over the weekend.
Jones was awesome in that series but sadly never bowled that well again.
The King of Spain was a giant in that series, I would take Ali of 2018 over him though... not sure about this year's version...
I am very sad about today's result but it's a long series...
AFZ
England get through a whole without losing a wicket!