Sorta beginning to think the gas room was on to something here xD Joe Root is a superstar , but even he may not be able to win this match single-handedly..
Can only hope it peters out in a draw at the moment. When Bazball works, it's an incredibly thrilling way to see a test and brings more eyes to it than it has for years. Occasionally it can make us way too casual. Seems like we'd forgotten at times yesterday that this is The Ashes.
Had a day at Lords yesterday. Huge toss to win, big cheer went up. A four man bowling attack. Perfect.
And then we seemed to revert back to a vanilla form of cricket unrecognisable from recent England performances. Bowing was consistently average. The ball was capable of moving as we saw from the first 2 wickets but we simply gave the most bang average display of bowling imaginable. Jimmy looks shot, Broad looks knackered, Stokes clearly is not fit. After all the Bazball fielding fun and games of the last test we may have well put statues out there. It wasn't until the last hour that we started moving fielders around in a more imaginative way. Man for man the Aussies are better than us we have to do something surprising and different and yesterday was certainly not that. Their bowlers will have a field day.
I sat with some Aussies for a while. They were finding Bairstow's performance behind the stumps hilarious. And watching him over a long period of time they have a point. He is so flat footed. I know he's bulked up but he is just heavy on his feet and his anticipation is really poor.
Finally, Zak Crawley saying on this pitch we will win by 150 runs. What a stupid thing to say against the Aussies. Dear oh lor.
I listened to Vaughn on TMS as I left the ground and how angry he was. Rightfully so.
TMS at 10:30 today. Hopefully they have pondered a bit on what a waste yesterday was.
How has Pope been allowed to bat at 3 today seeing as though he wasn't fielding for most of the Australian innings? I thought that he had to wait until several wicket had fallen?
Because it is an external injury apparently. Given it was hurt diving logically I expect it is a strain/muscluar injury so not really sure how that is external but he's in bat so no complaints!
Decent start from England chasing a good Aussie score of 416.
Feel for Duckett missing his ton by 2 but England currently 214 for 3 in response with Root and Brook in, so every chance they will end up on par or very close.
Perhaps, though we are being hugely assisted by the Aussies dropping catches, bowling no-balls & misfielding - 8 byes, 4 leg byes & 6 no balls so far; though not as poor as England were offering up 38 extras (13 byes, 13 leg byes & 12 no-balls).
So far neither side has painted themselves in glory with the ball or in the field
It's a funny test. The Aussies were as shabby in the field as we were yesterday, not something I thought I would say 24 hours ago. Their golden patch was intriguing to me. Set the field up for a hook, bowl short. Amazing how players fall for the trap over and over instead of ducking out of it.
I was having kittens watching that period of play. Idiotic no? Every ball felt like it could be a wicket.ironically it was Stokes who brought sanity and demonstrated how to bat.
Suicidal bazball at totally the wrong time. Sadly, with cloud cover forecast for the next few hours and the compulsion to go after every short ball, England look likely to fall well short of the Aussie first innings total.
With sun likely to break through this afternoon and a sunny day in prospect tomorrow, they will no doubt have to face an enormous (impossible?) target later tomorrow or before lunch on Sunday.
England would be world beaters if it were not for the fact that we shoot ourselves in the foot, then shoot ourselves in the other foot, then scrape up the ashes from both shot feet and fire them from a cannon.
Comments
"Johnny Bairstow forced to carry off a protestor..." lol in what way was he 'forced'
Despite the 2 late wickets for Root, it was definitely Australia's day
Glad to see Joe Root thoroughly justifying my faith in him as a competent occasional off-spinner.
Sorta beginning to think the gas room was on to something here xD Joe Root is a superstar , but even he may not be able to win this match single-handedly..
Can only hope it peters out in a draw at the moment. When Bazball works, it's an incredibly thrilling way to see a test and brings more eyes to it than it has for years. Occasionally it can make us way too casual. Seems like we'd forgotten at times yesterday that this is The Ashes.
Had a day at Lords yesterday. Huge toss to win, big cheer went up. A four man bowling attack. Perfect.
And then we seemed to revert back to a vanilla form of cricket unrecognisable from recent England performances. Bowing was consistently average. The ball was capable of moving as we saw from the first 2 wickets but we simply gave the most bang average display of bowling imaginable. Jimmy looks shot, Broad looks knackered, Stokes clearly is not fit. After all the Bazball fielding fun and games of the last test we may have well put statues out there. It wasn't until the last hour that we started moving fielders around in a more imaginative way. Man for man the Aussies are better than us we have to do something surprising and different and yesterday was certainly not that. Their bowlers will have a field day.
I sat with some Aussies for a while. They were finding Bairstow's performance behind the stumps hilarious. And watching him over a long period of time they have a point. He is so flat footed. I know he's bulked up but he is just heavy on his feet and his anticipation is really poor.
Finally, Zak Crawley saying on this pitch we will win by 150 runs. What a stupid thing to say against the Aussies. Dear oh lor.
I listened to Vaughn on TMS as I left the ground and how angry he was. Rightfully so.
TMS at 10:30 today. Hopefully they have pondered a bit on what a waste yesterday was.
How has Pope been allowed to bat at 3 today seeing as though he wasn't fielding for most of the Australian innings? I thought that he had to wait until several wicket had fallen?
If Vaughn was angry, what was KP? He def went after several of the England team and their set up. Video is on the youtube clip below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiGkBt7b8gw
Because it is an external injury apparently. Given it was hurt diving logically I expect it is a strain/muscluar injury so not really sure how that is external but he's in bat so no complaints!
Could be a big moment this, Lyon gone off injured ! Would be a massive blow to the Aussies
That could be massive
Green is having huge issues with his run-up & is giving away "no-balls" at an alarming rate.
Decent start from England chasing a good Aussie score of 416.
Feel for Duckett missing his ton by 2 but England currently 214 for 3 in response with Root and Brook in, so every chance they will end up on par or very close.
England are doing their best to give away the Ashes with this relentless hooking.
Perhaps, though we are being hugely assisted by the Aussies dropping catches, bowling no-balls & misfielding - 8 byes, 4 leg byes & 6 no balls so far; though not as poor as England were offering up 38 extras (13 byes, 13 leg byes & 12 no-balls).
So far neither side has painted themselves in glory with the ball or in the field
It's a funny test. The Aussies were as shabby in the field as we were yesterday, not something I thought I would say 24 hours ago. Their golden patch was intriguing to me. Set the field up for a hook, bowl short. Amazing how players fall for the trap over and over instead of ducking out of it.
I was having kittens watching that period of play. Idiotic no? Every ball felt like it could be a wicket.ironically it was Stokes who brought sanity and demonstrated how to bat.
Three out hooking is embarrassing imho. The Aussies must have been laughing their billabongs off
Stokes not playing Bazball!
I don't feel for Duckett. He had a few lucky escapes before his wicket.
What's the quote about insanity and repetition?
Bloody stupid as my old man used to say
Bloody stupid sums up most of our elite batsmen when it comes to be suckered on short balls. Dofl
Right on cue there goes Brook swiping at one
Suicidal bazball at totally the wrong time. Sadly, with cloud cover forecast for the next few hours and the compulsion to go after every short ball, England look likely to fall well short of the Aussie first innings total.
With sun likely to break through this afternoon and a sunny day in prospect tomorrow, they will no doubt have to face an enormous (impossible?) target later tomorrow or before lunch on Sunday.
Swift update and an apology!
I should’ve checked the weather forecast. Far from the sun breaking through, it looks like rain could be arriving an hour or two before close of play.
Bairstow’s departure is probably the death knell, though.
Dear oh dear.
There have been some awful shot choices this morning.
If we keep on going like this we deserve to get whitewashed. Maybe it would be the best thing for us.
Stokes and Tongue were the only two who didn't really do much wrong.
Just watched the Ponting Masterclass in the lunch break, well worth a review. Good article here on it on ESPN:
Ponting's pull - ESPN
England would be world beaters if it were not for the fact that we shoot ourselves in the foot, then shoot ourselves in the other foot, then scrape up the ashes from both shot feet and fire them from a cannon.
Summed up nicely