[Cricket] England v Australia- 5th Test- Sydney 3rd-7th January 2018

Pantani said:

Pathetic from England again. Work hard all day get in to a strong position then throw it away. Every test match we have been looking good at some point, every test match we fall apart when it gets to the point of actually pressing home that advantage. Heads should roll, Bayliss has not improved this side at all. Root has not batted well enough since being captain and his constant failures between 50 and 100 totally embody this side. Stoneman just isn't good enough, Vince is a walking slip practice machine, Moeen has stunk the place out all series, Broad has bowled dreadfully bar one spell and the other seamers are not up to the job. They look like they have not planned for this series at all, no pace, no genuine spin competition and the same batsmen who have collapsed time and time again for the last four years.

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Pantani said:

..., Vince is a walking slip practice machine,....

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Audax said:

So apparently the nightwatchman decision is left to the player going out to bat: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jan/04/dawid-malan-jonny-bairstow-nightwatchman-england-ashes

So Bairstow dug his own grave there. I tend to agree with Swann that perhaps he should have been overruled in this situation. The flip side of that is if Crane gets sent out and immediately returns having had his stumps shattered by a Starc screamer, you're still exposing Bairstow. I think the real answer here is that Bairstow, having made the decision to go out, should have turned down the single and let Malan take the last over - you want the guy with his eye in handling the new ball. In that situation only a nightwatchman should be claiming the strike for the final over, because that's his job - protecting the recognised bat(s).


Re: Crane - I think it's important to remember he's young. 2 years younger than Warne was on debut, and we all remember what happened to him. The debut game was a disaster statistically (1 for 150), but he showed enough that the Aussies took him away, worked with him, got him a 1-to-1 coach, and when they brought him back again they did so knowing that his flaws had been ironed out. I think, for Crane, what's important in this test isn't the headline bowling figures he gets. It'll be in how he handles the game, what the Aussie bats have to say about him once they've faced him (from memory Shastri had good things to say after that Warne debut despite the figures).

He's a leggy. They're almost always far from their best at his age, as they're still learning their art and mastering consistent control and figuring out their variations. Realistically I wouldn't expect him to be a test regular until he's closer to 25 than his current 20, but that shouldn't stop the selectors giving him the occasional run on the test stage. They just need to manage his (and their own) expectations. He needs to be told to just go out and enjoy himself and that it doesn't matter what his figures look like after this.

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BensGrandad said:

Oh for a century stand for Malaan and Moeen Ali who is due a big score.

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vegster said:

I think we have blown it as usual BG. Chuck a couple more quick wickets on when play resumes and we are 250-7 and where are we going?

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dazzer6666 said:

300 all out and a first inns deficit of 150+ looms.

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jakarta said:

Yet again utter rubbish. I will still be up at 4.30AM, but Christ alone knows why!

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dazzer6666 said:

300 all out and a first inns deficit of 150+ looms.

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