[Cricket] **** England v Australia, 1st Specsavers Ashes Test, Edgbaston. Official match thread ****

[hans kraay fan club]

Why is Jimmy coming out? Game has gone.

Because conceding the game is even worse than losing, playing like absolute *****.

There's still the tiniest chance of weather.

We shake hands nine down, to save Jimmy from bothering, and the heavens open ten minutes later, then what?

 

[Ernest]

Lost the game on the first day when they were 8 down, shocking batting and bowling at times, same old England in other words

 

[SweatyMexican]

Aaaaaannd we’re out.

 

[The Wizard]

Shaking hands after the test.... no thanks. Bunch of twats are too nice.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Hey ho, usual test business resumed.

Won't blame the cheats but a cheat won it, should never have been allowed back on a cricket pitch. Give Lance Armstrong another chance I say!

 

[Bold Seagull]

Shake up needed. Foakes been unlucky not to have the gloves back in this team. Is Bairstow + Buttler in this side 2 into 1 spot?

Leach to come in for Ali, Archer in for Jimmy, Foakes in for Buttler.

Bairstow has it in him to bat different innings, he has had a poor test both gloves and bat. Isn't his batting average a lot better without the gloves?

Roy and Denly keep their places just.

 

[Luke93]

This is what happens when red ball cricket gets neglected in favour of white ball cricket. Fair play to England for winning a World Cup, but it’s time to start developing the county game to produce test specialists again. Green pitches where 20 wickets fall in a day isn’t good for the county game, and it’s had a knock on effect to the test side. England have stayed competitive through good bowling and some individual efforts with the bat which have papered over cracks.

The difference between the sides have been Steve Smith. A gifted batsman who can occupy time at the crease. England were always going to struggle batting last, but threw a genuine chance away. On day 1 they couldn’t remove Smith or Siddle and again on day 3 when they failed to kick on and build a score. The selectors need to have a look at themselves too. Was Jimmy fit? Can’t take risks with a front line bowler of his age, even if Stokes can fill in as the 4th Bowler. Why was Stokes batting behind Buttler? Root finally accepted batting at 3, so why play Denly over Curren? Curren is a genuine batting all rounder, I’d rather have him coming in at 7 than have Denly coming in at 4. Stokes, Buttler and Bairstow can bat 4, 5 & 6 respectively.

I’m still not convinced by Bairstow and Buttler as Test cricketers in their current state. Bairstow has looked like a proper batsman before, and even scored a convincing 100 verses Sri Lanka batting 3. Issue is, he is against the idea of loosing the gloves. Which means he can’t bat high up the order and keep wicket. If you’re selecting two wicket keepers in the same side, you’ve got to play the more experienced and better batsman as a specialist batsman up the order. Bairstow missed a stumping too, and is out of form. He will benefit from a reduced workload.

 

[Luke93]

Because conceding the game is even worse than losing, playing like absolute *****.

There's still the tiniest chance of weather.

We shake hands nine down, to save Jimmy from bothering, and the heavens open ten minutes later, then what?

They can play until 7:30. Weather forecasts isn’t that bad, he came out with 4 hours left.

 

[Bold Seagull]

This is what happens when red ball cricket gets neglected in favour of white ball cricket. Fair play to England for winning a World Cup, but it’s time to start developing the county game to produce test specialists again. Green pitches where 20 wickets fall in a day isn’t good for the county game, and it’s had a knock on effect to the test side. England have stayed competitive through good bowling and some individual efforts with the bat which have papered over cracks.

The difference between the sides have been Steve Smith. A gifted batsman who can occupy time at the crease. England were always going to struggle batting last, but threw a genuine chance away. On day 1 they couldn’t remove Smith or Siddle and again on day 3 when they failed to kick on and build a score. The selectors need to have a look at themselves too. Was Jimmy fit? Can’t take risks with a front line bowler of his age, even if Stokes can fill in as the 4th Bowler. Why was Stokes batting behind Buttler? Root finally accepted batting at 3, so why play Denly over Curren? Curren is a genuine batting all rounder, I’d rather have him coming in at 7 than have Denly coming in at 4. Stokes, Buttler and Bairstow can bat 4, 5 & 6 respectively.

I’m still not convinced by Bairstow and Buttler as Test cricketers in their current state. Bairstow has looked like a proper batsman before, and even scored a convincing 100 verses Sri Lanka batting 3. Issue is, he is against the idea of loosing the gloves. Which means he can’t bat high up the order and keep wicket. If you’re selecting two wicket keepers in the same side, you’ve got to play the more experienced and better batsman as a specialist batsman up the order. Bairstow missed a stumping too, and is out of form. He will benefit from a reduced workload.

I agree, and a point before the test started we were a bowler light even with Jimmy fit.

One thing I would say is that other than Smith, the difference was we took 3 wickets with spin, they took 9.

The other is outright pace, Cummins got 7 wickets, we had no plan B when the pitch went flat.

 

[colinz]

Hey ho, usual test business resumed.

Won't blame the cheats but a cheat won it, should never have been allowed back on a cricket pitch. Give Lance Armstrong another chance I say!

That's a bit over the top. One indiscretion that was appropriately punished. At least he was trying to win the game. Cricket's biggest problem is the match fixing & spot betting.

 

[Luke93]

I agree, and a point before the test started we were a bowler light even with Jimmy fit.

One thing I would say is that other than Smith, the difference was we took 3 wickets with spin, they took 9.

The other is outright pace, Cummins got 7 wickets, we had no plan B when the pitch went flat.

Yes, Ali preformed badly during the test. Can’t select a player to bat at 8 with his form. 3 wickets is a mediocre return after the excellent year he’s enjoyed in test cricket. Lyon was bowling on an older pitch, to 5 left handlers and with a team under pressure. Ali had the harder task of the 2 spin bowlers, but certainly came off a lot worse.

As for plan B, usually that’s Stokes bowling short but hostile spells. He couldn’t do that when his workload was increased by loosing Anderson. In hindsight, the selectors should’ve picked Archer for his pace. Was he fit? A bit Pot-kettle that, considering Anderson was picked... The Australian selectors did a very good job, they omitted Starc from their side (a brave call!) but the team they picked suited the conditions.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

They can play until 7:30. Weather forecasts isn’t that bad, he came out with 4 hours left.

Not the point. I'd maintain the same stance if we were nine down at 11.05 on the fourth day, chasing 600. He was fit to hold an end up - get out there and do your best, regardless of how futile the circumstances.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

That's a bit over the top. One indiscretion that was appropriately punished. At least he was trying to win the game. Cricket's biggest problem is the match fixing & spot betting.

Indiscretion? Taking sandpaper out on the field?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

England were really flakey v Oireland. Daft to think they'd be any less flakey v Australia. Head-mental in fact

 

[Bold Seagull]

England were really flakey v Oireland. Daft to think they'd be any less flakey v Australia. Head-mental in fact

They were 122-8...We then had a lead of 90. Not that head-mental.

 

[studio150]

So Archer for Anderson , maybe Curran for Ali given he can hold a bat, and just go with a pace attack with the odd over from the part time spinners.

In terms of plucking batsman from the Championship is that they are all currently playing 20/20 and any form from the red ball game is some weeks in the past.

But at present expecting to go 2-0 at Lords

 

[hans kraay fan club]

So Archer for Anderson , maybe Curran for Ali given he can hold a bat, and just go with a pace attack with the odd over from the part time spinners.

In terms of plucking batsman from the Championship is that they are all currently playing 20/20 and any form from the red ball game is some weeks in the past.

But at present expecting to go 2-0 at Lords

Archer for Jimmy, and Leach for Ali - given that Smith's only 'weakness' seems to be against left arm spin.

Definitely a case for Foakes over Buttler, too.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Archer for Jimmy, and Leach for Ali - given that Smith's only 'weakness' seems to be against left arm spin.

Definitely a case for Foakes over Buttler, too.

The Aussies have already been decisive in leaving Starc out of this test, which most of us thought wow, that is a big call, however Cummins got 7 wickets well supported by Pattinson and Siddle - they picked a team for conditions - we need to do the same for Lords.

 

[vegster]

Sad yet inevitable demise as usual. There has to be a couple of changes at least, there could be four or five but I'm sure most of those in the team will be given a second chance. Could well go two down and never get it back with the current squad.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Archer for Jimmy, and Leach for Ali - given that Smith's only 'weakness' seems to be against left arm spin.

Definitely a case for Foakes over Buttler, too.

Good call. But Bairstow is hardly nailed on either? If Foakes is the 'keeper do we need the flame haired Yorkie?