Third Investec Ashes Test, England v Australia, Old Trafford 1-5 Aug 2013

[keaton]

Only if he has picked up a niggle or a injury. I can't see them dropping him.

I don't think they think he's fit enough to play back-to-back tests

 

[Pavilionaire]

If we draw this test then we retain the Ashes, so you'd like to think that the the final two tests the batsmen will relax as a collective and play their normal game.

Until his first innings knock Michael Clarke had had a pretty ordinary series. It's not easy captaining in the media glare of the Ashes with so much focus on DRS. Cook too has rookie Joe Root to try and guide, so not quite the same as batting with Andrew Strauss.

England aren't particularly good when they have to decide between two objectives - win or draw. I expect the same negative mindset to occur in the 4th test and it might not be until the final test that we see England bat with a freedom that shows us what some of these batsmen can achieve.

 

[Bold Seagull]

If we draw this test then we retain the Ashes, so you'd like to think that the the final two tests the batsmen will relax as a collective and play their normal game.

Until his first innings knock Michael Clarke had had a pretty ordinary series. It's not easy captaining in the media glare of the Ashes with so much focus on DRS. Cook too has rookie Joe Root to try and guide, so not quite the same as batting with Andrew Strauss.

England aren't particularly good when they have to decide between two objectives - win or draw. I expect the same negative mindset to occur in the 4th test and it might not be until the final test that we see England bat with a freedom that shows us what some of these batsmen can achieve.

The thing is, this is supposedly England's best side for 25 / 30 years, perhaps longer, and probably Australia's worst side for the same period. This wasn't meant to be close, this was going to be our whitewash, our chance to hand out a humiliating defeat, our chance to crush all hope, and yet we appear to be throwing that chance away. This looks like ending up a close series even if we do retain the Ashes.

I didn't want this series to be in anyway engaging, exciting, competitive, I wanted to nail them, and hammer them in every department. I want to tread on their throats for a decade and beyond. No mercy when we're on top, no showing any weaknesses, we have the team to crush them and yet half of them aren't turning up. It's very frustrating, I think we can all agree that England are better than what we've seen so far.

In the decades of Australia's dominance, they rarely gave us a sniff. We have something like 7 test wins to their 28, and most of them were dead rubbers with the Ashes already won. We simply haven't been good enough, bizarrely despite being 2 up.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Only if he has picked up a niggle or a injury. I can't see them dropping him.

He is rarely able to play back to back tests, his body seems to be as broken as Flintoff's was by the end.

 

[Phil B]

"The thing is, this is supposedly England's best side for 25 / 30 years, perhaps longer"

I disagree - i'd say we are in a transition phase. Root and Bairstow are (relatively) new to the test scene and we need
some bowlers as Anderson is getting nearer to putting his feet up. Finn and Tremlett have yet to cement their places in the side.

And even when the Aussies were beating us, in many Tests we would match them for 4 days, only to throw it away at the last.

 

[littlehampton seagull]

Have we loose yet rubbish trott rubbish cook rubbish england rubbish world sorry but that is my views.

 

[Phil B]

Early tea taken - play resumes at 4.00 ........ yeah and there is a flying pig at O T ...........

 

[Uncle Buck]

"The thing is, this is supposedly England's best side for 25 / 30 years, perhaps longer"

I disagree - i'd say we are in a transition phase. Root and Bairstow are (relatively) new to the test scene and we need
some bowlers as Anderson is getting nearer to putting his feet up. Finn and Tremlett have yet to cement their places in the side.

And even when the Aussies were beating us, in many Tests we would match them for 4 days, only to throw it away at the last.

There is some transition with the batsmen. Bairstow at present does not look up to it. I do not know how England are stuggling to find a number 6. Since Collingwood went, Morgan, Bopara, Patel and now Bairstow have been picked (along with Root) and other than Root none of them have looked up to it.

Is it time to move Prior back to 6 and maybe give Stokes the next 2 games. He is having a decent season with Durham and is in theory an all-rounder.

Regarding this test, I went on Thursday and Friday and the Stowford Press was good and Thomo can drink!! Also on Thursday I did not think we bowled badly, another day some of those balls would have found the edge of the bat and England would be on top.

 

[banjo]

Have we loose yet rubbish trott rubbish cook rubbish england rubbish world sorry but that is my views.

No we haven't lost yet Aussies still need 7 wickets. Oh you forgot Pietersen.

 

[Bold Seagull]

"The thing is, this is supposedly England's best side for 25 / 30 years, perhaps longer"

I disagree - i'd say we are in a transition phase. Root and Bairstow are (relatively) new to the test scene and we need
some bowlers as Anderson is getting nearer to putting his feet up. Finn and Tremlett have yet to cement their places in the side.

And even when the Aussies were beating us, in many Tests we would match them for 4 days, only to throw it away at the last.

Phil, what are you talking about!? '97:the Aussies won 268 runs, innings and 61 runs, 264 runs 98/99: 7 wickets, 205 runs, 98 runs 2001: innings and 118 runs, 8 wickets, 7 wickets, and an innings and 25 runs. 2002/3: 384 runs, innings and 51 runs, innings and 48 runs, 5 wickets.

Throwing it away!?!? These were hammerings, and they go right back to '89.

All teams are in transition if you count one or two players coming in. Jimmy is only 31, at the peak of his powers as a bowler. Trott, Cook, Bell, KP, Prior, Broad, Swann are at the peak form of their careers, some nearing the end, some young and will get better. There is no transition phase, just a typical replacement of the old players going.

A few players have changed along the way, but essentially this team won in Australia, white washed India at home, beat them away, and probably shouldn't have lost against SA at home in a ridiculously shortened series.

This is our team right now, we've been in transition for a decade if you call swapping Root in for Strauss and Bairstow coming in transition.

 

[Phil B]

Sorry for expressing an opinion - i dont think this is our best team in 25 /30 years. ok?

 

[keaton]

I think our 2005 team is much stronger than our current team

 

[Uncle Buck]

I think our 2005 team is much stronger than our current team

Spinner and keeper in this side would get into that side.

Anderson for Hoggard possibly.

 

[Phil B]

4.15 and still raining ....

 

[banjo]

When do you thinks Captains will shake hands and call it a day ?

 

[Phil B]

When do you thinks Captains will shake hands and call it a day ?

Believe it is either when the Umpires say no more play is possible - or 30 mins before scheduled close .....

 

[BensGrandad]

Clarke will want to wait as long as possible in the hope of some play and a few quick wickets. Cook would be happy to d it now I would think.

 

[Titanic]

Play abandoned. England retain the Ashes.

 

[Phil B]

Inspection at 5.00 - not sure why as its still raining. Unless they abandon play for the day ....

Edit :

Having just announced that there would be a 5pm inspection, the news from the ground is now that play is abandoned for the day.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

well played rain!