The Official 2013 Ashes Thread

[Red Banjo]

But what if they chase it down?

 

I'd put their chances of doing that in the 'remote' category

[Jairzinho]

I'd put their chances of doing that in the 'remote' category

 

Far too risky for me. As Strauss is saying, bat into tomorrow. Maybe even Monday. Get a solid lead of 700/750 and then reassess.

 

Yeah, so we're already 25 ahead of the highest chase ever, playing one the shittest batting line-ups to have graced test cricket, but you can never be too careful.

[A_S]

Am I the only one who thinks England should have a dash for an hour, send Australia in for half an hour to finish? Fuck a 500 lead, this batting lineup will not make the greatest run chase in Test history. Take any chance of adverse weather out of it. Batting until tomorrow morning seems a bit conservative to me.

[Jairzinho]

Am I the only one who thinks England should have a dash for an hour, send Australia in for half an hour to finish? Fuck a 500 lead, this batting lineup will not make the greatest run chase in Test history. Take any chance of adverse weather out of it. Batting until tomorrow morning seems a bit conservative to me.

 

I'd have declared an hour ago. This is fucking boring and pointless. Mind you, I, like Holding, would have enforced the follow on and beaten you by an innings.

[Son of L8]

This England setup don't "go for it", though. It was the same last time with Strauss as captain, so I'm not surprised to hear him talk about grinding them down on the commentary there. England go into these situations with a master plan, and don't deviate from it. I remember saying the same thing during the last series in Australia a few times, with bat and with ball: "why don't we just go after them now, it's the perfect time." But we'd just plod along happily, following the plan, and ... well, you can't argue with the results.

 

Much as I'd like to see them open up and be more aggressive, I don't expect it.

 

Nice couple of overs from Bell and Root here though. Racking them up.

[Paul]

 

I'd have declared an hour ago. This is fucking boring and pointless. Mind you' date=' I, like Holding, would have enforced the follow on and beaten you by an innings.[/quote']

 

Ditto.

[Red Banjo]

Me too. Fuck batting till tomorrow. I'd declare at 5ish and have a go at them for the last hour

[Trumo]

Much has been said about England's batting so far in this series, yet a closer look at the figures suggests that every one of England's top order has made at least one decent knock. The problem is, they've just not done it in partnerships, and they've also had to resort to digging in, slowing things down and just letting the run rate tick along to prevent a batting collapse. It's been a bit of a grind rather than an entertaining flourish. These are the batting order run totals in their innings to date (* = at time of writing).

 

Cook...13...50...12...8

Root...30...5...6...116no*

Trott...48...0...58...0

Pietersen...14...64...2...5

Bell...25...109...109...41no*

Bairstow...37...15...67

[Jairzinho]

Much has been said about England's batting so far in this series, yet a closer look at the figures suggests that every one of England's top order has made at least one decent knock. The problem is, they've just not done it in partnerships, and they've also had to resort to digging in, slowing things down and just letting the run rate tick along to prevent a batting collapse. It's been a bit of a grind rather than an entertaining flourish. These are the batting order run totals in their innings to date (* = at time of writing).

 

Cook...13...50...12...8

Root...30...5...6...116no*

Trott...48...0...58...0

Pietersen...14...64...2...5

Bell...25...109...109...41no*

Bairstow...37...15...67

 

 

Cook has been the surprise. Hasn't had a bad run of form for years. You just expect a solid start because of him. Does mean that other people need to take responsibility. Bell certainly has. Root and Bairstow are still learning, so their inconsistency is excused (although looking at the figures, they've done ok, more so in Root's case today). Trott's played one completely out of character shot, but I've no worries about him really. Which leads me to King Shit Cunt, Kevin Cuntersen.

 

I hope he is injured.

[Manny]

Fuck it. I've been critical of England's batting this series and fair play to Root, Bresnan(!) and Bell: this is a proper Test innings. There's still 2 days left and I've no problem with draining their bowlers (who've bowled double the number of overs) and posting a huge, impossible, dominating target and bowling at them some time tomorrow morning. Good to see an opener pick up a hundred - better still that it's the novice.

[Strontium]

Much has been said about England's batting so far in this series, yet a closer look at the figures suggests that every one of England's top order has made at least one decent knock. The problem is, they've just not done it in partnerships, and they've also had to resort to digging in, slowing things down and just letting the run rate tick along to prevent a batting collapse. It's been a bit of a grind rather than an entertaining flourish. These are the batting order run totals in their innings to date (* = at time of writing).

 

Cook...13...50...12...8

Root...30...5...6...116no*

Trott...48...0...58...0

Pietersen...14...64...2...5

Bell...25...109...109...41no*

Bairstow...37...15...67

 

 

Don't forget Compton's 81 and 79 against Australia for Somerset and Worcestershire respectively, which I believe makes him England's second highest scoring batsman against Australia this summer...

 

:whistle:

[Son of L8]

Root has really cracked on since getting his 100 too, scoring very nicely. Hopefully this will give him a big lift and he'll carry on for the next few tests.

[Trumo]

I imagine Cook hasn't declared yet as he wants to set the Aussies a target of 500 (which is done now) and perhaps also to see if Root can get past 150. I would put the Aussies in to bat now after a day of toiling, with them knowing that the task in from of them is Herculean.

[Son of L8]

Bell's taking the piss a bit now. Maybe Cook wants him to get to 100 too...

[Vincent Vega]

I imagine Cook hasn't declared yet as he wants to set the Aussies a target of 500 (which is done now) and perhaps also to see if Root can get past 150. I would put the Aussies in to bat now after a day of toiling, with them knowing that the task in from of them is Herculean.

 

Bell out, time to declare now, let's have a crack at these with an hour to go.

[Vincent Vega]

Don't forget Compton's 81 and 79 against Australia for Somerset and Worcestershire respectively, which I believe makes him England's second highest scoring batsman against Australia this summer...

 

:whistle:

 

Yeah because the pressure of playing for your county in a warm up game is the same as playing in an Ashes match.

 

In case you've forgotten, his scores against New Zealand were 16, 15, 1 and in his last knock he spent 86 minutes and 45 balls scratching around for 7 runs that he really struggled for. He looked as if the pressure was cracking him up in that last knock. If he was being exposed against New Zealand, he'd have been eaten up by the Aussies.

[lifetime fan]

Root 150 and still no declaration.

[Son of L8]

Every conceivable milestone has been passed, so if we don't put them in now, that means the plan was always to bat into the morning before declaring.

 

It's conservative, but England have been a conservative side for some time now.

[clangers]

Every conceivable milestone has been passed, so if we don't put them in now, that means the plan was always to bat into the morning before declaring.

 

It's conservative, but England have been a conservative side for some time now.

 

Cook is very conservative, sometimes absurdly so, he's got the big decisions right so far so can't really complain.

 

It just would seem to make sense to put them in tonight for 10 overs or so. Given the total they're chasing it could make the task even easier tomorrow by picking up a couple of wickets against a side tired from fielding all day?

[Salou]

England aren't declaring tonight so at least just pick up the run rate a little bit more. This is just boring and pointless at the moment.

[A_S]

I'm fucked if I know what the weather is like there, but I would laugh my arse off for a week if the game got rained out on Monday with Australia 9 down. All this is doing is giving Australia's spinners a bit of needed match practice. The fast men are being saved, as they have done their fair share of work.

 

To pass the time, could someone please tell me the number of runs Haddin has cost Australia in this series with dropped catches? I can only go by the simple stat of gifting 2 tons and a 50 (Bell, Root, Pietersen)

[Vincent Vega]

I'd have been a bit pissed if I'd bought tickets for today's play, after a great day's entertainment yesterday, it's been pretty tedious today and I'd be fuming if I was there at the lack of a declaration now. It's been good to see Root get his century, but that's about the only thing today has had going for it.

 

This really does make you wonder if the ECB have instructed England to allow this to reach a fifth day.

[Trumo]

Should have declared by now. The Aussies have been standing out there all day, which makes it harder for their opening batsmen to have to come out and bat towards the end of the day. They would prefer to have a rest tonight before coming out tomorrow I'm sure, so don't give them the opportunity, regardless of how much of an impossible task has been set anyway. Get them in, have a go at them and if they lose a wicket or two, then not only would it deal an ever bigger psychological blow in this test, but it could set the script for the rest of the series.

[Jairzinho]

Fuck watching this.

[Red Banjo]

No way they are declaring tonight now