The Official Cricket Thread

[Stickman]

Bat bat bat and bat some more.......

[TheBitch]

Hahahaha. 60 all out.

[mgw100]

It doesn't make the blindest bit of difference.

 

Of course it does

[Jairzinho]

Of course it does

 

Not to the result of the match.

[Jairzinho]

 

 

We could declare now, tomorrow night, or even saturday night.

 

Either way, the Aussies are getting bummed.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

What made things extra special today was the fact the Aussies had a load of their ex players dressed up in Aussie coloured suits in the crowd, the dumbfounded look on their faces was a rite treat. 

[Guest Pistonbroke]

I have to say I wasn't as pessimistic as many before this series started albeit I thought we would lose a close fought battle. Our performances against NZ came just at the right time and also the way we played in the 50 overs game, the momentum thankfully has stayed with the test squad and barring a miracle we are going to regain the Ashes Urn in style!! 

[TheBitch]

If we'd played at Old Trafford instead of that Tory stronghold, Lords, we'd have been 4-0 up by tomorrow.

[mgw100]

We could declare now, tomorrow night, or even saturday night.

 

Either way, the Aussies are getting bummed.

 

That may be so, but you give yourself the best chance of winning the game. We certainly won't be batting to protect gate revenue

[Rico1304]

I honestly thought we'd struggle to get over 500 runs aggregate in each game - we've not really needed to.

[Dougie Do'ins]

Ffs raining now at Trent Bridge. Why the fuck do they bother playing test cricket at Stoke on Trent?

 

 

Sunny now, i take it all back. Well done Stoke.

[Vincent Vega]

I'd love to have been sat just behind that huge bunch of Aussies today, it must have been hugely enjoyable giving them shit.

 

The thing that's always impressed be about the Aussies, their positive approach, has actually been their undoing in these last two matches. They don't have anyone who can dig in when the situation dictates that's what is needed. Ponting was reluctant to go too critical but he must have been appalled. I'd love to know what former batmen of real class like Steve Waugh, Justin Langer, Mark Taylor, Matt Hayden and the rest make of it all. Steve Smith comes here as the number one batsman in the world and apart from the flat pitch at Lords he's looked like a rabbit in the headlights, no way is he better than AB De Villiers, and I'd rate both Kane Williamson and Joe Root as better based on what I've seen this summer. As for Root, the improvement in him since the Ashes series here in 2013 is unbelievable, he used to stay in but the scoreboard went nowhere, now he ticks along at 4 an over and always looks in control.

[Captain Turdseye]

Avoided this all day and just finishing watching the highlights. Scenes! Was planning to lounge around watching this at the weekend, now I'll probably have to do something productive with my time. Selfish Aussie bastards.

[s(k)aturation]

Smith's 'standing' has come on the back of a shitload of runs on flat tracks in Australia last summer against a pop gun India. He is finding his level now.

[A_S]

When a typical Shane Watson knock of 25 (6 x 4's) looks invaluable, you know you're utterly fucked. 

[Jose Jones]

Smith's 'standing' has come on the back of a shitload of runs on flat tracks in Australia last summer against a pop gun India. He is finding his level now.

 

I think he'd generally have been better sticking at 5.

Coming in at 3 has exposed him to the moving ball and he gets in trouble.  When it didn't move at Lords he got 250 runs.  Coming in at 5 the top order would have got through the morning - not yesterday obviously! - and he'd have less movement to deal with.  Mind you then Australia are stuck with who to bat at 3.  Shocking how bad Australia have generally become on English pitches and at playing the seaming ball.

[s(k)aturation]

Traditionally, the truly great batsmen bat 3 or maybe 4... they might have started lower down.

 

Richards, Chappell, Tendulkar, Ponting, Lara to name some...

 

You are right, JJ.  Quite simply, there are no great batsmen in this Australian side.  None.

 

Now, whether this "good at home, crap away from home" is a batting technique/temperament issue - using three England v Australia test series as the sample over the last 2 years - and is to be put down to the increasingly pervasive influence, importance and priority of T20... that becomes a more interesting philosophical topic. And a very real one in my book.

[Hand Shandy]

Right boys - bat all day and stick them in for the last 15 overs of the day to see if we can pick up a couple of wickets. Then have another nice overcast morning on Saturday to really get at them.

[Dougie Do'ins]

I want to win this while the Aussies are in the field so there's none of them hiding in the dressing room when we apply coup de grace.

[Champ]

James Naughtie on the Today programme just now, 'Just for fun, let's hear it again', before replaying TMS's coverage of every catch from yesterday

[Trumo]

[mouse1989]

Right boys - bat all day and stick them in for the last 15 overs of the day to see if we can pick up a couple of wickets. Then have another nice overcast morning on Saturday to really get at them.

Would be the perfect day. Pick up 2-3 wickets and I'll be able to watch them regain the Ashes live on Saturday

[ticklemeclemo]

If these bastards have got any guts and pride about them at all, they'll knock the poms over for less than 350 this morning

Then bat for a couple of days, for anything close to 500

We'll win by 56 runs

 

Who's with me....

Anyone?

Anyone?

 

 

Boonie wept

[Russ Atmosphere]

 

No.

[lifetime fan]

Root gone.