The Ashes

[HH81]

Thoughts on this everyone?

I think Aus will win but got good odds on drawn series so stuck a small bet on it. Was at the cricket at Yorkshire the other day but don't have a ticket for the Ashes.

[Off the bar]

Looking forward to it got 2nd day ticket for lords and a first day ticket for edgebaston. Aussies to win 2-1 or 3-1 depending on the weather!

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Im going to a couple of Scotland T20 WC Qualifiers next week, link posted on the Eng v NZ 1 day thread.

[Zazu62]

2-1 England. Home advantage is huge

[3pm]

England 2, Australia 3.

[Haymaker]

England will lose. 3-1 at best.

[heretoday]

I am determined to revive my interest in cricket.

It's such a wonderful game but I stopped watching after the 2005 series because it ceased to be shown on terrestrial TV.

Well - I can get it now so Come On England! (KP ought to be playing though).

[IWasThere2016]

1- 2 Aussies and 1 - 3 Aussies are my bets

[Stonewall]

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Im going to a couple of Scotland T20 WC Qualifiers next week, link posted on the Eng v NZ 1 day thread.

Going to try and get to the game on Thursday. Not working till 4.

[heretoday]

Tell me again why England are not playing KP.

I think a team should always incluse its best players - no?

[3pm]

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Tell me again why England are not playing KP.

I think a team should always incluse its best players - no?

Cos he's a bawbag and not welcome in the team!

[weecounty hibby]

Knee operation today so its feet up resting watching the 1st test for me. Cannae wait!

[weecounty hibby]

Terrible start to the series for England. Need Root Ballance and Stokes to score big

[Haymaker]

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Terrible start to the series for England. Need Root Ballance and Stokes to score big

Shocker.

[Haymaker]

103-3 now. Going ok.

[weecounty hibby]

150 up. Root and Balance look OK. Hope that's not going to jinx it.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Ballance out for 61, 196-4.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Another ton for Root, what a player!

[--------]

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Terrible start to the series for England. Need Root Ballance and Stokes to score big

Bell is a total disaster. He's supposed to be the senior man in a young side supporting his captain. Pathetic.

Root, Ballance and hopefully Stokes can steady the ship here. Root is a player I like a lot - real talent and character there. Ballance I'm not so sure about yet, though he shows a lot of promise. Stokes I like very much - big honest middle-order bat and a more than useful bowler. Gives it a fair whack, the boy.

Jos Buttler I like as well.

[Off the bar]

343-7 at the close of play, honours about even I reckon.

[HH81]

I would say 400 would be a good score from here?

We won't know until both teams have bat to be fair.

[Stonewall]

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I would say 400 would be a good score from here?

We won't know until both teams have bat to be fair.

Think you're right about 400 being a good score. The bounce looks surprisingly uneven and that will get worse as the game goes on so it was a good toss to win.

England's top order does look vulnerable, especially with Bell looking half the player he was 3 or 4 years ago. I really wonder if he's finished at this level. Shame if so as I have loved watching him bat.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

I doubt The Aussies will fancy batting last on that wicket.

[Zazu62]

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I would say 400 would be a good score from here?

We won't know until both teams have bat to be fair.

400 in the first innings of a test match is always a good score

[3pm]

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I would say 400 would be a good score from here?

We won't know until both teams have bat to be fair.

I reckon they'll be around 370. Fantastic considering the shambles at the beginning.

[weecounty hibby]

Looking forward to another day with my foot up resting watching the test. Yesterday was excellent. Root was superb. The Aussie bowlers looked ok at times but also sprayed the ball about a bit. 400 in the first innings should mean that England at least don't lose the match. Big first hour today and hopefully Moeen can get some runs.

[--------]

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400 in the first innings of a test match is always a good score

Especially from 3 down for 43.

Root, Stokes, Ballance, Buttler, Moeen all done very well. Depends how the tail plays, but 400 isn't out of the question, and that would pose serious questions to the Aussies. Anderson and Wood might like this pitch.

[--------]

7 for 384. Going well.

Moeen has his 50.

[3pm]

430 all out.

[HH81]

430 all out, great effort. Early wickets would be nice?