Game on now. Burns out for 133 and Ali out for a duck both to Lyons in the same over. 300/7.
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Game on now. Burns out for 133 and Ali out for a duck both to Lyons in the same over. 300/7.
Bairstow goes as well to Siddle for 8. 300/8.
Bit of a collapse from England. Bairstow going is a blow.
I think England needed a lead of at least 150. Batting last on that wicket will be no fun at all and chasing 250+ will not happen. Hope the tail wags
Aussies are bowling pretty tight, Cummins and Siddle in particular, and Lyon snagging a couple of wickets.
The Hollies stand is lively already. Prediction is raucous for the afternoon session and riotous after tea!
Agree with above post, this pitch will suit Nathan Lyon down to the ground come the fourth innings.
That was all a bit mental. I know nothing about cricket but even I could see Ali had to play that ball and then Woakes banging a six when everyone else was on their way to the buffet table for sandwiches.
The Hollies stand singing “He’s got sandpaper in his hands!” to the tune of “He’s got the whole world in his hands”...
LMFAO
And Australia finally end England. That means an early tea and a slightly longer evening session which should tell us a lot about which side will emerge triumphant.
Woakes is a handy batsman and this is his home ground. He put on a good stand with Broad. He is one of those players it is impossible not to like.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pretty Boy
Fine but of fancy dress by the England fans in their '66 WC strips and the guy dressed as the trophy. 👏
I’m a bit away from the noisy stand but the fancy dress so far has been good. Fox being chased by guys in hunting dress (morally objectionable I know) and a bunch of guys dressed as cardinals blessing the stand.
How do u get Steve Smith out? England really missing Anderson
What do Australia need to look like winning it? Could a lead of 170-200 be enough?
The beauty of cricket.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pretty Boy
All things being equal, it’s a rough pitch and the spinner Nathan Lyon will find joy from it.
But it is an English pitch and they have a whole load of batsmen who can score big and fast runs.
Australia are in a decent position. They can put on a big score and take the game away from England. Yet they could be skittled and lose it easily/
If Australia can fashion a stand tomorrow I think they may have it, which would be a massive psychological advantage; given Edgbaston is seen as holy ground in the Ashes
None of my previous post answered your question :greengrinQuote:
Originally Posted by Pretty Boy
I reckon a 200 lead would be ample, the pitch is very inviting to the bowlers.
Anything less, I’m not so sure.
Chasing anything over 150 will be dicey, I can see both sides have numerous batting collapses this series and England might just provide one tomorrow/Monday.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mibbes Aye
The match hinges on the opening half hour tomorrow, IMHO. If Australia can see out any moisture in the pitch and a bit of shine off the ball then they can maybe bat until tea with a healthy lead. Batting last on this wicket and you would struggle to make 200 (as you rightly state).Quote:
Originally Posted by Mibbes Aye
Good match...and the bookies price En-gur-land at 8/13, which is a price I might lay...especially with a bowler crocked.
Match analysis for what it’s worth, I soaked up hospitality today so this is through a hops and grapes soaked lens :greengrin
First big news is we got a seat upgrade! It is too convoluted to go into why but we got shifted to within a block of the players, superb seats, it was absolutely brilliant!!! Edgbaston staff were absolutely lovely and couldn’t be more helpful.
My daughter is exploring music just now, she is ten. She went to see the Queen film and now adores ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. I have to listen to it in the car on repeat whenever we drive. Thursday was very much that song, “Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very frightening”, pure drama throughout from the English bowling onslaught to Steve Smith making his stand.
Friday was more classically Test cricket and today was nothing if not the epitome of what the game should be like. No fireworks from batsmen or bowlers, just patient, nagging bowling, trying to unsettle the batsmen and produce a wicket.
The morning session was a thing of beauty, I really mean that. It was a thing of beauty. Cummins and Siddle bowling line and length in overcast conditions, just waiting for the ball to move half an inch or the batsman to play a quarter of a second too late. Gorgeous, lovely, patient, pretty much unrewarded cricket. Nathan Lyon ended up reaping most of the rewards and he will undoubtedly do so in the fourth innings but he gained a lot from the tireless work of the seamers at the other end.
I thought England did well though. The stand between Woakes and Broad was particularly handsome and had a big impact on today’s play. Jofra will get a chance in the next match because Jimmy Anderson can’t bowl, I suspect, but otherwise he would remain on the touchlines in favour of Woakes.
As the game stands, England have probably the slight advantage but it is Australia’s match to lose, given the fourth innings will likely be a skittle run.
Talking earlier to some Australians in my section and I think we agreed that any result rather than a loss would be a happy result in Birmingham.
It is not going to last to a draw and it feels likely that England will win, but a solid bat tomorrow from Smith and/or one of the lower order and suddenly the pressure is on England.
Great Test match with all the old cliches - the first hour tomorrow will be revealing :greengrin
Listened to TMS early evening and this is exactly what they said, Get Smith in the first hour and England should get there, another massive innings from him and Aussies should be one up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mibbes Aye
I know loads of folk who say cricket is "boring, especially that 5 day rubbish". This match won't even change their minds, lost causes.
But MA = TMS as far as .net is concerned, even after hospitality 👍
It’s going to be a critical morning session, Test cricket at its best.Quote:
Originally Posted by ACLeith
Just leaving Birmingham and the weather is muggier than a muggy mugger, good conditions for examining bowling.
What's the general consensus among cricket fans on here about England? Do you 'support' them as your 'home' team? A former work colleague of mine was a passionate cricket fan and very much supported the England team because he said there's no real rivalry with Scotland due to the fact Scotland play at a less elevated level. He also pointed out that Scots can and quite often have played for the England team down the years.
Personally I recall developing a passion for the game as a kid when I used to watch the England team including the likes of Tony Greig and Alan Knott (who I recall being a bit of a hero figure for some reason) and I have vivid memories of the terrifying West Indies pace bowlers of that era when the Windies were a fantastic team. Viv Richards was also a big favourite of mine.
I kind of went off the England team as the 'barmy army' type crowd started to make their presence felt more but I still think it's a great game. In fact I'd go so far as to say that if you were compelled to spend the rest of your life watching one particular sport cricket would probably be a better choice than football. I've spent a couple of days at the Grange watching Scotland matches and it's a very pleasant way to pass a day. Similar I'd say in some ways to watching a baseball game in the US.
I got into cricket from travelling in Australia and failing in love with it over there. Depending on the time of year and which part of the country you are in you have rugby union, rugby league, Aussie rules football, soccer, depending on what you prefer, but in the summer it is all about cricket. What struck me was the way the press covered it, very much the same way football was covered in Scotland or the U.K. Ansolutely no sense of it being a posh or elitist sport, this was everybody’s sport.Quote:
Originally Posted by G B Young
So, I will always have an affection for Australia, but if England can do well enough to win the series then I will welcome and applaud it. Cricket is so sophisticated, it isn’t just about teams, it is about individuals and personal battles and I would find it impossible not to want Joe Root to do well at three, or Jos Buttler to provide fireworks or Chris Woakes to take wickets in front of his home crowd.
It is actually a welcome relief from football for me. Yes, there is some emotional involvement in the game but I’m not tied in to some binary conclusion like in football where I am up or down depending on what happens to Hibs.
Huge day today in Birmingham. If Australia get a result here then I think they will take the Ashes on English soil for the first time in a long time.
I always support England at cricket as long as they’re not playing Scotland. It’s different to other sports as we’re not really rivals. It would nice to think that one day Scotland would become a test side, but I’d still want England to do well. I think the fact that cricket commentators are the best and most impartial of any sport makes it easy to just sit and appreciate the days play.Quote:
Originally Posted by G B Young
That's where I am with it, to be honest I don't get involved in Test Matches that don't involve England. I can happily sit through a t20/one day match between two "neutral" nations though.Quote:
Originally Posted by lord bunberry
If Moeen Ali doesn’t get his act together very soon this will be his last game in this series. Denly looks more of a threat so far.
The quality of commentary on cricket is exceptional, whether BBC, ABC, Sky, BT or Channel 5, and Channel 4 before that.Quote:
Originally Posted by lord bunberry
When you compare it to football it practically makes you weep.
I really feel for Moeen but he is in a bad place at the moment form-wise.Quote:
Originally Posted by lord bunberry
Rashid offers something slightly different and can also bat a bit.
I have changed my mind a couple of times about this but I originally thought they would have been better with a fourth seamer for this match and Stokes as option five. Root and Denly can throw a bit of spin.
Obviously Anderson’s injury changed the dynamic and in fairness to Root, he is juggling the shift to three, and captaining in the field. Bowling a lot more overs is maybe a bit of an ask.
What does Mo Ali bring to this team? His batting is terrible and his “off spin” isn’t much better. This England team are crying out for someone like Graham Swann.
I think you’re right about the fourth seamer. The lack of a genuine top class spinner means that picking one is a bit of a waste, especially if they’re not getting runs either. Denly has looked good so far and he might be the way to go. I’m sure Archer will come in for the next test and possibly Plunket if Anderson doesn’t make it. I’m not convinced by Rashid in red ball cricket.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mibbes Aye
It’s a shame he’s struggling so badly just now as he’s very good when he’s on form with the bat and the ball. He’s really low on confidence at the moment and he doesn’t come across as someone who has a lot of belief in himself.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hiberniankb