The Ashes

Greenskin wrote:

Tringreen wrote:

Bleddy small village, 'Tiddyford'. Maybe their two bowlers were on holiday ?  

They draw heavily on Plymouth players,would very much doubt of any of them actually live in Tideford.I've played against Dave Lockett and Dave Holland [who both were bowling yesterday] in the past,the former was a very good swing bowler,taken a lot of wickets at a good level,and the latter was a sort of nagging,flat spin bowler.Brents must have been on a real mission yesterday,i do remember when we were playing for Gunni one day at Bugle he was out for 75 and our score was about 85,so he could go mad even back then, but no matter what the bowling was like yesterday,it still takes some doing to hit 311.

It surely do !

Why does Finn get a game? Decent bowler but not Test class yet, almost cost us the game yesterday.

Bresnan is a 'bits and pieces' cricketer, again not quite there.

Onions for me as the third seamer.

I must admit to being a Finn fan previously but he was shite really and it will be a real kick in the teeth for Onions and Bresnan if he plays at Lords, although it is his home ground.

For me if Bairstow doesn't score big runs this time I would drop him and Finn for the other two because Bresnan can bat a bit as can Broad, so that's a long enough batting line up seeing as Bairstow isn't piling on the runs anyway.

Could it be as entertaining as 2005?
The first test definately ended up being a bit of a nail biter.
Roll on Thursday  

Brilliant fightback by England after being 28-3. Currently 229-4 with Bairstow 51no and Bell 84no.

I must admit I'm not that keen on Bairstow as a test cricketer but he's done really well to help steady the ship and then kick on and up the tempo. He was bowled on 20 odd by Siddle but it was a no-ball  

Bell is on course for centuries in 3 successive Ashes tests and is doing wonders for my top England batsman bet  

Unbelievable! Clarke lets Steve Smith have a bowl and he's picked up the wickets of Bell, Bairstow and now Prior in no time. 283-7 now.

i missed the cricket as i watched the cyclists go up a stupid mountain twice !!!!

Hopefully Swann will come good tomorrow evening. He needs to.

England 361 all out- good last wicket stand between Broad and Swann.

watson has gone,just before lunch

Aussies 51/ 2

clarkes gone, this lot are crap. boycott is loving it

We weren't much better in the start of the 2nd innings. This could be over tomorrow. Cricketers don't care about us working folk.

It's been mental and it's only the second test. England are struggling with the bat but the Aussies are a joke.

Shame  

I got home at about 4ish and thought I was watching highlights. Picked up the kids from sensiblegreeny's gaff, got home and England had lost 3 wickets already. Oh well. Looks like my Sunday will not involve watching cricket - it's'the only thing that keeps the kids out of the'living room.

Grinding 'em into the earth.Root 178 not out,onwards and upwards for him,bit lucky early on but he cashed in and deserved his score.I would have declared this evening,can't see the point of going on tomorrow-Australia will not get those runs as long as their arses look downwards,need as much time as possible to bowl them out.

I prefer the idea of not giving them the slimmest of chances. It is demoralising when you have absolutely no chance of winning.

A lead of 600 with over 5 sessions to play. If we can't bowl them out in that time, another hour won't make any difference imo.

Tringreen wrote:

I prefer the idea of not giving them the slimmest of chances. It is demoralising when you have absolutely no chance of winning.

A lead of 600 with over 5 sessions to play. If we can't bowl them out in that time, another hour won't make any difference imo.

I agree. An hour of swashbuckling 20/20 style batting to humiliate them a little more, and then put them in. If they bat like they have and don't drastically improve their decision making when using the DRS, it probably won't even go to the last day anyway.

Czarcasm wrote:

Tringreen wrote:

I prefer the idea of not giving them the slimmest of chances. It is demoralising when you have absolutely no chance of winning.

A lead of 600 with over 5 sessions to play. If we can't bowl them out in that time, another hour won't make any difference imo.

I agree. An hour of swashbuckling 20/20 style batting to humiliate them a little more, and then put them in. If they bat like they have and don't drastically improve their decision making when using the DRS, it probably won't even go to the last day anyway.

Give Root the opportunity to post 200 quickly, then declare. There is the outside chance of some rain on Monday, if it gets that far.

The Aussies had all the old big guns at Lords, talking up the present shower. It's all gone very quiet on that front now  

I don't see the point in getting Root to his 200 really. 100 I can understand but the big goal is winning the test match and I think they've already got more than any team in the world could score batting last in 2 days.

The danger is being far too conservative and the Aussies somehow clinging on and salvaging a draw. As Tring says there's a chance of rain which could shorten play anyway.

Declare now and have the England bowlers fresh as daisies with the new ball.

None of my opinions have anything to do with the fact that I have backed Bell to be top English batsman of the series honestly  

I knew Australia weren't anything special but it's shocked me how easily England have been rolling them over. I thought Botham was talking out of his ass when he predicted back to back 5-0 Ashes series wins for England but now I can at least see this series going that way.

Getting their batters to run around the field again for a little while, then have 10 mins to pad up and face Anderson with a new ball, is further torture.
Cook can set attacking fields throughout without even the tiniest doubt, as the Aussies will only have the draw to aim for. With said attacking fields, the batters will be tempted to play some shots.

What do we think about Westwood's chances ? I was very impressed by his 'thinking' last night. I'd give him a 50/50 chance if he can indeed not allow the pressure of a possible first major get to him.

36 - 3 now ,

This Aussie team looks horrendous.

I don't like cricke...tta. Oh No.

101 for 3 now,time we broke this partnership. They don't need to have confidence,



























just another 481 runs:lol!: