It’s a parallel universe, and in that wonderful place it is Day 3 at the Woolloongabba and England are batting. They are 165 for 4, with Joe Root on 64, Dawid Malan on 44. Australia have posted 302. The pitch is not easy to score on and the bowling side has two opening bowlers with 900 wickets between them. In that parallel universe the headlines on the Courier Mail would be “Pommies Holding On For Life”. Or something much more crude.
England are in a really decent position, having reduced the hosts to 76 for 4 but seeing the late session play go the way of the home side. At this point they are in front, not by far, but ahead. Day 3 is set for a terrific contest in an interesting test match. One little aside, amazing how Trent Bridge 2013, played on a slow, low surface, was slated as a terrible wicket to diminish the terrific game that unfolded, yet the Gabba gets a pass. We’ve missed attritional, fighting cricket so much that when we see it, we go mad. This is classic test cricket, fascinating, enjoyable and slow to unwind. Great.
The Editorial Committee discussed what we would do about tonight’s proceedings. We are concerned for Danny’s wellbeing as he has stayed up all night for the first two days’ play and we can’t commit that he will do a third – even though he has told us he will (he has been promoted to Editor this week, I’m sure he is thrilled!). While there is no work for us tomorrow, I’ve got a bloody Heathrow run so won’t be up all night. Others may be in late from their evening’s entertainment. It’s a tough life.
But we also note that the Live Blogging went down quite well despite everyone else seemingly doing it. We can’t bring the corporate heft of ESPN Cricinfo, the legendary voices of TMS, the pageantry and self awareness of the Guardian or the ever so enjoyable Guerilla Cricket, but we can bring our own brand of, well, whatever our brand is, to the Ashes cauldron caukdrib ( Puts on Frank Muir voice – a caukdrib is a pot used to cook liquids at low temperatures….). So we’ve decided to live blog tonight, for as long as we stay awake.
FOR AS LONG AS WE STAY AWAKE.
It might catch on as a motto.
So, you know the form. Chip in with your comments below, and one of your loving, charming hosts will be updating you from here.
So for post number 1, Dmitri is kicking it off….
2121 – The latest weather radar from the Bureau of Meteorology….
21:28 – A couple of things. Who is the person who has his/her hits from Santa Caterina province in Brazil? Always mystified me that one. And secondly, if your column is a regular dose of snark, make sure you get his name right in the photo caption.
This never happens to John Cena.
2201 – We’ve solved the Brasilian conundrum – welcome Mark. We’ve also got the first of Oliver Holt’s Holiday Snaps for today.
Read Martin Samuel’s nonsense in the Mail as well. He won’t be happy with a 1-1 draw at home to Leicester. Shame.
22:41 Been editing the live coverage for transfer on to my records. So…. many….. betting….. adverts. I am a nerd and I keep a lot of cricket. Broke my heart that I didn’t get the VHS all onto DVD as I had tons of Lara, Thorpe, Sachin (though he wasn’t my fave) and others. Up to date now and feel a bit better.
22:44 While we are looking at our viewers from afar, who is the one in Santiago, Chile? And the Dallas Metro area. Everyone very welcome. It really amazes me our little old blog has this reach.
23:01 Day 3 in Brisbane on my visit. Hungover from a long day in the sun and lots of beer. England capitulated, not totally, but enough to allow the Aussies a big lead, and then they accumulated for the rest of the day. The Saturday night was the Manchester derby. Watched it in an open air bar with a bloke who came from Deptford, like me. City won 3-1. Feeding goats or something or other.
23:04 Day 3 in Brisbane on the 2010/11 tour. Hussey and Haddin completed their 300+ stand after one of the unluckiest bowling sessions I’ve ever seen England have. Australia post big lead. Strauss has our hearts in mouths with a very close LBW shout leaving it. The next two days went down in legend.
23:07 Day 3 in Brisbane in the book I have out – the 1982/3 tour. Kepler Wessels had completed a century on debut the day before and almost carried his bat, making 162. England trailed by 122 runs, but Graeme Fowler dug in, we lost just one wicket in getting to 71 and England had half a shout.
23:30 Day 3 last time out in Brisbane. We’d been skittled. Warner and Clarke made tons, set us five hundred and plenty, and we were two down at the close, including Johnson getting Trott. Meanwhile Shiny Toy and Lovejoy are on the screen together, with the latter saying Woakes’s shot is “the worst of the Ashes so far”. My eyes roll.
23:42 The KP ESPN advert is drivel. He’s becoming a worrisome parody.
23:57 Game ready to resume, darker clouds above, James Anderson bowling, Dmitri on the keyboard for a bit. Danny is awake, and the first ball of the day goes for two.
0:00 No, not a clue.
0:02 Broad at the other end. Gilchrist finding out bantz with Boycs isn’t a long-term plan. Marsh square cuts Broad for four to get off to decent start.
00:07 Boycott getting on my nerves already. OK, we get your point. We don’t need to hear it every ball you frightful old bore. Marsh gets three behind point and completes a half century. Not sure why people thought he was a dodgy selection. He’s hit and miss, I know, but he does hit.
00:17 Anderson gets Smith to woosh at a shot outside off stump. First legit play and miss today? Meanwhile a usual suspect on Twitter goes all pseuds corner re Adam Gilchrist. It’s me. I find it if I was an ice cream I’d lick myself stuff. 175 for 4.
00:21 WICKET – Out of the blue Marsh checks a drive and lobs up a catch to Anderson at mid-off for 51. Broad gets the wicket, Marsh looks at the pitch with some disgust implying it held up for him. Marsh, Caught Anderson, Bowled Broad 51 – 175 for 5
00:24 Broad induces a thick edge from Paine, but no hint of a chance. Paine looks edgy, trying to push a single the following ball. Wicket maiden completed.
00:31 Woakes on for Broad after his wicket maiden. New ball due soon so sort of understand it, but isn’t the moment now? Woakes gives up a single to Smith first up, but then keeps Paine on 0 for the remainder. Vaughan does the Lehmann has scored a ton more recently than Paine stat as if no-one has heard of it. Jake Ball into the attack.
00:37 Jake Ball gives Smith a cracking ball at his throat and the captain is lucky to survive as the ball drops into no man’s land. He gets off strike with a single next ball. Paine gets a chance and plays a lovely cut shot for 4 to get off the mark.
00:43 Woakes and Ball now bowling short to Smith and Paine. It’s dull to watch, there’s funky field placings, and this sort of thing gets the pundits salivating. Smith, despite that one iffy little moment, really looks like he doesn’t give a toss. “Test match cricket at it’s finest”. Cut out the bloody hyperbole, Shiny Toy.
00:48 No slips. I can hear Botham chuntering. Shiny Toy moans about Aussie papers not being balanced. Should have seen the report of your ton in the lead up to the 2002 Ashes, Vaughan. They belted you for being rubbish, scratchy, all over the shop.
00:50 5 minutes to The Leg Glance. And we have Lovejoy. Says something to do with Bodyline. I want to cave my ears in for hearing it. Poor Alison Mitchell. Now a Tufnell joke story. Lord heaven above. Doing a Tuffers impression. Paine moves on to 6 during this low-grade variety act masquerading as cricket punditry.
00:55 And as Lovejoy completes his first over by at last concentrating on the action, I complete my stint and hand over to the incomparable Leg Glance for the next however long he stays awake period. Dmitri signing off…
01:00 TLG here. Well now, in common with half the country, Friday night is “wander to the pub night”, and you know what? Ashes cricket is made for that – head out, amble back, turn the cricket on. Oh and then England take a wicket a few moments later. Perfect.
Since you ask (you haven’t) the chicken wings were fabulous. Oh yes, cricket, I should mention that. So far Tim Paine is failing to go anywhere, while Steve Smith is clearly going to be That Player England Can’t Get Out this series.
01:05 I need to point out the total absence of any cricket when I’ve been on writing duties so far. If there’s a tropical downpour in the next 10 minutes, don’t be at all surprised. So, where are we? England are keeping decent control here, but they could really do with another wicket to put Australia under real pressure. I’d fancy England would be thrilled with a lead of 50. Especially given Australia have to bat last – but 5 wickets down means a lot of work to do, and the naturally pessimistic England fan has the phrase “tits up” going through his (Or her. Hmm, on reflection it probably just is “his”) head.
01:13 Graeme Swann and Alison Mitchell on commentary together is like listening to Joe Pasquale and Eric Morecambe doing a double act.
01:18 Joe Root slips in for an over as England await the new ball.
01:24 WICKET! Anderson strikes in the first over with the new ball. A typical Jimmy dismissal really, a touch of swing, the outside edge, and Bairstow does the rest. Tim Paine on his way, and it’s 202-6. 100 between the teams.
01:30 WICKET! Broad nabs a sharp caught and bowled to remove Starc for 6. Doesn’t even begin to describe it as two balls before the latest assorted Mitchell plays an extraordinary shot – straight driving Broad back over his head for six to get off the mark. Broad got his revenge quickly, so the Brisbane crowd will thoroughly appreciate that no doubt. 209-7
01:35 England had kept the lid on nicely this morning, but hadn’t looked especially threatening, at least not until the new ball. Then two quick wickets and all of a sudden it’s all happening. Smith is still there though, and while he is England still have a problem. While we’re at it, Australia are scoring at 2.52 an over, compared to boring negative England’s 2.58 an over. We all love the Brisbane Courier Mail.
01:48 Steve Smith is playing a completely different game to anyone else.
01:57 Some concern over James Anderson. He certainly reached for his side, and he’s been replaced by Jake Ball after a short spell. He’s not gone off the field, but there are only a few minutes to lunch.
02:01 And that’s lunch. Australia are 213-7, still 89 adrift. And perhaps the most notable thing about this match so far is that unlike the last two series, we’re into day three and we don’t know where this game is going. It’s competitive, hard Test cricket. Marvellous. Steve Smith scored just 17 off 66 balls that session, while losing partners at the other end. England get loads of stick for bowling “dry” but sometimes it’s exactly what is needed, and that was fine bowling.
02:09 My travel advice is to steal the mini-duvets off Emirates. They’re so warm.
02:16 Just the 48 runs in that session. Test cricket, absolutely. Amusing given Australian whining about England’s run rate? Oh yes.
02:17 Typically in a Test match, the side batting second need to have a runs advantage going into the second innings. So England are currently in a very decent position. If they can get a reasonable lead, especially so. But equally the third innings of the match is full of pressure, for a side can lose the game in a session. How this pitch will play is as open a question as it was on day one, for if it gets better then England have an issue. If it gets worse then Australia have a crisis. And how good is it not to know? Test cricket. You jut cannot beat it.
02:40 Jake Ball opens up after lunch. Not exactly putting to bed those James Anderson fitness concerns.
02:47
Not sure what’s more unlikely – England fibbing or the English cricket press being cynical about what they’re told.
02:55 Let’s call this a quiet start to the afternoon session.
03:03 Aside from 4 overthrows via Cummins’ back (accidental), and one Steve Smith straight drive, it’s still quiet so far. But not terribly threatening from England either. It might be time for Moeen.
03:06 I’m a captaincy God. The Bearded Brummie is on.
03:13 England have let Cummins play himself in. Danger. In other news, the Rugby League World Cup semi-final is little over an hour away – the titanic battle between England and Tonga to decide who has the privilege of being stuffed by Australia.
03:23 Australia aren’t exactly rattling along, but this partnership is becoming problem. The gap is now down to 61, and England simply don’t look like taking a wicket. Smith is closing in a 100 and looks serene, and Cummins looks secure. Anderson has gone off the ground – for bowling boots? Let’s hope.
03:29 Anderson is back on the field. And that’s my lot too – handing over to Danny who hasn’t seen the sun in several days.
0331 Danny here. Sad and almost completely true comments from thelegglance. Almost an hour after lunch, Broad finally gets the ball back.
0336 And Anderson from the other end, all eyes looking to see if there’s any sign of injury from the highest rated Test bowler in the world.
0352 Still nothing to report, although Broad & Anderson have at least kept it tighter than the other bowlers. The ball is now 25 overs old and I worry about England finishing off the tail…
0403 Smith drives through the off side for four, and brings up his century. That’s his 21st century, and his 6th against England.
0417 Still awake. Still no wickets in the session.
0431 WICKET About 10 minutes left in the session, and England finally take a wicket. Cummins plays a loose drive to a wide, full ball from Woakes and he edges it to Cook at first slip. A very useful 42 runs from the Australian bowler, and Hazlewood comes in.
0442 TEA Australia are 287/8, just 15 runs behind with 2 wickets remaining, and crucially with Smith still at the crease.
0518 Quiet start to the evening session, 7 runs from the first 4 overs and England’s lead is just 8 runs.
0528 WICKET Moeen Ali bowls left-hander Josh Hazlewood, who was trying to hit it on the leg side but completely missed it. Australia 298/9 and 4 runs behind England’s score.
0539 Smith whips a short delivery from Jake Ball to the fine leg boundary and Australia go into the lead.
0605 WICKET In the first over after the drinks break Root is bowling to Lyon, who inside edges a ball to leg slip. Smith finishes the innings on 141* and Australia have 328 runs with a lead of 26 runs.
0630 WICKET Hazlewood bowls a quick bouncer to Alastair Cook, who top edges it to Starc at long leg. England are still 15 runs behind.
0642 WICKET And Vince has gone as well, squared up on the back foot by a quick Hazlewood delivery and edging it to Smith at second slip. England still 9 runs behind, and 2 wickets gone.
0649 Fast bouncer from Mitchell Starc and it hits Joe Root on the helmet, breaking a piece off. England’s doctor comes out and gives him the concussion test, but Root dons a new helmet and carries on.
0713 Root turns Lyon behind square for a single, and THE SCORES ARE LEVEL with England already 2 wickets down.
0720 Cummins works Stoneman over with an over of short bowling, 10 minutes left for England to hold on.
0732 STUMPS England survive the last over against Nathan Lyon, and finish the day on 33/2 with a lead of just 7 runs.
Being Outside Cricket 
I like learning new things. WTF is a caukdrib?
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It’s when you put your right hand with the index finger on the h instead of the j after typing the u?
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Sophie, I’m in the pub. You’ve just made my head hurt. Really hurt.
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Sorry! I mean when you accidentally shift your hand one key to the left while touch typing?
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Ahhhhhh! I’m a bear of very little brain. I’ve just worked it out. 🙂
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I’m a Colchester United fan. As is Steve ‘Lamo’ Lamacq. I saw Lamo at Layer Road once or twice, and Neil Foster (bloody good bowler, bloody appalling knees) visited our school once.
OK. Prediction. Australia to score runs. England not to take wickets. Australia to secure a lead. England to lose. Result a lot less close than it looks right now (Aus to win by 4 wickets or better).
Heck. What do I know. I’m druk.
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Visited Layer Road three times. Won twice, once on a bog, and drew 0-0 the other. Remember Paul Ifill scoring a goal at our end that smashed the stanchion and bounced out – wasn’t given. Ifill scored the winner. Proper football.
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It doesn’t exist any more, of course. They new place is alright, but it’s not the same. Lacks that soul.
Took my wife to Layer Road once. We lost to Southend. Bloody Southend. 3-0. Pretty sure I saw Lamacq that day. But not Cook. Oh no. I never saw Cook. Not that I was a season ticketholder or anything.
Then I took her to Loftus Road, on New Year’s day. Worst game of football I’ve ever seen. Utd lost 1-0. Dreadful stuff. The friend we took with us had never seen a professional game before. Or since, I imagine.
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Of course. Never went to the new ground though I passed it a lot when I was friends with someone who lived in the area. It was on the way there that I heard the Fraser blaming KP thing I went on about yesterday.
I have many worst games. Why I don’t go any more. They got closer together.
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When my boy is a bit older I’ll take him to Orient (if they still exist). They are close enough to where I am now. It’s something of a rite passage, is it not? I remember watching Wimbledon, pre Crazy Gang (or perhaps proto Crazy Gang) lose at Layer Road. Perry Groves is an all time hero of mine (as an Utd and Arsenal fan). I love my dad, but probably bonded with him more at Layer Road than at any other time.
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It is, but I am not rushing to take my nephew to football (no kids). I pretty much hate the game, while still following the results of my team. 10 years ago and you’d have said this would happen, I’d have told you you were mad. Don’t miss not going at all.
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Only Botham, Hoggard and Fraser of England seamers since World War Two have better match figures than Foster’s 11/163 in Chennai 1984/85. India’s batting included Gavaskar, Vengsarkar, Mohinder Amarnath, Azharrudin, Shastri and Kapil Dev.
Two matches later, Foster was dropped – for Norman Cowans and Paul Allott!
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Let’s not mention Graeme Fowler’s last couple of innings before never being selected again.
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Tim Robinson had a pretty decent series as well and got the nod for the 1985 Ashes. Gooch walked back into the team. Robinson made a couple of hundreds and played well. I liked him as a player but he got taken apart by the West Indies.
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I liked Robinson too. The 1985/86 tour of the West Indies was horrendous. I’m not sure I can remember anything much worse. Also not sure if any alternative selections would have made any runs – Fowler, or possibly Chris Broad, who had a go against the same opponents in 1984 and of course was the star of the 1986/87 Ashes.
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Writing those pieces on that Blackwash series, again something I never finished, showed how taken apart Robinson was. He did come back in 1987 to make a massive hundred at Old Trafford against Pakistan, and then got a game in 1989 after a B&H Final innings and then went off to South Africa.
They sent for David Smith (ex-Surrey) on that tour. And poor old Wilf Slack. The West Indies were just an amazing force.
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One might add that the 1986/87 Australian attack was a far cry from the 1985/86 West Indies. Different planet.
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David Smith! One of those selectorial knee-kerks. he had had a good domestic season I think, and was thought to be capable of playing fast bowling. Actually he did, I think, manage to score 40-odd once. That was unimaginable riches in that series.
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Hits from Brasil are me. Northampton born and bred – living over here since 2003. Like to keep up on the cricket and prefer non-mainstream media. Good work chaps!
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Mystery solved, Mark! Thanks, those hits from Joinville have been driving me mad.
Welcome, although you’ve been reading us for ages. Hope life is treating you well.
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He’s not kidding. We’ve have several ‘who the hell are the Brazil hits from?’ conversations. Echo that welcome totally.
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Fame at last.
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Aren’t you slightly disappointed that the follower didn’t turn out to be Pele or any of the famous football Brazilian’s if the ‘70’s who had a mysterious passion for English cricket?
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I thought it was the sports presenter Mark Chapman when I saw your name in the list of new posts.
I thought oh shit….. we have upset radio 5 live now!
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Seems obvious really but they need to get Smith out soon. What a weird batsman he is. I can’t remember anyone successful with such an exaggerated movement prior to receiving a delivery, His hand/eye coordination must be miraculous.
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Has football always had this obsession with managers? Did the cameras always constantly go to the manager every 5 mins? I can’t remember it.
Seeing David Moyes and the sky cameras you would think the players are irrelevant. Football reduced to play station consoles. Very bizzare. He then has to have an interview with a panel of 3 of them afterwards. It’s embarrasing to make people go through hoops as if they were chimpanzees in a circus. What is the point? What have WH fans learned that they didn’t know before?
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Evening All! All ready for a Smith hundred and no wickets until the new ball?
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It’s the happiness that keeps him going.
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I’ll cheer up when Kirkwood nicks off for single figures later today….
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I’d be impressed if you knew who Alastair Kirkwood is!
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I’d have been impressed if I’d had a clue too, then I googled him and wasn’t wowed much even then…
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Note to all – Marsh doesn’t really count as a wicket…
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You’ve not seen my bowling Trev.
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beer-barrel straight? 🙂
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Oh I dreamed of straight…
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Durham won the ‘Inspiring Fan Loyalty’ award but didn’t realise it wasn’t meant as a compliment:
https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/517948
Shockingly those who weren’t keen on the new T20 didn’t win much.
Perhaps they should create a “Most Kolpaks” award so lovely Rod could win something.
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We do now know what Gordon Hollins looks like.
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The Business of Cricket awards…….
Just in case you thought there was any other purpose to sport…. no its business. And only business.
It reads like something out of a Python sketch. I wonder If Ed Smith came up with some of the titles to those award classes.
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I’m awake. Apparently the game starts 2 minutes early, but an over takes a minimum of 4 minutes. Cricket is odd sometimes
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So the general consensus is that England have bowled too short. When have we ever heard that before?
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Listening to Agnew and Tufnell. Don’t know what to say. Agnew is a “care in the community” selection. He talks more about dogs than the cricket. What is the score? No wonder the UK productivity stats are so bad. It is all down to his incompetence
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Who do we want? You see, I like Gilchrist but he’s being affected by the Fitzwillian Foghorn going on and on. Agnew is a broadcaster, and maybe not everyone’s cuppa. Tufnell is a fraud.
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Would Tufnell be in the commentary team if he hadn’t won I’m A Celebrity? An unremarkable spin bowler from the 90s with no particular insight into batting, fast bowling or fielding. In other words, 95% of the game when played in England.
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He’s a character, Danny. A geezer. Smokes ciggies, probably liked a puff. He’ll do.
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I’m not sure he would get into the current England set up. I’m not sure a young Swann would get in either.
Individuality has been crushed. It’s all,square bashing now.
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Well yeah, England would never pick a smoker now. And young Swann was quickly dropped, wasn’t he? Played a single ODI in South Africa then wasn’t picked for 7 years.
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I come in from the pub and we take a wicket.
You’re welcome.
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Any chance you could nip back and come home again?
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I need him to finish his kebab before he takes the live blog over. No delays.
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Fiery chicken wings actually.
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Ah…the joys of late-night sticky keyboard skills…
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Speaking of sticky fingers, I’ll leave you with this as I bid you all goodnight…(off to bed with TMS)
She spun her wrist with a pouting kiss
Gripping the ball ‘tween her fingers
Her revolutions gave many a solution
Ripping my wicket yet she lingered
Bails an’ all swell did fell
Tearing my middle stump from the turf
An inside edge from my wooden wedge
A snick, she smiled, snickering with mirth
There was no excuse, red lipped mark profuse
On my blade as it wafted and waved
My shot was out, ‘come one’ the shout
Til I was all she craftily craved
Then as crease did I leave, I knew she believed
That our game had many more innings
A T20 here, A true Test everywhere
Just the beginning of our sinning… 🙂
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Oh Bogfather..lovely! Sweet dreams!
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You know, of all the things i miss about England, it’s the north London doner kebab. I’m a vegetarian, too. THAT’S how good it is.
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It’s a bit nippy out. Would you do that to me?
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Queen and county, Sir, Queen and country!
Don’t remember Shackleton complaining it was a bit nippy.
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If you can guarantee a Stuart Broad Day I may consider a stroll round the block.
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Don’t worry. I just pooped out to my dépanneur for beer and bannock and we got Paine and Starc. Seems as long as we have some kind of rotation in place, we’re fine.
Volunteer for the next jaunt outside please?
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We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. For he who gets a bit chilly shall be my brother. And gentlemen in England now a-bed (you lucky bastards) shall think themselves accursed not to have taken a wicket.
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pooped? Eejit.
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Is Tufnell human or just a chatty cathy doll?
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I hate watching Smith bat.
There is nothing about his technique that has any elegance whatsoever yet he finds a way and has an average of 53ish
He reminds me of that othe captain Smith (Graham).
From what little I’ve seen so far getting him out will be the key in all of the tests.
Warner is a known quantity and will fire a few times, but the rest of their batting looks as weak as ours.
Nice to see Marsh revert to type
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Hi OdB. Hope all is well. Long time no see.
It’s how many, not how. We all know that.
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Very well thank you.
Even though I have been stalking the blog without commenting I genuinely didn’t realise the ashes started this week until I was driving my daughter to school on Wednesday and they talked about it on the today program.
Explaining the joy of Ashes cricket to a 13 year old actually started to rekindle my love of the game a bit.
I am like you with football, so jaded and also in a place that I wouldn’t have believed 20 years ago.
Alistair almost did that to me with cricket and I still cringe when I see him, but… and it’s a big but, there is a joy in watching the Ashes late at night (or in a stadium). It’s competitive regardless of the state of the teams (I.e in comparison to other teams in world cricket) and it’s always fun to watch.
I may not like watching Smith but I admire him.
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Vaughan says “This is Bodyline” as Ball bowls six short balls outside off stump, which famously is what Larwood bowled in that series.
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Swann’s impression of Woodfull, I presume, had me reaching for the bleach to cleanse my ears of the last resonance of this buffoon’s stupidity. However my brain has now lodged it, and will never be rid of it.
He’s a weapons grade tit. And criminally unfunny.
A selection of tweets… With apologies for the language…
https://twitter.com/MattyRammell/status/934225320739246080
https://twitter.com/ChrisHinton18/status/934226757498081280
https://twitter.com/UTG1883/status/934226265392996352
https://twitter.com/simoncdale/status/934226111852138497 (I like Michael Owen but punditry wasn’t for him)
I mean, no-one, absolutely no-one saw this coming….
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More as they come in….
https://twitter.com/LewisPingSmith/status/934227913867714560
https://twitter.com/Remaincentrist/status/934228297201922048
https://twitter.com/JohnPhillips25/status/934228377720016896
(had to put mine in there)
https://twitter.com/alanofthenorth/status/934223655810359298
https://twitter.com/uzairjaved92/status/934229128190025728
Got to be balanced.
And now…. he’s gone.
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Another good session of test cricket. Imaginative captaincy by Root, good fielding and both Broad and Anderson look threatening. Broad looks a different bowler to what we saw in the last English summer – was he carrying an injury?
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Probably, most England bowlers are at any given moment in time.
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And speaking of injuries – Anderson not opening the bowling after lunch. Should I be worried?
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Yes. See my earlier reply.
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It would be just a tad ironic if after all the talk about the fragility of the Australian bowlers, the first 2 bowlers to “break down” were Finn and Anderson. Actually, change “ironic” to horrible – I really want to see Anderson have a good series.
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England are already decimated. Wood, Finn, Roland-Jones would all be in the squad ahead of Curran, and probably in the team ahead of Ball.
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I quite like Ball though I liked Hick so “nuff said. I haven’t seen enough of him to judge Curran fairly but I wonder if he has more attitude than ability. Isn’t Wood back to full pace in the nets? It’s possible he could play in this series at some stage.
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Wood is (and always was) in the Lions squad, so they think he might be fit for the second half of the series. And of course Stokes might return, although the newspaper reports suggesting he’d be free and clear this week appear to be premature (if not wrong).
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Cummins showing what a useful all round cricketer he is.
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…or England failing to polish off the tail. Again.
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Cummins is a decent bat. For my money better than Starc.
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I’d agree with that.
Also, many folks were talking up Woakes before the series started, but I was a bit reticent about joining in. He’s only really ever had one good series in test cricket, after all, and although I don’t think he’s bowling badly as such, he’s not doing what a fair few people thought he would/hoped he might.
I think in times such as these we see what class Anderson and Broad really are. Oh please oh please stay fit…
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Looks like a second innings shoot out. Since England is next on and Oz bat last, logically England have the edge.
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unless Jayant Yadav’s ghost walks 🙂
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It’s looking ever more likely that Australia could have a useful lead going into the second innings.
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26 runs is not too significant hopefully for my predictions.
☺
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How about Cook getting out for 7?
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My prediction for Cook was 210 for the series. Hoping that root will come good and also meet my expectations
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Anyone shocked by it? The interest for me is how it will be reported by the press. Having watched Smith for what seemed like a month, with him largely eschewing risk for the great length of his innings (I saw him up to the mid-80s) he then gets out like that, and not for the first time in Australia. He’s the senior pro for heaven’s sake.
I think we’ll see some comments on this when the world wakes up!
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I have mixed feelings. Cook normally plays the hook shot well but given the state of the match it was a shit shot.
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Yes. Absolutely.
The hook shot is a great shot every time you don’t get out playing it! It’s the way he plays. My problem has always been the reporting double standards.
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People talk about Smith, Root, Kohli and Williamson, but I really think after the past couple of years, Smith needs to be put on a higher plane all by himself. What a batsman.
If they can get through these Broad and Anderson spells, with the ball nearing 30 overs old, it could be really good for Australia.
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Agree that Smith is way ahead. As of now virat seems narrowly ahead of root and Kane unfortunately is limited by his nz origin to fewer chances
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Michael Vaughan has been surprisingly good on Channel 9. He’s convinced Moen’s side strain is preventing him from “putting rev’s on the ball” and so he’s not getting the turn that Lyon did.
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I dont particularly rate Ball, however every time Ive seen him bowl in this Test he has been set up to fail with those peculiar funky chicken fields that an English seamer bowling 86mph really isnt the man for.
A lead of 20 odd. New ball key, but I still would probably smirk to myself if Cook failed again. It is getting to the point where even I know it is becoming weird and vindictive.
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Kirkwood goes, I claim my baggy green….
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Have to apologize but work stress makes me nod off before the first ball is bowled. But what a delight to read through the blog and comment over a cup of Viennese coffee in the morning. Even had a dose of culture form BF. Great job chaps! Turning out to be a decent Test match.
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Totally agree Bored. I hope the blog continues with this although I appreciate the time it takes up on those staying up all night.
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The next two tests make it a lot more difficult for the start of play as they start in the early hours (2 or 3 am). It’s easier to go to bed at lunch, than to wake up for the start. And Danny only has this week off!
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