The Ashes 2017 & NZ 2018

[Kevlar]

Good start..................toss won.

[Welsh_Saddler]

Starting to go downhill ..... Cook out for 2 (2 for 1) :(

[Exile]

Starting to go downhill ..... Cook out for 2 (2 for 1) :(

59/1 at lunch. Pitch not doing much. Happy with it so far.

[shrewsbury saddler]

Fair day. I'd settle for four down. Overall in the series , time batting will be almost as important as runs . If they're given a good workload, I can't see their quicks lasting the series, given their injury problems. Turn on day one.

[Over The Moon]

Nice to see England make runs without having to rely on Cook and Root, hopefully kick on tomorrow and Moeen gets going

[shrewsbury saddler]

Day 3. England effectively 33/2. Possible injuries aside , I don't share the doom and gloom on the radio. Brisbane is a convict stronghold, and we've competed well. Woakes and Moeen have underperformed so far , but both have shown in the past they can adapt quickly. Stoneman did well in the evening apparently. TMS seemed amazed at the bowling, but it's what we expect while their three quicks are fit and fresh.

I must say I'm getting peed off at relying on TMS. Listening to Tufnell, Boycott and Mcgrath, who is so biased he might as well still be playing. I'm not paying for BT for a year when this is all they have that I want to watch.

[PT]

Root gone. Effectively 87/5. Think we've had it.

Need to find about 150 runs from the rest of the line up to be competitive. Highly unlikely unfortunately.

[Exile]

Thrown. Not unusual for the start of an ashes tour, but bitterly disappointing.

[PT]

Watched first two sessions. Unfortunately, all the signs are that we will struggle.

Stoneman and Malan both lacking the technique and confidence against spin. The skipper just can't convert enough 50's into tons. Then there are the brain dead moments. Following on from Cooks dismissal yesterday we had Bairstow who had batted beautifully but then threw his wicket away on the cusp of tea.

Only Moeen Ali probably fell in a way that you'd describe as unlucky, the crease a bit creased as it were.

I fear a 5-0. Again.

[El_Nombre]

I'm not sure where all the negativity comes from. Our bowling performance was great when they actually had pressure on the oppo batsmen, we were just a few run short in the first innings of being in a much more positive position. If we had taken a second innings lead (which is definitely on the batsmen not the bowlers) into that innings I think we would have been so much more confident and got at least a draw. Malan, Ali, Bairstow, Woakes, cost us dear by giving away their wickets 1st innings and I think that is what cost us this match. By Day 4 it was too late anyway. another 50 plus runs from those 4 and I think this is a different test match.

Those four are my main concern, along with the fitness of the bowlers going into the second.

Vince deserves a bit of patience as does Stoneman, who played a brilliant innings for me when Cook got out first morning and could have lead to a collapse. Cook and Root are proven top level test players and should come good.

I'd like to see Bairstow move up the order. he's throwing his wicket because of ending up with the tail and is a better batsmen than Ali and possibly Malan.

And I hate to say it because the guy is a c*** ... but my God do we miss Ben Stokes.

[Kevlar]

The collapse is on.

50 for 3 .

Embarrassing.

I fear another whitewash.

[Welsh_Saddler]

It's depressing when you wake up on a Monday morning and see 140 for 7 .......... the tail has got to wag beyond belief. :?

The follow-on appears to be a formality unless Chris Woakes can come up with a century before he runs out of partners.......

(Edit ... Woakes and Overton have put on 66 runs for the 8th wicket - the biggest partnership in the innings so far, and they're still together. Woakes is now 2nd top scorer on 36 - is there hope yet for us?)

Further edit ... Woakes gone for 36 :(

[chunkster]

They will probably win by an innings now, and we haven't won at the Waca since the 70's so there's 3-0 :|

[shrewsbury saddler]

Slight fightback. Smith and Warner out. It now means England are more likely to win than draw, both chances still remote though.

[SaigonSaddler]

It's just not cricket ... :|

[chunkster]

It's just not cricket ... :|

old chap :mrgreen:

[Exile]

That was an interesting day. Have we got a chance?

[shrewsbury saddler]

Yes, but Oz still more likely. New ball due in about 20 overs but they have no reviews-you don't get them back after 80 any more. 178 more needed, 6 wickets left.I'd probably have settled for that at the start of the Test, never mind the beginning of the day. Some fight at last.

Longer highlights than BT here:

https://playki.com/2017/12/05/australia ... est-day-4/

[SaigonSaddler]

We'll end up >50 short.

[Cully]

For any time travellers catching up on yesterday - don't bother to get out of bed at 3.30am this morning to watch a glorious England batting performance, utter garbage :evil:

[shrewsbury saddler]

Reminiscent of India last year. They get your hopes up briefly only to melt them like,er ,snowflakes. Collapses like that are always likely on the last day, which is why you very rarely put the opposition in. Game was really lost in both first innings. What's also frustrating is seeing how jittery Smith gets when his captaincy is even under a bit of pressure.

[Cheesebag]

Bring em home

[El_Nombre]

Reminiscent of India last year. They get your hopes up briefly only to melt them like,er ,snowflakes. Collapses like that are always likely on the last day, which is why you very rarely put the opposition in. Game was really lost in both first innings. What's also frustrating is seeing how jittery Smith gets when his captaincy is even under a bit of pressure.

Yeah I've noticed that. He seems a really poor captain to me. He's lucky he has three fast bowlers and they don't rely on his captaincy too much.

First sign of trouble and he's all over the place.

Root has a lot to learn too. I was at Headingley for the declaration against the WIndies and in the ground there was a massive feeling of "what on earth has he done here?". Wickets had fallen in the day but only when batsmen got themselves out. I always thought it was on for them to win. As he was new to the job I just marked it down to experience.

But this series has been full of "funky" fields, strange bowling changes and weird decisions, like the toss. He seems to want to be too much of a maverick and not do the simple thing.

It's been a series of really poor captaincy on both sides.

[Exile]

Reminiscent of India last year. They get your hopes up briefly only to melt them like,er ,snowflakes. Collapses like that are always likely on the last day, which is why you very rarely put the opposition in. Game was really lost in both first innings. What's also frustrating is seeing how jittery Smith gets when his captaincy is even under a bit of pressure.

Yeah I've noticed that. He seems a really poor captain to me. He's lucky he has three fast bowlers and they don't rely on his captaincy too much.

First sign of trouble and he's all over the place.

Root has a lot to learn too. I was at Headingley for the declaration against the WIndies and in the ground there was a massive feeling of "what on earth has he done here?". Wickets had fallen in the day but only when batsmen got themselves out. I always thought it was on for them to win. As he was new to the job I just marked it down to experience.

But this series has been full of "funky" fields, strange bowling changes and weird decisions, like the toss. He seems to want to be too much of a maverick and not do the simple thing.

It's been a series of really poor captaincy on both sides.

Agree 100%

[Exile]

Has Cook done his dash?

[Welsh_Saddler]

Lovely ... an unbroken century partnership for the 5th wicket!! (Malan and Bairstow, currently on 76 and 36 respectively). :D :D

[saddla]

Malan 100 up!
:D :D :D :D :D :D

and now the 300.

England 300 for 4 :D

[saddla]

305 for 4 at the close
Malan110 not out!!!!!!!
Bairstow 75 not out

What a brilliant 1st test century for Malan and a wonderful end to the days cricket. :D :D :D :D

England have never lost at the WACA when they've made 300 in their first innings :D :D

[Welsh_Saddler]

305 for 4 at the close
Malan110 not out!!!!!!!
Bairstow 75 not out

What a brilliant 1st test century for Malan and a wonderful end to the days cricket. :D :D :D :D

England have never lost at the WACA when they've made 300 in their first innings :D :D

... and mega Chris Woakes still to bat :D

[shrewsbury saddler]

305 for 4 at the close
Malan110 not out!!!!!!!
Bairstow 75 not out

What a brilliant 1st test century for Malan and a wonderful end to the days cricket. :D :D :D :D

England have never lost at the WACA when they've made 300 in their first innings :D :D

... and mega Chris Woakes still to bat :D

...and Moeen. He's a much better player when he thinks the pressure's off him. Glad to see the stupid plan of reversing him and Bairstow has been dropped.