2025-26 Ashes

MFPM

England's lead under 50 here, this partnership is building…England's bowling isn't great though there doesn't seem to me much in the pitch..

Gillespy

England fighting back finally. Seen some great catches today and that by Jacks might be the best one. Everyone was joking about Carse bringing up his gallon in this over and he removes Green and Smith and should have had Carey first ball.

MFPM

Second time wickets have followed my post, keeping my mouth shut from now!!! Amazing how quickly a game can change. Australia will want some lead, but England could run through them here.

Gillespy

Bit of luck going the Aussies way since. Few nice catchable hight edges through the gaps in the cordon. What a position of strength they've given away, Green backing away suckered in by the field and Smith falling into the trap. It's usually England that are that brainless.

Gillespy

Australia in the box seat. Really scruffy day by England, started with Smith dropping Head and ended with three more drops. Lots of wayward bowling in between. Australia if they can bat long into tomorrow will get a hard ball under lights and that could be lethal with how much the old ball was doing with tired bowlers. Cracks will come into it more too. Game could be all but over this time tomorrow.

MFPM

Big session tomorrow morning. If England can get early wickets and restrict Australis to a lead of around 70, they'll be back in the game but conversely if Australia can push the lead to 100+ then it becomes very tough for England. They'll have to to bat most of tomorrow and day 4 and hope to have a lead of 250-300…

Strumms

44 run lead for the Aussies with 4 wickets left. Nesser can bat a bit as his first class average of 28.31 shows but up to now in any format for Australia he hasn’t been so great with the bat. Unfortunately for England he’s doing ok here now. Him gone England are into the proper tail…

I’d guess England are right on the edge of where the test is salvageable. Quick wickets and 65/70 run deficit and ok…might pull something out of the bag but realistically thats improbable.

Englands strike bowlers.

Archer..20 overs , 1 wicket. Atkinson..18 overs , 0 wickets. That’s a huge issue. This test and this series. Economical bowling but a solitary wicket between the pair of supposed ‘strike bowlers’ over 38 overs 😵‍💫. Took 2 wickets between them in the first test. Now failing so far again here. Atkinson is if my memory is correct wicketless so far in the series ?

England have shelled numerous catches in both matches, first test not anywhere enough runs. It’s really looking very bleak in all aspects of their game for this ashes. Batting, bowling and fielding.

VillaMad

Early wicket for England with Jamie Smith finally catching one.

England have been truly awful with both the ball and in the field, so they really need a good first hour. Anything over a 100 run lead and they are staring down the barrel.

kowloonkev

This is England's victory. They'll be happy with that

Strumms

tail enders here making a very telling contribution for Australia.

England just not being able to mop up the tail and it’s taking this test away from them.

MFPM

Carey goes too, Atkinson gets his first wicket of the series. Lead 83.

kowloonkev

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124046936#Comment_124046936

Nothing compared to England's last stand.

Strumms

this collective effort from the Aussie tail is now setting them up nicely for victory. Aussies gone from 329/6 → 429/8 as I type… 😵..

Stokes has bowled pretty decently, just as a collective bowling attack, not good enough.

Camera cuts to McCullum, looks like he can’t believe what he’s witnessing, totally crestfallen…

Paddy_Mag

466/8

57 for starc atm.

Paddy_Mag

And scott boland playing shots like he is Tendulkar

MFPM

This is tough for England; however, the pitch has nothing in it, so England, if they bat well, can build a score, however, with the lead over 130, they're going to need about 400 to post a score. Starc will be shattered too! 😊

Paddy_Mag

This is how England should have batted for an hour after lunch on day two in perth

Paddy_Mag

Starc looks like he is about to tee off

MFPM

Starc finally goes for 77, caught by Stokes, who seemed to get in Duckett's way of the catch so lucky for him he held on. Starc got some treatment on his arm and seemed to be nursing it abit, hopefully for him it's just cramp or something like that. England will be batting soon, not ideal time for batting but they need a good start.

Paddy_Mag

500 up.

Boland batting like a tendulkar/laxman/dravid hybrid at times.

Paddy_Mag

511 all out.

177 run lead

MFPM

England batting well, scoring at just under 8 an over, nothing in the pitch for the bowlers. Starc just taken for 13 off his 3rd over. Australia batted well but the bowlers did it today for them, that must take a toll on them now bowling particularly Starc and Boland.

MFPM

England scoring well but giving Australia chances, Pope goes now c&b to Neser. 92/2. Australia would like to add 2 more wickets to that before England take a lead I suspect.

MFPM

Crawley gone now in much the same fashion as Pope, not the best cricket from those two. England in a spot of bother...

MFPM

Starc Removes Root, Starc has 7 wickets and top scored for Australia with the bat. England 4 down, 55 behind.

MFPM

Now Brook, not out on review, next ball successful review for Australia...123/5...54 behind Aus, first innings score. Hard to see England getting out of this one.

MFPM

132/6..still 45 behind, Smith goes and wastes a review too...

Gillespy

Not to toot my own horn, a single cell organism could have predicted the way today was going to go once England didn't take the last four wickets quickly. Quite fortunate to be only six down. At least with Stokes still in, there's a slim chance the game will see day five. It's a far easier game in the day light and the ball is soft now. Very slim. Seven wicket victory at least.

decies

love my ashes cricket love Australia 🇦🇺. Great day for the Aussies . Line and length now tomorrow Aussies and hopefully by the time I get up it won’t be far off 2/0 . Good stuff

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124047351#Comment_124047351

Yeah Englands goose is cooked. Pity it is really looking likely to be a very uncompetitive series. England in the mire from a leadership, playing personnel and performance standpoint. Frustrating as a cricket fan, you want the series to be close.

5 of Englands batsmen made starts yesterday, yet the only decent score was Crawley on 44… We saw again England needing wickets yet very defensive fields… almost saying..” we don’t back ourselves to get you out instead we are banking on a mistake..”

Frustrating for England and neutrals watching that 6 wickets have been lost and not a single 50 yet….poxy performance really….