Ashes 17-18

Beasty · 27-12-2017 2:27am

Certainly a bit of a turnaround this morning - 325-8!

Beasty · 27-12-2017 2:34am

...and at 326-8 at lunch I can go to bed happy. The fact they've managed to get to the tail end before the ball deteriorated much has to be a big plus. Hopefully the England batsmen will be learning from the way these wickets are falling - 3 played on and 2 lbws this morning and the softer ball is not getting much height at all.

Gizmo55 · 27-12-2017 2:35am

82-5 in that session.

StringerBell · 27-12-2017 2:39am

Serious mornings work from England, 5 wicket, 3 of them drag on's which indicates the two paced nature of the wicket.

Warners 100 is getting better looking by the minute! 326/8 at lunch. Did I miss something regarding Warner? He is one of those guys easy to dislike if he isn't on your team of course but did he do something specific to be labelled a scumbag by a poster?

The tail looks decidedly more fragile with Bird coming in at 9, England have gained a foothold in the Test now. Interesting to see if they can knock the tail over fast. They are usually good for a couple of good sessions per Test though then the collapse comes so a lot to be seen yet

StringerBell · 27-12-2017 3:15am

Second ball back after lunch and Broad removes Cummins. The last of the decent batters in the Aussie line up. The fat lady is warming up here for the first innings!

Broad has deserved this, bowled like a man wanting to send a message to his many critics

StringerBell · 27-12-2017 3:31am

All out 327, Anderson taking care of Lyon.

Warners hundred may be a difference maker here, interested to see how Englands batsmen play the pitch.

Credit to England, from 243/3 to all out for 327 in just over a session is very good going.

The question now is will the slow pitch help Lyon as much as you think it probably will and can Australia find that reverse that England were getting?

Mysterypunter · 27-12-2017 3:33am

Wrapped up very fast from 309-5. Hard to know is it a good score or not, maybe 400 is

Mr. Guappa · 27-12-2017 9:36am

England 192-2 at the close. Cook with a century. England in the driving seat, let's see if they can see this one through.

StringerBell · 27-12-2017 11:43am

England's best day of the series so far. Too little too late in terms of the series but a chance to save face a little is now firmly in their hands. Good day with the bat tomorrow and that's job done

StringerBell · 27-12-2017 11:48am

Was also nice if Smith to have a bowl at cook before stumps to make sure to get him over the line today ðŸ˜

Beasty · 27-12-2017 2:30pm

Hope it's going to be a cracking morning session tonight! If these 2 can survive the next session England will be in a great position. If the Aussies can get both wickets there's a risk that England will collapse in a similar fashion to the Aussies when they get hold of the new ball

StringerBell · 28-12-2017 1:38am

Root gone for 61, gives the opening.

226/3

StringerBell · 28-12-2017 2:05am

Cook is looking unshakeable here, Smith very ropey, on and off the field a bit. Similar to Cummins yesterday, reports of illness in the camp.

The fielding has been defensive from Smithy also. When Malan came in, new man, just 1 slip in place. Malan hit 3 boundaries then through the slip/gulley corridor, defensive captaincy from both camps this Test.

New ball due soon though maybe see a change in that policy.

Malan has slotted in handy, some loose bowling has helped that but these two could be in for the long haul barring some new ball magic.

StringerBell · 28-12-2017 2:08am

New ball, Hazelwood into the attack. This period before lunch will have a large bearing on the outcome of the Test

StringerBell · 28-12-2017 2:11am

Boom, 2nd ball. Malan out lbw to Hazlewood.

246/4, trailing by 81....wow, just saw the replays. Malan didn't review, and he very well should have. Big inside edge!

Actually farcical from Malan not to have felt that or reviewed.

Beasty · 28-12-2017 2:15am

Crazy that 2 on the English batsmen didn't realise they had hit the ball. Think there may be an issue with the new team members feeling the aftermath of wasted decisions in previous series. Now you don't lose a referral on umpire's call they should be thinking of appealing a few more times

StringerBell · 28-12-2017 2:16am

Big inswing on a full ball to Cook slams into his pads but its going down leg side, scary moments for England here!

StringerBell · 28-12-2017 2:19am

Bairstow playing like Bairstow, he will be one to come away from this series with reputation intact anyway

Beasty · 28-12-2017 2:22am

The good news is England still have Cook and Bairstow to handle the new ball with Ali to come. If these 2 can survive the first 7 or 8 overs after the break they will be well placed to take a healthy first innings lead

StringerBell · 28-12-2017 2:29am

There we go, Bairstow driving hard, flies through the gap at 3rd slip for four. Bairstow was lucky the ball before that too when the ball beat him but just beat the off stump also. Bird bowling alright with the new ball.

Last over before lunch for Hazlewood.

Beasty · 28-12-2017 2:34am

OK, bed time now. Hopefully I'll be waking up to some positive news!

StringerBell · 28-12-2017 3:33am

Huge wicket! Bairstow gone to Lyon, top edge caught by Paine.

The deficit is about 50, big moment in the match there.

StringerBell · 28-12-2017 3:52am

Moeen came out like a man on a mission, lasted 14 balls, scored 20. Got out to a not great delivery, a bad shot and a fantastic catch by Shaun Marsh. Lyon gets his man again.

StringerBell · 28-12-2017 3:54am

Cook goes to 150, he needs to not run out of partners as he is batting superbly. Huge Cook fan so delighted for him, Englands best ever batsman in my eyes.

311/6

Mysterypunter · 28-12-2017 4:05am

5 English batsmen out between 14 and 22, strange

StringerBell · 28-12-2017 5:00am

Woakes doing well just hanging in there. In terms of balls faced he is already cooks second longest partner!

This wicket is a road, Aussie middle order need to have a look at themselves here, the slower pitch is after negating the pace attack and they do miss start though bird has bowled well. Outside of it on and Hazelwood nine of them actually look threatening though.

Bit like England in earlier tests. Cummins is definitely off on this match

StringerBell · 28-12-2017 5:05am

Bit embarrassing, woakes gets a boundary in between the gap to first slip, Paine left it to Smith and vice versa.

Mysterypunter · 28-12-2017 5:21am

360-6 at tea, lead by 33, Lyon left the field with a finger injury, Cook 173*

Mr. Guappa · 28-12-2017 6:50am

Double century for Cook.
Lead nearing 100 with England 8 down.

exaisle · 28-12-2017 8:06am

England 491-9....

One wonders if Mitch Starc makes that much difference?

The one sure thing is that England have to bring faster bowlers to Australia.....where's Harold Larmour when you want him? (Cue googling "harold larmour")

exaisle · 28-12-2017 9:38am

...but before anybody gets carried away, without Cook, 491-9 becomes 247-8...

flatty · 28-12-2017 9:46am

exaisle wrote: »

...but before anybody gets carried away, without Cook, 491-9 becomes 247-8...

And Australia without Warner?
Slightly pointless.

flatty · 28-12-2017 9:51am

I still think the aussies aren't out of this. It will be interesting to see how the English bowlers go with something to aim at for the first time in the series.
Keeping Ali in the side can only mean they have absolutely no faith in the back up spinner. He has been a passenger for four tests now. Should have been dropped for this match.
England have in effect a four man attack on a bland pitch. Two, possibly three of the English batsmen weren't actually out, and the three Australian chop ons are unlikely to be repeated. Smith is in the form of his life. Australia could get 400 and bowl for two sessions at a very jittery England side on a deteriorating pitch. They could more realistically force a draw. Reverse swing (or lack of) is likely to be the key factor. I'm just interested to see if England bowl better now that they are in the ascendancy.

StringerBell · 28-12-2017 11:26am

England are in a very strong position here being a pretty big understatement. Some day for cook. Delighted for him, feel for bird he has not bowled badly he is just bowling 120-130km on that pitch!

I'd imagine he will let cook go as far as he can, but expect Australia to be in batting again by lunch tomorrow at the very latest with a big deficit on their hands and for the first time batting to save a test match this series.

Even avoiding the whitewash is something for England go take home at this point as a positive

Royale with Cheese · 28-12-2017 12:54pm

Pleased for Cook. He seems like quite a likeable guy, unlike some of the other senior players struggling in this tour (*cough* Stuart Broad), so would have been a shame for his career to have fizzled out like the previous few inninngs.

I thought the talk of retirements for all of them was very premature though. All it takes is one bar tour at that age and people start talking about the end. Didn't Tendulkar have a slump in his early to mid 30s only to come back and play like Tendulkar again? Ok he was a cut above everyone else, but poor form at that age shouldn't automatically spell the end. It's not like England have a huge amount of batting talent to replace him with.

StringerBell · 28-12-2017 1:22pm

I am a huge fan of Cook over the years, as I said imo he is England best ever batsman. I would use caution though when pointing to this innings as any indicator of future performance, last time he got a double was v WI in August, he went past 50 only once in his next 7 Tests then, going past 30 only twice iirc

This pitch suits him quite well, and this innings has brought his yearly avg above 43 which salvages the year for him really but there will be bigger Tests to come. The resilience shown is something to admire though, from himself and Broad who I am not as much of a fan of

You just knew Broad was going to contribute with the bat as well as bowl much better!

Rekop dog · 28-12-2017 1:23pm

I'd imagine the Aussie lads enjoyed their Christmas having already sealed the series. Hard to have that same edge with a series whitewash as their only incentive.

Beasty · 28-12-2017 2:38pm

Just watched the highlights of that second and third session. Got to say thoroughly enjoyable that was

To suggest the Aussies lost their drive over Xmas is in my view absurd. They were missing one of their best bowlers and the backup did not perform. However they won the toss and were looking for a whitewash. They had plenty of motivation, but came up against a Cook doing exactly what a Cook is capable of doing. The England team have adapted better to local conditions as the tour has progressed. We typically see a similar pattern when teams come to England

Without doubt the Aussie team have thoroughly deserved the series win, particularly when England did win the toss in each of those 3 defeats, but there are some positives England can take, including some decent performances from the newer batsmen. Hopefully the resurgence of Cook will see him performing at this level for a few more years yet. England's main issue is likely to be finding someone to pick up Jimmy's mantle, as when he goes there will be a massive hole in England's bowling. Having said that I would hope he can stick around for a couple more years

flatty · 28-12-2017 3:32pm

I saw Anderson in a coffee shop in the summer. My two observations were that he looked a very nice quiet and polite man, queuing up to buy the coffees for his pals, and being very pleasant to the staff, which went against some of the things written about him, and secondly that he looked in absolutely fantastic fettle. He really did look young and fit, and better than he does on the telly.

Inquitus · 28-12-2017 4:23pm

Too little.too late, but if it heads off a 5-0 whitewash then all good I guess!

StringerBell · 29-12-2017 1:26am

Pretty quick batting innings for England this morning

Anderson out to Cummins first ball. Cook carries his bat for 244no

Australia are 26 without loss through 10 overs so far

England have already been notified the umpires have noticed them throwing the ball into the ground trying to scuff it up. The umpires are taking particular interest in the ball

Curran is looking good.

Oh yeah, England have lost a review too.

StringerBell · 29-12-2017 1:32am

England been told again about the ball, telling them to keep it up when throwing it in from the field.

The pitch itself is still playing quite slow, the ball keeping low at times which will interest the bowlers for sure

StringerBell · 29-12-2017 1:36am

Hahahaha Anderson seen scraping his nail along the ball

Determined to get this scuffed asap

StringerBell · 29-12-2017 1:52am

Breakthrough

Another drag on, Woakes to Bancroft.

51/1

Absolutely nothing happening for England up to this point, pressure will pile on Bancroft now after that aberration.

StringerBell · 29-12-2017 2:09am

100 runs behind now, 64/1

StringerBell · 29-12-2017 2:16am

Warner has been very disciplined in general in this series, but this defensive tactic from England has to be driving him mad today. At some point you expect him to get out by losing his discipline

Khawaja is out, Anderson strikes. Another batsman who will be feeling the pressure. Edged and gone.

Just not good enough from your number 3 to be honest, and hasn't been in this series.

The main man comes to the crease and if England can get rid of these two in the next couple of hours this could even be wrapped up by the end of play!

Shocking from the two batsmen who got out, for all the talk of this pitch they are still finding ways to get themselves out.

StringerBell · 29-12-2017 2:20am

He has been the difference maker this series and they need a captains innings from him here

StringerBell · 29-12-2017 3:29am

Can't actually watch anymore, the pitch and the RR are pathetic and its like watching paint dry.

Bed for me!

Rekop dog · 29-12-2017 5:17am

StringerBell wrote: »

Can't actually watch anymore, the pitch and the RR are pathetic and its like watching paint dry.

Bed for me!

There's only about 10 people in the MCG so you're not the only one who can't watch. Test cricket is dead.

StringerBell · 29-12-2017 3:32pm

Test cricket isn't dead, but dead rubbers on dead pitches with defensive tactics from the bowling team and the batting team is never going to encourage many people to view!

I see it got rained off not too long after I threw in the towel anyway.

David Warner has a striker rate of 28.5 ffs

Test cricket is far from dead, I would argue strongly against that. This match is certainly dead though!

Drop in pitches just don't work as well as traditional ones and the worrying thing for Test cricket is that drop pitches are becoming more common

Ashes 17-18

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