Ashes 17-18

StringerBell · 17-12-2017 4:09am

One of the funner comments on another site is that after seeing the cracks in the wicket Australia are now losing wickets on purpose to put the Poms back in to bat quicker

Anderson appears to be getting some reverse spin. This could be a very lively session.

StringerBell · 17-12-2017 4:11am

New ball is available, but I am not sure they will take it given the way this ball is working for them.

Gizmo55 · 17-12-2017 4:20am

This is one of the big differences, Aus blow through the England tail whereas England struggle to finish them off.

Gizmo55 · 17-12-2017 4:23am

Down leg side? Yep. Feck.

StringerBell · 17-12-2017 4:26am

Never mind that, Australia either need to bat strong, aggressively, now or just declare. Batting this way serves no purpose other then to lose overs, which may be precious given the weather.

Good review there by Paine, stride saved him. Anderson enjoying himself this morning

I'll say it once more, the foot needs to be put to the floor or just declare, scratching around is serving no purpose. May add about 30 runs losing more overs then that would be worth the way this pitch is playing.

StringerBell · 17-12-2017 4:31am

After watching that Paine review I am more convinced Smith got dealt a bad one by the review system and that it was definitely going to go over.

StringerBell · 17-12-2017 4:36am

Good over from Australia though I am not sure how Cummins survived that last ball, super delivery from Anderson edged for 4.

9 runs from the over brings the lead to 182 runs, how many more I wonder

Gizmo55 · 17-12-2017 4:41am

I’m never sure about Smith’s tactics. Great batsman but not a great captain. England should try the new ball now.

StringerBell · 17-12-2017 5:01am

This is more like it in terms of run rate, the lead is up to 205, both batsmen bringing their SR up a bit.

StringerBell · 17-12-2017 5:04am

Gizmo55 wrote: »

I’m never sure about Smith’s tactics. Great batsman but not a great captain. England should try the new ball now.

I think he wants to get 250 if possible, that really looks like it could be enough without needing to bat again.

The problem is the length of time it will take to get there, I would question the benefit of getting there slowly but if they can get close to it or surpass it in the next 8/10 overs that will be good enough for him I'm sure.

I can see the reluctance to take the new ball tbh, they are getting something out of the old one but more to the point it will be easier to score off the new ball as much as it would be likely to take a wicket.

StringerBell · 17-12-2017 5:12am

Overton is visibly in pain after each delivery

StringerBell · 17-12-2017 5:14am

Closing in on another record here, 624 is the record for the team batting second at Perth.

619/7 right now.

StringerBell · 17-12-2017 5:15am

If you could bank on the weather the plan would ideally be to bat to tea and back the bowlers to get it done in 4 sessions, but I think he will get a declaration done at lunch whatever the score.

StringerBell · 17-12-2017 5:33am

Lunch, the lead is 240 with a big help from the last over Cummins v Ali, a huge 6 included.

Its a little short of what I have thought he would declare on, see what happens I guess but a declaration wouldn't be out of line.

KevIRL · 17-12-2017 7:31am

England completely goosed with both openers gone.

KevIRL · 17-12-2017 7:51am

Root handing out the Christmas presents early

KevIRL · 17-12-2017 8:09am

Can the rain save England?

KevIRL · 17-12-2017 9:16am

Four wickets gone for 100. Only the rain can do it now.

KevIRL · 17-12-2017 10:21am

Questionable abandoning of play for the day there. Glimmer of hope for England thougj

Chiarrai19 · 17-12-2017 11:49am

I have been watching the Ashes for the first time. Can someone explain how it could possibly be a draw? Is there a limit on 5 days? I.e if England are still batting by close tomorrow due to the rain- it will be deemed a draw? Seems very unfair

StringerBell · 17-12-2017 1:02pm

Chiarrai19 wrote: »

I have been watching the Ashes for the first time. Can someone explain how it could possibly be a draw? Is there a limit on 5 days? I.e if England are still batting by close tomorrow due to the rain- it will be deemed a draw? Seems very unfair

Basically you must bowl the other team out to win. If England bat out the day, surviving they will earn a draw. If they set a target Australia fail to reach it will be a draw also. There is a 5 day limit yes. Rain can and has saved many a team from defeat.

ArmaniJeanss · 17-12-2017 1:25pm

Great updates throughout the series StringerB, thanks.

Pity it looks like it won't be alive for Melbourne.

Chiarrai19 · 17-12-2017 1:32pm

StringerBell wrote: »

Basically you must bowl the other team out to win. If England bat out the day, surviving they will earn a draw. If they set a target Australia fail to reach it will be a draw also. There is a 5 day limit yes. Rain can and has saved many a team from defeat.

Thanks for the reply. So if England don’t reach the 127 tomorrow due to the rain or they exceed 127 and are still batting it will be a draw. Looks good for them (for the draw)in my opinion as I can’t see them losing 6 wickets in the little time available to bat (when it’s due to rain all day)

KevIRL · 17-12-2017 1:40pm

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Great updates throughout the series StringerB, thanks.

Pity it looks like it won't be alive for Melbourne.

Melbourne likely to be all about England avoiding the whitewash. Can't beat the boxing day test, especially when it's the ashes

StringerBell · 17-12-2017 10:57pm

Weather forecast in Perth looks like it's going to save England from defeat anyway.

KevIRL · 18-12-2017 7:33am

Just the four wickets left to get in 50 overs if no more rain

Rekop dog · 18-12-2017 7:37am

Attendances have been shocking for this Ashes. Crucial final day of test and stadium more than half empty. Test cricket doesn't capture the general publics imagination anymore

KevIRL · 18-12-2017 8:22am

The fat lady clearing her throat...

StringerBell · 18-12-2017 8:42am

Rekop dog wrote: »

Attendances have been shocking for this Ashes. Crucial final day of test and stadium more than half empty. Test cricket doesn't capture the general publics imagination anymore

Have attendances not been very Good?

Tom Mann Centuria · 18-12-2017 8:50am

StringerBell wrote: »

Have attendances not been very Good?

I wouldn't be surprised if attendances were poor this year. Abject England performance probably means a lot of ex pats not bothering, genuine fans who want to see decent contests rather than procession not bothering. They are massive stadia to try and fill too, sell outs aren't easy in a lot of Aussie grounds.

KevIRL · 18-12-2017 9:22am

Going from 368/4 in the first innings to losing the ashes in an innings defeat is impressively crap. Even for England

Richard Hillman · 18-12-2017 9:34am

Looking like a whitewash against the worst Australia time of our lifetimes. I wonder how England management will weasel out of this one.

Last time it was all KPs fault. Last winter in India they laid it all on Cook. Stokes will probably get the blame this time.

Maybe Paul Farbrace might stop being such a media whore and finally throw Bayliss under the bus. Farbrace has all the guys over at Sky buttered up by now how he'll be in pole position for the job.

Tom Mann Centuria · 18-12-2017 10:26am

According to the good people of twitter, over the last five years England have won 4 of 25 away Test matches. 16%win rate, now that's garbage.

Royale with Cheese · 18-12-2017 12:13pm

Pity it's not England coming to Dublin in May so.

StringerBell · 18-12-2017 12:48pm

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

I wouldn't be surprised if attendances were poor this year. Abject England performance probably means a lot of ex pats not bothering, genuine fans who want to see decent contests rather than procession not bothering. They are massive stadia to try and fill too, sell outs aren't easy in a lot of Aussie grounds.

Yeah but from memory, watching and listening to the commentators there seems to have been very good attendance overall. The freak storm in Perth was likely to keep people away in fairness today.

ArmaniJeanss · 18-12-2017 3:45pm

Rekop dog wrote: »

Attendances have been shocking for this Ashes. Crucial final day of test and stadium more than half empty. Test cricket doesn't capture the general publics imagination anymore

5th Day of a test on Monday or Tuesday has always been a hard sell even when test cricket was in its relative prime.
I remember from tests in the 80s that the BBC would usually mention a few times that tickets were available for 3quid walk-up and basically beg people to drop in.

Combination of it being general policy not to do pre-sales for D5, and the fact that a D5 game is usually in one of two situations - either dribbling to a dour draw or a team needing just a handful of runs or wickets to win meaning there'll be only a few hours play.

riffmongous · 18-12-2017 6:55pm

Any simpsons fans here?

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byronbay2 · 26-12-2017 1:28am

Bad start for England in the 4th Test. Lost the toss and Aus chose to bat. 37-0 after 13 overs. Low run rate but new ball softening and both batsmen ready to start hitting now. Could be a long day for England!

Gizmo55 · 26-12-2017 1:47am

byronbay2 wrote: »

Bad start for England in the 4th Test. Lost the toss and Aus chose to bat. 37-0 after 13 overs. Low run rate but new ball softening and both batsmen ready to start hitting now. Could be a long day for England!

It’ll be a long night for us all after the days festivities

Hope England get stuck in and make a game of it.

riffmongous · 26-12-2017 2:37am

This was up on Reddit

With Tom Curran becoming yet another South African born player to play for England I think it's a great excuse to show this song

KevIRL · 26-12-2017 4:22am

Curran gets Warner out for 99 but is called for a no ball. If anything summed up England this ashes series...

Gizmo55 · 26-12-2017 4:40am

135-1. Hard to watch if you’re an England supporter.

KevIRL · 26-12-2017 4:46am

Now he's gone. 103. Nice pressure from England, plenty of dots

KevIRL · 26-12-2017 7:38am

Good session after lunch from England but Smith yet again making the difference since then.

KevIRL · 26-12-2017 8:07am

244/3 at stumps

Conchir · 26-12-2017 4:02pm

The period around Warner's wicket on 99, no ball, and then eventual 100 was a great spectacle. The excitement of Test cricket, love it. The swing in emotions for Warner and Curran was great, and the crowd right on them the whole time.

StringerBell · 26-12-2017 8:26pm

Strange day that, off to a super start in the morning with Warner, then a lull for pretty much all of the afternoon, you could have been forgiven for thinking rain must have played a part! The evening session picked up again with the current partnership.

Curran continues an English tradition of having your first Test wicket taken off you for a no ball

Same old problem for England now though, how to get rid of Smith. I think there is a stat that he has not been dismissed at this ground since 2014 scoring big tons each time in the first innings? Definitely got close to 200 in one of them and over a hundred in the other two.

Conchir · 26-12-2017 10:31pm

StringerBell wrote: »

Same old problem for England now though, how to get rid of Smith. I think there is a stat that he has not been dismissed at this ground since 2014 scoring big tons each time in the first innings? Definitely got close to 200 in one of them and over a hundred in the other two.

His average at the MCG is around 130 if I recall correctly, phenomenal.

Mysterypunter · 27-12-2017 2:13am

318-6 now, that Warner is a right little scumbag

Mysterypunter · 27-12-2017 2:21am

318-7 Paine out for 24

Ashes 17-18

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