Goughie was saying on talksport earlier that the pitch was pretty good on the first day and anyone winning the toss should be able to rack up a decent 400 plus score and put a lot of pressure on.
Good middle of the day - not so great in the first and last sessions. Be handy to get these 2 out quickly when play starts otherwise we might find ourselves on the back foot.
Need an 1981 Botham style miracle! Aussies have just been clinical when taking their chances and had the chance to edge ahead whereas we've blown some good position.
A hardly surprising outcome really. A bit more fight in the team than the last showing in Australia, but we all know how this series is going to end up. I just can't see us taking 20 wickets with our bowling attack, let alone scoring over 400 with our batting line up!
We really need another batter in that team, Moen is batting a place higher up with Stokes out. He is so deeply missed as we are having to play Ball instead as the 4th seamer. I would have said we needed a bit more fight in the team but Jonny Bairstow apparently planted the nut on Cameron Bankcroft few weeks ago on a night out! http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/42128685
All I have seen is that when Broad and Anderson are bowling in tandem we have some control and threat, as soon as a change is made we lose that control. So we really do not seem to have that strength in the second string bowlers to a) keep control and tie the batsmen up and b) actually take 20 wickets in a test match. I was surprised Ball was picked instead of Overton, I think Ball's selection was based on the anticipated 'pace' of the Gabba pitch, but a combination of the surface initially not being as fast as usual, and Ball not being as quick as they expected has negated this. Overton was in better form in the warm ups, and also didn't get injured.
Well, as you know I am a Somerset fan so I would be quite pleased if Overton carries on being left out as I’d rather he didn’t spend the summer away from the county! Be that as it may, I think Woakes and Ali are decent but, like you, am not sure about Ball. That said, Smith (and perhaps Warner) aside, I’m still not convinced by the Aussie batting so I wouldn’t be that surprised to see us getting them out reasonably regularly. The bowling cupboard after Broad and Anderson retire does look pretty bare, though.
Didn't last long. Bairstow seems to be avoiding any trouble for the head butting allegations which even the Aussies have brushed off.
Join the club! Life-long Somerset supporter. Used to work for them too once upon a time. Think Craig deserves his chance. Had he made runs in the warm up matches, he might already have been picked.
I think we ll win at Adelaide , as long as we get to bowl at them in the evening/dusk sessions when visibility is lower and the ball may move more. The Australians showed when they last came here, that they dont like batting against a swinging ball in English conditions.
It's truly woeful. Sky massively dropped thre ball on this one . They ve got the best array of commentators in English sport covering an obscure sub continent test series while the Ashes is being brought to us by a part time football commentator .
It was the constant talking that got to me. They've got Vaughan, Swann, Boycott and that woman from TMS and only Boycott knew that you didn't have to describe every ball. Then you had Matt Smith sitting there in the '3rd Man' position, staring oddly at the other commentators. The Sky group used to almost find annoyance in having to interrupt discussing Bumble's gardening stories to talk about what was going on. Ended up watching the Aussie coverage on another service in the end. They at least had Shane Warne.
I fear another whitewash unfortunately. There always seems to be some kind of drama when travelling down under - last time being Trott's illness, this time the Ben Stokes episode and now the strange Bairstow headbutt incident. Losing Stokes is too big a blow to the team - the back-up bowlers to Anderson and Broad aren't good enough, and moving Moeen up the batting order leaves the tail too exposed. If we're beaten in Adelaide, I think it'll end up 5-0 unless bad weather intervenes. The day/night test could be interesting as you'd think that the night conditions should make our bowlers more effective. That's if they get to bowl during that stage of the game, of course.
Maybe Root should have been more worried getting the right call at the toss than a bit of childish laughter at a press conference. Aussies will be laughing even more now!
Maybe given ourselves a chance getting the Aussies out for 138. Mind you 350 won't be easy to get with 2 night sessions to come.
Target of 317 with 10 wickets remaining. ...could be interesting if the two openers can stay in for a while.
I don't know why I bother! As soon as I turn the TV on, we lose a wicket. Need a captains innings from Root.
Pride restored and we can get at the aussie batting line up in the last 3 tests. Good game to win from here.
It would be a very typical England to lose 3 quick wickets tomorrow just when they get a sniff of an unlikely win.
It's the hope that kills you. I'd already come to terms with another disappointing loss, and with that the series also. Now they've fought back well, it'll make the inevitable collapse on the final day that much harder to take. But we all know that's exactly what will happen..............
Probably. I keep doing the sums but even if Root gets another 40, we need two more players to get a 50s and rely on the likes of Jimmy to get 10 each I really hoped we'd avoid a white wash as this is a weak Aussie side but we've crumbled at crucial times and since his innings in the first test against West Indies Cook hasn't anchored in
the only way we will get another 180 is if Lyon falls down the hotel stairs in the morning. Woakes, Bairstow, Ali are all capable of getting 50's and Root another 50+, but not as the pressure builds. If we don't lose another wicket before lunch the pressure will start to build on Smith which could make it interesting. The likely hood is that it will all be over before the 2nd session has reached its drinks break
Am feeling stupidly optimistic for this one . Have set my alarm for 30 mins after start of play . If Woakes and Root still in, I'll get up and watch it . If they re not , then they can **** off and I'll be going back to bed .
I set my alarm this morning for 4am, along with my regular alarm at 6:30am. I knew that quick check of the score at 4am would mean I could stay in bed until my normal alarm, and sure enough the collapse had begun. I suppose I was optimistic to even set an early alarm on the off chance we might do something. The predictions of Root not converting his 50 and getting out straight away were so obvious I can not believe I didn't put any money on it. Ah well, my 4-1 prediction is looking quite optimistic as well now. It's all very well us having a 'good day' in a test but we need to somehow try and do this throughout the course of the match. Anyhow, if the ball doesn't swing, we can't take 20 wickets so maybe it's a moot point.
