Best playing for a draw now. Can't conceive how we can hope to bowl the Aussies out. Lose this we need to win all 3 remaining tests.
Chucking it down in Hertfordshire so might be at Lord's - be a shame but probably sum up this test if the rain gets in the way again!
Exactly. We’d have to bowl them out in a session or so. At least in this match Archer, Leach & Burns have performed well. Bodes well. What will be the long term effect on Smith?
He'll be fine. A player of his ability won't let that phase him. I hate how good he is. Hate it. So much that it's made me forget his cheating.
You may well be right but he was unsettled throughout Archer’s spell. Cummins played him better. Smith seems a perfectionist & having a bowler be dominant over him may just get under his skin.
He was scoring over 90% of his runs between fine leg & mid wicket. Could be scope for some special fielding positions. 45 degrees behind square ‘on the ring’, short square leg, that type of thing.
Smith out of the test with concussion and doubtful for match 3. I did say last week that we needed Archer to rough up Smith like Flintoff used to Ponting. Did not quite mean it to the extent he has though!
They can play a sub - knowing our luck he'll get the winning runs or save the game! Hope Smith is ok of course - delayed concussion is always a danger.
Seems he will be able to. From BBC: He will be replaced by Marnus Labuschagne, who becomes Test cricket's first concussion substitute.
EDIT: I’ve just seen the 2018 rule change and it appeared he can bat and/or bowl. The player must be pre-approved my the match officials as a ‘like-for-like’ replacement.
I’d tell Stokes and Buttler to start swinging for the boundary after lunch and give them an hour to get as many runs as possible. Then declare (if we aren’t all out) and give it a go with defeat all but ruled out.
Need a quick few wickets. Unlikely as this Labuschagne looks as solid as a rock and Archer's a bit tired now.
Is Steve Smith playing in disguise as his replacement? Good County Championship record for Glamorgan this season . Maybe both team should just start with 2 or 3 wickets down - the middle order for both are better than the top 3!
What a gripping match. 10 wickets in 48 overs was always a lopsided equation but if Roy hadn’t shelled the sitter off Head we could possibly have pulled it off. In fact, if it hadn’t rained in the morning, chopping off 10 overs, it might have happened. Anyway, a huge momentum shift before Leeds on Thursday. Smith surely won’t play. If he thinks he’s ok that is proof that he isn’t. We know we can always get 20 wickets now.
Test cricket is still my favourite format and matches like this make me think it’s still alive and kicking. Absolutely brilliant stuff from both sides. Fair play to the lad that replaced Smith especially getting hit so early on. Archer is an absolute beast of a fast bowler
Told you Archer's pace would make a huge difference ! With hindsight I know, but how different things might now look had he been picked ahead of Anderson for that first test. Remember he was deemed fit enough to have been named in the squad and played a limited overs game the week before (Anderson hadn't played at all) but the desire to pick Anderson was so desperate he was always going to be picked as long as his leg wasn't in plaster. So we have to win 2-0 from the 3 remaining games. Assuming one is a rain-affected draw, can we win the other 2 ? It's not impossible.
Oh exciting conclusion to an action packed day of sport for me and a punch up too! Could '66' have declared earlier?
With hindsight yes, but he'd have looked a fool if Warner had then got going and made it 0-2, given how easy Stokes and Bairstow had made the pitch look.
Not really. England were always going to sew up a draw with an outside chance of victory - leaving any chance of defeat would have been suicidal tactics.
If Smith plays The Ashes are probably lost unless Archer has knocked the confidence out of him, but if doesn't play I fancy our chances of turning things around. As for Roy his confidence seems to be rock bottom as not only has his batting been terrible, but his fielding has been just as bad. Maybe he should be left out, but I've no clue who would replace him, maybe Morgan???
I don’t think there is a direct replacement who is carrying enough form. The logical thing would be to bring someone in further down the order and promote Bairstow to opener. Sam Curran can bat and would be an extra bowler as well so could be a candidate. But I just don’t see England dropping one of their openers in the middle of an Ashes series.
I like Curran and have been surprised he has not had a look in so far, what you suggest sounds good to me as Roy has been terrible so far and even his fielding has been terrible too.
