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The Ashes!

350 up, with 3 wickets remaining.

With every run, Root’s decision to send Australia in looking more and more embarrassing.
 
Seriously, this Australia is no great shakes. England are wank.

Said it before a ball was bowled - I’ve no idea how they’re ever going to take 20 wickets.

They’ve ambled their way to 7 wickets in 2 days on a swinging pitch after sending Australia in to bat. Shambles. Meanwhile Broad is carrying on like a fucking hero.
 
Its something stupid like 18 wickets in around 330 overs.

4 right handed medium-fast bowlers. Its poor selections.

Even the greats have poor captaincy decisions. Root will learn from this. But I can only see a heavy defeat looming here.
 
Its something stupid like 18 wickets in around 330 overs.

4 right handed medium-fast bowlers. Its poor selections.

Even the greats have poor captaincy decisions. Root will learn from this. But I can only see a heavy defeat looming here.

Is it? Who else could they have selected? I ask cos I've no idea frankly.
 
Stoneman gone to a ripper from Starc. Rain delay with England one down.

They need a huge innings from Cook.
 
Is it? Who else could they have selected? I ask cos I've no idea frankly.
Willey would have at least provided something different. He should be playing for sure. Test experience or not.

Topley being a left arm version of Finn and Roland Jones both injured. Wood still not up to speed.
 
Vince gone for 2 in the 2nd over of the day. For the sake of this entire Series, let's hope Cook and Root can build something here.
 
Not sure why Smith did enforce the follow on here ... already a wicket down for Australia.

Give the bowlers a break. All of Australia’s young quicks have been susceptible to injury, so he’d want to not overdo them.

I don’t think it’ll matter either way.
 
This test has been awful in all aspects - bowling, batting & captaincy decisions. Winning the toss and having a bowl - ridiculous. Root event spent a few months down in Adelaide as a youngster, so you'd expect him to know the ground.

The best England can hope for is lots of rain delays and Aus leaving it too late to declare. But in reality this is nothing but an Australia win.
 
For England to come to Australia without any bowler of real pace would be criminal if it weren't for the fact that there is no fit, Test-quality bowler of real pace for England to pick (two or three specialising in shorter forms of the game, but it's appalling that they haven't cultivated any decent fast bowlers in recent years). What is criminal is that, given the one-paced attack they have, they've consistently bowled way too short. Australia almost always come out with admirable discipline and common sense when it comes to their bowlers. I wouldn't blame Root for making adventurous and positive decisions, but a captain needs to include the quality of his attack in his deliberations, and he should have realised that he simply doesn't have the bowlers to make his plans succeed. Well done to Australia, though, they're a pretty average side but they play in a way to maximise their achievement - the opposite of England.
 
Yes - very well put. When we are seemingly up against it, our bowlers always seem to stray short. Broad especially. When he is in is ridiculous spells, he's bowling good-full and it potent. When he bowls back of a length he is too easy to read and loses his cool too easily after a few balls he thinks are menacing get pulled away.
 
Yikes, Smith has gone for 6! How many times have England fans said, 'If only they'd bowled like that in the first innings'? The answer is far, far, too often.
 
I was coming on to write that exact sentence. Wow - keep up this intensity through the lower middle order and we might actually have a slim chance with some considered batting.

BARMY ARMY
 
For England to come to Australia without any bowler of real pace would be criminal if it weren't for the fact that there is no fit, Test-quality bowler of real pace for England to pick (two or three specialising in shorter forms of the game, but it's appalling that they haven't cultivated any decent fast bowlers in recent years). What is criminal is that, given the one-paced attack they have, they've consistently bowled way too short. Australia almost always come out with admirable discipline and common sense when it comes to their bowlers. I wouldn't blame Root for making adventurous and positive decisions, but a captain needs to include the quality of his attack in his deliberations, and he should have realised that he simply doesn't have the bowlers to make his plans succeed. Well done to Australia, though, they're a pretty average side but they play in a way to maximise their achievement - the opposite of England.

Agree with every word of that.

I think we’re going down 5-0 but credit to the attack tonight. Some exquisite new ball usage went largely unrewarded
 
Alas, cue Australia dropping anchor tomorrow grinding to a lead of 400 and declare with 4 and a bit sessions left.

Under the lights Australia will rattle us to within around 4 wickets of victory by COP with a score of around 100-6

Grim
 
Well I said around 400.. All out isn't what I expected.

A few mutterings that ball tracking had a malfunction with the Cook wicket. I haven't seen it.

England need around 70 a session. They should have that in their mind and just play like a true test side. Everyone bats like they want to knock the runs off as quickly as possible these days leading to avoidable mistakes.

England need this. Australia win and it really could be 5-0. The confidence will be sucked out of them.
 
Well I said around 400.. All out isn't what I expected.

A few mutterings that ball tracking had a malfunction with the Cook wicket. I haven't seen it.

England need around 70 a session. They should have that in their mind and just play like a true test side. Everyone bats like they want to knock the runs off as quickly as possible these days leading to avoidable mistakes.

England need this. Australia win and it really could be 5-0. The confidence will be sucked out of them.

Until yesterday I was certain it would be 5-0.

It still could be, and there’s no way we’re winning this test but at least we’ve shown some balls and England will have some belief that they can certainly compete with this Australian side
 
Until yesterday I was certain it would be 5-0.

It still could be, and there’s no way we’re winning this test but at least we’ve shown some balls and England will have some belief that they can certainly compete with this Australian side

Yes. They should never have got into such a bad position, but credit to them for fighting back. Cook, though, looks a shadow of his former self, and has done for quite a while now. Hameed looks the natural successor, but Cook's decline is happening at a faster rate than Hammed's progress.
 
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