Robinson really walking the walk. Chucking pies from 20 yards with 6 no balls in a day.
Stokes showed what he thought the conditions were going to bring with his field settings. His plans were around nicks with a full cordon all day which the conditions were absolutely set up for.
No wickets for Anderson, but that economy is ridiculous.
A bit poor to go from 3/300 to all out 416 and a good turnaround by the English top order.
I didn't think Starc would be a better option than Boland (The People's Champion!) - he puts too many in the slot and leaks boundaries.
It's been a odd day today to be honest.
I was quite pleased with the discipline shown by the England bowlers in the morning session - they had a plan and they stuck to it, even when they were (still) throwing in the occasional pies. Duckett and Crawley also started well for England and clearly knocked back Australia, who became a little disheartened I thought and were starting to struggle a little towards tea.
Then a simple and obvious tactical change and suddenly England were lapping it up and wickets started tumbling again. Just when I though that they had figured out they need Bazball but with brains, the brains were once again nowhere to be found. We're going to need a Captain's innings from Stokes tomorrow I fear, preferably telling Brooks to reign it in a little.
Still, brining it back from where England were after day 1 - they did a whole lot better than I thought they'd do. Should have been better though.
Edit: and while we’re at it, Smith didn’t catch that ball. Poor officiating there
Edit: and while we’re at it, Smith didn’t catch that ball. Poor officiating there
Of course he didn't, and he knew it.
What Steve Smith knows about integrity can be written on the back of a stamp. In felt tip.
Once again pathetic from England this morning. I’m actively cross right now. Just stupid.
They almost made it to the second new ball this time.
Day was emblematic. England capitulated from nothing and then under favorable bowling conditions, Warner and Ussy toughed it out. Khawaja has been not out overnight on 4 of the 8 days played in the series so far. Australia has batted on all 8. Time is a commodity in a test match.
A LOT of overs being bowled by the English attack.
Well England have messed this all up havn't they? Baring something truely speical tomorrow, going 2-0 down is a long way back.
Maybe Starc should have concentrated more on completing the catch instead of celebrating, then he wouldn't have dropped it, how they can complain about it when he clearly dragged it across the grass, good to know the sterotypes are still there for the Aussies
My old PE teacher (this was admittedly 35 years back) always said ‘you’re not in control until you’ve finished falling’.
Starc only has himself to blame there. Makes up a little for Steve Smith’s ‘catch’ in the first innings.
Yesterday's rules sticklers are suddenly very into the spirit of the game.
Miss me with that nonsense.
Yesterday's rules sticklers are suddenly very into the spirit of the game.
Miss me with that nonsense.
The only reason yesterdays ‘catch’ (it wasn’t) was ‘controversial’ was because the Australian team tried to claim it. Starc was falling, wasn’t in control and dragged the ball across the turf. Like I said, he only had himself to blame. Glenn McGrath’s hysterical over-reaction on TMS yesterday sums up the Australian teams prevailing attitude in those situations - they arrogantly assume they are always correct.
Bairstow’s dismissal was Carey taking a punt on the rules. 99% of cricketers wouldn’t have accepted it despite it being - according to the rules - out. Bairstow thought it was dead, the rest of the Australian team thought it was dead, the umpires also thought it was dead given what they were doing regardless of whether or not they called it. Carey would have known how controversial it would be to get Bairstow dismissed, but he did it anyway.
Just when Australia were starting to look like a likeable team too. They’ve learned nothing.
Bruce wrote:Yesterday's rules sticklers are suddenly very into the spirit of the game.
Miss me with that nonsense.
Bairstow’s dismissal was Carey taking a punt on the rules. 99% of cricketers wouldn’t have accepted it despite it being - according to the rules - out. Bairstow thought it was dead, the rest of the Australian team thought it was dead, the umpires also thought it was dead given what they were doing regardless of whether or not they called it. Carey would have known how controversial it would be to get Bairstow dismissed, but he did it anyway.
Utter bollocks.
Thinking the ball is dead doesn't make it so. Carey taking the action specifically stops the ball from being dead and he takes it immediately. The fielders square of the wicket certainly didn't think it was dead despite your claim. You can see them watching the ball and they know it's out as soon as it hits the stumps.
Stokes still might pull another one out of his arse.
That's pre-planned by Carey. He's obviously seen Bairstow leaving his ground early on several occasions and decided he's going to take advantage of it. Clever on his part, but probably unsporting. I've seen this stumping compared to a mankad - but in a mankad, that's punishing a batsman for trying to sneak an advantage, whereas there is no advantage that Bairstow's going for here; he thinks the ball is dead.
Right or wrong, it's a shame it's overshadowed the match, because I think Oz still would have won easily without that dismissal.
Utter bollocks.
Thinking the ball is dead doesn't make it so.
That's hilarious when Starc still thinks he caught that ball yesterday, something he's doubled down on in his post match comments I see. If that's the way Australia want to play this fine, but I await the national outrage when Stuart Broad Mankads Steve Smith at the first opportunity in the next match at Headingly. Let's also not forget there was no need to Carey to do that considering where England were in that game regardless of who was batting. Very nearly backfired too considering what Stokes nearly pulled off.
That's twice now England have been in very positive positions this series only to go on and throw it away. I think Ben Duckett can walk away from this game with an enormous amount of credit all things considered, although I know he rode his luck on more than one occasion. My primary concern right now is Jimmy Anderson. I think this is one series too far. I know the pitches really haven't helped, but there's something missing from what we normally see he is capable of.
The thing about the moral high ground is you need to occupy it if you want to claim it.
No one playing in the spirit of the game would even attempt such sharp practices as running out a man not attempting a run or seeking advantage. Except Johnny Bairstow himself on day 3 of this very same match in the 31st over of the Australian second innings.
https://imgur.com/a/JAcQyod
And if, in your revenge hypothetical, Smith is backing up so far he can be run out by Broad - then he will deserve to be out. It won't happen, not because Broad is above such things (2013 is a while ago but some things get "remembered forever"), but because Smith is not a dozy git.
Anderson may be in a series too far. 3/226 in 4 innings isn't a great return. He has bowled plenty of spells worthy of being respected with good economy rates - but he doesn't seem to have any penetration. Day 1 of this test was made for him but he couldn't break through.
Edit:
In other news. Sorry to hear about Lyon this morning. That’s a sad blow for this ashes series, I hope he makes a fast recovery.
The moment Lyon walked out to bat I knew he was done for the series. There's no way you risk his opportunity to play in tests 4 or 5 for the hope of a handful of runs.
I was surprised to note that Beaumont didn't win a place in the T20 match for the women. Good form is good form to me.
The moment Lyon walked out to bat I knew he was done for the series. There's no way you risk his opportunity to play in tests 4 or 5 for the hope of a handful of runs.
I was surprised to note that Beaumont didn't win a place in the T20 match for the women. Good form is good form to me.
I was really surprised they let him come out to bat. It wasn’t necessary and risked making a bad situation worse. We’ll ignore the inane witterings of Kevin Pietersen about it being a deliberate attempt to get a concussion sub on, that’s just ridiculous.
Edit: As for Beaumont I think she’d said before that she’s not that bothered about t20.
Still not sure why Sky brought Skunk back into the commentary team. He's still as ignorant and odious as he was in his playing days.
He was interviewed alongside Eoin Morgan before the last test, and proceeded to studiously stare into the sky whenever Morgan was talking. Morgan should have either punched him in the guts, or asked him whether he was searching (in vain) for someone who doesn't despise him.
He was interviewed alongside Eoin Morgan before the last test, and proceeded to studiously stare into the sky whenever Morgan was talking. Morgan should have either punched him in the guts, or asked him whether he was searching (in vain) for someone who doesn't despise him.
“The England players need to stop talking” says odious man who just won’t shut the f*ck up.
Mini-Sorb was asking about irony the other night, it’s a shame I can’t use this as the perfect example.
"Irony" would be Boring Mike Atherton talking about attacking (or even good) captaincy.
Or talking about batting, with his less-than-stellar Test average of 37.6
It must have been some meeting in the pub that came up with the wheeze of putting BMA and Skunk in the same commentary box at the same time. And presumably it was after the second line of devil's dandruff that the decision was taken to turn the mikes on.
At least we are in agreement about one thing 
They don't seem as bad as the Ian Chappel/Tony Greig pairing we were forced to endure for decades thanks to their loyalty to Kerry Packer.
Not sure I'd keep Robinson and drop Tongue. I thought the latter looked more likely in the 2nd test.
Well that was a day of ups and downs. Going from "this is the stuff England" to why do we always let them back in. Wood though, boom.
Well that was a day of ups and downs. Going from "this is the stuff England" to why do we always let them back in. Wood though, boom.
When I was a little kid, I was always bewildered when I walked into the living room on day three of a Test and asked my dad who was winning, and he would take a thoughtful breath and reply, "Well... it's hard to say." But that's cricket, isn't it? Initiative swings back and forth, and all it takes a couple of quick wickets or a steady batting stand to shift momentum.
Regarding Wood, the Beeb had this startling fact: "Mark Wood's slowest ball today was 88.2mph. England had only bowled two deliveries quicker than that in the first two Tests.".
I know Wood can blow a little hot and cold, but my word he gives us variety and a different option. I've never understood why we don't use him more often, even when Archer was fit.
Much better from England I though apart from the catching department. I'm definitely in the "we should bring Foakes in and just use Bairstow as a batter" group now. Probably Harry Brook to make way, he's looking a little green for this ashes.
And fair play to Mitch Marsh. I certainly didn't have his performance on my ashes bingo card this morning.
Another good toss to win and WOW, that was a rollercoaster of a day.
Seriously wheels with shape from Wood. Genuinely dangerous stuff.
Stunning counterpunch from Marsh. You could make a case that it was better than Stokes' effort at Lords in the sense there was more at stake when he started the attack.
Top 3 prised out in the last session.
I think you are overselling Bairstow as a batsman. 78 in the first innings of the series and hasn't looked like much since then. Surely there is a real #5 somewhere to be considered? He looks mentally shot to me. His feet aren't moving well behind the stumps.
Well done England. Once again you’ve made me turn the Cricket off because life is depressing enough as it is right now. I don’t need to listen to you cocking it up - again - on top of that.
Well done England. Once again you’ve made me turn the Cricket off because life is depressing enough as it is right now. I don’t need to listen to you cocking it up - again - on top of that.
Stokes is single-handedly clawing England back into it again. Aussies have every fielder on the boundary to try to stop him hitting sixes.
Stokes is single-handedly clawing England back into it again. Aussies have every fielder on the boundary to try to stop him hitting sixes.
Every time I throw a fit and turn off the cricket, Stokes inevitably goes and does what he does. I am claiming all credit for this and shall continue to do so!
I’m totally going with ‘la La La the Ciderboyz’ with Somerset reaching the T20 blast finals day tonight. Much tougher game against Notts than I was expecting but we cross the line. That’ll do.
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