🏏 The Cricket Thread

[Iceman]

Cook gone now (43) but a good bit of stability before that with Root. Now 96-3 with Root on 32 n.o.. 36 runs ahead already lol with 7 wickets left.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

What's a bigger disaster, FF's RT score or Australia's batting?

 

[Iceman]

Haha, both way worse than could possibly have been predicted. They should try out the Ozzie top order as the replacement F4 for the next film and have the F4 cast in to bat for the next game. Only so much worse either can get.

 

[Iceman]

Root motoring and Bairstow also picking up speed. Root closing in on 100 and Bairstow about to get his 50. 209-3.

 

[regwec]

England 274/4 at stumps. A lead of 214 runs, with four days left to play.

Another brilliant, positive century for Joe Root, at a strike rate of 78. And he is still unbeaten. Bairstow fell for 74, but provided one half of a partnership that helped England really turn the screw. He has done a lot to firm up his place in the eleven.

What an unbelievable day for England, who have utterly crushed Australia. Stuart Broad must be pinching himself. He probably won the Ashes in 9 1/2 overs.

 

[Iceman]

Quite unbelievable day really. Bairstow's done enough to justify his place. I think Lyth might be out even if he does well in the 2nd innings (which might also never happen!). Amazing stuff from Broad and an excellent aggressive unbeaten knock from our best batsman.

 

[regwec]

Will England need a second innings? They still have six wickets in hand, and every remaining batsmen except Finn has some kind of technique. If they are not made to bat again, have we just seen Adam Lyth's last test innings, for the time being at least? I think, presuming the Ashes are already won before the last test, a great opportunity to try out another opener would arise. They would get a low-pressure test against some (on paper) good bowlers, which could set them up well for the upcoming series against Pakistan. Mark Stoneman is being increasingly touted as a batsmen who can grind out runs in difficult conditions. Nevertheless, Lyth did out-score all of Australia's batsmen...

Secondly, is this Michael Clarke's last test as captain? He certainly isn't earning his place with the bat at the moment.

 

[Iceman]

Perfect opportunity for someone new to have a go. Lyth has been given a fair crack and not produced one big innings. He can have another chance in future if he excels again at county cricket and a gap appears. Can't see Clarke keeping his place/captaincy for a whole lot longer.

 

[chamber-music]

Well that escalated quickly.

Twitter was hilarious.

 

[regwec]

Any choice ones?

 

[chamber-music]

Someone Australia needs to go back to basics

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Well done England. Embarrassed them.

 

[regwec]

I'm not one to gloat, but this is pretty remarkable whichever way you look at it.

 

[Iceman]

Looks like Broad got the 8th best Test bowling figures by an Englishman ever:

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/engla...t_figures_innings.html?class=1;id=1;type=team

Edit: and only one of those is after 1956!

 

[regwec]

This is the first time in the history of The Ashes that the top scorer in an innings has been "extras".

 

[Hound55]

This is the first time in the history of The Ashes that the top scorer in an innings has been "extras".

Hence my comment before about that young upstart "Sundries"...

 

[regwec]

^^
Sorry I missed that.

 

[regwec]

Australia have done very well to get something like 60/4 so far this morning. Hard to know whether England have helped them by getting carried away, or if the conditions are still offering the bowlers plenty.

Joss Buttler is a slight concern at the moment. His potential is sky-high, and has periodically been the destroyer of tiring bowlers, but during this series he hasn't got it together. Fortunately, for him, his potential replacement behind the stumps is already in the eleven, batting at five.

 

[regwec]

A Josh Hazlewood over has just gone for 20 runs- 1wd,4,4,1,4,6,0.

That must be discouraging.

 

[regwec]

Moeen out for a very handy 38, to a fab catch by Steve Smith off MJ's bowling. Moeen's strike rate was 158. I keep wondering whether he should be opening, which is his usual position. Rashid could then come in with his back up spin- two birds with one stone.

Steven Finn is a proper number eleven and will not be here for long. Cook should probably declare for a quick pre-lunch bowl.

 

[AnneFan]

Can't wait to see how Australia bat in their second innings. I'd like to see England come out aggresively and get in their faces. Should be interesting viewing regardless.

 

[regwec]

They can't possibly do any worse. An interesting statistic from their first innings was that, with the number of deliveries just outside off stump, they would have batted for longer if they had left every ball. Leaving anything with just a little width will be key- the question is whether they have the discipline and application to play in a way that is unnatural to them.

 

[regwec]

There it is- Cook waves them back in. I wonder why he let Finn go out? Maybe he was reading the newspaper while taking a dump or something.

 

[AnneFan]

Indeed, England have declared. Good move on their part, sending Australia in for a few difficult overs before the break. And anyway, get it over with. Australia aren't likely going to make 300 plus, which is just to break even. And whatever lead they get would be chased down quickly. That horror first day sealed Australia's fate.

 

[Iceman]

Ok could be over today. Day 2 lol.