The Ashes 2013(4)
Posted by: Bruce Woodhouse on 10 July 2013
Nervous times for English fans...bding favourites never feels comfortable.
Seems to me if the Aussies get a bit of momentum they might do rather better than is prediced. The bowlers look fiery if a bit raw and Watson and Clarke have clear class as batsmen.
I still think we will win but it will be a good fight through the summer.
Bring it on!
Bruce
Oh boy, what a weekend !! Squeaky-bum win in the Ashes, followed by Froomy eating Contador .
Wow, just wow !!!
The summer is long yet ...
ATB from George
A wonderful victory. Broad not walking enabled him to add the crucial match winning few extra runs. The Aussies got what they deserved. Alastair Cooke was once criticised for not walking during a test in Australia and his reply was "When in Rome". I'm sure the Aussies wouldn't have walked. I look forward to the highlights soon on Channel 5, though I doubt we will see very much of the play when the adverts and introduction and hype have been played. For the highlights to recently include a ball which went for four byes (and to repeat it), the Channel Five coverage is dire. Our national team should be shown ball-by-ball on BBC in HD. It's an absolute scandal - imagine if an England football match was only on Sky!
What a great game. Think Finn will struggle to keep his place for the Lord's test. Looked short of confidence in this test. If the pitch isn't hard and quick when he can take advantage of his height he seems to struggle. Doesn't look like he has a plan B when his plan A doesn't work. When he doesn't look like taking a wicket, which can affect any bowler, he doesn't seem to be able to keep it tight. Think Bresnan will pip him for the next test, unless the pitch is suited to Finn.
Credit the Aussies though. Many wrote them off but by golly they know how to fight.
MDS
Great match even if that was partly because some of the cricket was mediocre. I just caught the last few balls on 5 Live. Phew!
Australia have some momentum for sure but England will get better-far too many of their wickets were 'given' rather than 'taken' and that must be tightened up. I was a bit dissapointed in the Austrlian pace attack, albeit on a rather sluggish wicket and Finn looks like a man feeling well out of sorts too. The Aussies actually stayed in the game because of their late order batting, not the top 5 which always looked like their weakness. I still think it is goint to be a tough summer for them.
Lords rarely turns a bundle but could Australia leave out Agar-no way! His innings was the highlight of the match for me.
Bruce
I got a sneaky inside edge at the weekend and walked with my head held high, respecting the spirit of cricket. Mind you it did ricochet into leg stump.
My opinion
Well done England , were / are the better team on the day and on most days now
The Aussies have gotta ditch Cowan.
Also the top order batting is very brittle, perhaps Khawaja ?
Bring back Warner ASAP , he is a match winner.
Steve Smith will never hold a number six spot ( oh wait, he is the Captains best mate , so perhaps he will).
Definitely Australia's day, we could be 100 runs below par on that wicket. Bell was excellent, I might possibly revise my longstanding antipathy towards him if this continues.
Bruce
Agreed Bruce, I was really anti Bell, I guess based on his previous tests where he did not contribute. Then I saw a TV interview with him last week & he confessed he needed to reassess his attitude & application & he believes he has now done that. His last 3 innings tend to confirm it - maybe he can have a chat to inspire some team mates, Pietersen especially.
Meanwhile I can see Aus settling in before lunch today & the afternoon session might be a real test of English bowling if Aus get their heads down. Saturday morning WX is overcast & with a rise in humidity; assuming Aus are still batting it will be interesting to see if Lords takes some swing for a few hours.
Watson Out 42 for 1 at Lunch!
69 for 4
Here we go!
86 for 5. Get Agar in you fools-he can actually bat.....
92 for 6
91-6 I don't beeleeeve it !!!!!
Now lets see if the wunderkinder has man sized balls
I'm gonna have to revise my earlier post
Yes it was a test for English bowling & didn't they do it !!!!
No Aus did not get their heads down - at least not in the way I was meaning
Will they survive until tomorrow, will they survive until tea ???
I am still saying tomorrow morning with cloud cover & 80% humidity will be a bowlers morning with a swinging ball. Looks like it now needs to be Cook & Co that will need to be steady as ya go & with a straight bat.
96 for 7
Another 66 to avoid the follow on!
Another 66 to avoid the follow on!
That might be a good follow on to take, the way Aus are playing it could an innings +++ win .
Rumours of Australia being not quite as rubbish as originally billed appear to have been premature.
104-9
I'd make the buggesr bat again myself, it is not as though England bowlers have had a tough day! Bet you Cook does not enforce it and just grinds a lead of 450 before declaring though.
Bruce
106 for 9
I can't see any logic in not enforcing the follow on Bruce
A few overs tonite while they are still like rabbits in headlights
Then tomorrow morning overcast humid & Anderson with the ball !!!!
Madness not to .......... but we still gotta get 'em out yet, both Harris & & Pattinson have been known to stick
Whoops spoke too soon - 128 all out
England to bat!
I still say he's missed a trick
The only reason must be the fear of batting last on a bone dry track that might fall to pieces on day 4 or 5
Should end up the same result tho'
I guess the logic is that if Australia made a decent start following on they might regain some momentum.
Big if.
As it is England start at 233 for 0, which is pretty horrible if you are the fielding side.
Bruce
22-2, what price follow on now ???