Sorry, but you can blame me. I got up at 3.15 and after watching a load of dross for the first hour or so I went to bed at the first rain delay & missed the first wicket by minutes. I then woke up at 9.30 & found we'd just got the 3rd wicket. Got up & thought I'd watch the last session - 40 mins later & again no more wickets. I'm jinxed.
There was a wicket with the fourth ball of the session.
Sorry, but you can blame me. I got up at 3.15 and after watching a load of dross for the first hour or so I went to bed at the first rain delay & missed the first wicket by minutes. I then woke up at 9.30 & found we'd just got the 3rd wicket. Got up & thought I'd watch the last session - 40 mins later & again no more wickets. I'm jinxed.
I don't f****g belive it !!! popped upstairs to get dressed as I saw they were playing until noon, come down 5 mins later to find Smith was out the very next ball !!!. Do you think I should turn it off & do something else ?
Any idea why they are ceasing play after 82 overs today ? I realise that there were rain delays, but I thought I heard that they could play until 10 30 their time, 12 noon ours. So why stop after 82 overs ?? Seems like another strange playing condition. Also, as its under lights, there is no problem with bad light so why not keep playing until all 90 overs are bowled. I know places like Lords have time restrictions due to local residents - is this the case here are does transport stop after 11pm in Oz.
Sorry, but you can blame me. I got up at 3.15 and after watching a load of dross for the first hour or so I went to bed at the first rain delay & missed the first wicket by minutes. I then woke up at 9.30 & found we'd just got the 3rd wicket. Got up & thought I'd watch the last session - 40 mins later & again no more wickets. I'm jinxed.
I don't f****g belive it !!! popped upstairs to get dressed as I saw they were playing until noon, come down 5 mins later to find Smith was out the very next ball !!!. Do you think I should turn it off & do something else ?
It’s amazing how often that happens.......over the years I’ve lost count.
I know that Handscomb has an average of 50 - but how the hell is he a Test match player? Then again, we were probably saying the same thing about Smith 5 yeas ago.
To continue the point made above, I'd much, much, much rather watch us lose excitingly while bowling legspin than watch us lose in this dour and unloveable four-right-arm-fast-medium-seamers-getting-slowly-milked way tbh. There's absolutely no reason why we need both Woakes and Overton in the same side, even if the latter did get Smith out.
I've said all along that Rashid should be in this side and I stand by that. However, I could be guilty as many of what Nasser constantly refers to as "players always being better when out of the side than when they are in". Their two best batsmen and match winners are Warner and Smith. Woakes got the former and Overton the latter.
We haven't bowled that badly. 209-4 at a RR of 2.58 is OK and we were in a better position in the first Test at 246-4 but slumped to 302 all out - and lost the match. Australia have as long a tail if not longer tail than us and we will have to see how long it takes us to bowl them out and how they perform with the ball on this track before we know exactly where we stand.
To continue the point made above, I'd much, much, much rather watch us lose excitingly while bowling legspin than watch us lose in this dour and unloveable four-right-arm-fast-medium-seamers-getting-slowly-milked way tbh. There's absolutely no reason why we need both Woakes and Overton in the same side, even if the latter did get Smith out.
I'd rather not lose full stop.
I remember when we put Borthwick into the team in Sydney a few years back and it was a catastrophe. If the coaching team think four seamers and one spinner is the way to go to get a result then I back them. You do not need more than one spinner in your side unless you're playing on the sub continent. The problem is, Moeen isn't quite consistent enough to hold down an end and help build pressure with a seamer bowling at the other end.
As soon as a decent spin option is available, I imagine Moeen will be out of the side barring a upturn in his batting average. If Stokes were available, I'd stick Stokes in at six, push Moeen down to eight and drop Woakes. As soon as a decent economical spinner was available, he'd be in the side either ahead of Moeen or Malan depending on who's the better batsman.
Ideal team for the Aussie conditions would be:
Cook, Stoneman, Vince(?), Root, Bairstow *two of Malan/Ali/Stokes at six & seven*, *genuine spin option*, Overton, Broad, Anderson
By the way, did anyone find it ironic that BT Sport decided to discuss why test match cricket might be on the decline? This is while showing the greatest series in Test cricket on a pay to view channel that only a minority of households have included in their TV package...
By the way, did anyone find it ironic that BT Sport decided to discuss why test match cricket might be on the decline? This is while showing the greatest series in Test cricket on a pay to view channel that only a minority of households have included in their TV package...
To be honest no. I don't know how old you are but to people my age winter cricket tours on TV is a massive luxury that we didn't have for decades. It is only something that could be offered by a PPV channel, be thankful for small mercies.
By the way, did anyone find it ironic that BT Sport decided to discuss why test match cricket might be on the decline? This is while showing the greatest series in Test cricket on a pay to view channel that only a minority of households have included in their TV package...
To be honest no. I don't know how old you are but to people my age winter cricket tours on TV is a massive luxury that we didn't have for decades. It is only something that could be offered by a PPV channel, be thankful for small mercies.
To continue the point made above, I'd much, much, much rather watch us lose excitingly while bowling legspin than watch us lose in this dour and unloveable four-right-arm-fast-medium-seamers-getting-slowly-milked way tbh. There's absolutely no reason why we need both Woakes and Overton in the same side, even if the latter did get Smith out.
I'd rather not lose full stop.
I remember when we put Borthwick into the team in Sydney a few years back and it was a catastrophe. If the coaching team think four seamers and one spinner is the way to go to get a result then I back them. You do not need more than one spinner in your side unless you're playing on the sub continent. The problem is, Moeen isn't quite consistent enough to hold down an end and help build pressure with a seamer bowling at the other end.
As soon as a decent spin option is available, I imagine Moeen will be out of the side barring a upturn in his batting average. If Stokes were available, I'd stick Stokes in at six, push Moeen down to eight and drop Woakes. As soon as a decent economical spinner was available, he'd be in the side either ahead of Moeen or Malan depending on who's the better batsman.
Ideal team for the Aussie conditions would be:
Cook, Stoneman, Vince(?), Root, Bairstow *two of Malan/Ali/Stokes at six & seven*, *genuine spin option*, Overton, Broad, Anderson
You'd drop Moeen, one of our best players of the year, so readily, but Overton, who by the way is really slow for a Test quick, and whose wicket of Smith was a freak dismissal, stays? Madness
Comments
And we've just got Smith... :-)
Clicked on link earlier in thread and saw wicket with only ball could watch
Got in car, found out got long wave as got old radio and khawaja fell third ball.
Opened this thread and last comment was yours. Refreshed page and another wicket falls.
Just about to have an eye test. Will check in again in about 45 mins to work my magic
Pitch it up & give the ball a chance to swing FFS!
So frustrating
We haven't bowled that badly. 209-4 at a RR of 2.58 is OK and we were in a better position in the first Test at 246-4 but slumped to 302 all out - and lost the match. Australia have as long a tail if not longer tail than us and we will have to see how long it takes us to bowl them out and how they perform with the ball on this track before we know exactly where we stand.
I remember when we put Borthwick into the team in Sydney a few years back and it was a catastrophe. If the coaching team think four seamers and one spinner is the way to go to get a result then I back them. You do not need more than one spinner in your side unless you're playing on the sub continent. The problem is, Moeen isn't quite consistent enough to hold down an end and help build pressure with a seamer bowling at the other end.
As soon as a decent spin option is available, I imagine Moeen will be out of the side barring a upturn in his batting average. If Stokes were available, I'd stick Stokes in at six, push Moeen down to eight and drop Woakes. As soon as a decent economical spinner was available, he'd be in the side either ahead of Moeen or Malan depending on who's the better batsman.
Ideal team for the Aussie conditions would be:
Cook, Stoneman, Vince(?), Root, Bairstow *two of Malan/Ali/Stokes at six & seven*, *genuine spin option*, Overton, Broad, Anderson
Video of the wicket if you didn't see it @Riviera