People are now climbing over each other to back the draw and it is now down to 3.65. If we only get two three days of play it's unlikely that it will be the spinners that win the match for either side.
Maybe we should last minute swap Foakes in for Moeen? Shove Bairstow to 3...
A bit like this you mean (from above):
(4) Going without Moeen and giving the gloves to Foakes, batting him at 7 and playing no front line spinner:
i guess aussies are banking on lots of rain breaks to get their bowlers a shower and a massage. V risky to go into a 4th test with such a packed series with all seamers.
With lots of rain breaks there might only be three of them bowling at any given time. If Moeen is hit out of the attack or as ineffective as Head might be then we might have one less seamer than them to rotate. They've also had the same ten day break as our bowlers and they don't have to bowl any of them in three or four over bursts as Wood does to be at his most effective.
Mo was looking good in the last test. I'm backing his bowling to perform.
Massive change in prices. The draw is now challenging for favouritism and England are the outsiders of three. Can only think that this is because the Aussies five man seam attack and very long batting line up will make it harder for England to win, in a potentially limited overs game, a Test that Australia do not need to in order to retain the Ashes:
Massive change in prices. The draw is now challenging for favouritism and England are the outsiders of three. Can only think that this is because the Aussies five man seam attack and very long batting line up will make it harder for England to win, in a potentially limited overs game, a Test that Australia do not need to in order to retain the Ashes:
England 3.20 Australia 2.84 Draw 2.92
England winning the toss and electing to bowl has not meant that their odds have shortened (perhaps a reflection of the fact that the advantage of having a front line spinner in the side is somewhat negated by not bowling last):
smart in terms of game management to bowl first - gets to day 4 with rain, australia could've just dropped anchor in their final innings, we can go chasing the game.
Wood was probably "10 off" with a view to stopping Smith taking two and not expecting that Smith would take Woakes on first ball like that. Wood would have been told to be in that position rather than just wandering in.
Bowling 1st looks a shocking choice. If they bat all day then we're gonna struggle to win this match due to the poor weather forecast late in the week.
Is englands next test series against the w indies next June? No overseas tests this winter?
It seems we have no matches at all between January and May when we have a random home T20 series against Pakistan. Starting 22nd May in Headingley, which sounds grim.
Comments
In that case I'd bring in a specialist top order batsman - Dan Lawrence for example who's the official batting concussion sub this series.
No Surrender let's do this :
England 3.20
Australia 2.84
Draw 2.92
England opt to bowl
England 3.20
Australia 2.88
Draw 2.88
Couple more before lunch please.