UKC

Are we all ignoring this at the moment

In reply to Al Evans:

Yes !

I see the BBC gave an apology after people complained their wicket alert service wasn't working yesterday. They were sorry to report that it was !

In reply to Al Evans:

I have been waiting for the right moment to post something like "Australia collapse to 530-5"

In reply to Al Evans:

200 for Smith, 500 for the team, snoozefest for everyone else

In reply to Al Evans:

Can I claim the credit for Smith's dismissal - that usually only happens when I mention how well English players are batting !

In reply to lowersharpnose:


Australia collapse to 540-7

In reply to Chris the Tall:

If England can manage it, the correct response to this is a similarly high first innings and a draw. Got to show the Aussies that slow and steady is our trick, not theirs.

In reply to Chris the Tall:

Yep, better than I thought.

"Tea: Australia welcome respite"

In reply to Philip:
Yeah... assuming the Aussies are going to declare or get bowled out some time in the next couple of hours, the whole thing gets interesting again when we start to see whether England can get plodding along with a big, slow innings or whether they're going to have the traditional upper-order wobbles.

In reply to Al Evans:

Auusies declare at 566-8, just one over after tea. Seems an odd decision, either declare at tea or get a few more runs on the board. Still, going to be a very difficult session

In reply to Philip:

The next 29 overs are going to be critical, I think.

In reply to Philip:

Oy.

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Oh dear, 28-2. So much for the slow pitch

In reply to Tyler:

29-3 now

In reply to Chris the Tall:

It just gets better

In reply to Al Evans:

Feck this is painful.

In reply to Al Evans:

I've only been listening for half an hour and I've heard 3 times as many wickets fall as someone who listened all day yesterday!

In reply to lowersharpnose:

Just turned on the radio after going out, what is happening to England?????

In reply to Al Evans:


It's all your fault for starting this thread!

In reply to Postmanpat:

Australia struggle to 566/8
England currently riding the crest of a wave on 78/4

In reply to Tony the Blade:

D'ya think it's getting better? 160/4

In reply to Al Evans:

England deserve what's happening for doctoring the pitch and banking on winning the toss. They then got out-psyched on a batsmen's wicket......
Great if they can bat for 2 days but I think only the weather can save them.

In reply to I like climbing:
Exactly. It's clear, despite having the the better swing/seam attack that we do not trust our top order hence the lifeless track. However it's completely back fired as the convicts can revert to raw pace and use it well to topple our boys whilst our bowlers toil in a barren track. You get what you deserve and we deserve what we age getting!

In reply to the sheep:

Lyth would have done better if he had never turned up for this series, surely that's goodbye to him for good?

In reply to Al Evans:

I can't see how his spot can be justified after 4 abject failures. Especially given the context of getting out playing shots when the ball could have been left.

In reply to Al Evans:


Lets hope so!

In reply to Al Evans:

Another one bites the dust................................shambles

In reply to the sheep:

101-9. A woeful performance. England must really want to have Monday off.

In reply to Christheclimber:

Be interesting to hear what Bayliss makes of it and if he decides on some changes. Where to start isn't the problem: it's where to stop!

In reply to Al Evans:

And it's bye bye.

In reply to Christheclimber:

This way they get to see the last day of the golf though they were scheduled to finish a day later

In reply to Al Evans:

Lyth, Balance and Bell all have to go.
Root to come in at number 3, Moeen Ali to bat at 4 and get Hales in as an opener. He might not last 30 overs but he will score runs without a doubt. Adil Rashid can come in at number 7 or 8 and he's a decent spinner as well.
English bowlers thrive on a pitch that offers swing and pace as do most bowlers around the world. Unfortunately preparing a pudding pitch and batting 2nd meant the bowlers struggled for 2 days and then the batsmen were too complacent at the start of the English first innings.
Edgbaston normally has a good pitch, England need some runs and right now the Ashes are tied. The next Test is pivotal, whoever wins that will win the Ashes.

In reply to the sheep:

I think we have to pick our best players. An obvious thing to say but we don't. I'm a big KP fan and I am so disappointed that we don't have anybody up to the job of managing him. I doubt he'll get back in.
Isn't it interesting how the Aussies have picked older players ?
The selectors could do well to think where the English versions are of Chris Rogers etc......
I think we will stick with pretty much the same squad for the next test and if that goes wrong then that might be the series gone. Now is the time to make changes in my opinion.
We'll see !

In reply to Gone for good:



Something has to give in the top order, but I don't think it makes sense to make wholesale changes to the side that did so well in Cardiff. Root is consistently successful at 5 (as was Ian Bell of course) so why change the most reliable aspect of the team ? Lyth has earned the right to get a decent run out - at least the series. That leaves Bell and Balance - and I would think Balance is the most vulnerable right now. I would probably just bring in Bairstow for Balance right now.

In reply to Al Evans:

http://newsthump.com/2015/07/20/australian-cricket-team-deported-under-anti...

In reply to GrahamD:


Bells a walking wicket. His form over the past 2 years is really poor and showing no sign of improvement.
I can't think why Lyth has earned the right to open the batting for the series, he is giving away his wicket with poor stroke play and not scoring runs.
If anything I would given Balance the benefit of the doubt given his overall average but what do I know.
England have to stop being 3 or 4 down for 30 or 40 runs. They got away with it in Cardiff but I doubt they will get away with it again. Certainly not against this decent Australian team.

In reply to Gone for good:

Lyth I think has earnt the right to a series because he was the counties stand out opener by a a margin - and let's face it who else is there ?

Bell is a frustration right now but if he clicks he's a proven series winner.

I agree we have to do better than 3 or 4 down after one session but at the moment I don't see wholesale changes helping that.

In reply to GrahamD:


But on the other hand, the consistency with which it's happening suggests that sticking with what we've got isn't a recipe for success. I can's see there's much of a case for Lyth keeping his place. An opening bat who keeps giving his wicket away so easily and cheaply is not what's needed in this series.

In reply to Al Evans:

Just done so research on how many run Lyth, Ballance and Bell have scored this summer (NZ and Aus)

L - 150 & 50 (ave 25)
Ba - 36 & 98 (ave 16.75)
Be - 43 & 73 (ave 14.5)

My guess is Bairstow will come in for either Bell or Ballance (probably Bell), and that Lyth will be given one more chance - is Compton due for a return ?

In reply to Chris the Tall:

My guess it will be Ballance that makes way. Not sure anyone is really making a great case for coming in at 3 right now though.

In reply to GrahamD:

Bairstow in for Bell - I've been told that Bell ought to move up to 3, Root at 4, Bairstow at 5 - apparently Bell and Bairstow in particular are much better in those positions.

JB certainly on form - 139 and a very quick 74* today as Yorkshire take another victory

In reply to Chris the Tall:

What's wrong with all the other counties? Produce some bloody cricketers, will you?

In reply to Chris the Tall:



Surely Dennis is too old these days?

In reply to Al Evans:

By the way the girlies lost the second Ladies Ashes so it's 1 point all in that now.