Ashes 2017

[Strokes]

22 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Dreadful collapse...but if you'd offered me 400 batting first at the WACA against this bowling lineup before the innings started I would have taken it.

Yeah definitely, so long as their heads haven’t gone, it’s not the end of the world and still a decent start.

[Guest MattP]

Decent effort but missed a huge chance to bat then out of the game and be able to set some really aggressive fields.

 

Need to bowl well as the pitch still looks top notch.

[Strokes]

Yes get in.

[cambridgefox]

2 hours ago, MattP said:

Whoever it was that decided Moeen should bat ahead of Bairstow should be on the plane home already. 

 Matt, I take it you are not a fan by previous comments and at the moment he is bringing nothing to the party and deserves to be given a rest.

However you can't deny the lads got talent batting wise and can also change games.

We all have dips, I lost count of mine.

confidence player and it's got to him.

At least he had a change of bowler to dismiss him.

[m4DD0gg]

Watch us still loose this. 

[Bobby Hundreds]

Really disappointing contributions from Woakes and Ali so far.

[Voll Blau]

Latest odds say Smith is more likely to get more than 150 than he is to get less than 80 apparently. 

 

Over 400 is obviously decent but we really needed to make them pay in that first innings.

[GaelicFox]

You can almost feel what’s happening here already ... a 2nd innings collapse 

[EastAnglianFox]

Can see them batting us out of the win over the next couple of days, horrible tour for Ali so far

[ealingfox]

Tour has come at the wrong time really. Couple of key players past their sell-by date (Cook, Broad), couple of them out of form (Ali, Root). That said Stokes really tied the side together and could have made a real difference personally and to the teams overall level.

[Guest MattP]

4 hours ago, cambridgefox said:

 Matt, I take it you are not a fan by previous comments and at the moment he is bringing nothing to the party and deserves to be given a rest.

However you can't deny the lads got talent batting wise and can also change games.

We all have dips, I lost count of mine.

confidence player and it's got to him.

At least he had a change of bowler to dismiss him.

Bairstow has an average of around 40 and has scored 100's in South Africa and Australia, he's argubly been the best batsman in the side over the last 18 months and that has came with him batting at number 5.

 

Moeen averages less than 35 and his decent efforts have been at 7 or 8, he averages less than Vince when batting in the top six. It was the weirdest decision going to promote him and looking at the form of Bairstow over the last two days who has got out 3 times playing bingo cricket it's probably cost us 150 runs.

[Guest MattP]

I think we are struggling now, needed to take a bit more time out the game and make a few more runs, if cracks are appearing it makes the gung ho approach even weirder from some of the players, I cans ee them making 500 and then us fighting to save the test match.

 

Need wickets tomorrow morning.

[cambridgefox]

1 hour ago, MattP said:

Bairstow has an average of around 40 and has scored 100's in South Africa and Australia, he's argubly been the best batsman in the side over the last 18 months and that has came with him batting at number 5.

 

Moeen averages less than 35 and his decent efforts have been at 7 or 8, he averages less than Vince when batting in the top six. It was the weirdest decision going to promote him and looking at the form of Bairstow over the last two days who has got out 3 times playing bingo cricket it's probably cost us 150 runs.

Agreed,Moeen is so frustrating too.We all know he isn't a spinner, I think he even knows that.

Reminds me in a way of Graham Hick many moons ago.Extreem talent batting wise but fell short when it mattered on so many occasions.

seems putting him up a place could have also cost us runs down the order if that makes sense.Probably plays slightly differently and more relaxed,now I'm afraid it's too late, the damage to him mentally has been done I think for this tour anyway.Really hope I eat my words though.

[Guest MattP]

1 minute ago, cambridgefox said:

Agreed,Moeen is so frustrating too.We all know he isn't a spinner, I think he even knows that.

Reminds me in a way of Graham Hick many moons ago.Extreem talent batting wise but fell short when it mattered on so many occasions.

seems putting him up a place could have also cost us runs down the order if that makes sense.Probably plays slightly differently and more relaxed,now I'm afraid it's too late, the damage to him mentally has been done I think for this tour anyway.Really hope I eat my words though.

Me too, if we are going to win this test he'll have a big role to play as it's going to be spinning on day five.

[AKCJ]

Finely poised now when it should be heavily in our favour.

 

Even if we'd made another 60-70 runs we'd be in such a better position.

 

We'd be 460 ish and they'd be about 130/2.

 

With the supposed rain on Sunday I think that even we would struggle to throw that lead away.

 

[leicsmac]

Well, it all comes down to getting Smith early. We need that one.

[EastAnglianFox]

If Smith carries on like this over the years he could change the sodding way batting is approached...fvck all this taking a stance, watch the ball and get forward stuff........just have a little wander accross the stumps and trust yourself to hit it.....easy game!

[Guest MattP]

Throughly depressing, even with a new ball we don't look like making a breakthrough. 

[EastAnglianFox]

2 minutes ago, MattP said:

Throughly depressing, even with a new ball we don't look like making a breakthrough. 

 

Depressing, yet so so predictable.

 

Horrible that my thoughts have already turned into hoping we can dig in the next couple of days and not have to see out something like Australia 550-8 declared this time tommorow.

[Guest MattP]

2 minutes ago, EastAnglianFox said:

Depressing, yet so so predictable.

 

Horrible that my thoughts have already turned into hoping we can dig in the next couple of days and not have to see out something like Australia 550-8 declared this time tommorow.

All I'm hoping for now as well, nothing worse than a dead rubber for the Boxing Day test match.

[EastAnglianFox]

10 minutes ago, MattP said:

All I'm hoping for now as well, nothing worse than a dead rubber for the Boxing Day test match.

 

Its almost gallows humour but yep the only positve so far is the fact that one of the most famous test matches will have something on it.

 

I can honestly take a series loss in Australia knowing the players they have had in past series, this one is hurting big time as i would guess in my lifetime ive not seen such a weak Oz team their for the taking

[Guest MattP]

Overton has been our best bowler and he's not been go a single delivery with the new ball.

 

Root has a lot to learn, he's made some shocking decisions so far in such a short time as captain.

[SOCCERROO FOX]

Smith is different Gravy! To think he started his test career as a spinner who could bat a bit. 

 

As stated previously but today's really showed you have 4 Pace Bowlers all similar not bowling with much pace and no swing and a spinner whose not spinning it. Smith and Mitch Marsh (who is genuienly an average batter) are just having a field day as there is no variety and no intimidation.

[Izzy]

Thoroughly depressing.

 

I feel for you poor sods who’ve stayed up all night to watch it 

[Bobby Hundreds]

Stokes is an arsehole.