[KeeNeow]

Can this thread be locked until after the ashes? Or at least until England is winning.

[Frankie]

I reckon the Aussies got lucky at the and of the first day when rain halted proceedings. England bowlers would have pummelled them. Thing is we will never know so I can't be proven wrong. Stupid maybe, but definitely not wrong.

Been a good Test so far but England still have a lot to do to make up for the First Innings batting shambles.

[Frankie]

Settled down on the sofa last night, with a duvet, planning on doing the Ashes night shift. TV coverage was lost, had to listen to a load of pricks talking shite from a studio, fell asleep, woke up with Wood and Woakes batting. Thought fuck this and went to bed.

[bazzap]

We have lost our main man. One of the pillars of the team. No Josh Hazelwood for Adelaide. Hopefully, Jhye Richardson will get his chance though Michael Neser also deserves a go after taking 7 wickets in the English Lions game.



Starc is still a passenger IMHO. Take away the first ball Burns dismissal and his match figures would have read 112/2.



There is still a lot of questions about some of the Aussie team. Harris needs to show something. Hoping that Head is not another one-hit-wonder. Warner was VERY lucky in Brisbane though they won't drop him. Sadly.



Young Green could be anything as long as he is not pushed too hard in these early years of his Test career though with the amount of Test cricket that Australia plays lately, he should be ok.



Poms should not be too downhearted. It must be a bastard being on the road these days living within all the CV-19 restrictions. At least they will have some warm sun in Australia. They face a tall order having to win at least two of the remaining four Tests considering that since the turn of the century, they have only won four Tests in Australia.


Stating the obvious I know but they gotta sort out their batting issues. Root can't be expected to do it all the time.


I have all the time in the world for Anderson & Broad but geez, they are not getting any younger. Their previous Ashes Tests results in Australia are not exactly stunning. Maybe I am wrong ( I usually am) but I reckon the Poms should stick with the three quicks that they used in Brisbane. I doubt that will happen though.


The Poms can also take heart knowing that Australia won the First Test in Australia last year against India but lost the series.


Plus there are also clowns like me that think that they may actually win




My usual Betfair $100 on England to win the Ashes in Australia








I should have waited until after the Brisbane Test. Can get 10s now

[ferocious]

I’m assuming England are holding a lot of hope on the pink ball swinging hence them resting both Anderson and broad for first test I’d have played at least one of them in Brisbane and who do they drop tomorrow in a must win test match ?

[kuranda_bagman]

Cummins out of the test due to covid - Bazza it looks like your worst nightmare with the VC to take on the captains role!!!

[ferocious]

Originally Posted by kuranda_bagman

Cummins out of the test due to covid - Bazza it looks like your worst nightmare with the VC to take on the captains role!!!

Hope they check the Australian teams pockets before they are allowed on the field

[Frankie]

Well England are staring down the barrel again. Ever since I was a kid I always thought that the only way to go in Australia was with a battery of fast bowlers and a good spinner. Seam bowlers are practically redundant. However that's all England ever seem to take Down Under. Granted there has been a lack of fast bowlers in the past but that was mainly down to the demands of County Cricket resulting in quick bowlers being burnt out and resorting to seam up. However since the introduction of Central Contracts there should be none of this happening. But it seem the ECB are incapable of managing this. Or anything else for that matter.

[bazzap]

Originally Posted by kuranda_bagman

Cummins out of the test due to covid - Bazza it looks like your worst nightmare with the VC to take on the captains role!!!

I can't watch Smith & Warner wearing a Baggy Green. I won't watch Australia playing Test cricket again until neither of them is in the Test side. I just keep up to date with the scores via my phone or computer. About a half-hour past the close of play, I watch BT Sports 1 where a few people in England sit around and talk about the day's play for about 45 mins. At the start, they play about 10 mins highlights of the day play which is enough for me. After that, there is a 90 mins highlight package of the day's play which I sometimes watch.


I also listen to the BBC's Test Match Special with Jonathon Agnew & co who do a daily podcast summing up each day's play. I have been listening to these for as long as they have been published over the internet. More than 20 years, maybe? I wish the Australian ABC would do something similar. Maybe they do on their Grandstand network.


Australia at tea on the second day was 7/390 odd. I have never known them to bat so slowly. Why, as it goes against the grain of the way Australia normally plays. Day/night Test? Taking up time so England cannot win? Protecting their two new fast bowlers somehow? Very strange.


Anyway, play on the 3rd day starts soon. England has it all to do. If they lose this Test, the Ashes (and my money ) are gone


BTW, my man Mitch scored a 60 ball 100 in the BBL the other night. He is ready and waiting for his Test team recall

[ferocious]

I think Australia’s slow scoring was partly down to our short length bowling
A bit negative should have been pitching it up looking for the edge of the bat we didn’t bowl badly but letting Australia get a good total is not a good idea when we can’t really bat