The Cricket Thread

[peasy23]

209-4 at the close. Root should be fuming with his bowlers, thought they were far too placid in the first session. Even that last over from Anderson had 4 balls that were nowhere near troubling the batsmen.

[Salvo Montalbano]

Just catching up with the highlights. How come Keven Pietersen gets wheeled out with 2 other commentators for one wee spell when it's almost always 2 commentators per slot for everyone else? It was the same in Brisbane I think?

[Eednud]

Ben Stokes managed 2 runs from 7 balls on his Canterbury debut v Otago.

[Eednud]

A very cool 13.7 and showers in Adelaide at Noon today.

[peasy23]

England got an early breakthrough and have generally bowled much better than yesterday, but they just can't get wickets. They did get two out lbw but they were overturned on review for height, and have also had a couple of edges drop short of the slips.

[peasy23]

Paine out for a well played 57, 294-6.

[peasy23]

306-6 at tea. Pitch looks to have a bit of something in it for the spinners. Going to bed, fully expect to get up around 10 and England to be 40-3 or so.

[nelsjfc]

This test disappearing over the hill already. This England attacks just not dangerous enough when Broad and Anderson aren't at their very best.

 

 

[nelsjfc]

[emoji38]

[ajwffc]

Australia 409-7 at dinner

[ajwffc]

Australia declare at 442-8

[Flybhoy]

1 hour ago, nelsjfc said:

 

 

 

 

England have had an absolute minter, the opposition declaring in their FIRST innings is an utter red neck and makes a mockery of Joe Root's decision to bowl first after winning the toss, Nasser Hussein did the same in an opening Ashes test in Australia many years ago and is still ridiculed to this day for it.

Already winning this test looks out of reach for England, they'd have to get two huge scores themselves and bowl the Aussies out cheaply with less than three days remaining (this day/night test is four days I seem to recall), their best option is to sluggishly bat out a draw and even that seems unlikely, the famous urn slowly beginning to slip from their grasp it would appear.

[Jmothecat2]

 
England have had an absolute minter, the opposition declaring in their FIRST innings is an utter red neck and makes a mockery of Joe Root's decision to bowl first after winning the toss, Nasser Hussein did the same in an opening Ashes test in Australia many years ago and is still ridiculed to this day for it.
Already winning this test looks out of reach for England, they'd have to get two huge scores themselves and bowl the Aussies out cheaply with less than three days remaining (this day/night test is four days I seem to recall), their best option is to sluggishly bat out a draw and even that seems unlikely, the famous urn slowly beginning to slip from their grasp it would appear.

Be pessimistic all you like, this test isn't over yet. Electing to bowl first was a gamble but I'm glad he's willing to take risks. We'll win 3-1!

[Flybhoy]

2 minutes ago, Jmothecat2 said:

 

Be pessimistic all you like, this test isn't over yet. Electing to bowl first was a gamble but I'm glad he's willing to take risks. We'll win 3-1!

 

I've always had an affection for the Australian cricket team since the days of Warne & McGrath making England and its batsmen in particular look pathetic, granted this Aussie side is not a patch on that one but already in this test and series they have their foot firmly on England's throat, conditions on a 2/3 day old pitch under the lights will be ideal for Nathan Lyon to cause havoc here, while I admire your optimism the absolute best England can manage in this test is a draw, taking risks is admirable but foolish and naive ones aren't.  Adelaide and its drop in pitch has always been a 'bat first' track, I cant fathom Root's logic in opting to bowl first.

[Savage Henry]

They've declared because of the weather.  Admittedly it's only because they think they can bowl England out twice in three days, but still, if there wasn't rain they wouldn't have declared.

As it is, England will need to bat two whole days to get a draw.  Which then leaves time for a couple of call ups for the third test.  Liam Plunkett or Mark Wood, preferably, alongside  Stokes.

I can see them getting whittled out twice for 200 odd and Austrlia winning by 10 wickets.  

[peasy23]

Simple fact is you struggle to see England taking 20 wickets anywhere on this form. Broad and Anderson aren't quite at their best and the others are just too similar. Even Australia's tail aren't scared of the England attack. They added another 150 runs after Paine was out with Cummins hanging about at 1 end and adding 44 runs of his own. Not good enough from England and they wasted any chance they had in this match by not bowling full enough.

 

 

[Eednud]

11:30 and an overcast 18.4 been a few light showers and will be a few more.

[peasy23]

Now I must admit that I was among those who thought England could at least make the series competitive, but this is dismal stuff. Caught the round up of the wickets that fell this morning during the tea break, and yet again some of the shot selection was appalling. It just looks like abject panic has set in. Moeen also falls since tea to a brilliant caught and bowled by Lyon, currently 138-6.

[peasy23]

Bairstow falls to an astonishing caught and bowled to Starc. He absolutely middled a straight drive but Starc somehow managed to stick a hand out, knock it up in the air, then take it at the second attempt.

[Jmothecat2]

Miserable. Got up early to catch a couple of hours before work and regretting it. I could just tell it was going to to be another England collapse.

Will we ever win a test in Australia again? I wasn't as pessimistic as most, as the Australian team really don't look that great, which really emphasises how poor England are. The executable collapse was saved too often by Bairstow and Stokes, but without Stokes and Bairstow not in the same form as he was, if England don't get runs from the top order they aren't getting runs.