The Ashes 2015

[Puddy_Tat]

I thought the bbc had got the team names the wrong way round when i checked the score at lunch time...

 

[SpookyFrank]

Lyth looked like a rabbit in headlights throughout his brief stint at the crease, hardly surprising considering his precarious place in the side and the kneecapping the Australians had just suffered.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

If they can get 100 lead - big if on this pitch - they could force a win OK. Weather may play a big part.

They'll be looking for a lot more than a hundred lead. They still have seven wickets left and a lot of proper batsmen to come in. The weather forecast is clear and dry today which should help. The aim should be to bat all day, not scrape a lead

 

[kabbes]

Bell showed why he has been persisted with. When the conditions are bowler friendly, there is no substitute for good technique in your batsman. Shame he lets his head go though.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Well, that's not a great start

 

[mwgdrwg]

Will England get to 150?

 

[Lord Camomile]

Oh dear...

 

[butchersapron]

First one looked rather chucky.

 

[kabbes]

Again, this is why it is so hard to drop Bell even when out of form. Cook, Root, Bell -- these are our batsman with the technique to play against top level bowling. The others are good first class cricketers but will be consistently shown up by the best bowlers.

 

[BandWagon]

Why did Root play that shot?

 

[Spymaster]

Definitely one to leave but I'm more pissed off that Stokes and Bairstow didn't fucking duck.

 

[Lo Siento.]

Definitely one to leave but I'm more pissed off that Stokes and Bairstow didn't fucking duck.

Easy to say when it's not you facing that kind of bowling 2nd ball in...

 

[BandWagon]

Starc's bowling crap but he got that wicket. Ain't no justice in the world.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

God they're making a complete mess of this. Lyon now 3-3.


ETA: And missing on Hawkeye as well!

 

[The Octagon]

Why not use a sodding review there?

 

[Lo Siento.]

Why not use a sodding review there?

Especially when our batting 9-11 is so feeble!

 

[Spymaster]

Easy to say when it's not you facing that kind of bowling 2nd ball in...

Yes, but I'm not a top order test batsman.

 

[Lo Siento.]

Yes, but I'm not a top order test batsman.

No, but lots of top order test batsmen get out to those sort of balls. They were both pretty much perfect bouncers.

 

[kabbes]

Now WTF is going on? Broad and Ali making it look easy to score runs after a day and a half of dot balls

 

[redsquirrel]

Ali becoming quite a good lower order batsman this series, excellent 77 at Cardiff and making the most of this.

 

[marty21]

Broad gone!

 

[The Octagon]

145 lead, not awful but they'll be rueing some silly wickets thrown away.

If the Aussies get to parity without loss or just 1 wicket down things will swing back in their favour.

 

[BandWagon]

That's it, lead is 145, not bad. England won't want to chase more than 150 tops so they need to get them out of there for 290, defo do-able.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Hmm. You'd be delighted with that lead at the start of play, not so much once Australia were out for such a low score. Still in a decent position overall but they should have put on more than that.

 

[marty21]

could be a 3 day match at this rate!

 

[Mogden]

Anderson needs to have a word with himself and get that bowling head back on.

And apparently he has. Not overly happy about the performance at Edgbaston so far but it's not shameful.

 

[BandWagon]

Shame about the way Root and Bell got out, they were set for big scores.

 

[Mogden]

Well I don't envy those with fifth day tickets

 

[mwgdrwg]

Well I don't envy those with fifth day tickets

Or fourth!

 

[Mogden]

Or fourth!

Indeed! The ticket office and sponsors must be grumbling already