The Ashes 2015

[littlebabyjesus]

I'm hoping for a victory on Saturday. Am going with the father in law Friday and Saturday, he has tickets for the whole game on his aussie tour package. Mrs has told me 3 days is not going to be a good look for me to attend but I want to be there for the final day if poss. Which is unlikely to be Monday..

I've got tickets for monday going if you fancy them...

I'm also hoping for an early finish, but for purely selfish financial reasons.

 

[Dan U]

I've got them if I want them but like you, work interferes.

Father in law wants it done Saturday for the same financial reason!

 

[DrRingDing]

Am I the only one to find Cricinfo.com unusable? Multiple links to the same article & weird and confusing order of links?

 

[Teaboy]

Weather forecast for the weekend does not look promising. Might yet get some play on Monday.

 

[Idaho]

Shouldn't be too bad. Swinging conditions

 

[DrRingDing]

Shouldn't be too bad. Swinging conditions

Plus it's not forecast to rain until Saturday. With a green top it could be over by then

 

[Teaboy]

And in news that will shock no one, Rogers will quit after this tour.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/33972681

 

[DrRingDing]

As mentioned above he's an opener. If he's brought in then there would be space for Rashid.

Cook
Ali
Bell
Root
Bairstow
Stokes
Buttler
Rashid
Broad
Wood/Finn
Anderson

4 seamers and 2 spinners (and a half if you count Groot)

.....and decent batting down to Broad.

 

[DrRingDing]

No Anderson. Team unchanged from TB.

 

[Idaho]

No Anderson. Team unchanged from TB.

Unsurprising really.

 

[Teaboy]

Slightly more interesting stuff from Oz. Hazlewood is out and Cummins is in, I saw him bowling against Northants and he was bowling fast and aggressive. So that's a seam attack of Johnson, Starc and Cummins - England are going to be getting some chin music.

I'm also pretty sure Mitchel Marsh will come in for his brother or Voges.

 

[SpookyFrank]

No Jimmy for the Oval, but that's maybe no bad thing as there's no sense risking his fitness for a dead rubber.

Lyth needs to score lots of runs or he's fucked.

 

[redsquirrel]

Article by Dobell that's worth reading.

Where were England's last world-class spinners (Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar) produced? Northants. Where was England's captain produced? Essex. Where was England's wicketkeeper (Buttler) produced? Somerset. Three non-Test hosting counties that, if city cricket is introduced, will face an uncertain future. By contrast, make a list of all the recent Test players produced by Nottinghamshire. It is hard to avoid the impression that the wrong people may be making decisions in English cricket at present.

....

By comparison with some of their rivals, though - South Africa, Pakistan or West Indies, for example - England's problems seem pretty inconsequential. They have a domestic system that produces players and a domestic system that is drawing record numbers of spectators. It seems bizarre that it seems subject to such relentless criticism.

 

[Teaboy]

News coming out that it may be Siddle over Cummins. If so that's a pretty disappointing move and quite frankly just the safe option, going defensive and bet hedging at Trent Bridge back-fired badly. Why not take the risk?

 

[Teaboy]

Yup, Siddle in Hazlewood and M. Marsh in for his brother. England win the toss and bowl. Vaughn is on the radio saying Cummins should have played ahead of Johnson, there is probably something in that, he certainly should have played ahead of someone.

 

[redsquirrel]

Decent start for Australia, quite surprised that both Cook and Clarke were so determined to bowl first.

 

[Santino]

Decent start for Australia, quite surprised that both Cook and Clarke were so determined to bowl first.

Obvious choice for Clarke - he needed to avoid losing the Test in the first session or two. Not such an obvious decision for Cook.

 

[redsquirrel]

Very much Australia's session that.

 

[Idaho]

That's what you want from your openers. Get to lunch.

 

[Teaboy]

Obvious choice for Clarke - he needed to avoid losing the Test in the first session or two. Not such an obvious decision for Cook.

The aussie top order had been wiped out in the last two tests and just come off another failure at Northants where everyone makes runs. Overcast morning with a green tinge to the pitch with the forecast due to improve significantly for the next two days. Also the lack of a front line spinner to bowl last on a turning pitch.

There were some good reasons to bowl first but it was probably a decision based upon the series as a whole rather than this test in isolation.

Anyway, I think we can all agree that it was a terrible decision and Cook should be sacked.

 

[Mogden]

I'm claiming that wicket. Just loaded BBC Sport app scoreboard and that popped through as I scanned the result so far

 

[Sprocket.]

Quick, do it again.

 

[Santino]

Almost into the tail.

 

[Idaho]

What did he review that for?

 

[Lord Camomile]

Old times' sake.

 

[Teaboy]

Clarke has a long standing reputation of walking. He didn't think he'd hit it, simple as that really. I'm in South West London and the weather is closing in, I reckon they'll be off soon for a bit.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Just got my third mention on BBC live text

 

[Teaboy]

Just got my third mention on BBC live text

Are you the guy who is naming his child Moeen Williams or something?

 

[Lord Camomile]

Are you the guy who is naming his child Moeen Williams or something?

No, but it was about that (And it was Moeen Jones )

 

[Argonia]

Noticed and recognised you, Lord Camomile.