The Ashes 2017-18

[butchersapron]

The only problem I have with the coverage is the lack of a persistent score somewhere on the screen. I've been watching the first session, leaving the laptop on with the rest of the day playing while I sleep till 6, but when you wake up before that and go to check the score there's nothing to immediately see. Which means turning the phone on instead.

 

[Idaho]

I usually sleep with tms on in one ear - but I've not had the stamina this week so haven't seen or listened to any of it. I'll remedy that tonight. Hopefully if we can hold a 50 run lead, we should be in with a good chance.

 

[Mumbles274]

Mute the telly and listen on TMS.

Did that with Sky streams to be fair!

 

[PaoloSanchez]

Did that with Sky streams to be fair!

Me too. You can't really beat the institution that is TMS.
It's just that the BT Sport coverage/commentary/analysis/punditry to be a bit more naff and irritating than I remember it being on Sky.

 

[Reiabuzz]

If anyone here has watched the Big Bash - they've basically ripped off the commentary tone from that. It's annoying enough for a 20/20 match. 5 full days of it?

 

[littlebabyjesus]

All to play for! Smith holding them together again. He is a phenomenon, the bastard. There's been lots of talk about Warner, but Smith is the key to Australia's batting. Got to get him early tomorrow.

 

[Casual Observer]

Moeen bowling in the ninth over of their first innings. Blimey.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Safe to say that both teams read the pitch completely wrong. Nobody expected a slow turner.

 

[Pink Panther]

I had a feeling Stoneman might come good, and while 50 isn't amazing, it's hugely encouraging. Vince, it has been said, looks a million dollars in county cricket, so his test failure so far has been a bit of a mystery. But some good players take time to get going - just look at Shai Hope in WI. Only a run-out stopped Vince's march to a hundred, and he played very well. Malan is still there fighting. Can't ask for much more when your big two manage just 17 runs between them.

Stoneman played half his first class cricket at Chester le Street until this year. Both he and Vince have a tendency to get out playing assertively outside off stump. In conditions with less seam and swing movement that ought to be less of a problem.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Stoneman played half his first class cricket at Chester le Street until this year. Both he and Vince have a tendency to get out playing assertively outside off stump. In conditions with less seam and swing movement that ought to be less of a problem.

Chester-le-street's a notorious seaming greentop, though.

Both of them are attacking batsmen who reigned it in when the pressure was on. That was very pleasing to see.

 

[Pink Panther]

Chester-le-street's a notorious seaming greentop, though.

That's my point. His career average was early 30s until he moved to Surrey, but he's better than that.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

That's my point. His career average was early 30s until he moved to Surrey, but he's better than that.

Ah ok. Yep.

Some very good judges have been calling for Stoneman to play for years. Collingwood was a big advocate.

 

[planetgeli]

Kookaburra is doing what kookaburra does, no?

 

[Mumbles274]

And England getting out hooking

 

[littlebabyjesus]

And England getting out hooking

That was disappointing. I went to bed when Malan was out, and it was very sadly predictable. A couple of sweetly timed ones race to the boundary and you feel great about yourself, then the third one goes straight up in the air. 8-1, bowler wins. I remember Neil Wagner going exclusively short for a whole spell against, I think it was Sri Lanka, last year, and they didn't bite, not once. Just sway, duck, sway, duck, ball after ball. Didn't score, but also didn't get out. Steve Waugh banned himself from hooking, and he was a good hooker. He'd just done the maths.

 

[Reiabuzz]

Not flimsy at all eh?

 

[Mumbles274]

Not so bothered by Broad doing it to be fair, especially as he's been vulnerable to the short ball since being hit

 

[Mumbles274]

What surprises me is that every one and their dog knows not to hook except the guy in the England shirt facing it!

Says a compulsive hooker who's been out loads like that

 

[littlebabyjesus]

No problem Broad doing it. He bats at number 9. Big problem anyone batting 7 upwards doing it.

I guess it just feels so good when you get it right.

 

[Mumbles274]

No problem Broad doing it. He bats at number 9. Big problem anyone batting 7 upwards doing it.

I guess it just feels so good when you get it right.

One of the best shots to middle, ball coming at your face? Nope, going to the boundary.. Or oh fuck caught!

 

[planetgeli]

What surprises me is that every one and their dog knows not to hook except the guy in the England shirt facing it!

Says a compulsive hooker who's been out loads like that

I’ll always associate it with Rick McCosker. Google his name plus broken jaw video or “and Bob Willis”. Compulsive hooker. Not just the Willis thing. I remember him getting out time and again to the shot in England. Even an Oval test, possibly against Botham (though I may have misremembered this) when he’d been out about 18 times in the series already to it (ok, maybe I exaggerate for effect). And he batted number one.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Time and place as well, isn't it? You've got Graham Dilley up the other end and you're staring at an innings defeat? Go for it. You never know.

But you're 230 for 4 on the second day of the first test? Don't be a sucker.

 

[squirrelp]

I’ll always associate it with Rick McCosker. Google his name plus broken jaw video or “and Bob Willis”. Compulsive hooker. Not just the Willis thing. I remember him getting out time and again to the shot in England. Even an Oval test, possibly against Botham (though I may have misremembered this) when he’d been out about 18 times in the series already to it (ok, maybe I exaggerate for effect). And he batted number one.

Andrew Hilditch had a penchant for hooking

 

[BlueSquareThing]

If anyone here has watched the Big Bash - they've basically ripped off the commentary tone from that. It's annoying enough for a 20/20 match. 5 full days of it?

It can't possibly be that bad?!!!

 

[Mumbles274]

Im still listening back to the full tms commentary from day 2!! Warner has just gone

 

[squirrelp]

If Smith keeps taking guard across his stumps as this BBC article tells me then the antidote to that is the yorker on leg stump... dig that out. You can bowl six of those an over too.

 

[Mumbles274]

Tuffers is quality

 

[butchersapron]

Er... The first hour

 

[squirrelp]

third day coming up

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Got a bad feeling. They sound comfortable so far. A nice little run-out would go down nicely.