Argonia
Happy go licky
I was the same.
The Ashes 2019
- Thread starter Monkeygrinder's Organ
- Start date
I was the same.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
49 more needed to avoid the follow-on.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Suddenly it's unplayable.
fucthest8
Cool people die horrible, preventable deaths.
The thing is, much as I hate to say this, we're seeing Smith at the top of his game, right? He can pick runs up wherever he likes; he believes it and fuck it, I believe it. If we can't break that belief, then I confidently predict that the series will effectively be over, today. Another ton from him and that's it.
(E2A: weather permitting)
(E2A: weather permitting)
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Zapp Brannigan
Built like a steakhouse, handles like a bistro
Head gone for a painful 7, never looked like getting going.
4 down, miles behind. As ever, get Smith and this looks on for England.
4 down, miles behind. As ever, get Smith and this looks on for England.
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
If the rain is sweeping across from the west like we’ve been getting this morning you aren’t going to be getting a lot more play from soon on...
souljacker
innit
Yeah, rainfall radar showing rainmageddon coming in the next 15 mins/half hour and staying wet for the next few hours minimum.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Ordinary umpiring at the minute. Stokes feels likely,though.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
It for the day then probably. Decent for England, but I'd have liked one more. Wade and Smith did well to dig in there and survive to the rain.
Who would you rather be right now? I'd rather be England. Was it the right decision at the toss?
Who would you rather be right now? I'd rather be England. Was it the right decision at the toss?
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Australia have lost four wickets, but they haven't been soft dismissals. I do think they're a better batting side than England, but they've had the worst of the conditions so far. Losing three in those two hours isn't such a bad effort, tbh. It will be their own stupid fault if they lose this match.
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
The last 16 overs produced 3 wickets for just 20 runs.
I think so. There is pretty steady rain in SW London where I am and that's the weather that'll be heading towards Lords.
It doesn't look great for the chances of getting a result. It would need a pretty major collapse by Oz in their 1st innings or England in their second for anything to happen.
I guess Oz will be thinking bat all day tomorrow and get a 150 and try and knock over England's very fragile batting on the last day. That's probably the most likely route to a result.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
I think there's still plenty of time for a result either way, tbh. England bowl Aus out for 200 or so, then England collapse and set Aus a very gettable target on the final day. 200-250 to win at the start of the fifth day would be a rather grand spectacle. Fucking thing's sold out. 
Seven-hour days, remember. If there's no more play today but full play over the weekend, there's still 14 hours of play left. Maybe 185 overs if we're optimistic. England's shite batting might actually give them their best chance of a win.
Seven-hour days, remember. If there's no more play today but full play over the weekend, there's still 14 hours of play left. Maybe 185 overs if we're optimistic. England's shite batting might actually give them their best chance of a win.
planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
No you’re not. You’re wrong about being wrong about the weather.
mhendo
Aussie in San Francisco
None of that argument is problematic, and I don't even really disagree with you. But it's also not really relevant to my point.
I have no trouble with questioning the decision to bowl first. If your only observation had been "Wow, I didn't expect them to bowl. I think that might turn out to be a bad decision", I might even have agreed with you.
It's not the argument about the toss itself that's partisan; it's the unnecessary attribution of motives - hubris, ego, fear, whatever. Your first inclination seemed not to be an argument about what the right decision might be, but about the fact that the Aussies must have had some stupid or nefarious motive for the decision. I just find that sort of thing a bit tiresome. Anyway, I'm over it now.
First session today was looking good for the Aussies during the first hour, although it was only Khawaja doing any scoring; Bancroft did not look comfortable even once in his whole time at the crease. And then the three quick wickets and the complete choking off of runs left England with the upper hand at lunch. If they do get back on today, I think the English bowlers will be champing at the bit to bowl in these conditions. Archer was bowling very nicely this morning.
Its really not raining that much , they should get on with the game.
A few years back i was playing for a team and had a couple of Indian lads as our pros for the season. They used to get well pissed off about not playing in these conditions. "In India we play through Monsoon!" Was my favourite comment.
A few years back i was playing for a team and had a couple of Indian lads as our pros for the season. They used to get well pissed off about not playing in these conditions. "In India we play through Monsoon!" Was my favourite comment.
a_chap
When the world came apart, where were you?
An understandable confusion caused by Google Translate.
Original quote was: "In India we play the basoon".
Would make sense as they were both massive Ruddy Yurts fans.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Frustrating, but at least we don't have the bad light issue any more. Hours and hours lost when it wasn't raining at all.
mhendo
Aussie in San Francisco
Agreed. Actually, I think they should go further and schedule one or two extra days for each test, and be willing to add on extra days whenever a full day's play is lost.
I understand that living with weather problems is part of the tradition of the game, but that doesn't mean it can't be changed, or that it wouldn't be in everyone's interests, especially the fans', to change it. As you've already pointed out, they've made adjustments for bad light. They've also gone with things like the third umpire, decision review, UltraEdge, and numbers on the players' backs. Cricket is big business now. The players get paid a lot of money, and fans often spend not just hundreds of dollars on game tickets but, in the case of something like an Ashes tour, thousands of dollars in airfares and hotel rooms to make a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
I'm not arguing that they need to create domed stadiums, or make up for every single minute of play lost to rain. There would still be room for weather to affect the outcome of games. If you get a one-hour rainstorm, on the afternoon of Day 3, or if rain delays the start of Day five by two hours, then maybe that's just part of the game, just like it's always been. But when you know, especially in an English summer, that there's a decent possibility of losing one or more full day's play due to rain, I think it's worth breaking with tradition to schedule a couple of extra days to allow for that.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
tbh I don't think this is much of a problem. Even in rainy England, draws are exceptional nowadays. Even final days are pretty rare. It's frustrating, and scheduling so many tests in August and September isn't smart - July is considerably drier than August - but it's not a massive issue.
Adding spare days is a non-starter with matches so close together. Given the general rubbishness of batting around the world nowadays, the fifth day is effective the spare day already.
one thing I am dead against is the extension of four-day tests. As the Ireland match showed, you're never going to get more than about 90 overs in a day, and I also doubt the appetite among punters for potentially eight-hour days. But the argument that there are precious few final days doesn't hold up. Those matches that do go down to the final day are a high proportion of the best, closest matches. There is always the problem of rain around, and losing a day and a half of a four-day match would be terminal. And also the shape of the match would be changed, and not for the better, leading perhaps counter-intuitively to draws in matches that might have finished with a result in four days if there had been a fifth day available. Additionally, in the UK, the fifth day is the only chance people with not much money get to go to a test.
Adding spare days is a non-starter with matches so close together. Given the general rubbishness of batting around the world nowadays, the fifth day is effective the spare day already.
one thing I am dead against is the extension of four-day tests. As the Ireland match showed, you're never going to get more than about 90 overs in a day, and I also doubt the appetite among punters for potentially eight-hour days. But the argument that there are precious few final days doesn't hold up. Those matches that do go down to the final day are a high proportion of the best, closest matches. There is always the problem of rain around, and losing a day and a half of a four-day match would be terminal. And also the shape of the match would be changed, and not for the better, leading perhaps counter-intuitively to draws in matches that might have finished with a result in four days if there had been a fifth day available. Additionally, in the UK, the fifth day is the only chance people with not much money get to go to a test.
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OzT
Online early mornings when at work ....
morning! Bright and sunny so far today.
Hmm looks a lot more happened after I finished my shift yesterday. Got hom ein th eevening and not a good score to end the day with.
But then a few of the aussies had their monent in the sunshine, now is the time to roll the sleeves up and for them to show they have got the grit and talent, and some measure of luck, to see us thru the day to set up a score to bowl at tomorrow. Bearing in mind of course, the English will be doing their bit to rol them over cheaply for their own win.
Always good when a challenge is thrown down, now is the time for players, of both sides, to step up top the plate, as the saying goes.
And likely to get a full day's play in. Looking forward to the kick off!!!! Ooops, wrong, sorry, I meant the chukka!! lol!!
Hmm looks a lot more happened after I finished my shift yesterday. Got hom ein th eevening and not a good score to end the day with.
But then a few of the aussies had their monent in the sunshine, now is the time to roll the sleeves up and for them to show they have got the grit and talent, and some measure of luck, to see us thru the day to set up a score to bowl at tomorrow. Bearing in mind of course, the English will be doing their bit to rol them over cheaply for their own win.
Always good when a challenge is thrown down, now is the time for players, of both sides, to step up top the plate, as the saying goes.
And likely to get a full day's play in. Looking forward to the kick off!!!! Ooops, wrong, sorry, I meant the chukka!! lol!!
