The Ashes 2019

[friedaweed]

and there he goes. Good catch

 

[planetgeli]

No worries. We've got Roy's double hundred from No.5 to look forward to.

 

[Mumbles274]

At least Root will be at 4

 

[mhendo]

Well, I must say that was a rather pleasant day of cricket to watch. I was happy enough with Smith's 118, but to see him brought back after the no-ball was especially gratifying, especially with so many in the crowd still booing him whenever he enters or leaves the field of play. England will rue some of their dropped chances; Jofra's one was really tough, but the catches at mid-on and especially at slip should have been taken. Nice to see the Aussie tail get some runs too. 82 off the last ten overs was a lot of fun.

I'll be interested to see what happens tomorrow. England can't win it from here, but all it will take is one or two nice long partnerships to ensure a draw. The wicket still looks pretty decent for batting, but not so good that the bowlers can't get anything out of it, and Lyon should get some good spin as the match goes on. Looking forward to tomorrow.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Well, I must say that was a rather pleasant day of cricket to watch. I was happy enough with Smith's 118, but to see him brought back after the no-ball was especially gratifying, especially with so many in the crowd still booing him whenever he enters or leaves the field of play. England will rue some of their dropped chances; Jofra's one was really tough, but the catches at mid-on and especially at slip should have been taken. Nice to see the Aussie tail get some runs too. 82 off the last ten overs was a lot of fun.

I'll be interested to see what happens tomorrow. England can't win it from here, but all it will take is one or two nice long partnerships to ensure a draw. The wicket still looks pretty decent for batting, but not so good that the bowlers can't get anything out of it, and Lyon should get some good spin as the match goes on. Looking forward to tomorrow.

It's a good wicket that rewards good batting and good bowling. Aus got away from England today. I'm not optimistic that this batting line-up can bat for 200 overs, which is what this will take, minimum. I hope to be surprised... it can happen of course, but to happen twice in a row is a push.

 

[ferrelhadley]

Steve Smith is the highest scoring test batsman in the world for 2019 of off just 4 innings.
2019 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com
He has the second highest average (64.6) of anyone to play more than 10 tests after a certain D.G. Bradman.
As much as he is a twitchy weirdo, he is one of the greatest batsmen of all time.

Hell of a player to dismiss on a no ball.

 

[planetgeli]

We haven't lost a wicket in the first 20 minutes.

Oh, wait.

 

[ferrelhadley]

Hats off for Burns 50. Currently 3rd most runs this series, only godlike weido Smith and Stokes are ahead of him at the moment.

Often looks like he is about to get out but he is digging in earning tough runs.

 

[mhendo]

Got Root right in the nuts. Nice one.

He and Burns are looking pretty good this morning, though, apart from a couple of loose shots.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Hats off for Burns 50. Currently 3rd most runs this series, only godlike weido Smith and Stokes are ahead of him at the moment.

Often looks like he is about to get out but he is digging in earning tough runs.

Burns is flawed, but he's a proper opener. Unlike either Roy or Denly. I feel a bit sorry for Denly here. He's been sacrificed for the sake of golden boy Roy. But he was awful last night.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Burns looking better than he did at Edgbaston for me.

 

[Mumbles274]

The crowd cheering everything Garry catches

 

[Argonia]

Chump question: what happens if both this match and the next one are drawn? Who wins the Ashes in that eventuality?

 

[Athos]

Chump question: what happens if both this match and the next one are drawn? Who wins the Ashes in that eventuality?

Stays with the holder (Aus) in the event of a drawn series.

 

[steveo87]

Australia. In the event of a draw the previous winners retain the Ashes.

 

[Argonia]

Thanks guys.

 

[ferrelhadley]

4 down 122 behind the follow on.

 

[Mumbles274]

Root was plumby mcplumbface

Roy has faced just over 10 balls and is driving through the covers. Looks great when he gets away with it but we know what it normally looks like

These last overs today are the ashes now, Oz will be all over this. Any more wickets and we know the outcome

 

[Mumbles274]

"It's not there to drive Jim"

 

[GarveyLives]

It was certainly fascinating to see Jason Roy's mode of dismissal part-way through the morning session when England needed to bat out the entire day to save the match.

(Source: as stated in image)​

England left with red faces after neglecting Test cricket for years

(Source: as stated in image)

(Source: as stated in image)​

Roy's batting in this series has certainly been consistent so far.

 

[ignatious]

I don’t see how they can persist with him. Apart from his technical insuitability for Test cricket, how often does a Test team actually require a middle order batsman to come in and blast quick fire runs? He’s being selected to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.

You could argue the same about Buttler but he has at least displayed an ability to accumulate that Roy just doesn’t seem to have.

 

[Pink Panther]

I thought Roy's biggest problem would be giving edges to three slips and a gully that would run harmlessly towards third man in white ball cricket. Now he's getting clean bowled playing big shots at straight balls. When people like Stokes (or Pietersen) start doing that from the number 4/5 position they've generally taken 50 balls or more to play themselves in.

I've enjoyed watching Roy bat for Surrey and wanted to believe he could make the transition to Test cricket. He's an exciting player but I can't help thinking there's a strong hint of lazy arrogance about his game, an inability or unwillingness to work out his own weaknesses and address them. I'm reminded of Shane Warne's observation of Monty Panesar a few years after he failed to build upon his initial flying start in Test cricket: "He hasn't played thirty Tests, he's played one Test thirty times." These players stand still while their opponents work out how to beat them, and as often seems to happen with struggling batsmen, bowlers or captains he's now started dropping catches too. (Regardless of the result of this match I suspect the selectors may give him one last chance on his home ground.)

Will Jacks at Surrey is a very similar type of batsman, but almost ten years younger and already seems to play the situation far more shrewdly than Roy ever has. In the long term I think he'll become the player Jason Roy could have been.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Can't see Roy playing at the Oval without a big score second innings. Problem is that his second innings is likely to come as part of a blockathon where time matters not runs. So a blistering 80 off 100 balls is just 100 balls. And he doesn't know how to get a dour 50 off 150 balls. He's never done it ever in any cricket.

 

[Pink Panther]

Can't see Roy playing at the Oval without a big score second innings. Problem is that his second innings is likely to come as part of a blockathon where time matters not runs. So a blistering 80 off 100 balls is just 100 balls. And he doesn't know how to get a dour 50 off 150 balls. He's never done it ever in any cricket.

Just for clarity I don't personally think he should play at The Oval, but I won't be surprised if these selectors find an argument not to drop him. In the unlikely event that he smashes a blistering 80 (or even 100) in a losing cause here they'll definitely see that as sufficient evidence to keep him.

 

[ferrelhadley]

68 runs and 4 wickets from the follow on.
Picking Buttler, Roy and Bairstow has gone a long way to costing England this series.

 

[kabbes]

Although not being able to get Smith out is the number one reason for losing the series, should it come to that.

 

[Casual Observer]

I was surprised Ollie Pope wasn't called up for this test but the selectors did their usual trick of addressing batting deficiencies by picking another bowler for the initial squad. Knowing Ed Smith, if they do pick Pope at the Oval, they'll probably sling him in as an opener rather than 5 or 6 (his natural position) with Smith spouting some pretentious guff from Greek mythology to back it up.

 

[friedaweed]

England will bowl them out for 70 now

 

[butchersapron]

Headingly 3 - electric etc

 

[butchersapron]

3 ducks on the bounce for warner.