This is very nicely poised.
This is very nicely poised.
England really need one of Khawaja or Smith tonight really.
That's it, fuck off you smarmy little prick.
Broad is a force of nature.
I’d have played Wood ahead of him this Test. Mug.
Now then.
I'm trying to think if I have more great specific memories of an England bowler than Broad. Big wickets, absurd spells of him monstering people, being a WUM-y bastard.Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
I'm trying to work out how England can ever play cricket again once we lose Broad and Anderson. Ultimate big game players.
This is still fairly even I think. Aus were less than this for three first dig and made 380. Best we can hope for is the rain juicing things up a bit for Anderson and Robinson.
Now that is a finely poised test match.
Khawaja looks in top nick, but you have to think if there's wet stuff in the air tomorrow it brings Anderson back into play.
Looked up the umpire appointments for the rest of the series because that's the sort of thing I do. Joel Wilson doesn't arrive until the fourth and fifth Tests, how dearly we will need him.
Also see Ireland were twatted by Oman in the World Cup qualifier, good job they rested Little from that Test really.
Wilson? Dear me, there’s some pony umpires about these days. You won’t be far off this level now Jim.
"Sorry, the boss says I can't have the time off for the 4th test. I'm needed in Quito."
Absolutely hammering it down around me. Due to stop around 10, with the cloud sticking about to early afternoon. Assuming we get a full first session, we're getting a result today one way or the other.
Had to explain to two colleagues what Bazball is this morning. We've arrived.
Rain radar doesn't suggest we'll get much of the first session, but due to clear around lunchtime, hopefully into horrific batting conditions.
Yep looking like a 2 session game max. Still very gettable for Australia but more scope tor ultra attacking fields and hopefully a bit of juice in the pitch/assistance from the skies.
If we can get Cummins in for the addition of no more than 70 more I think we'll do it. Target under 100 with two established bats in, then Aus will have a good chance.
No play before 1.10 at the earliest? Fucks sake.
Whereas Sky Sports absolutely love Bazball and everything about it, TMS are still very cagey. Just got it on in the office here and Vaughan is a fucking misery especially, whining about them doing team bonding over a county game. It's to be expected from the old time badgers like Aggers but even Cook doesn't sound sold on the new England either.
Cook probably tries to get his wife in the mood by showing her diagrams of an in-out field. I don't think he's the benchmark on this stuff.
I do get the sense there is a significant portion of English cricket fans itching for a loss so they can pile onto to the aggressive tactics.
Whereas I am an evangelist for it all.
I think it's just how at odds it is with a lifetime of received wisdom.
My dad [being Scotch and therefore uncultured in the ways of cricket] would always question why teams [England in particular] didn't just try to hit the thing instead of passive blocking to their eventual doom all the time [strong advocate of Jason Roy being allowed to just swing from the off] and no amount of well there's a lot of time in the game and the red ball is different would have him think any different.
The thing is that mostly the naysayers are right. We just happen to have the perfect blend of cricketers, coach and captain available who are a) willing to actually go through with it and b) talented enough to pull it off.
If you say have the same players but Alastair Cook in charge, does it happen? No chance. Stokes as captain, but Peter Moores the coach? No chance. It's a perfect storm.
Last edited by Jimmy Floyd; 20-06-2023 at 01:27 PM.
I suspect it's an approach that won't last forever and am trying to just enjoy it while it lasts but there are still times I can't help wondering what the fuck they're doing.
The biggest selling point for me is that it's forcing more results. Now if that means we lose this series 4-0 because the Aussies mug us off while we're going for it then that would be annoying but some of those Pakistan games, for example, couldn't have been anything other than a draw if we hadn't forced the issue because if the garbage pitches which were being prepared which is as bad for the format as anything else.
I’ve watched a bit on my lunch break and Scott Boland is looking like Rahul Dravid. Got the fear.
Need to knock Khawaja off quickish but he looks in good nick.
Win Vis being not 50/50 at this point is an odd one. Really is too close to call.
I didn't want to say but I piled on Australia just before the start of play. Sunny spells already and the bookies are reflecting WinViz.
I don't like Mo coming in this early, but if Stokes isn't fit to bowl it has to be, I guess.
I'm not watching but I'm telling you now Mo will not last more than 2 overs.
Thanks again Jim.
And another!
He's on fire!
Mo.
MVP is Jimmy.
Jimmy, do another one!
It only works if you really believe it. 'Jimmy Anderson is shit' isn't going to butter any parsnips whatsoever.
Yeah, but still, we could do with a bit of magic before team so maybe kibosh Stokes or something.
I suspect they'll trickle over 200 here. Seems to have gone a bit flat right now.
Worked when you said it 10 years ago or whatever it was.
Pitch is just utterly dead. I’m sure there will some spark at some point and a couple will fall but I make Australia fairly decent favourites from here.
Yeah, pitch hasn't been great, but then, you're going in to the final session with 1 side needing 100 to win and 1 side needing 5 wickets, which is pretty much exactly what you would want in every test, and overheads in England can be so influential [as was seen on Saturday]. For me, if Australia manage to get up then that 20 minute mini session essentially swung the game. If England come out on Sunday morning at 26-0 or whatever then they put up a much bigger score.
Did any of you guys know there had been an Ashes series in 2005? Sky have mentioned it about 578 times so far today so I suppose I'll just have to take their word for it.
I reckon the Aussies have it unless they give away Khawaja, or a couple of his partners quickly. They've batted through the worst of today.
It's very hard to insert chaos on this kind of pitch. Stokes bowling would be the obvious way but he's patently cooked.
Yeah I'm pretty sure we're done here. Another 20-30 runs may have swung it but that's anti Bazball.
My turn!
They'll start pushing up the run rate now. If we can get another quickly it's game back on.
Okay this is going to be so very tense.
Jimmy's on fire, Aussies are all terrified!
I couldn't have been the only one who shouted a massive yes when that one went? 😃
I yelped a Bill Lawry style GOTTIM
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