I like Ponting a lot. He's good when the get him in "The Zone" too.
I like Ponting a lot. He's good when the get him in "The Zone" too.
https://youtu.be/N1Ww3kXrc_k
Not sure how I feel about starting to like Johnson.
It occurred to me today that for all the glory of yesterday we've still got to find a way to stop Steve Smith (and now sodding Labuschagne) twice to win the Ashes back. Sigh.
Ben Stokes can bowl too. It'll all be fine.
Jimmy will be back for OT, steaming in from his own end, and the ball will finally swing.
Being able to catch should put pay to Marnus.
Actually, that was one of the worst bits of that final stand mentally. I kept thinking, well, if we'd taken the first chance we'd have won now, if we'd have taken the second we'd have won by now . . .
If we were chasing 240 we would have folded like a pack of cards, this team of mentalists needs to be completely written off before they are any good.
Australian twitter today is amazing: a glorious mixture of tails between legs, scapegoating various players (mainly Paine), claiming it shouldn't have counted, and in Shane Warne's case just completely losing the plot and quote tweeting rage at former Sussex grinder Chris Adams.
What?Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
You blokes should be trolling Warne at all times of the day.
I was away all weekend, back visiting the family, but we all managed to catch the whole of Sunday's play. Absolutely unbelievable. I always have a modicum of hope, even when the odds are so stacked against England, but I couldn't see that last wicket partnership coming. I think I really believed again when he got to his 100, and thrashed Hazlewood all around the ground in the same over.
The run out mistake couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke. The seethe over the LBW decision on reddit/twitter/social media in general has been fucking beautiful. As Jimmy has said, I just didn't think it was out live. It looked like it didn't turn enough, and the ball tracker just doesn't look right.
I've been watching and re-watching every bit of content from Sunday possible. We've got to drink it all in before Smith and his regen put on 300 and thump us into the ground at Old Trafford.
This is incredible
The guy at the back.
Looking at the earlier one that was a direct hit to get Buttler out, I'm not sure Lyon would have taken that one either. His hands didn't seem to be in the right place to get the ball.
Oh god I’ve been inhaling content from this match. More so than anything since we won the league in 2016.
Feel like the manner of the win/defeat is going to impact the series but Australia still look a better all round side. I think 2-2.
Unless Jimmy comes back and swings it round corners or Archer bounces him to death (can't see it) we're just not finding ways to stop Smith the 2-4 times (depending how we bat, lol) we're going to need to to get at least a win and a draw.
Hopefully Stokes has given some of them a fucking clue how you're meant to bat when you're up against it.
As soon as the ball moves in the air rather than off the pitch they're toast, so hopefully that happens. Not even sure their advantage in the spin department is particularly holing as Lyon appears to have turned to shit somewhat. Reverse swig at Old Trafford.
Smith is just a man, like any other.
If we have a fully fit and firing Jimmy/Archer/Broad/Leach (all four of them) we will win the Ashes.
My favourite clip to keep re-watching is the TMS box for the missed run out. Cook just reverted to England fan/player and the collective throwing of arms and shock when he fumbles the ball is brilliant.
Not gonna lie, that one stung a bit. Amazing to watch though. Cricket to remember forever.
Your lot should probably win it from here, but hard to begrudge you.
Anderson ruled out for the full series which is a blow.
Him coming back in could have completed the momentum swing. As it is Smith and Smith regen should pick off plenty of runs when Broad and Archer tire.
Curran for Woakes imo, although we have also picked Overton (not sure which one).
Craig. But he's bang out of form, can't quite believe he got the call tbh.
I'm at the point of picking Curran every time and working around him. He's not out best player but he's absolutely got something and he's absolutely the future.
As with Archer don't want him run into the ground but he's somebody we should be looking for reasons to include rather than reasons to exclude
I don't think you'll ever run Sam into the ground as he'll always be a 3rd/4th seamer and then he's this phenomenal talent with the bat. He has a Stokes-like aura in his future, believe me. Would help if he grew some stubble or something as he still looks like a child.
Denly and Roy swapping positions.
That'll fix it.
Overton in for Woakes. Seems an odd pick to me.
It's just because the former once got Smith out, isn't it? That's what our selection policy has become.
Feels a bit of a blow to our batting.
Is Curran's bowling not deemed suitable to this pitch for some ECBish reason?
He lacks sufficient HEIGHT apparently. Either that or Overton has the bigger cock, or whatever the hell they use to determine these things.
Ah, is he the Wee Jimmy Taylor of our bowling options?
"Yes, yes, being really good at cricket is all very well but he's not very beefy is he? BRING ME TIM BRESNAN."
Ironic really as Taylor is now an actual selector/the chief selector's personal toy boy.
"Your torso didn't suit a shirt rippling across it in a summer breeze well enough to have batted for your country but it'll do just fine for secretary work."
Prime Bressie Lad would be a great pick for this current side. Bowl some good long spells and bat at 8.
It’s been said but you just have to lol that despite all the Stokes heroics they’ve been bowled out for 67 and picked an unchanged batting line up again. Love it.
I think we all said at the time that they'd use it as an excuse to just go "Gosh that worked well, didn't it?"
To be honest I'm not that convinced they'd have done much even if we'd been knocked over for a 150 run defeat.
Probably could have done with winning the toss and batting, but then, we'd be batting, so I guess every cloud etc.
In other news, Misbah appointed both chief selector and head coach of Pakistan
Fuck off Davey Warner.
I came in here to post literally that.
Broad loves getting stuck into him.
Surely we're at a stage where we should never bat first when winning the toss given how shite our batting is?
Also did not know Broad has more has third most Ashes wickets, ahead of Jimmy Anderson.
Is Archer broken already? Three overs of innocuous 82mph dobbers with the new ball.
There was a period later in an innings in the last test when he wasn't the fastest on average of our bowlers either.
I assume there is a reason. Possibly, heaven help us, a Plan.
Labuschagne and Smith in. Well, that fast start was fun while it lasted.
See you on Friday, lads.
His pace is back up since Smith came in but doesn’t look at his best.
I can't imagine the windy conditions are helping with Archer's pace.
One thing I can't fathom with regards to Smith - have we so much as toyed with the idea of occasionally bowling a leg stump yorker?
Can't wait for the more racist of the Overton brothers to come on and bowl, this is what this crowd came to see.
What's the thinking behing the Overton selection? Such a strange one and feels destined to fail.
It's a bit left field but he has performed well in Division 1 - 32 wickets @ under 22. I would have personally just stuck with Woakes, but I really rate him even if he was a little out of form at Headingley.
All of Ed Smith's selections have the same logic behind them, that he thinks he is a maverick genius.
Excellent. Australia @ 1.9 with the bookies. These two looking ominous and I'd say our bowling attack is a Jimmy Anderson light.
How's the weather looking?
This afternoon and Friday a bit questionable, otherwise dry. This will need to be a bat out for the draw.
I don't understand cricket at times. Why are we having tea at 5:30? Why not just have the tea break when its been raining, could have had it 3:40 - 4pm as normal?
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