Test The Ashes Second Test December 4-8 1430hrs @ The Gabba

[Peter Bixley]

Things can look promising if Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson stay fit. England have struggled to keep their bowlers on the park too. Quality bowlers are hard to find and not many countries have had 3 standout bowlers like we have in Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc. We’ve certainly been spoilt but there is always a new crop coming though.

Big "if" though. I don't think either have played a first class match this year and they're both late 20s now. Agree about their pedigree - class bowlers if you can get them out on the park.

 

[Plugger35]

England have got the edge on the first day due to that late great partnership between Root and Archer according to the Guardian.

Root finally makes century in Australia and late burst gives England edge after Starc salvo

England closed the day on 325 for nine after Joe Root’s brilliant ton and some late fireworks from Jofra Archer helped the tourists fight back after six Mitchell Starc wickets

www.theguardian.com

 

[PhatBoy]

He’s done it once in Australia and it has a huge asterisk against it.

Stars aligned for him today and he got a cheap ton.

Sure mate

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Big "if" though. I don't think either have played a first class match this year and they're both late 20s now. Agree about their pedigree - class bowlers if you can get them out on the park.

Really need a few of the younger ones coming through with a bit more pace. Doggett is mediocre he’s not the answer, Neser I’m fine with but should have been with Lyon. Need your Vidler, etc to come on and stay fit.

 

[Peter Bixley]

England have got the edge on the first day due to that late partnership between Root and Archer according to the Guardian.

Root finally makes century in Australia and late burst gives England edge after Starc salvo

England closed the day on 325 for nine after Joe Root’s brilliant ton and some late fireworks from Jofra Archer helped the tourists fight back after six Mitchell Starc wickets

www.theguardian.com

They're definitely on top. People keep saying how the wicket is a road, but that's with pedestrian bowlers like Doggett, Green and Neser. Starc is our life-support machine. I'm crossing fingers, toes and just about everything for our injured players to return for Adelaide (well, maybe not Khawaja!).

 

[Peter Bixley]

Really need a few of the younger ones coming through with a bit more pace. Doggett is mediocre he’s not the answer, Neser I’m fine with but should have been with Lyon. Need your Vidler, etc to come on and stay fit.

I was thinking Neser and Lyon. I thought the skiddy bowling of Neser would be better under lights. His batting is a bonus. To have gone with Neser and Doggett but no Lyon is almost criminal negligence from Bailey and McDonald.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

They're definitely on top. People keep saying how the wicket is a road, but that's with pedestrian bowlers like Doggett, Green and Neser. Starc is our life-support machine. I'm crossing fingers, toes and just about everything for our injured players to return for Adelaide (well, maybe not Khawaja!).

It depends how we bat. Both Lab and Smith (probably both) need to go large. It’s also time for Green to actually do it. I love Cam I do but he’s testing my patience 20’s are not enough that’s the hard part go on and make 70 plus.

At least we bat to 9 this test not 8

 

[LukeParkerno1]

I was thinking Neser and Lyon. I thought the skiddy bowling of Neser would be better under lights. His batting is a bonus. To have gone with Neser and Doggett but no Lyon is almost criminal negligence from Bailey and McDonald.

It’s also completely arrogant. Why do I feel they have looked at the last test and said “who cares we will roll them in 50 overs again”. That’s arrogant as can be.

Yeah I’d have gone Neser/Webster with Lyon, Doggett out.

 

[Gethelred]

Bold plan to only bat once with the inevitable Aussie collapse somewhere along the line.

Making it through tomorrow evening will be an fair effort.

I don't disagree. Way I see it, we'll end up getting 450 odd after being 7 down overnight going into day 3, and aim to be chasing less than 200 in the final innings.

 

[eddiesmith]

I have just got home. What a joke. I paid a fortune for my tickets. Is anyone going to give me a 20% refund,

You can thank QLDs own Usman Khawaja for that, he’ll tell you you’re more entertained by seeing less cricket…

 

[PhatBoy]

He’s a gun but his last few years he’s benefited from a lot of matches against poor opponents on flat decks.

Well he hit two against Sri Lanka in one match where no other batsman in either team’s top 5 - and only one other batsman who made 50-odd - passed 50 across 4 innings. He hit 120-odd not out off 270 balls on the most challenging wicket in the series in India, no one else in either top 6 managed to get close to it. His most recent before this one was at 3-100 on day 5 chasing 360 which yes may have been fairly benign but gee, sounds cheap: a fourth innings hundred with a series on the line chasing a target pushing up towards 400. Now he scores one against a pink ball under lights with his team 2-5 against bowlers 6, 9 in the world as much as everyone wants to lament that it’s allegedly a shit attack (if a SENA batsman scored a hundred in India against Ashwin and Jadeja and two random quicks it would be a great knock so why is a hundred in Australia against Starc and Boland and three other randoms not considered good?)

That’s four of his last 8 that can’t in any way be considered cheap. Even his double hundred against Pakistan on a flat pitch of nothing else allowed them along with Brook’s triple to win a test where they conceded almost 600 in the first innings. He scored one in NZ on a pitch where both sides were absolutely hopeless in the first innings aside from Brook’s freak hundred and a supporting 50 from Pope, albeit it got easier by then.

I swear every player up until now has made all their runs on uncovered wickets against balls shaped like little Sherrins

 

[PhatBoy]

Did you watch many of the other wickets? Crawley scored runs today when he hasn’t been able to buy one.

Have you literally ever watched England play outside of Ashes cricket?

 

[kozi]

Let them score another 200 runs so we don’t have to face a few overs. Steve Waugh is somewhere cringing

 

[Plugger35]

Let them score another 200 runs so we don’t have to face a few overs. Steve Waugh is somewhere cringing

He wouldn't have been arrogant enough to drop his best test spinner, apart from Warne v the Windies in 1999 but he took it well.

 

[FreoRicci]

He’s done it once in Australia and it has a huge asterisk against it.

Stars aligned for him today and he got a cheap ton.

Garbage. A ton is still hard to get. Respect well deserved. He has been on fire the last 3-5 years. Extraordinary really. BazBall has been the catalyst for him, funnily enough

 

[Art Vandelay_]

He’s done it once in Australia and it has a huge asterisk against it.

Stars aligned for him today and he got a cheap ton.

You can't believe this surely.

A test ton for a guy with 40 of them is not with an asterisk.

 

[FreoRicci]

He wouldn't have been arrogant enough to drop his best test spinner, apart from Warne v the Windies in 1999 but he took it well.

Watch Root smash his way to 150 in 30 mins tomorrow. The cherry on top would be Archer getting a 50.

Doggett is dog shit, Nesser finally gets a chance but 5-6 years way too late. Webster doesn’t play because why?

 

[Peter Bixley]

Garbage. A ton is still hard to get. Respect well deserved. He has been on fire the last 3-5 years. Extraordinary really. BazBall has been the catalyst for him, funnily enough

Coincided with him relinquishing the captaincy. Honestly, I think he is the one who really stands between us and retaining the Ashes. Brook is dangerous too, but the one, the only one who really grinds it out is Root (maybe Stokes too but far less frequently).

 

[melanChronic]

Dropping Lyon is up there with Ponting sending them in at Edgbaston 2005 and Paine doing the same at the Oval in 2019 for needlessly giving England momentum in a series when Aus is on top. I haven't really got the criticism of Bailey before but he should walk for this, way overthinking the DN conditions to massively weaken the side.

The last half hour will also give England enormous belief that they've got the Australian batters shook-- reminiscent of celebrating the draw at Old Trafford in 2005 which let England know they were on top in the fight.

Not only bad sportsmanship from Smith but such a negative mentality to have the team in. He really shouldn't be captain if this rudderless and brainless lack of leadership is still happening.

 

[Tugga27]

Things can look promising if Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson stay fit. England have struggled to keep their bowlers on the park too. Quality bowlers are hard to find and not many countries have had 3 standout bowlers like we have in Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc. We’ve certainly been spoilt but there is always a new crop coming though.

That's a big If really.

Morris out for the whole season already.

I love Jhye but he just hasn't been able to stand up and is 29.

 

[to1994]

Disappointing last half hour, but we also lucked out with Stokes gifting his wicket so it probably evens things up overall.

I'm sure this won't be a popular opinion but I wouldn't be too upset if England won this game.

The Ashes in Australia has become a bit of a farce and a competitive, tight series would just be a great reminder to the casual watchers that this sport and format is the pinnacle.

 

[Peter Bixley]

Disappointing last half hour, but we also lucked out with Stokes gifting his wicket so it probably evens things up overall.

I'm sure this won't be a popular opinion but I wouldn't be too upset if England won this game.

The Ashes in Australia has become a bit of a farce and a competitive, tight series would just be a great reminder to the casual watchers that this sport and format is the pinnacle.

Sorry. 5-0 please.

 

[revo333]

Disappointing last half hour, but we also lucked out with Stokes gifting his wicket so it probably evens things up overall.

I'm sure this won't be a popular opinion but I wouldn't be too upset if England won this game.

The Ashes in Australia has become a bit of a farce and a competitive, tight series would just be a great reminder to the casual watchers that this sport and format is the pinnacle.

Yes and then when you get what you want you'll be the first to ring SEN on a Monday morning demanding the end of careers and disgusted about how CA could let it happen!

 

[jackster83]

I'm not normally too worried if teams fall behind on the over rates, but 74 overs in a day's play is nowhere near acceptable.

Even with another whole hour thrown in, we wouldn't have gotten through our allotted overs.

It's not all on the bowlers either.

Smith was taking the piss with the constant field changes after every ball.

It also cost us the chance to bowl with the new ball under lights.

 

[sabso]

Something like this has prob been posted before but oh well.

'Saved our eyes' - Grace Hayden thanks Joe Root for first hundred in Australia

Joe Root has finally scored his first century in Australia – and he might not be the most relieved person. This is because Australian cricket legend Matthew Hayden agreed to walk around the M…

talksport.com

Bet im not the only one who thought she should have made the opposite bet to her dad lol