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Poms a reasonable chance here. Weird wicket, seems to be getting more and more friendly as the match goes on despite having looked like an absolute road from ball 1. They've got the middle order to chase another couple of hundred runs. If we bowl well, we win. If they bat well, you'd say they will. You'd hope given the state of the match that our players would have their tails up and be keen to make it 2-0. Root needs to go on with it and a couple of Stokes, Buttler and Bairstow need to chalk up 50+ as well.
 
Cannon82 said:
Poms a reasonable chance here. Weird wicket, seems to be getting more and more friendly as the match goes on despite having looked like an absolute road from ball 1. They've got the middle order to chase another couple of hundred runs. If we bowl well, we win. If they bat well, you'd say they will. You'd hope given the state of the match that our players would have their tails up and be keen to make it 2-0. Root needs to go on with it and a couple of Stokes, Buttler and Bairstow need to chalk up 50+ as well.
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If we take early wickets - which we need to - this could be over by lunch. If not, their batting, whilst brittle, still has the ability to make us pay. This is game on.
 
Cannon82 said:
Poms a reasonable chance here. Weird wicket, seems to be getting more and more friendly as the match goes on despite having looked like an absolute road from ball 1. They've got the middle order to chase another couple of hundred runs. If we bowl well, we win. If they bat well, you'd say they will. You'd hope given the state of the match that our players would have their tails up and be keen to make it 2-0. Root needs to go on with it and a couple of Stokes, Buttler and Bairstow need to chalk up 50+ as well.
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If we can't break through with the new ball in about 8(?) overs , going to be a nervous night . I didn't watch most of last night after old mate Jack Daniels rendered me comatose , but it would be pretty demoralising to lose it from where we had them for us i reckon .
 
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If England manage to win this after their first innings embarrassment, they'll win the Ashes. The mental edge and momentum they will take, and the blown opportunity for us, will turn the series on its head. We absolutely must win this.
 

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jhong said:
If we can't break through with the new ball in about 8(?) overs , going to be a nervous night . I didn't watch most of last night after old mate Jack Daniels rendered me comatose , but it would be pretty demoralising to lose it from where we had them for us i reckon .
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Yep. First session will go a long way towards deciding the game, but at least the Poms can throw it away at any given point within 5 minutes. They could be 3/320 and still choke on their Weetbix. Runs on the board, as they say.

For the sake of the contest, I would love to see the Poms knuckle down in the first session and see off the opening hour without losing any more poles. We've been in the field for 72 overs - surely the smart thing to do would be to let the quicks throw down their damnedest early and then cash in during the next two sessions against a tiring attack that's just used up the new rock.
 
Cannon82 said:
surely the smart thing to do would be to let the quicks throw down their damnedest early and then cash in during the next two sessions against a tiring attack that's just used up the new rock.
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Agreed, but how often this series has a batting side done the smart thing for more than 20 minutes at a time?
 
Dory_77 said:
Agreed, but how often this series has a batting side done the smart thing for more than 20 minutes at a time?
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Lunch and tea.
 
Should be 4 slips, a gully, a backward point and a short leg in place. Put the batsmen right under the pump. If they want to try to pick a few gaps, fantastic.
 
Klyntonius said:
If you just flicked over and looked at the score, you'd be forgiven for thinking there's two new batsmen.

It's one thing to grit it out and value your wicket but runs are still required.
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Yeah, it’s also tempting fate. You can put your shots away but chances are there’s a rock with your name on it a couple of times at least if you face 200. Kind of pointless to score 30 off it unless you’re zero chance of winning.
 

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Johnny Karate said:
Yeah, it’s also tempting fate. You can put your shots away but chances are there’s a rock with your name on it a couple of times at least if you face 200. Kind of pointless to score 30 off it unless you’re zero chance of winning.
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Eh, I don't mind it. Stokes looks good enough that he can make his way through a session defensively. From evidence so far, the problem looks to be at the other end where Johnny Bairstow is dangling / wafting the bat outside off and closing the face on balls down leg on a seaming pitch. If the bloke at the other end can't see the bowlers off, then he's just going to run out of partners. I think its what they need to do, though. See off this new rock - don't worry about the runs yet. They'll come a lot more easily in the next two sessions.
 
Really don't like not having a mid off. Last thing you should be doing is encouraging a batsman to play straight and give it the full face. Get rid of the square leg or even the fine leg and make the batsmen hit it through cover.
 
jhong said:
Hazelwood leaking too many runs for my liking
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Not a great field to bowl to. Bit of a mixed bag, which may be why he was bowling a bit too straight.

We're not in trouble yet, but if they get to 120 or so to win without losing another wicket, it'll start to get a bit squeaky for the bowlers.
 
jhong said:
Hazelwood leaking too many runs for my liking
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Pattinson: hold my beer

Think this is where we miss a plodding plonker like Siddle to put the ball on a spot and actually build some pressure.

I really don't like the field they've set here.
 
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Johnny Karate said:
Why do I emotionally invest in so many campaigner sporting teams?
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You hate yourself and enjoy the self-flagellation that comes with projected failure.
 
Cannon82 said:
Not a great field to bowl to. Bit of a mixed bag, which may be why he was bowling a bit too straight.

We're not in trouble yet, but if they get to 120 or so to win without losing another wicket, it'll start to get a bit squeaky for the bowlers.
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I think we are already there tbo
 
jhong said:
I think we are already there tbo
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Bit there for Lyon - good last over. If the quicks are going to continue to spray them all over the shop, going to need him to make the breakthrough.

Good contest, though. We'll see who can stay calm and keep their heads. Only takes one daft moment from one of these redheaded monkeys to get us back on top again.
 

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