The Cricket Thread 2016

[Dave Cooper please]

Not sure paul, there was some movement and decent bounce at times, Johnson is getting a bit of swing as well. There were edges and close LBW shouts a-plenty in that last session.
Depends on how the pitch holds up of course, but I reckon it could be a bit nasty to bat on by days 4 and 5. Get 400 here and we've got a great chance.

[PaulWinch again]

We need to get up and around 400 I agree.

[olaftab]

Well done Mr Root.

[PaulWinch again]

Well done Joe now go on.

[Villan For Life]

Fastest ton in the opening innings of an Ashes test. Well batted, now please be there at stumps!

[paul_e]

I like Ballance, he's gritty and sticks around even when it's not going for him but I've got to say that was an appalling wicket, that's just the batting of someone who's still thinking about his tea, very disappointing.

Dave - let's see, I think there's not enough in the pitch for it to be mostly over by the end of Saturday and the weather reports for Sunday suggest it will be a heavily disrupted day (which as mentioned would be par for course in Cardiff) I just can't see the game progressing quickly enough to get to that stage.  We'll be aiming for 400-450 which I think is doable with the batting we have to come and I suspect they'll get up to 400+ as well and that will be 3 days gone, leaving it as pretty much a 1 innings game with what will be about 130-140 overs in it, which i can't see ending with a winner.  It just looks like one of those games.  The best chance for a team to win this was that dropped catch when Root was on nothing, in my opinion.

[Dave Cooper please]

Ah, hadn't looked at the weather forecast. I was banking on it being a nice weekend, even in Cardiff!

Anyway, Joe Root is now averaging over 154 in Test matches in 2015.

[paul_e]

Ah, hadn't looked at the weather forecast. I was banking on it being a nice weekend, even in Cardiff!

Anyway, Joe Root is now averaging over 154 in Test matches in 2015.

His record since the last ashes really is unbelievable, it's right up there with the all time greats, I understand all the people calling for him to move up the order but I really don't want to see them risk anything that might harm his game when he's so clearly the top batsman in the world right now.

[Dave Cooper please]

Actually he isn't, that stat was made up by some bloke here in the office who can't count!
Still bloody impressive though.

[PaulWinch again]

Hope Root's back isn't a serious problem.

[PaulWinch again]

Root gone. It was an excellent innings, so well done. But it's a bad time to lose a wicket. It's important we push on now. We need at least 400.

[paul_e]

Actually he isn't, that stat was made up by some bloke here in the office who can't count!
Still bloody impressive though.

If you check on cricnifo and gets year by year stats:

2012 - 93 (in 1 match)
2013 - 34
2014 - 97
2015 - 84* (and going up because of this innings)

those 2 ashes series have harmed him but since then his average sits around 92.

Awww, there he goes, that's a damn shame after another superb performance.

[PaulWinch again]

We're entering quite a dangerous phase of play here.

[PaulWinch again]

Good fifty Stokes, now keep going.

[PaulWinch again]

Hmm Stokes gone. We're in a bit of trouble here. This is moving towards being Australia's day.