The Cricket Thread 2016

[taylorsworkrate]

I can't help thinking that the extremely odd decision to put a nightwatchman in last night has contributed to the poor morning so far. Obviously a minor gripe as we are still in an unbelievably strong position

[taylorsworkrate]

Starc has bowled really well throughout this innings in fairness to him

[PGW]

I said i wanted a 400+ lead we actually probably have enough now to win the game, maybe not by an innings though which is what i would like us to do.

I hate these arrogant f----rs.

[Risso]

Hmmm, all seems to be going a bit awry this morning. Need to get a lead of 300 to be sure I reckon.

[paul_e]

And now Wood gone. It's a full on collapse!

I hope the rest bat the rest of the day out but have a feeling we'll be bowling by lunch. Not good to give the Aussies any chink of light at all, because they are real gits sometimes and can dig themselves out some unlikely holes.

There's absolutely no reason to think we need to bat out the rest of the day.  If you'd have offered us a 250 lead at the end of the 2nd innings after we won the toss everyone would've taken it without a thought, we've already passed that, Australia (other than the top 3) need to bat better than they have all series to even make a 4th innings possible, to make it game on they need to score 450 even if we don't get another run, I just can't see that happening when they only have 3 batsmen with any form and we have 3 fresh bowlers who are perfectly suited to these conditions.  You panicked in the last test when we were totally in control and you're doing it again, we're totally on top here and we'd need everything to completely fall apart to change that.

[taylorsworkrate]

I said i wanted a 400+ lead we actually probably have enough now to win the game, maybe not by an innings though which is what i would like us to do.

I hate these arrogant f----rs.

We should still get a lead of around 350. Starc surely has to come out of the attack soon.

[taylorsworkrate]

This is getting a little bit silly now

[Risso]

Ah, a good old fashioned England collapse to give the Aussies confidence going into their second innings.

[taylorsworkrate]

A little bit braindead batting this morning. Obviously won't affect the outcome, but we really could have ground them into the dirt today and humiliated them. Bit of a shame

[taylorsworkrate]

At least the pitch is still doing loads

[paul_e]

Think there's a few harsh opinions on here, this is still good conditions for bowling, there's late swing and Starc is bowling a great spell, rather than worrying about a 'collapse' we should be thinking about the damage we're going to do to them in the 3rd innings if it stays like this.

[taylorsworkrate]

Think there's a few harsh opinions on here, this is still good conditions for bowling, there's late swing and Starc is bowling a great spell, rather than worrying about a 'collapse' we should be thinking about the damage we're going to do to them in the 3rd innings if it stays like this.

I'm just still a little pissed off they put a nightwatchman in last night! There really was no need for it.

[Chris Jameson]

Root gone for 130, excellent knock.

130 is good but not excellent, even though it was done with style.

Why do England players rarely kick on after passing 100 and get the kind of monster scores that the Saffers, Aussies and Indians seem to produce?

Australia got to 60 but were unable to push on to get a big hundred on the same wicket. Hope Root isn't going to be too restricted in the future with his back problem.

[Proposition Joe]

Think there's a few harsh opinions on here, this is still good conditions for bowling, there's late swing and Starc is bowling a great spell, rather than worrying about a 'collapse' we should be thinking about the damage we're going to do to them in the 3rd innings if it stays like this.

But I follow England, Paul! So I am more concerned that all the balls that found the edge in the 1st inns beat the bat, we drop Smith and Klaaak when they're on 0 and they both go on to score double tons. Then in the 4th we collapse to 100-odd all out.

[Brend'Watkins]

At least the pitch is still doing loads

Conditions favour the bowlers again. I'm not going to see much cricket tomorrow am I?