The Cricket Thread 2017

[Risso]

Cook has struggled for a while now, but is opening up against high quality very fast bowling.

Anderson and Broad too, but then they were never going to be bowling at 90 mph. This pitch is a road when it is coming down at 82 mph.

Isn't that what openers are supposed to do?  And the Aussie attack is very good, but they're not at the McGrath/Younis/Donald level.

This tour is going to be one of the most depressing for a while, and there's a fair bit of competition for that.  For two Aussie players to get 200 in an innings, it just shows how pedestrian our attack is, even given the batting surface.

[Chris Smith]

England need a genuine root and branch look at the players we're developing. With all our resources we should be developing players who can add value in all conditions.

Funny you say that, Australia said exactly the same thing 2 years ago and probably will in 2 years time. They don't win away much either.

I think that is a sign of a lack of genuine top class players in both countries and perhaps all test playing nations. The sort that can perform whatever the conditions, not just those that favour them, are thin on the ground at the moment.

[OzVilla]

Difference is their bowling attack could potentially bowl teams out in any conditions. Plus Smith is a superstar and miles better than our batsmen.

But his attck couldn't beat Bangladesh a few months ago and got walloped by India. Australian conditions are pretty much unique, that's not to say we haven't done anything but a feeble defence of he Ashes but this lot are (were) 5th in the world, they ain't that good.

We are in the midst of a tour from hell which started when Ben Stokes decided to be a 'have a go hero'.

[Villa Lew]

Mitchell Marsh's innings must be one of the most amazing knocks in Ashes tests, considering his record to date. Prior to this test, he has played 21 tests averaging 21, and he goes onto to hit 181 no off 234 balls at a strike rate of 77.

[PaulWinch again]

There are also baffling selections like Vince and Ballance. Both of whom have done nothing to address the issues that found them wanting at Test level before. I realise that Ballance hasn't played but that's kind of the point, you've got a batsman who is putting no pressure on those in the team. Plus they leave out Plunkett who appears to be the only bowler who could offer something different.

[PaulWinch again]

Mitchell Marsh's innings must be one of the most amazing knocks in Ashes tests, considering his record to date. Prior to this test, he has played 21 tests averaging 21, and he goes onto to hit 181 no off 234 balls at a strike rate of 77.

It's a great knock, but he was also facing a bowling attack who other than Overton, who battled bravely through injury, offered zero threat.

[passitsideways]

Difference is their bowling attack could potentially bowl teams out in any conditions. Plus Smith is a superstar and miles better than our batsmen.

But his attck couldn't beat Bangladesh a few months ago and got walloped by India. Australian conditions are pretty much unique, that's not to say we haven't done anything but a feeble defence of he Ashes but this lot are (were) 5th in the world, they ain't that good.

We are in the midst of a tour from hell which started when Ben Stokes decided to be a 'have a go hero'.

They didn't get walloped, it was 2-1 and it mostly came down to no one being able to support Smith, there was only one innings where the Indian batting order really flexed their muscles. Likewise in Bangladesh, and let's just say it was much closer to a 2-0 sweep to Australia than to Bangladesh.

Might not be that good overall, but excellent at home - since the 2010/11 Ashes, by my count, they've lost two series to South Africa, drawn a two-test series with New Zealand and beaten everyone else handily. I get that it's not much consolation to England, but no reason to die of embarrassment either.

[PaulWinch again]

''Watching from side on our body language was good. We stuck at it, we just weren't quite good enough. We think we've done pretty well today."

That's from Paul Farbrace, fucking hell. Now I appreciate you don't want to through your players under the bus, but there is no way of spinning what happened today as doing 'pretty well'.

[Chris Jameson]

With or without the weather I don't think we'll lose this match.

I don't think we'll lose this match if it chucks it down for the remainder of the match.

[tomd2103]

The outcome of this game looks fairly predictable already.  The Aussies will bat most of tomorrow getting a lead of around 300, put us into bat and we'll get skittled before lunch on the last day.

[aev]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/21781972/sense-inevitability-england-toil-trouble

I really like George Dobell's writing.

[taylorsworkrate]

Unless theres a lot of rain, there just isn't the character or fight in the batting lineup to survive on even a pitch as roadlike as this. 400 has been shown to be woefully inadequate.

[adrenachrome]

2 DRS reviews have gone our way to get rid of the incumbent centurions.

[olaftab]

Well that’s much better but the horse has bolted.

[beness]

20 minutes and 3 wickets down. what a difference a day makes