2015 Ashes series - Eng V Aus

[mikeyboy]

A couple of hours away from the Lords test .    Forecast good , dry but cloudy to start , ideal for swing bowling first session i would say .

 

Mitchell Starc set to play unless he has any last minute twinges .     Peter Siddle  to miss out again , and i'm sure the England team are delighted by this .

 

Cook and Lyth need to get the innings off well , can't keep relying on the middle / lower order to make the big runs .

 

Big day for Peter Nevill , first full international match of any type, an Ashes test match at Lords .    He'll be nervous . 

 

Mikeyboy

[Mick Pattaya]

Aussies 337/1, the fightback has well & truly begun. The pitch looks dead as a dodo, only a batting collapse can produce a result in this test.

[mikeyboy]

Aussies 337/1, the fightback has well & truly begun. The pitch looks dead as a dodo, only a batting collapse can produce a result in this test.

 

Yes , nothing at all in this wicket for the bowler , and probably won't be until much later in the match when it might spin a little .  Rogers and Smith played well though .

 

Has "draw " written all over it already , but you never know.    England can still muck up given the opportunity .

 

The Cardiff wicket got fearsome stick , especially from that prick Michael Vaughan  , but it produced a cracking test match .     This Lords effort could be a very boring draw . 

 

Paying / viewing  public need to be entertained , not just watching a batting lesson .

 

Mikeyboy

[mousemat]

 

30-3 game over. The Aussies have answered their critics perfectly.

 

Recently we always seem to lose 3 early cheap wickets and relying on root is not the answer.

 

Think I'll do a rain dance tonight or pop down to Lords when it's dark and dig up the pitch.

 

Looks like I'll be listening to warnie gloat on the sky sports commentary for the remainder of the test.

[mikeyboy]

Think I may do a rain dance tonight - 2 down already.

 

29 - 3   and in the brown sticky stuff .

 

Mikeyboy

[mikeyboy]

Bright and sunny sunday morning in London  , rain has been and gone .    Bit like Englands chances in this match .   Australia  350 ahead will bat a while yet and then give themselves 5 sessions to bowl out England .

 

Mikeyboy

[Stokielad]

Worryingly looks like normal service has been resumed by the Aussies, they have been taking the piss out of England for the last two days.Can we hold on for 5 sessions? Only if Joe Root and Cookie can sit there for a long time, probably unlikely.

[Mick Pattaya]

All out for 103 in 37 overs, what a pathetic display, all out just after tea when invited to bat just before lunch. England might as well play with 8 best cricketers as 3 of them don't matter anyway. Now the debate will be all about changes, either to the line-up or the batting order, yet no one will swallow pride & consider surgical options.

 

The turnaround by the Aussies have been amazing, to pick up 20 wickets on that pitch & in the manner they did, blew away England really. They have the momentum now.

[mousemat]

What an embarrassing capitulation by a team who refused to fight for their wickets and let Australia bully them into submission.

 

This is only our 2^nd test under new leadership so we may see some pain before the team moves forward.

 

Our main focus needs to be working with the top 4 and helping them regain some form or this will end up 4-1.   No need to panic just yet but they know that their places may be under threat if runs are not put on the board before the end of the series.

 

I hope Rogers is not seriously injured after his dizzy spell.

[mikeyboy]

Yes , nothing at all in this wicket for the bowler , and probably won't be until much later in the match when it might spin a little .  Rogers and Smith played well though .

 

Has "draw " written all over it already , but you never know.    England can still muck up given the opportunity .

 

The Cardiff wicket got fearsome stick , especially from that prick Michael Vaughan  , but it produced a cracking test match .     This Lords effort could be a very boring draw . 

 

Paying / viewing  public need to be entertained , not just watching a batting lesson .

 

Mikeyboy

 

Well , the only thing i got right in that post was England   * ucking up . 

 

Mikeyboy

[wangotango]

Well , the only thing i got right in that post was England   * ucking up . 

 

Mikeyboy

maybe a couple of scots in the team might help 

[mikeyboy]

maybe a couple of scots in the team might help 

 

Well , all i can say is Scot Mike Denness was a decent enough Captain of England back in the early 70 ' s .  

 

Alistair Cook could play until he's 70 and still not make a captain .

 

Mikeyboy

[wangotango]

Well , all i can say is Scot Mike Denness was a decent enough Captain of England back in the early 70 ' s .  

 

Alistair Cook could play until he's 70 and still not make a captain .

 

Mikeyboy

and what about douglas jardine, a legend and destroyer of the aussies 

[mikeyboy]

Third test to start this morning    ,   main news is that Australia have stuck with Pete Nevill as keeper , meaning Brad Haddin may well have played his last test match . 

 

Also Chris Rogers given the all clear to play after his scare at Lords . 

 

Weather set to be decent during this match at Edgbaston

 

Hoping for a good contest after two  one sided games so far.     Momentum firmly with Australia , after their brilliant performance at Lords combined with a dismal England .

 

Mikeyboy

[mikeyboy]

Aussie win toss and bat     first hour   34 - 3   Warner , Smith , Clarke  all gone .    Recalled Steven Finn in the wickets   game on .     Just what England needed after that mauling at Lords

 

Mikeyboy

[mousemat]

Fantastic 1st days performance by England. Lets hope we can rack up over 300 and really put the pressure on the Aussies.

 

This was only the 3rd time this century that Australia failed to score 150+ in the first innings of a test.

 

Weather also looks decent for the remainder of the test so we will get a ressult.

[Mick Pattaya]

The Aussie middle order is so brittle & with Clarke out of nick it was knife through butter. Bell should have capitalized, he had the game in his clutch. 

[mikeyboy]

The Aussie middle order is so brittle & with Clarke out of nick it was knife through butter. Bell should have capitalized, he had the game in his clutch. 

 

Yes , agree Mick that Ian Bell will be kicking himself for getting out an over before the rains arrived .  I think he would have taken a run a ball 50 before the innings started though . 

 

England would now look to settle in and grind out a big first innings lead or so they would hope .

 

Forecast good for the next four days , Australia will have to raise their game big time to get back into it .

 

Mikeyboy

[mikeyboy]

Australia  136

 

England   281

 

Australia   168 - 7

 

Only 2 days gone and not much left of this game  .        3 more wickets for England to take and then knock the runs off for a 2-1 ashes lead .

 

Australia have been abysmal in this match , even more so than England at Lords .   It has been a crazy series so far .

 

Hope Jimmy Anderson's side strain is not too serious .  

 

Mikeyboy

[Skalliwag]

South Africa and India are licking their lips.

Both these teams look like shite.

[mikeyboy]

South Africa and India are licking their lips.

Both these teams look like shite.

 

 ? ?

 

Home or away South Africa are always tough .      It almost seems India don't want to play test cricket anymore .

 

Mikeyboy

[mousemat]

Great wag by the Australian tail and a decent total but with only 121 to chase England should take a 2-1 lead.  I'm working form home today so enjoying the test on my ipad while avoiding a barrage of emails.

 

If I could have any player in the Australian team then it would be Warner as this would solve our conveyor belt of different players batting a number 1 and give a strong partner for Cook.

 

Both teams have been very inconsistent this series so I wonder if form will prevail and Australia will destroy England next week, setting up a winner takes all test at the Oval?

 

I think I will say a prayer for Jimmy before I go to bed tonight.

[Mick Pattaya]

A comprehensive 8 wicket win for England, strange series this, very limited rearguard action from the Aussies which is usually the case. Their middle order can't buy a run now & surely changes in the offing. Also, interesting to see what England does at the top of the order, it seems somehow they have resigned to 30 for 2.

[mikeyboy]

A comprehensive 8 wicket win for England, strange series this, very limited rearguard action from the Aussies which is usually the case. Their middle order can't buy a run now & surely changes in the offing. Also, interesting to see what England does at the top of the order, it seems somehow they have resigned to 30 for 2.

 

This series is running like a comic book , boys own story .   

 

next episode :  Peter Siddle is picked  , takes 12 wickets and Michael Clarke scores a double hundred as Australia win by an innings and 250 runs  at Trent Bridge .  

 

Ian Bell gets a pair and is then promoted to opener for the Oval ,  followed by ...........     

 

 

Mikeyboy

[mikeyboy]

Fourth test started .    England elect to bowl      Rogers out 3rd ball  , will really test Australias resolve .   4-1

 

No place for Peter Siddle and  Adam Voges keeps his place ????     incredible . 

 

Mikeyboy