Australias batting has been pretty shit throughout. Not getting any improving vibe at all.
Their bowling is just class. Cummins is a monster and then everyone else chips in. Only Hazelwood hasn't looked quite on it.
English cricket thread
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Australias batting has been pretty shit throughout. Not getting any improving vibe at all.
Their bowling is just class. Cummins is a monster and then everyone else chips in. Only Hazelwood hasn't looked quite on it.
Anderson dropped 2 last test, Root’s dropped a few this test and they’re some of the best hands in the side. The close catching has been poor but the out fielding has been ok.
Slip catching/wicket keeping drops have been an issue for what feels like forever.
I'm not defending the fielding in this series! It's been poor.
Just commenting in general i'd class England as a good fielding unit.
Their middle order and Warner has been sub-par a couple of scores aside (but so have England's). Compare Cummins and the Aussies fielding, field placements, tactics, and when to apply pressure from day 1 test 1 to now. They've grown into the series much better than England have.
On top of that, their bowling unit has been levels above England. The amount of extras England have given away has been criminal.
Don't particularly agree. Captaincy wise there's been nothing in it - two close games.Stokes has captained well, as has Cummins.
Batting wise Australia have maybe just edged it? Bowling wise no contest. England have done far better than i'd expected to restrict Australia as much as they have with their bowling options and injuries - Australia have better quicks, spinners, and replacements - technically even a better all rounder as Stokes has one leg.
Honestly not been too impressed with that but winning makes everything look smart.
Boland hasn't been great, you can make an argument that Cummins is the only thing keeping them at the races bowling wise and Lyon prior to that
Starc was class at Lords after a shaky start.
That's why I'm saying compare it to day 1 test 1 to now. They're definitely growing into the series. Cummins' tactics were all over the place for most of the Edgbaston test.
The Aussie all rounder who was out of test cricket for 4 years? Or the guy he replaced? You'd seriously take them over Stokes? You're sounding like an Arsenal fan from March onwards.
I think England have done pretty well. They are not as good as Australia in most if not all departments, but they are still pushing them hard.
I don't think you can realistically expect them to just roll Australia over. Yes, they have home advantage, but the Australians are pretty comfortable in English conditions. Smith, Khawaja, Labuschagne, Warner, and Head to name a few have all played county cricket, so there's no great mystery about playing here for them. They're also all experienced of playing test cricket or in the Ashes, so they know what's coming.
I don't think Jimmy has really come to the party in this series and that's been a problem. He's not bowled badly, but the Aussies have nullified him and made him look relatively innocuous. Broad has been very good and carried the bowling attack sometimes. Woakes and Wood have both done well in this test. Ollie Robinson has never been 100% fit but has been picked for each test, and you have to ask whether Josh Tongue should have been selected instead of him here.
I think over the years the Aussies have learned that the way to play Jimmy is simply not to go after him. They've been fairly cautious and the plan has worked fine.
I don't think you can realistically expect them to just roll Australia over. Yes, they have home advantage, but the Australians are pretty comfortable in English conditions. Smith, Khawaja, Labuschagne, Warner, and Head to name a few have all played county cricket, so there's no great mystery about playing here for them. They're also all experienced of playing test cricket or in the Ashes, so they know what's coming.
I don't think Jimmy has really come to the party in this series and that's been a problem. He's not bowled badly, but the Aussies have nullified him and made him look relatively innocuous. Broad has been very good and carried the bowling attack sometimes. Woakes and Wood have both done well in this test. Ollie Robinson has never been 100% fit but has been picked for each test, and you have to ask whether Josh Tongue should have been selected instead of him here.
I think over the years the Aussies have learned that the way to play Jimmy is simply not to go after him. They've been fairly cautious and the plan has worked fine.
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England's field placements for Head and Marsh were great I thought. The bowlers pitched it up and made them play, but there was no runs on offer for playing shots. It was a good test of their patience
Did you read what I wrote mate? Stokes can't bowl at the min. Don't start messing about.
He’d have looked better on this pitch I reckon. Think Woakes should have played at Lords (where he has an amazing record) instead of Jimmy and then Jimmy back in for Robinson here, selection has been a bit loose from England. All easy in hindsight though.
I'd go with that and agree with the hindsight comment also!
My only BIG problem with England that doesn't need hindsight as everyone said it was Brook at 3 for this Test. Mad call, should have been Foakes back in.
Anyway Harry 100 tomorrow and I will look like a lemon. Fingers crossed.
Dunno mate - the Aussie bowlers have had us on toast the entire series. Anything over 250 and we'll struggle massively IMO.
Unfortunately we looked a little gassed when Head & Marsh were batting tonight
Tomorrow’s a new day mate. Nice 8 hours Kip and we’ll be fresh for some wickets in the morning.
Can’t you give us a bit of positivity. Just this once
Isn’t it a bit dumb that you can thump a ball in the air, get caught, but the run still counts and you win the match 
Isn’t it a bit dumb that you can thump a ball in the air, get caught, but the run still counts and you win the match
You mean off a no ball?
I was busy watching Lancs do a Spurs as usual
Isn’t it a bit dumb that you can thump a ball in the air, get caught, but the run still counts and you win the match
It was a free hit.
HA. I was half watching with it in the background and didn’t realise. Clearly I’ve drunk too much tonight
Weather looks like it’s changed a bit for Sunday, suggests rain from earlier in the afternoon now. Hopefully the storms stay away tomorrow.
I usually trust the met office site and it's looking pretty grim full stop. Hopefully we only need about 120 overs to get a result.
The met office are predicting cloud cover for most of Sunday but no rain until 4pm I think. We might get an hour or two tomorrow which will be good conditions for bowling hopefully.
Just had a look on there, rain due at 11 tomorrow
As long as we can get a few hours tomorrow I think we can still force a result. Ironically, the forecast for where I am is pure sun all day tomorrow.
I’d hope you mean live because he’s literally one of the best of all time and he’s not close to retirement
he’d comfortably be England’s best batter of all time.Pointing was better. Stats be damned. Seen a number of batsman world wide better than him since the late 90's.I’d hope you mean live because he’s literally one of the best of all time and he’s not close to retirement
Looks like we might get the morning session... Got to get close to bowling them out if we do.
Are you going to be there?
Going Tomorrow luckily... Should hopefully be a lot more play then
The Headingley forecast I saw suggested rain wouldn't be a factor until 4pm.
Great enjoy!
Looks like it could be a frustrating day today, but hopefully there’s big enough gaps for some play. Obviously a late start and they were saying another big thunderstorm this afternoon on the radar. I hope they don’t take lunch during a dry spell.
Looking very unlikely for any play today. Nice rest for Englands bowlers with them a few bodies down.
According to BBC weather, the best case scenario is looking like three sessions of play remaining over two days.
I’m sure England will go out swinging if there’s any chance of chasing.
I’m sure England will go out swinging if there’s any chance of chasing.
That seems about right with no changes to the schedule or the weather outlook. Sunday looks like there will be play for the morning and afternoon sessions while Monday just looks like the morning session before the wet weather rolls in.
They could begin both days at 10:00 to get in an extra hour's cricket, so it would equate to recovering a lost session.
The early morning seems fine and sunny on both days.
Says play is due to start at 4.45 but I have zero hope that there’s no more rain.
They'll get about 30 minutes... 45 minutes max... it's annoying that it takes so long for play to resume even after rain stops.
If we can get a wicket or two though it'll be worth it!
Also annoying they can't just call a 10am start tomorrow or something to compensate.
Yeah they should be pushing for a 10.30 start on both days, and that’s been obvious since morning.
Even 30 minutes could make a big difference for England with some clouds around. One of the situations where Australia can’t win the match but could certainly lose it in the space of an hour.
What's with the field placement?