Class innings from Smith.
Absolute class.
Absolute class.
English cricket thread
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
Shame he wasn't allowed to go all Lara and bat out the test match.
Archer has been really poor all match.
Wonder if he's injured.
Wonder if he's injured.
Does this mean Australia will win this match?
Fair play Starc
How many wickets will England lose tonight?
He's bowling quicker now than he has all game.
As you say, it must surely be an injury. Root overbowled him in those first couple of games didn't he.
Yeah don't think he's injure... it's just not happened for him today
Not sure why the declaration hasn't come yet...
Waiting for 500 aren't they.
A bit unnecessary IMO... surely you want England facing as many overs as possible this evening.
Not much movement, Some English players should bat well if they take their time.
We've just totally thrown away any momentum from Headingley.
A really poor sloppy performance that's all but certainly lost us the ashes.
I'm praying it rains now until Monday .
Probably 3+ hours lost tomorrow to rain but Saturday and Sunday forecast is good.
Seems like more than enough time to get England out twice. England will need 298 just to beat follow on.
But as we all know, rain can come from
nowhere in Manchester.
Not been able to watch any cricket yet because of work and what not. Three observations from following the test via other forms of media.
1. Steve Smith from 20th August 2013: 6168 runs @ 73.42....
2. Steve Smith is almost unfathomably good and he's still a fair bit off of Bradman, so how flippin' good was Bradman.
3. It is a indictment on the void of leadership within English test cricket that a team can lack inspiration a week or so removed from one of the most inspirational things you will see on a cricket pitch.
1. Steve Smith from 20th August 2013: 6168 runs @ 73.42....
2. Steve Smith is almost unfathomably good and he's still a fair bit off of Bradman, so how flippin' good was Bradman.
3. It is a indictment on the void of leadership within English test cricket that a team can lack inspiration a week or so removed from one of the most inspirational things you will see on a cricket pitch.
Criminal to not send Leech.
Pitch looks pretty docile. If England can get past 30 overs or so without too much damage then they should be able to bat long enough for a draw to be inevitable.
Doesn't play Test cricket.
If he was willing to play though I'd be happy to have him as Captain for a couple of years.
He seemed to know what he was at.
I was toying with the timeline where he became a specialist captain but then he did an interview and said he's got back problems and isn't sure about continuing ODI's so we can all collectively forget about that.
The contrast in how he got the ODI lot to stay the course and produce their best cricket under immense pressure versus how the test lot are going about their business is remarkable.
Wouldn't be able to justify his place. Got bounced out the last time he played test cricket.
Agree though, would be ideal to have him as captain.
Pitch still looked fine for batting and I'm not convinced this attack is as good as one with Pattinson in. Just need to bat for two days and get two hundred ahead and we'll be in a good position...
Would love Overton to get some. Never seen him bat before but he averages over twenty in first class, with nine fifties and a 138. Decent List A record, as well, so presumably he has some shots.
Would love Overton to get some. Never seen him bat before but he averages over twenty in first class, with nine fifties and a 138. Decent List A record, as well, so presumably he has some shots.
He'd probably be worth having on the field purely as a captain though.
Would he be contributing less than the likes of Jason Roy?
Today was not a good day....................
What is sad is that we as a nation seem to have forgotten how to play test cricket, at least as far as batting is concerned. I've been watching cricket for close to 50 years and in all that time we've not had a single player who has managed to average over 50 in test cricket (minimum 20 matches). At least we used to have some players who could boast an average of 40 or more but among the current squad only Joe Root can make that claim. As a comparison the Aussies have 7 with a 50+ average in that time span with probably the best of the lot currently playing.
....and talking about Steve Smith I said after the Edgbaston test that he is the best test batsman I have ever seen and I've seen nothing since to change that opinion.
What was particular depressing today for England was that I don't think Smith was anywhere near his best and yet he was still way too good for our bowlers. Even when we did get him out we still managed to feck it up. Finally when he was dismissed it was only because he went from test mode to one day mode in an effort to get quick runs at the end. From the uplifting moments that Ben Stokes gave us at Headingley, this was about as dismal as it gets. We probably have to bat out the majority of this game in order to save the Ashes.
With all that being said. Bat this one out and then stick it to them at the Oval.
Come on England!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What is sad is that we as a nation seem to have forgotten how to play test cricket, at least as far as batting is concerned. I've been watching cricket for close to 50 years and in all that time we've not had a single player who has managed to average over 50 in test cricket (minimum 20 matches). At least we used to have some players who could boast an average of 40 or more but among the current squad only Joe Root can make that claim. As a comparison the Aussies have 7 with a 50+ average in that time span with probably the best of the lot currently playing.
....and talking about Steve Smith I said after the Edgbaston test that he is the best test batsman I have ever seen and I've seen nothing since to change that opinion.
What was particular depressing today for England was that I don't think Smith was anywhere near his best and yet he was still way too good for our bowlers. Even when we did get him out we still managed to feck it up. Finally when he was dismissed it was only because he went from test mode to one day mode in an effort to get quick runs at the end. From the uplifting moments that Ben Stokes gave us at Headingley, this was about as dismal as it gets. We probably have to bat out the majority of this game in order to save the Ashes.
With all that being said. Bat this one out and then stick it to them at the Oval.
Come on England!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Already apologised to Burns for calling him a nightwatchman earlier in the series, but I'll do it again. He's had a good series I think. Although on the other hand I guess it shows how far standards have slipped that I'm so proud of an England opener making it past 30.
He's definitely our biggest plus of the series after Archer. At least we've got one of the opening slots sorted.
As @charlton66 says, it seems our best opportunity is to get out of this game with a draw and have a shootout at the Oval.
Wouldn't even mind his partner being someone who just blocks and wears down the new ball for Root and the others, even if they get out for around 20. Our openers get out so fast recently that Root is facing the new ball so often despite not being an opener.
Gonna doom us by going further than this and saying Starc looks like easy runs.
Yep, agree.
111 
Burns has played the short ball well so far
This really is excellent play, top Test batting.
Root looks in a bit of paine
Proud of the lads so far. This series is far from over.
Finally a decent top order partnership! Hopefully laying foundations and tiring Aussie bowlers so middle order can play at their best.
Team Have to bat till tea and 400 tomorrow, so make the game safe
Very very dark out there.
Take them off Umpire!
Take them off Umpire!