Cricket fred

[Banquo]

It’s also not the Aussie batting lineup of the late 90’s they’ve come in to. The new boys certainly wont trouble the late 40’s with their average regardless of the situation, but when Cook and Root are failing it’s a dificult environment to easy yourself in to.

not a great analogy, but take your point; my point is that there are a couple of alternatives which have not been looked at which look more productive...the key one being Bairstow as a batsman higher up. Obviously Stokes being awol is a tricky problem, the daft get.

I agree on Bairstow and I’d have Buttler on a decent amount of caps by now in the hope he’d crack batting in test cricket, as you also suggested above. Stokes really has effed up. It’s like losing three players in one with his ability with bat, ball and in the field.

well I saw moving Bairstow up and including Buttler as the same deal tbh. Its also not helped that Moeen looks out of sorts.

[Digby]

I suspect the England batsmen have all put a lot of time into working on facing the shorter ball, and that hasn't helped so much given the Aussies have pitched the ball up more than us and that when the Aussies have seen fit to deliver some chin music we've folded anyway.

[Banquo]

I suspect the England batsmen have all put a lot of time into working on facing the shorter ball, and that hasn't helped so much given the Aussies have pitched the ball up more than us and that when the Aussies have seen fit to deliver some chin music we've folded anyway.

I suspect that three aren't good enough, one is out of form, one is preoccupied and one has been out to Nathan Lyon 4 times.

[Digby]

I suspect the England batsmen have all put a lot of time into working on facing the shorter ball, and that hasn't helped so much given the Aussies have pitched the ball up more than us and that when the Aussies have seen fit to deliver some chin music we've folded anyway.

I suspect that three aren't good enough, one is out of form, one is preoccupied and one has been out to Nathan Lyon 4 times.

This doesn't help, similar to our bowlers might be bowling too short but they're too slow in Oz anyway. So we've two gripes, we're not playing as well as we could, and we're losing

[Banquo]

I suspect the England batsmen have all put a lot of time into working on facing the shorter ball, and that hasn't helped so much given the Aussies have pitched the ball up more than us and that when the Aussies have seen fit to deliver some chin music we've folded anyway.

I suspect that three aren't good enough, one is out of form, one is preoccupied and one has been out to Nathan Lyon 4 times.

This doesn't help, similar to our bowlers might be bowling too short but they're too slow in Oz anyway. So we've two gripes, we're not playing as well as we could, and we're losing

Four, though linked; I think we are being mullered psychologically/out-sledged , and we aren't putting the best team we could out on the park (though that starts with the original make up of the party, and Ben Stokes)

[WaspInWales]

It never rains eh?

[Mellsblue]

Ffs

[Banquo]

fair play, Stoneman and Malan have done ok. Pitch is a belter, so need to push on.

Cook having a mare, must be getting close to being dropped- or at least, he would be if there was anyone knocking on the door. Root....maybe the captaincy curse is finally getting to him.

Meanwhile, Stokes goes bonkers in inzid

[Mellsblue]

Meanwhile, Stokes goes bonkers in inzid

I had a dream last night that we’d recalled him and put him in at no3.........we still lost.

[Banquo]

great stuff from Malan...humble pie for me on that one!

[Digby]

Finally someone goes on to post a decent score having made a start, after another 3 starts and then failing in this innings I wasn't optimistic. And yes Cook would be under pressure if there was anyone putting him under pressure, he's not scored enough for a while now.

[Banquo]

comfortably our best day so far; bravo Malan, Bairstow and Stoneman. Thats against a very fast attack on the kind of pitch they/no-one is really used to any more.

One more good session and who knows.

[Digby]

Anyone seen the Stoneman decision? A bit weird in that it's the right call, but on what it was given for it's either one of the great decisions or more likely shouldn't have been out, seeing as he was dropped anyway he's not maybe hard done by even before it probably was out, fair play to Stoneman however who faced a lot of balls when the ball was flying around and made the bowlers work, and then Malan and Bairstow were able to build once the bowlers waned a little

[Banquo]

Anyone seen the Stoneman decision? A bit weird in that it's the right call, but on what it was given for it's either one of the great decisions or more likely shouldn't have been out, seeing as he was dropped anyway he's not maybe hard done by even before it probably was out, fair play to Stoneman however who faced a lot of balls when the ball was flying around and made the bowlers work, and then Malan and Bairstow were able to build once the bowlers waned a little

be interesting to see how the bowlers come back tomorrow; assume oz included Mitchell Marsh partly to take the pressure off them. Its a bit of a regret that we didnt make them bowl a lot more in the 1st 2 tests, as that would pay dividends in the long game of the series. This is the first time Cummins has played 3 tests in a row!

[fivepointer]

Good day for us today. Great partnership to end with. Malan looking very good.

[Digby]

Very interesting to see how the bowlers come back, 90 odd overs of effort to return 4 wickets isn't a cheery thought, but they know they've a new ball, and you'd have to think they'd fancy the tail will not wag with this much pace around.

[Mellsblue]

great stuff from Malan...humble pie for me on that one!

Don’t concede too early. Vince’s knock of 80ish was glorious but he’s spent every other innings giving the Aus slips catching practice.

[Banquo]

great stuff from Malan...humble pie for me on that one!

Don’t concede too early. Vince’s knock of 80ish was glorious but he’s spent every other innings giving the Aus slips catching practice.

I still think all three are less than ideal, but that's a touch of the unexpected from Malan, so credit there. Buys him the rest of the series!

[Mellsblue]

great stuff from Malan...humble pie for me on that one!

Don’t concede too early. Vince’s knock of 80ish was glorious but he’s spent every other innings giving the Aus slips catching practice.

I still think all three are less than ideal, but that's a touch of the unexpected from Malan, so credit there. Buys him the rest of the series!

Oh yeah. He can now go back to being rank average for the rest of the series.
Ed Smith seems to think this will be the making of him. That the confidence will allow him to play more positively and this will play to his strengths. Let’s hope he’s correct.

[Banquo]

Don’t concede too early. Vince’s knock of 80ish was glorious but he’s spent every other innings giving the Aus slips catching practice.

I still think all three are less than ideal, but that's a touch of the unexpected from Malan, so credit there. Buys him the rest of the series!

Oh yeah. He can now go back to being rank average for the rest of the series.
Ed Smith seems to think this will be the making of him. That the confidence will allow him to play more positively and this will play to his strengths. Let’s hope he’s correct.

aye. If we've found someone who can stick around at 5 (boycs wants him moved to 3) it'll help enormously to eke some more runs out of 7 and below.

[WaspInWales]

See what happens when I don't stay up catch the cricket?!?

Great to finally see some backbone from England. Impressive knock from Malan. Bairstow looking good too. Need more of the same for day 2 please. Build a big score, declare and give them some shit with the ball.

[Mellsblue]

Whatevs. We all know we’ll be all out for 350 by the end of the first session.

[Banquo]

Whatevs. We all know we’ll be all out for 350 by the end of the first session.

that is indeed the writing on the wall. Trying to avoid jinxing it!

[Banquo]

Best wishes to Andrew Strauss whose wife has cancer. Perhaps the squad will get their act together off the park as this gives perspective of sorts.

[Stom]

Don’t concede too early. Vince’s knock of 80ish was glorious but he’s spent every other innings giving the Aus slips catching practice.

I still think all three are less than ideal, but that's a touch of the unexpected from Malan, so credit there. Buys him the rest of the series!

Oh yeah. He can now go back to being rank average for the rest of the series.
Ed Smith seems to think this will be the making of him. That the confidence will allow him to play more positively and this will play to his strengths. Let’s hope he’s correct.

Malan is a very decent cricketer. He's one of many that are around that "just good enough for international cricket as a stop gap" level. And he's doing well at that level.

Vince, on the other hand, is a player who has had the same beautiful positive and the same insane negative for his entire career. Why he was given another chance, I do not know. It's always the same with him. Scores very nicely for 20-40 runs, then nicks off.

We don't need that in a 3.