Ashes: First Test

First topic message reminder :

It's weird...no thread on T1 yet
Ashton Agar will play is the breaking news.

Odds on Agar to make 100?

Gregers wrote:Odds on Agar to make 100?

Easily. The new warne but a dangerous all rounder.

England's demise.

Myst

This match will have to go through a few more swings if it is going to match up with the 2005 2nd test...

Well this is just horrible.

Only way Agar gets out now is due to nerves, the possibility of a hundred is going to hypnotise him...

Only way Agar gets out now is due to nerves, the possibility of a hundred is going to hypnotise him...

Agar now looks likely to get a century ...not sure he was picked for this ! But has turned out a huge selection decision...

Am concerned at the fact England seem to not even look like getting one of these out now...with Broad not fully fit , Anderson a bit overbowled , and Finn looking a serious risk at the bowling crease , it is all looking a bit innocuous on an easy pitch. Does suggest some problems ahead if the conditions are batting friendly.
If England want to win this series they will need to bat better to allow more scoreboard pressure...not that scoreboard pressure has bothered Agar  

Aussies coach totally outsmarted ours with a match winning selection who is above any bowling we have. Genious to be honest.

        

alfie wrote:Agar now looks likely to get a century ...not sure he was picked for this !  But has turned out a huge selection decision...

Am concerned at the fact England seem to not even look like getting one of these out now...with Broad not fully fit , Anderson a bit overbowled , and Finn looking a serious risk at the bowling crease , it is all looking a bit innocuous on an easy pitch.  Does suggest some problems ahead if the conditions are batting friendly.  
If England want to win this series they will need to bat better to allow more scoreboard pressure...not that scoreboard pressure has bothered Agar  

What I've been saying, our batting isn't good enough to win a series. This match has exposed the cracks they've been papering over.

I don't agree abut a docile pitch being the reason. I just think we have players here in a different class to England.

Welcome to reality botham and co. enjoy the whitewash.

Well played hughes and agar.

One of the most amazing sporting performances i have ever seen in my life and it isnt even over. It hurts but i have to respect them for it.

The pitch might be flat, but thats no excuse. This guy is a debutant #11, with a top score of 54 for his club side. This tops the Oval, and even Tino Best's 95 as the most shocking perfomance... At least the Ovalgate was against All-time greats.

 

What a mess.

if root and cook dont stay in for a flipping long time this is gonna hurt me a lot..

btw dont discount the draw.. its back on

What on earth is happening here? Do we have no idea?

The best swing bowler in the world cut through them earlier, but we have no answer to a no.11 making his Test debut and Phil Hughes.

Flat pitch though, so Cook and Root should be licking their lips.

This is just painful to watch, our bowlers should be ashamed of themselves. Broad bowling very very poorly.

All started off so well this morning as well Turned into a complete mess.

Duty281 wrote:What on earth is happening here? Do we have no idea?

The best swing bowler in the world cut through them earlier, but we have no answer to a no.11 making his Test debut and Phil Hughes.

Flat pitch though, so Cook and Root should be licking their lips.

I guess England didn't have any video footage of him, Cook & Eng don't have a clue what to do?

time to think on your feet guys!

98    

As much as I have enjoyed Agar's hand... I just want to see Hughes get his ton.

Go on swanny- i feel sorry for that lad in a way. Didnt get his ton..

But omg - even if OZ lose this- MOTM award for him!

Ashton Agar is out!!!!!. It has happened in the end. Unfortunate for Agar, he did deserve that hundred, but he took on the short ball and offered a catch in the deep.
Certainly Shane Warne in the making, remember Warney's highest test score and the way he got out?

WHAT A CATCH BY SWANN!!!!!!

Well batted Agar

At the risk of sounding like Trebell , I fear England have lost the plot here , and this match is now Australia's to lose...

But Agar is out for 98 ! Fine catch Swann ...what a debut for Agar !

   

What a shame he didnt get 100, but what an innings

Oh Agar, I'm absolutely gutted for you. What. An. Innings.  

Sentimentality over, Australia lead by 65 runs. It's a flat track, good conditions for batting. If England want to win this game, which they have to as surely the draw is out of the equation, 364 in this second innings will give us a lead of 300. It's certainly a lot easier to bat on than yesterday so it's doable.

alfie wrote:At the risk of sounding like Trebell , I fear England have lost the plot here , and this match is now Australia's to lose...

But Agar is out for 98 !  Fine catch Swann ...what a debut for Agar !

   

 
yeah aussie got a lead they should never have had because a young man played without fear and exposed a struggling team.
 
Englands confidence is shattered, their morale blown and I fear for them now with their lack of form and team full of struggling batsmen.
 
this is aussies game. Congrats Aussie, you are back and then some.

if Tino Best exposed how weak England are, this lad has cruelly humiliated them.

Sixty five lead may well be enough to counteract batting last...I think England will need to bat very well...
Can they ? We shall see soon enough. Game could easily go either way , but right now I make it about 55-45 to Australia. Big turnaround from 80-20 England after the first hour or so this morning.

I thought the ton would hypnotise him... Stupid shot to play on 98... Its fine on 20ish, but you dont do that on 98.... Well played though... Hughes left stranded

If our batters can't bat on this then there is something seriously wrong with England. Time to get it out of your mind and england should be in a healthy position by the end of tommorow

Hope England's confidence is not undermined by that extraordinary innings from Agar and that massive last wicket partnership. Hopefully the customary collapse is out of the way in the first innings, and England will bat with focus and determination to pull themselves out of this difficult corner.

TBH if I was the captain I would have thrown the ball to aggers to kick this off!!!

I really have to do some work now, hopefully this will be a very slow and very boring innings

FFS that was close!

that was lucky!!!

but then i suppose considering we probally got them out at 135!!! we may just deserve a bit of luck considering they put on another 145.

What a difference that would have made.

First target is to get to 65 without loss. Then we are even again.. Then 100.

just take it nice and steady and slow. Hopefully root will settle down at some point and then he wont need any luck..

Australia lost their first review there. One of those not very regular moments where I tend to agree with the critiques of the DRS. On that one, more of the ball was hitting the stumps than the one of Chris Rogers, yet Rogers was given out, and now Root gets away with it and Australia lost a review.
There has to be a better solution for this rather than the umpire's call. Glenn McGrath on TMS suggests that if more than half of the ball is hitting the stumps it has to be out and if not then, not out, regardless of the umpire's call. Seems a fair enough suggestion.

Dunno about you lot, but i have no finger nails left and were in day 2!!!!!

You know England are screwed when supposedly top batsmen need to survive reviews yet the worst Aussie batsmen is freely scoring.

Glen's view isnt new msp.

I am happy with that as well . however the point is the rules are the rules and aus shouldnt have reviewed that call. They made a bad call and lost the review.

I look forward to seeing how the lad performs now his batting won't be a nasty surprise and now expectation will be heaped oh those young shoulders,

well dug out rooty

After supported by number 11 Ashton Agar and Phil hughes, Aussies bowlers need to fire. Two or three wicket before 65 will surely put England under great pressure.

The England openers are taking their time here, good signs. Lots of time left, Cook and Root should see the new ball off, wipe out this lead and slowly build a platform. Despite Agar and Clarke, 300 might be a real challenge for this Australian lineup.

subhranshu.kumar.5 wrote:After supported by number 11 Ashton Agar and Phil hughes, Aussies bowlers need to fire. Two or three wicket before 65 will surely put England under great pressure.

Of course. They have this, better with bat and ball. How can you lose that?

msp83 wrote:The England openers are taking their time here, good signs. Lots of time left, Cook and Root should see the new ball off, wipe out this lead and slowly build a platform. Despite Agar and Clarke, 300 might be a real challenge for this Australian lineup.

Laddie boy could get 300 on his own.

There is no perfect solution to the lbw review system. The more you make the on field umpire's view irrelevant , the more you encourage reviewing every decision...which will lead to reviews being burned early , often as not , and then you are back with the old "manual" system as there are no reviews left...becomes a bit of a raffle then.
Except then there would be a call to increase the number of reviews , and we surely don't want that ?

Cook and Root batting very sensibly so far, which is needed. However i have a nasty feeling we will lose a wicket before tea.

Root gone!

Not good enough England