Ashes: First Test

First topic message reminder :

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

they all work in london anyway Duty

It's probably Steffan and his mates dressed in yellow!

Yep Steffan is there somewhere cheering against the English..(and welsh !!)

Wouldnt put it past Steffan tbh...

Good Lord, I have the third most posts for the day... I dont think Ive ever been in the top twenty. Speaks volumes for how engaging this match has been

Talk about dig a trench!! 5 maidens on the spin..

kingraf wrote:Good Lord, I have the third most posts for the day... I dont think Ive ever been in the top twenty. Speaks volumes for how engaging this match has been

As well as the 18 pages clocked up by Day 2.

Good to see the cricket board sparking back to life today 

True..... We will need a second thread soon

What a start to the series then. 2 days in and it is dead even going into tomorrow (Aus have to bat last so I think the 2 wickets down just about balance that off).

Who can predict what will happen tomorrow?

It was dead even after day 1 - dead even after day 2..

That doesnt tell the story does it!!

One session away for both teams. No wickets 1st session, and I cant see Aus coming back again.If its Two-three down for eighty... Effectively 100-5, advantage Australia.

mystiroakey wrote:It was dead even after day 1 - dead even after day 2..

That doesnt tell the story does it!!

Too true. That almost makes it sound like a slow burner doesn't it? This is no slow burner that is for sure!

Would love a day of old school Test cricket tomorrow, dig in and get a match winning lead. What will probably happen is a collapse, a Broad ton and a couple of hat-tricks!

Yes, Cook and Pietersen see the day through for England.
Cook took it up on himself to restore calm to his side, took his time put away the bad balls and left or defended the good ones. Had that let off but he's the type who take full advantage if you do that.
Kevin Pietersen too showed admirable adaptability, and played a very watchful innings, something his side needed when he came in.
A really chaotic day eventually settling down into the mold of good old test cricket through these 2. At the end of it, I think like yesterday, things are pretty much even. England's lead is nothing substantial at this stage, and the batting unit has a lot of work to do. If KP and Cook continue the way they did today and further their association, and then Bell, Bairstow and Prior chip in, England should be able to set a 300+ target for the Australians. With the kind of time available in the game, that is the least England would want, although with the fragility of this Australian batting unit, even 250 could prove to be challenging.

What a brilliant day of cricket, another brilliant day of cricket I should say. Anderson and Swann cut through Australia in the morning, and England were heading for a sizeable first innings lead.

Step up no.11 Ashton Agar, the debutant, who blitzed a near run-a-ball 98 to turn the game on it's head. That will probably be looked back on as one of the moments of the series.

Root and Trott went cheaply, Trott went very controversially I might add. Step up Cook and Pietersen, who batted their way unbeaten through the two and a half hour session to take England into the lead. It was rather admirable restraint shown by the pair, going at around 2 an over, since both were out in the first innings after loose drives.

And so, 2 days gone, England effectively 15/2. With Australia batting last, I would say this game is dead even. Cook and Pietersen have to start again tomorrow, if they rebuild their partnership again, Australia will be firmly on the back-foot. But if Australia take an early wicket tomorrow, it will be England on the defensive early on with not very much on the board.

What a fascinating Test match this is shaping up to be. It could be all over tomorrow. It could stretch into Day 5. You never know. All 4 results possible. That's the beauty of the game, and why Test cricket is unique.

Would love us just to occupy the crease tomorrow and get another 250-300 runs. Want Swanny to be bowling after lunch/tea on Day 4, not on Day 3!!!

So it must be pointed out that KP has just played a restrained innings and not got out!!

Kudus to him..

mystiroakey wrote:Trebbes mate you need to get into GOLF!

best sport- chilled out. Takes a long time like test cricket. Ubber skillz on display-

yeah that's one game I've never really clicked with. I should try it some time.

VTR wrote:What a start to the series then. 2 days in and it is dead even going into tomorrow (Aus have to bat last so I think the 2 wickets down just about balance that off).

Who can predict what will happen tomorrow?

it's closer but I think it need to be 40/2 to be even.

and given Aussies young monster ready to bat them to victory probably 400/2.

Best day of Test cricket I can remember. What a phenomenal day.

Olly wrote:Would love us just to occupy the crease tomorrow and get another 250-300 runs. Want Swanny to be bowling after lunch/tea on Day 4, not on Day 3!!!

Yes I agree, batting time is equally important as getting runs. It's hot and dry, rather unusual for England I must admit, so those cracks will really start to open up given time.

they are saying it could be damp on Saturday.. not good for batting, so surviving tomorrow would be crucial.

Duty281 wrote:

Olly wrote:Would love us just to occupy the crease tomorrow and get another 250-300 runs. Want Swanny to be bowling after lunch/tea on Day 4, not on Day 3!!!

Yes I agree, batting time is equally important as getting runs. It's hot and dry, rather unusual for England I must admit, so those cracks will really start to open up given time.

Of course I wouldn't be adversed to KP going all Adelaide 2010 on us...

Olly wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

Olly wrote:Would love us just to occupy the crease tomorrow and get another 250-300 runs. Want Swanny to be bowling after lunch/tea on Day 4, not on Day 3!!!

Yes I agree, batting time is equally important as getting runs. It's hot and dry, rather unusual for England I must admit, so those cracks will really start to open up given time.

Of course I wouldn't be adversed to KP going all Adelaide 2010 on us...

No I don't think I would either!

Does anyone else think the Aussies should be looking to develop that Agar as a batter, who can bowl?

He looked to have a pretty decent technique, and obviously has a decent eye. He played some lovely conventional shots, especially the flicks off his legs. I think he could become a pretty decent bat.

His bowling hasn't really impressed me greatly so far

I was thinking that Olly and that they now need plans to bowl at him as a proper batter,  had they done so they might have done much better.

He could be a good all rounder.

well one thing is for sure, he won't be batting at number 11 in the second innings.

I must admit, Agar's knock gave me the itch again.... Last two years, Ive been playing cricket for fun with no real goal, But if a groundsman can take a fifer in India (Lyon), a village cricketer auction for a Mil (Maxwell), and a club tailender 98*...

Fantastic day's play.  No idea where this match his heading.  England will be heavily dependent on these two tomorrow.

It's not surprisingly overshadowed Ponting's final first class innings - an unbeaten 169 off 319 balls for Surrey against Notts, to salvage a draw for Surrey.  Class act.   

it is a gambler's paradise this test match...with such wildly swinging fortunes....on thew back of display of some brilliance.

--first it was anderson......like a right handed version of Zaheer khan at his peak...making the ball talk in language of reverse swing going both ways.

--then Agar...languid, nonchalant left hander's ease and grace, coming from an unlikeliest No. 11 slot.....turning the game on his head...flashing big, red warning signs for England...they have a line-up with 11 bastmen, albeit inconsistent to contend with.

Australians will play like this all series...keep coming at England from No. 1 to 11.

--Sorry moments of the day:  81* of Hughes that was almost forgotten instantly amidst the Agar show.....and England coercing a clearly unfit and grimacing Broad to bowl...to unsuccessfully demonstrate his selection with shoulder already on cortisones was not a mistake.

--KP is sitting on the edge of impending brilliance yet again and Cook begining to raise his superman mode...but who knows how many twists this test is further scripted to take....it's high quality drama for us neutral viewers with nothing to lose.

It's balanced on a knife edge. If England can bat most of tomorrow it's a commanding positions with Swann. Equally anything under 200 Australia will fancy

I just get the feeling that Eng can only lose the game first session tomorrow, cant win it.. And as such I think they have to be circumspect. If Eng are four-five down at Lunch... Have to favour Australia.

Cook and KP are key. One of them two has to go on and make the match winning score

Having seen the highlights now we shouldn't even be here talking about that 98. He cashed in very well so credit for that, phenomenal stroke-play, no way is he a number 11!

But the third umpire should be hung as that was a shocker on the stumping, very clearly out.

I also wonder if Agar will ever get close to a Test century again. It really reminded me of another fantastic innings from a young talent who seemed to have the world at his feet, Alex Tudor's 99 not out in 1999.

I thought there was doubt in it and thats from an English perspective. Having said that Trott's should have had enough doubt to not be given out as well. On the slow version it did look like the ball moved and not being able to see hot spot of the edge Trott would have hit then its hard to believe there was enough to go up and over the on field umpires call.

Haven't seen the Trott decision, but having read about it on cricinfo, and from what hodge has said. I'm surprised the decision was overturned.
Surely, if the on-field umpire's decision is not out, the third umpire has to use the technology to show that non of the conditions that may have caused the original decision were present. As the third umpire could not show whether there was an inside edge or not,(from what I've read), Dar's decision should have stood.

msp83 wrote:As a strong supporter of Steven Finn, I'll be the first one to admit that he had a bad day with the ball today. No excuses there, it was a bad day in the  office. I am sure he'll be back to his usual good self in the 2nd innings.

I hope he does too, but it is a worry to see him bowl spells like today, where he goes for far too many runs.

It's something he needs to try and rectify. If he can, then he becomes such a better bowler

Especially with Broad hobbled. Not quite the next great seamer yet.

Yo man DRS suks especially When it bites wrongly my back and twice in the same day...
But I will happily take it when it bites my opponent's back and dismiss any complains from the opponent as the rub of the green

hodge wrote:I thought there was doubt in it and thats from an English perspective. Having said that Trott's should have had enough doubt to not be given out as well. On the slow version it did look like the ball moved and not being able to see hot spot of the edge Trott would have hit then its hard to believe there was enough to go up and over the on field umpires call.

i suspect that the commentators, and also the 3rd umpire, do not have very good sound or HD level visual equipment because I thought I could hear two noises and also the ball seemed to clearly deviate off the bat.

It is unfortunate when these things happen, but overall more decisions ARE made correctly with the technology, and it does add an extra level of spice to game ... so overall Cricket is still the winner with DRS (IMO)

Hoping for a good old fashioned day of batting today as I have been looking forward to a weekend of watching the cricket! If the game continues at the current pace it will be all over before tea on saturday. We need cook to bat long anchoring the innings and allowing our stroke players to bat with a bit more freeom. Having said that a day of kp would be very welcome!

Morning all

The moving day. Well, every single moment of this Test has pretty much led to movement, but today is oh so crucial.

My worry is that the close came about at the wrong time for England last night. Those two were well set and comfortable, displaying admirable obdurate qualities. However, you always lose one early the next morning, don't you? That's my fear, and it could prove very costly.

Come on boys, surprise me.

Morning everyone

My ideal day: Cook 150, KP 150, England reach 400-5 by close, two days to put another 100-150 on the board then bowl out the Aussies.

Worst day: England all out for less than 200, Australia close nearly at the finishing post.

So it's altogether likely that England will get to 100-8, then be all out for 370. Australia will then come in and end the day 11-5

Azzy Mahmood wrote:Morning everyone

My ideal day: Cook 150, KP 150, England reach 400-5 by close, two days to put another 100-150 on the board then bowl out the Aussies.

Worst day: England all out for less than 200, Australia close nearly at the finishing post.

So it's altogether likely that England will get to 100-8, then be all out for 370. Australia will then come in and end the day 11-5

With Agar and the other tail enders then taking them up to 304 all out, the final wicket being a gloved catch down the leg side that should have been given not out because the batsman's hand wasn't on the bat handle at the time...

I might have missed the discussion last night, but was the Trott decision really wrong? I watched it with the sound off and the ball didn't appear to deviate at all off the bat.

Morning all..

I am going to back a normal but slow days test cricket . But no wickets!!!

England to end on 310 for 2

mystiroakey wrote:England to end on 310 for 2

That would be mega-ace.

While I doubt Agar will score 98 again, anyone who has watched Aus this past year will know that the Aus tail wags consistently... I just hope Eng land dont mark this as a once-off, and think that in future, 100-8 = 130... These Bogans hustle.

Azzy Mahmood wrote:I might have missed the discussion last night, but was the Trott decision really wrong? I watched it with the sound off and the ball didn't appear to deviate at all off the bat.

 


Should have gone to Specsavers!

kingraf wrote:While I doubt Agar will score 98 again, anyone who has watched Aus this past year will know that the Aus tail wags consistently... I just hope Eng land dont mark this as a once-off, and think that in future, 100-8 = 130... These Bogans hustle.  

 I think he will. He had a range of shots and was quick to the ball. I think he will be pushed down the order..

If he isnt the Ozzies are crazy