3rd Ashes test Old Trafford

First topic message reminder :

SQUAD

Squad Alastair Cook (capt), Joe Root, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonny Bairstow, James Taylor, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Chris Tremlett, Monty Panesar

Wicket number 200 for Broad, and he's got Clarke, so not a bad wicket to have as number 200! Very fortuitous though. Keep slogging away England, don't let them pass 200.

Well played Clarke.  

And Broad gets his 200th !

A good one too...M Clarke after a magnificent 187    

End of a great innings and a well deserved wicket for Broad at last.

Played Clarke, congrats, Broad.  

What on earth is Siddle doing

Warnie and Holding talking up the idea that there is plenty in the pitch for a willing fast bowler...

Think they are romancing a bit : certainly you can get some bounce if you bend your back - but the bounce is generally predictable , and slow enough that the batsmen have had time to combat it. That was one ball which surprised Clarke a little , in 187 runs...
I am sure Harris and Starc will attack hard with the new ball , but once it gets a bit soft they are unlikely to find things too easy.

Swann bowls Siddle and gets another five  

Will Starc adopt a similar aggressive approach ? Yes  

5 for Swann! Leading wicket-taker in the series!

Should have played Monty too.

These shots suggest an overreaction to a "Get a move on for the declaration," instruction , to me...

Olly wrote:What on earth is Siddle doing

Clarke might have given him a license as they passed ? Perhaps he would have been wiser to have a look at a few and give Haddin the strike  

England can still win this. #believe

Alfie: It's either, "Great minds think alike," or "Fools seldom differ..." 

At least the Ausis are making it interesting, for a natural point of view if they get it back to 2-2, the Oval match will be one for the ages!!!

Can still see them screwing it all up. Think they will get all out for 550-600. Very good score, our 1st innings will be the key one.

We have the luxury of not having to win this the way the Aussies do. Our openers can therefore take their time and have no need to rush. If, when they are in, they can exploit this we have still a decent chance of winning this. But pressure does funny things and the top 4 haven't really performed yet...

Draw increasingly likely and also loss, if things go very badly. Australia have done well, so far, and another 70 runs or so and I'd say very well, despite this wobble. All to play for still.  

Olly wrote:

msp83 wrote:

Olly wrote:Anyone see that that Alex Lees got a double hundred for Yorkshire the other day?

Boycott says he's the next big thing, could be better than Root...

Is Steven Finn in county action?

He is indeed msp against Durham for Middlesex

He has 1 of the 5 Durham wickets to fall so far

Thanks Olly.
Hopes Gus Fraser is putting in the hard yards with the lad. His battered confidence need some building up. A few more of the remaining wickets could be a nice start.

487 ALL OUT is my prediction

Cannot see any way for England to win this. If it is true that rain will shorten at least two of the remaining days there will not be a lot of time left after both sides have completed their first innings. That is , of course , as long as England don't get shot out cheaply...in which case they would be losing...

Australia have got - more or less - enough runs. It remains to be seen if they can take twenty wickets.

msp83 wrote:

Olly wrote:

msp83 wrote:

Olly wrote:Anyone see that that Alex Lees got a double hundred for Yorkshire the other day?

Boycott says he's the next big thing, could be better than Root...

Is Steven Finn in county action?

He is indeed msp against Durham for Middlesex

He has 1 of the 5 Durham wickets to fall so far

Thanks Olly.
Hopes Gus Fraser is putting in the hard yards with the lad. His battered confidence need some building up. A few more of the remaining wickets could be a nice start.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/o35384

There's the scorecard MSP. Durham currently 127-8, Finn has got 2 wickets for 35 runs off 11 overs

alfie wrote:Cannot see any way for England to win this. If it is true that rain will shorten at least two of the remaining days there will not be a lot of time left after both sides have completed their first innings. That is , of course , as long as England don't get shot out cheaply...in which case they would be losing...

Australia have got - more or less - enough runs.  It remains to be seen if they can take twenty wickets.

England will just have to achieve parity, and from there it's a one innings game. Of course, the weather could scupper everything.

Draw the favourite result at the moment of course.

Hope you are right scrumpy!

If the pitch deteriorates days 4 and 5, if there's less rain than forecast, if England bat well and bowl better ... Still all possible.

I see you are still keeping an eye out for your man Finn , msp  

In fact if he gets some rhythm back he might be a chance for the Fourth Test...might be some tired bowlers after this match. Depends also what happens in the way of a result here , I suppose.

Cowshot wrote:If the pitch deteriorates days 4 and 5, if there's less rain than forecast, if England bat well and bowl better ... Still all possible.

Given that my memory stretches back to Old Trafford 1961 - and encompasses Headingley 1981 , The Oval 2003 , and Adelaide 2006 among others , I'd be a fool to deny your summation , Cowshot  

But you'd want bloody good odds at the betting shop !

I havent really hadmy eyes on the play today. Has root been bowled much.. Because the only threat is coming from spin?

mystiroakey wrote:Hope you are right scrumpy!

 

alfie wrote:

Cowshot wrote:If the pitch deteriorates days 4 and 5, if there's less rain than forecast, if England bat well and bowl better ... Still all possible.

Given that my memory stretches back to Old Trafford 1961 - and encompasses Headingley 1981 , The Oval 2003 , and Adelaide 2006 among others , I'd be a fool to deny your summation , Cowshot  

But you'd want bloody good odds at the betting shop !

Lol, you've about 15 years on me. Bill Edrich's last innings facing Holding at Trent Bridge is the first cricket memory I can really place, 1976 I think.

Yep. Would want good odds. 4-1 Australia wasn't good enough for me before the game, though. And It's a long shot to win this I grant you.

the odds are 11/1 on betfair.. probally not good enough. Its 2/1 aus, and 2/3 draw

mystiroakey wrote:I havent really hadmy eyes on the play today. Has root been bowled much.. Because the only threat is coming from spin?

Rather surprisingly , hardly used. I wouldn't say spin has been a "threat" either...Swann has bowled very well but has never looked like running through them. Wickets have been a reward for his patience , and batsmen's occasional lack thereof...

I think they could have used Root a bit , just to rest the main bowlers. Perhaps Cook has been keen just to limit the run rate today , and preferred to stick to the regulars.

Enjoying Jim Maxwell on TMS: "That was a good leave - went straight over the stumps."

ta alfie.. maybe he allready has one eye on the draw!

mystiroakey wrote:the odds are 11/1 on betfair.. probally not good enough. Its 2/1 aus, and 2/3 draw

Not giving much away , are they  

I suspect more that Root would just have been, er, well, rooted...

edit: 11/1? Hmm. Getting more interesting.

15/1 on betfair this second. but it does change fast

Had enough of this aussie tail. They are actually good!!

alfie wrote:I see you are still keeping an eye out for your man Finn , msp  

In fact if he gets some rhythm back he might be a chance for the Fourth Test...might be some tired bowlers after this match.  Depends also what happens in the way of a result here , I suppose.

Indeed alfie.
Finn has taken 4-36, including the wickets of Ben Stokes and Paul Collingwood in 13.5 overs. Good confidence booster. Hope he continues to bowl well and gets the rewards so that the England team management take due note.

Australia one hit away from 500. Will they declare soon?

Starc is quite handy with the bat. On this road , against tired bowlers , he probably fancies a hundred...

Obviously Clarke wants over 500 ...may go on longer than we thought. Tea in ten so it looks like the grinding down of the England attack will go on into the evening session. Bit of "wear down the key bowlers" thinking , with an eye to the later Tests ?

If I was Aus I would bat the rest of the day if possible. Best time for batting, get your runs now. Then back yourselves to bowl England out for under the follow on and enforce it

James Anderson striving hard and producing some quality stuff. But Haddin and Starc are dealing with it all quite alright.

500 up- awesome for the OZ

Australia's decision might also be guided by the weather. If the weather is going to be atrocious as hinted by a few posters here, then they might declare and get England in today. They do have a big score on the board, early wickets can create some panic in the England ranks.

do aus have 6 all rounders or something?

Mitchell Starc has a test best of 99. That innings came against India and it was a real quality effort. He really is going great guns here, and if he manages to stay on for some more time, Clarke will be able to declare sooner than he might expect.

Doubt Ausis will declare. They will get up to 600 and then probably do it, or at least they should do.

Very simple for England. Just make sure you're still batting come stumps on Day 3. Ashes secured if you do that.

Duty281 wrote:Very simple for England. Just make sure you're still batting come stumps on Day 3. Ashes secured if you do that.

Mean day 5 don't you , Duty ? Unless you mean Cook and Root  

Seems Haddin and Starc have settled down. They are no more playing a shot a minute while not failing to put away the hittable ones. Looks as if they are in for the long stay and try and bat England completely out of this game.

KP bowling time. The Aussies will feel obliged to try and hit him for maxima and get caught out

Australia declare at 527/7. A bit earlier than I anticipated.

Cook bowling Swann and Root together, seems he's in to the preserve the fast bowlers mode. Perhaps he should bring KP on for an over or 2 to try and see whether he can induce a false stroke from one of these?

Seems Australia are going for a really big score ...the bat once theory.

Almost committing in advance to the follow on as plan A. The flatter the pitch looks the more this seems reasonable. But weather intervention could scupper that idea completely.

So for England it will be all about getting past the 360 or whatever they are set . Guess if they are 30/3 this time there will be no way back...

And Clarke up and calls them in ! Slightly pointless few overs since tea ? Make that a primary target of 328...