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

Evening all.

Seems Australia kind of fell in between 2 stones. If the objective was to bat once then they really could have gone on for longer and piled on the pressure. If it was to give themselves enough time with the weather closing in they probably went on a bit long.

Anyway good to see their batsmen can actually bat.

Broad at last picks up his 200th - that will be of some relief to him.

England and especially Cook have really ridden their luck against Lyon so far, who has to remain patient and keep working the batsmen over.

Cook and Root a bit passive and allowing the Aussies to settle into a rythm - should be looking to rotate the strike a bit more at least.

Aus could do worse than to give Smith or even Clarke a couple of overs this evening. I'm astonished Root didn't bowl more for England.

alfie wrote:

trebellbobaggins wrote:They could just be Aussies trying to talk Eng into some really stupid decisions.

Myself i'd make Root captain but two tests ago i'd have dropped him and next test i'll make someone else captain.

I make my decisions entirely based on the form displayed in the current innings and never ever on permanent class, long term form or leadership skills.

 

Like your style , trebs.

Getting a bit late for me here.  Think you can keep these two safe to stumps if I retire for the night ?

 we can always hope.  have a good night alfie.

Is that runs for root.

good lad.. You need the odd run!!

I dont doubt he could last 300 balls for no runs but not really much point in that!

Absence of silly-point to Lyon against Root is bemusing...

mystiroakey wrote:Is that runs for root.

good lad.. You need the odd run!!

I dont doubt he could last 300 balls for no runs but not really much point in that!

 Boycott would disagree with you.

If Trott were to spend a day doing exactly that I would be quite happy.

England should understand that unlike the seamers with the new ball, the spinners gets more into the game when the ball gets a little old on a track where it grips and turns. So blocking out the new ball alone won't do the job. The best way to keep the spinners in check is to keep rotating the strike, particularly if it is a left-right batting combination. Cook and Root have managed to stay together into the 23rd over so far, but they haven't really rotated the strike enough as yet.
Really surprised that Steve Smith hasn't had a bowl so far. The way England have gone passive against the spinner, Clarke should try bowling Lyon and Smith in combination.

I suspect England really dropped anchor for the day tbh

England's approach has been particularly surprising, considering Root is a decent player of spin, and Cook is a master when it comes to playing spin, in his own style.

feick. Joey

and why you walking no one else would!

Wonder what Clarke's up to? Lyon's taken off the attack, and the seamers are in action from both ends. Siddle and Watson for now. Watson hasn't given away a run in his 4 overs so far.

mystiroakey wrote:feick. Joey

and why you walking no one else would!

Should have reviewed, it'd probably have been overturned  
Oh well, TrundlerTim in at 3.

Root gone, 47/1. Reliable Tim comes in to defend England.

Australia get a breakthrough before the close as Root labors to 8.

Forecast looks ominous for Sunday+Monday

And Root walks having edged siddle to Haddin who held on this time.
The young lad is finding more ways to impress, nice to see Root walking, but I wouldn't have minded one bit even if he hadn't, particularly against Clarke's team.

GSC wrote:Forecast looks ominous for Sunday+Monday

Hope its right  

Siddle gets a well-earned breakthrough for Australia who have bowled very well without anything to show for it so far. Root got stuck there, and when you get into a negative mindset your footwork isn't as positive, and that seemed to do for him there, didn't get across to cover the line.

Slightly surprised to see Watson replacing Lyon from the other end TBH.

Definitely think Smith is worth a couple of overs before close.

Has Anderson definitively lost his night-watchman role? Bresnan in.

Think Clarke should bring Lyon back on.

smith needs a go before theclose of play...2 overs

I think Joey played the wrong approach today. I mean he did see the new ball off which means bres can come in with a soft ball. But I am not sure if sticking was the approach- He wasnt in , and he could have been in if he played more shots!

Yet another maiden from Shane Watson. That's 5 in 5 for Shane.

Watson tight (5 maidens!) but probably the least threatening of the Aussie bowlers so far.

With the pitch turning quite a bit, Lyon creating serious problems for Cook, England adopting a rather passive approach with the bat, I think Michael Clarke is making a mistake by not bowling Lyon through from one end, and also not giving Smith the ball.

I think England's approach so far is factoring in the weather. Looks bad and deteriorating for Sunday and Monday. So try to bat as much time as possible, bat to the close tomorrow and the draw should be secure.

There seems little point in trying to score quickly to in an attempt to get close to Australia's score if they don't believe there will be enough time in the game to win it (Manchester is not Adelaide for weather!)

Lyon back on.

VTR wrote:I think England's approach so far is factoring in the weather. Looks bad and deteriorating for Sunday and Monday. So try to bat as much time as possible, bat to the close tomorrow and the draw should be secure.

There seems little point in trying to score quickly to in an attempt to get close to Australia's score if they don't believe there will be enough time in the game to win it (Manchester is not Adelaide for weather!)

It is not so much about trying to scoring quickly to get level with the Australians. But getting too passive can play into the hands of the bowling unit. With the ball turning, you might get a ball with your name sooner or later, but despite batting long if you couldn't score much, the wickets can bring serious pressure on top of the pressure already created by the huge Australian total. And at this stage of the game, the weather shouldn't be the single most important factor guiding your course.

BRESNan walks- what a mug!!

HE WASNT OUT!!!

Should play every ball on its own merits

How did Bresnan not review that?? !!!
He was nowhere near it!!!

anotehr bad defensive move it was to send Bresnan with soc much time before the close

with this tortosing approach...aus might pluck out one more tonight

Good lord, reliable Tim has perished to the guile of his own captain. Backs to the wall now. Spirit of Agincourt etc.

Oh my days

Think we are gonna lose this one chaps, need Someone (or 3) to really step up

Reliable Tim = Too honest.

Fair point msp - this is probably a bit too passive from England. I have just got in and didn't realise there were quite so many overs bowled!

ChequeredJersey wrote:Think we are gonna lose this one chaps, need Someone (or 3) to really step up

Clam yourself, sir. This situation was made for Cook and Trott.

Another poor call!. Bresnan goes, caught of the trouser. But Bresnan didn't review, may not have thought it worth the trouble after all!.

 the only reason why Bresnan did not review....because he didn't trust DRS.
even the Eng team doesn't know what DRS might show or not show...ha ha

Everything seems to be going wrong in this Test! Perhaps we will lose this one, but we will still be 2-1 ahead and the superior team. Its not panic time yet (unless your name is Tim Bresnan!)

snicko on the hip!! noise on the hip- missed the bat by an inch or two. Why the heck did he walk. But what the heck is wrong with these umpires.. They are ridiculasly bad!! You cant just keep getting every decision wrong like this!!

You have to use the DRS - you cannot wait untill the cap thinks its a howler- If you know you havent hit it.. YOU REVIEW!!

Who was the umpire who gave it out?

KP_fan wrote: the only reason why Bresnan did not review....because he didn't trust DRS.
even the Eng team doesn't know what DRS might show or not show...ha ha

Was Cook's decision. DRS would have absolved him.

mystiroakey wrote:snicko on the hip!! noise on the hip- missed the bat by an inch or two. Why the heck did he walk. But what the heck is wrong with these umpires.. They are ridiculasly bad!! You cant just keep getting every decision wrong like this!!

You have to use the DRS - you cannot wait untill the cap thinks its a howler- If you know you havent hit it.. YOU REVIEW!!

ha ha ....they have lost trust in the DRS system.......can't get worse than this

The fact about being passive is not so much the runs you don't get, but the mindset it creates. If you're not looking to score, then you let the bowler settle into a rythm and dictate proceedings, as is happening now. Your footwork also becomes less positive if the intent is not there, which increases your chances of getting out (see Root).

Now then... Bresnan out caught behind, in spite of missing it by more than Khawaja did. Poor decision from the umpire you have to say, but why on earth not review? There's probably a feeling of "don't want to potentially waste a review on a tailender" - I wonder whether had Khawaja been reprieved Bresnan would have been more tempted by that. Did he not feel the ball brush his trouser leg? If not, you can understand how the conversation may have gone "did it hit anything else?" "no" "then the 3rd umpire may uphold on audio, sounded like a nick to me".

Poor decision from umpire Howell (not Hill this time) I'm afraid though, he's missed that by a fair bit.

Probably thought it wasn't worth using it on Bresnan

England end the day at 52-2. Australia's day again.

GSC wrote:Probably thought it wasn't worth using it on Bresnan

I agree but that's an issue IMO. DRS when it was introduced was not meant to be a tactical tool, it was meant to eradicate the poor or very poor decisions.

I do wonder whether KPF has a point over loss of confidence. Would be interesting to hear the conversation between Cook and Bresnan. Was the Khawaja non overturn in their minds?

52/2 at stumps. Good 30 overs batting that by England; they've seen off the difficult period before stumps without major losses.

3 days left, and the weather is set to be atrocious. Draw firmly on the cards. England not too far away from winning the Ashes for the 3rd consecutive time.  

Those late 2 wickets, combined with England's passive approach have made it emphatically Australia's day.

This partnership is a key one, because these are the two guys who can bat for months without getting out. At the moment though England have quite a way to go.

Lyon looks threatening, and Australia also have Smith, and even Clarke and Warner to call on for some spin if need be. Having said that it was Siddle who got both wickets, with a bit of help from Mr Howell.

There are still no major demons in the pitch, but it is turning more and more, and the odd ball is staying low (but really few and far between, it is more in the mind than anything else).

KP_fan wrote:

mystiroakey wrote:snicko on the hip!! noise on the hip- missed the bat by an inch or two. Why the heck did he walk. But what the heck is wrong with these umpires.. They are ridiculasly bad!! You cant just keep getting every decision wrong like this!!

You have to use the DRS - you cannot wait untill the cap thinks its a howler- If you know you havent hit it.. YOU REVIEW!!

ha ha ....they have lost trust  in the DRS system.......can't get worse than this

yep totally agree - but it isnt DRS - its the umpires they have lost trust in!! cook didnt want to take a risk. You see a batsman cant be 100% sure he has or hasnt hit the slight knick- he can only be 90% - which is good enough to review!!

Mind plays tricks at that speed and then when the 3rd umpires are blind with hd cameras and tech- its gone nuts

once again pressure makes a road into a minefield.

And this one is 90-10 for an Aussie win now.

Eng need to get on top of the batting worries.