4th Ashes Test Durham

First topic message reminder :

They're all at it again on Friday. Just as England are likely to chuck in a bad performance when everyone expects them to win (Leeds 09, Perth 2010/11, Manchester 2013) they usually bounce back next Test (Lord's and Oval 09, Melbourne 2010/11).
I'm taking England to win one of the last two Tests to ensure a series victory. Onions, it seems, will come in and that could be a good move. Still think this is not a very strong Australia team. It's just that they were an average team playing poorly in the first two Test while at Manchester they were an average team playing well.
Before Manchester, we were asking if Australia could improve/get back into the series. Well they certainly achieved the former if not the latter. Now we could ask - Can England start firing on all cylinders ?

Missed the live show...but caught the last 15 minutes live....and the  highlights of the dismissals.

Yet again and atleast at this point Eng's bowlers subsidize their batting and keep their side neck to neck.

There was more movement for bowlers than yesterday.......Broad with a burst earned his keep.....and can afford a dry patch for another 5 games.

Australia will take a lead....the pitch is good for batting and little for Swann.....but not by much I reckon...Eng bowling is intense and just keeps plugging away.

the match is hanging on how positive England will be in 2nd inning...with the bat.

Totally agree KP_Fan, all depends on our 2nd innings, providing the Aussies don't go onto get 400+ (which looks unlikely)

If we can set them 250-300 to win, I think I'd be confident

Wow - Smith goes just after lunch. Bresnan getting him caught for 17.

Australia 76-4.

England's total starting to look competitive...

Trundling into my heart

bit of a bonus that for England. Ball not doing a huge amount and Smith had looked as assured as anyone out there. Just failed to cover the line, got an edge and Prior does the rest. Good thing England have picked trundlers Broad and Bresnan, eh?

Broad has bowled quite superbly today, a bit unlucky to only have the three wickets so far, he's causing Rogers all manner of problems here...

Listening to Holding when eng take a wicket might be my favourite thing in cricket these days.

dyrewolfe wrote:Wow - Smith goes just after lunch. Bresnan getting him caught for 17.

Australia 76-4.

England's total starting to look competitive...

 they have their rock solid opening pair out now though with The Weeble (he wobbles but he never falls down) getting near 50.

They should get past 300 at least.

Bres drops-- Silly trundler!

tough chance though.

too many extra chances though, could make a big score now.

swann jumps in the way of broad to save rodgers from getting caught!!

more waste chances.  not good at all.  rogers living a charmed life.

Yet another reprieve for Rogers...this time dropped by Swann and he capitalises on his good luck to bring up his 50.

Must be one of the hardest he's ever made.

indeed wolfie.   I can't tell if his grins are a bit smug or just astonished to be honest.

Every run they have scored has been from an edge!!

could have been out time after time after time.

trebellbobaggins wrote:

dyrewolfe wrote:Wow - Smith goes just after lunch. Bresnan getting him caught for 17.

Australia 76-4.

England's total starting to look competitive...

 they have their rock solid opening pair out now though with The Weeble (he wobbles but he never falls down) getting near 50.

They should get past 300 at least.

They might get close but I fancy they'll fall just shy of 300. My prediction is currently 250-290.

Have they hit the middle of the bat once!!

I would get every fielder around them..

with the assistance seamers have started to get.......get set and see off approch won't take the batsen anywhere.

it-s a flash and flash hard type of pitch.....batsmen gotta look to play strokes...get runs before a zipping delivery gets you

trebellbobaggins wrote:could have been out time after time after time.

Like that Cyndi Lauper record.


"If you edge I will catch you, I'll be waiting...time after time..."

Wheres bucket hands Flintoff when you need him

Australia won't make 200

GSC wrote:Wheres bucket hands Flintoff when you need him

Training to be a boxer, last I heard.

Have to say I was surprised. He never struck me as having that mean streak or toughness. Always seemed too laid back and good natured.

I think that fight was a one off. He won the fight though!!

He wants to be a media darling.

If it helps calm any nerves, its only a matter of time before Watson is out lbw.

so much luck from these boys today.  at this rate they will make 400 on pure luck.

mystiroakey wrote:I think that fight was a one off. He won the fight though!!

He wants to be a media darling.

Flintoff was never going to lose that "fight" though

mystiroakey wrote:I think that fight was a one off. He won the fight though!!

He wants to be a media darling.

Cheers! I always wondered how that turned out. I can understand if it was a one-off.

Think he'd make a good pundit.

The Aussies don't seem like they've even slightly batted themselves in

Bloody hell! Rogers is having the Devil's own luck out there.

Dropped catches, inside edges.

Think someone needs to check the Aussie dressing room for evidence of pentagrams, ceremonial daggers and sacrificed goats.

I just wish any eng batsman could show the grit Rogers has. constantly fumbling and struggling but he just keeps doing his thing rather than playing stupid shots and just handing it over.

well they are ell on top now.  I still say 400 looks dead set.  just better with the bat than our lot in this series as it's gone on.

clever tactic to open the innings after a few batsmen have got rid of themselves to see off the new ball.

trebellbobaggins wrote:I just wish any eng batsman could show the grit Rogers has. constantly fumbling and struggling but he just keeps doing his thing rather than playing stupid shots and just handing it over.

I dunno - most of our top/upper order batters have been in reasonably good nick. Our problem seems to be playing stupid shots for no apparent reason, even when well set.

They haven't really struggled that much. I think our first innings was a mixture of frustration under pressure and simple lapses of judgement. That said, most of our players are experienced enough to know (and play) better.


Our side has been relatively settled, whereas the Aussies have chopped and changed and shuffled their batting order so much, that most of their players have been really struggling for form.

Australia are playing awfully. Remember we were 100-1

ChequeredJersey wrote:Australia are playing awfully. Remember we were 100-1

Then ended up 198-8 at one point.


Both sides are playing poorly, but for different reasons IMO.

Game slipping away from England here. Rogers and Watson looking relatively untroubled for the last half hour, barring a couple of almost-edges from Trott's bowling.

These two looking set to carry Australia well past the 200 mark.

ChequeredJersey wrote:Australia won't make 200

Looking like they will , now. Big struggle earlier but these two seem to have settled in now and not sure who will get the break.
Need something after tea. Want to keep them to a small lead at least.

Good session for Australia , but with really only Haddin to come things could change with a wicket.

Game still wide open.

Decent session from Australia, only losing 1 wicket for 73 runs.

Only 1 wicket away from Haddin though.

Needed one of those tough chances that Watson and Rogers presented to Bresnan and Swann to stick really

32 overs to the new ball....and that's the time for Aus to get in the ascendancy.

Because with the new ball anderson and Borad on this pitch will pluck out a few wkts very quickly.

Especially watson....NOW he's gotta pay his dues...and bash the cover off the old ball as he can.

Aus need to encash the next 32 overs for 100+......get to 250.

and anotehr 50 odd with the new ball to all out......so 300ish is what it appears to me now with a LOT of effort.

A lot depends on how quickly England can break this partnership.

Get rid of either Watson or Rogers, then Haddin and they will wrap up Australia's innings fairly quickly.

If these two stick around until close of play, Australia will build a good 1st innings lead and put England on the back foot.

Yesterday England had more trouble facing the old ball...but today it really seems as if things have become progressively easier as it ages.

England really need to keep it as tight as possible now and see if they can induce a rush of blood from one of these two. Surely Watson is approaching his get out point ?

Doesn't look as if Rogers is ever going to get out , though not for want of trying  

Not good signs..

Great partnership Aus..

An inspired move to move watson.. Or just ignorance not to have had him in his natural position for the last couple of years!!

mystiroakey wrote:
An inspired move to move watson.. Or just ignorance not to have had him in his natural position for the last couple of years!!

I was pondering over the same in my head.

I believe they all genuinely thouhgt he is an opneing material seeing him bash the daylight out of bowlers as an opener in ODIs, IPL and a few tests on flat pitches.

the English conditions and bowling exposed his technique....and to Boof's credit he is identifying issues quickly and fixing them prompltly

anderson didn't come to the party in OT and now so far....shows the stats and not conincidentally, Aus has had the upper hand.

he is to Eng what Zaheer Khan was to India in their ascent to the top

Well played Aussie.

You applied yourselves and underlined how woeful England are.

it's a sad time for an England fan. even when we're supposed to be good we end up a shambles.  aussie have never been bad for long and soon come back to stuffing us.  we haven't got it and we never will.

Rogers into the 90s. Australia getting ever so close to that England total. England in need of a moment of inspiration or luck.

msp83 wrote:Rogers into the 90s. Australia getting ever so close to that England total. England in need of a moment of inspiration or luck.

 or batting talent and guts.

trebellbobaggins wrote:Well played Aussie.

You applied yourselves and underlined how woeful England are.

it's a sad time for an England fan. even when we're supposed to be good we end up a shambles.  aussie have never been bad for long and soon come back to stuffing us.  we haven't got it and we never will.

there is a lot of cricket left my friend....and because Aus are batting fourth.......to me Eng still have an even chance for a win.

Like yesterday, I missed most of the action today. Good early spell from Stuart Broad, a dread ful shot from Michael Clarke, and some very good resistance from Rogers and Watson.
And DRS again in the news, but I think it got the Rogers caught/LBW call correct. And Tony Hill is wasting no time whatsoever to show up the ICC's stupidity in promoting him to the undeserved position of an elite panel umpire.