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 ?

The Root experiment has failed.  He is not a test match opener, not yet anyway.

Him and JB have to go.  Taylor or root at 6, maybe Taylor.  Opener.  Maybe they have to swallow their pride and give Compton another go?

There's no way Root should be dropped from the side, but he certainly did seem a lot more comfortable at 6, and really Bairstow has done nothing to suggest he should get that spot.

But then do they go back to Compton?

Bit of a pickle

Taylor isn't an opener.

Root doesn't look comfortable against the new ball and to compound it, he doesn't look like scoring. You really worry about taking him to Australia to open.

Continues his streak of failing to make double figures in half his innings

At least Compton will graft to 20 or 30 and see off the new ball

A delightful session for England, and their position in this Test is so much better than it was 2 hours ago. The afternoon could be the perfect stage for Cook and Trott to accumulate, and lay a perfect platform for the more flashy players in the middle-order to score heavily and quickly.

Root's poor run is a problem. You could say England have rather painted themselves into a corner by dumping Compton and elevating him at the start of the series.
As the Ashes are safe , Root presumably has the Oval Test. But if he fails there , and still goes to Australia as opener , the Aussie quicks will be queuing up to bowl in Brisbane...

Lunch at minus 8 for one...very good session for England  

Michael Holding talking out of his backside saying it's Australia's session #headsgone

They are going to be needing to win the next game of they want to win the series as aussie have this one so he has to go down the order.

It was an excellent ball that did him this time - no argument there, but Root hasn't really looked comfortable all series. Even when he made his 180, he scratched around for his first 50 and only really looked comfortable once the Aussie bowlers were worn down.

Think batting back down at 5 or 6 would help restore his form and confidence. Maybe that's where he should be for the first year or two of his international career? Move him up to open (if necessary) when he's a bit more seasoned?

Holding: "Australia's session".

Really? Last five wickets for less than 50? Australia would have still wanted to be batting now, with a lead going well past 50. England will have been very happy to have bowled them out for a lead of just more than 30 IMO. Sure they would have been even happier had Root still been there, but overall England will be pretty pleased with the way things have gone I'd think.

Holding's anti-England bias is getting quite wearisome really, it's a shame, because he generally makes some pretty good technical points about fast bowling when he's not being an old-fashioned jerk...

Olly wrote:Michael Holding talking out of his backside saying it's Australia's session #headsgone

Holding has a problem with England these days.

i'd say it was engs overall but aussie came back in with their tail batting better than our failing opener.

trebellbobaggins wrote:They are going to be needing to win the next game of they want to win the series as aussie have this one so he has to go down the order.

You think so ? Pretty open , I would say. I actually have England slightly ahead , with Australia batting last , though the odds change with every wicket...

Root is one the brilliant young talent. He still needs more focus. His 180, two test back was brilliant. If not as a opener he can take the trott's position after his retirement.

I said Holding was biased against England, but that's just taking the biscuit.

Holding Views were his personal, Still England look ahead of Aussies 70-30, in spite of Root's wicket. Now Aussies should look at getting more quick wickets.

Vic marks on the BBC, not a name I know, reckons Aussie have the edge in this game.

subhranshu.kumar.5 wrote:Holding Views were his personal, Still England look ahead of Aussies 70-30, in spite of Root's wicket. Now Aussies should look at getting more quick wickets.

nope, they definitely should not.

I have a feeling you and I might be wanting opposite results here

trebellbobaggins wrote:

subhranshu.kumar.5 wrote:Holding Views were his personal, Still England look ahead of Aussies 70-30, in spite of Root's wicket. Now Aussies should look at getting more quick wickets.

nope, they definitely should not.

I have a feeling you and I might be wanting opposite results here

Well surely, You want England to take the lead to 3-0 and I want Aussies to make a come back with scoreline 2-1. Well that's each of ours demand from the game, but I am happy we are having a healthy discussion here in spite of opposite desire. 

Definitely !!

Exactly how it should be.

England lead!

Trotty in T20 mode

The England skipper is gone. Harris gets his 2nd, England leading by only 10. Kevin Pietersen really has to play a special innings here to save England.

Cook gone, poor shot, ball not really full enough to drive, but it's a consequence of England trying to be positive out there. England in a spot of bother here, "net" 10/2

3rd innings 250 is a good score. However if we can just get a partnership here we may have a shot at 300

Well that was not the Cook used to play. He went for a drive on a delivery way out side. Harris got his man. Good Bowling.

Aussies bowling legside to Trott

Gonna cost you a lot of runs

Customary quickish single for KP to get going.

As i said 3 down before 60!!

Killer pitch this.

Now Jonathan Trott's gone. Harris with his 3rd. England in serious trouble now. 49-3.

KP, fire away, sir!.

and now Trott gone, lovely ball, really took off from just back of a length and Trott gloves it through to Haddin. England in deep, deep trouble...

Trott and Cook gone again

Poor shots

Olly wrote:Aussies bowling legside to Trott

Gonna cost you a lot of runs

That worked too. They got him. Trott need to focus on the deliveries that go legside. He eventually bit sticky on the off side and that costs his wicket in both the innings. Good thinking from Harris. England 50-3

nah not much Trott could do about that, vicious bounce from just back of a length.

Problems.

Harris with his tail up, this could be a long (or short) afternoon for the England batsmen...

Time for Ian Roland Bell MBE to step up again

51% maiden overs for Watson this series. He is keeping things tight here for England.

Imagine if Ryan Harris didn't have fitness issues

The Way he is bowling, surely he would have in the top 5 bowlers there in the world today.

Cook and trott reliably failing again.

What a bloody joke England's batting is now.

Well played Aussie on outplaying England again.

This winter is going to be a whitewash.

Bell And Peterson still there to do the recovery.

As Vaughan says on tms, England now have a top order crisis and can no longer  sit back and let these failures continue.

They have to rip it up and start afresh.

How many times have we passed 400 this series? Once at Lords?

subhranshu.kumar.5 wrote:The Way he is bowling, surely he would have in the top 5 bowlers there in the world today.

Ryan Harris is in the same class as Dale Steyn.

Steyn Philander and Harris are the 3 best fast bowlers.

kp and bell are in good form.. so touch wood lads..

mystiroakey wrote:kp and bell are in good form.. so  touch wood lads..

Stop that right now you stealth Aussie you.

Gerry SA wrote:

subhranshu.kumar.5 wrote:The Way he is bowling, surely he would have in the top 5 bowlers there in the world today.

Ryan Harris is in the same class as Dale Steyn.

Steyn Philander and Harris are the 3 best fast bowlers.

Where do i start with this?

mystiroakey wrote:

Gerry SA wrote:

subhranshu.kumar.5 wrote:The Way he is bowling, surely he would have in the top 5 bowlers there in the world today.

Ryan Harris is in the same class as Dale Steyn.

Steyn Philander and Harris are the 3 best fast bowlers.

Where do i start with this?

Start where you like.

Averages, strike rates confirm what I stated.