England v Australia: 3rd Test, Edgbaston

First topic message reminder :

England:
A Lyth, AN Cook*, IR Bell, JE Root, JM Bairstow, BA Stokes, JC Buttler†, MM Ali, SCJ Broad, JM Anderson, ST Finn

Australia:
CJL Rogers, DA Warner, SPD Smith, MJ Clarke*, AC Voges, MR Marsh, PM Nevill†, MG Johnson, MA Starc, JR Hazlewood, NM Lyon

YOLO dismissal. The problem with having Brendon McCullum as your psychologist

Peak Ian bell

Ian Bell's tossed away a century there. Would never have happened in Boycott's day!

A day not as perfect as Boxing Day 2010, but still pretty serene for the English. It might turn out to be the pivotal day of the series; the day the urn was decided.

Australia will still hold meagre, oh so faint, hopes that the deficit won't be any greater than 100. They'll strive to elicit a collapse.

But England have two form batsmen at the crease. After a decent opening, they'll want a lead of at least 250.

Love that there are pundits slating Bell for that dismissal - did just forget how he made that half century as soon as he got out or something?!

Excellent day for England, somehow now need to get another 200 runs and it is our game to lose. A 100 lead brings Aussies back into it.

Lyth still doesn't look like he has an innings in him so that's a worry for any run chase and rest of series.

Bell continues to be Ian Bell, serene and infuriating in equal measure! He needs to back that 50 up with some consistent scores

If it didn't work out... it was the wrong decision.
If it worked out... it should have been done earlier.
If seems like it might work out... It's the wrong decision until it succeeds, in which case it should have been done earlier.

#commentary101

KP_fan wrote:

CaledonianCraig wrote:  reducing Australia to around 350 for 8 at close.

Tch Tch....so even your best case scenario is a potentially game losing scenario for Eng.

Naah....Anderson and broad have to swing their magic and bowl em out for 250 or under is the best case for Eng

well i always felt that English bowling becomes very potent in seaming / swinging conditions ...and that Anderson turns into what Kumble was on Indian Krumblers.

But even I didn't imagine Aus will be bundled for 136
this game is England's to lose now

From ball one England meant business today, terrific bowling from the seamers in particular Jimmy Anderson and the returning Steven Finn. 

Shame Bell and Cook couldn't of scored more runs as they both looked in great nick. Still don't think we should bin Adam Lyth just yet. 

Big scores for Root and Bairstow tomorrow.

Eng should play confidently and shut out Aus from the game......aim for 450 instead of being pleased with 250ish.

the 250ish is not safe and leaves a window open for aus

Agree with KP_F this is ours to lose now - make hay tomorrow morning and build that lead well past 100 at lunch.

Hope Bairstow can continue his county form, if he does this will get out of hand quick for the Aussies

Yep Root, Bairstow, Stokes and Buttler should all just play their natural game. Put pressure back on the Aussie bowlers by scoring freely. This Aussie side love to set attacking fields and are loathe to push men back. The best thing those young batsmen can do is force them into a position where they have to defend a bit.

I hope that we can have a solid first hour or even first session with a good partnership between root and bairstow. This will give the likes of stokes, buttler and Ali freedom to attack and take the game completely away from the aussies . We have to be careful to not let them back in the game by throwing 2 or 3 wicket away in the morning session to over attacking shots.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/904451.html
Great article from Jarrod Kimber - welcome to England Aussies!

Big day coming up. If England are still batting at the end of the day it's hard to see a way back for Aus. Here's hoping.

England's plan should be to bat sensibly until lunch making a lead of about 90-100 for the loss of one more wicket. Then go on the attack in the afternoon and evening session to stretch the lead beyond 250.

What we want to happen - serene progress to a 250 lead with Bairstow and Root taking it to the Aussies. Buttler comes in and scores some much needed runs to nail home the advantage

What will probably happen - 2 wickets in the first 5 overs and the bicycle clips are on. Buttler looks good but is out slog sweeping Lyon for 20. An unlikely partnership between Broad and Finn somehow takes the lead to 150

Well my road maps were way off the mark yesterday but hey-ho who would have predicted that. Besides these road maps are all a bit of fun.

For today England will have grand plans. To reach lunch on no worse than 250 for 5, tea for no worse than 375 for 8 and posting a score around 400. Getting Australia in to bat for about an hour and getting a wicket to close on around 20 for 1.

Australia will have other ideas. They will hope to replicate England's bowlers ability to get quick wickets and reach lunch with England on around 235 for 7 and bowling them out midway through today for around 260, reaching tea no worse than 50 for 1. They'd hope to close no worse than 175 for 3 and they'd consider themselves right back in this test.

England have got very aggressive-minded batsmen right through the lower-order.

Hopefully, the attack is measured - not like the poor slogging towards the end in Cardiff...or the collapse in the second innings at Edgbaston ten years ago.

A 250 lead would be grand. But 300+ is possible!

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSHr5gdp0MVBKN9H1GpyzQPbp4AToDe9ApRVCUWItzmAkNq8LAC

I am the new Mr Motivator.

This series I was really pushing for Rashid to replace Ali citing a poor run of form for Moeen with the ball. I was pretty insistent he had to be dropped and what happened? Ali weighed in at Cardiff with some useful wickets and a score over 70 with the bat. Before this test I was the same with Ian Bell insisting he had had his day and that he should have been dropped and he weighed in with a half century yesterday as a result that helped steady a rocking ship. Now then who else will I work my magic on?

Craig - can you put out a shout for Adam "Lame Swish Outside Off" Lyth. I have been trying hard but he isn't listening!

VTR wrote:Craig - can you put out a shout for Adam "Lame Swish Outside Off" Lyth. I have been trying hard but he isn't listening!

I do find that his circumstances though are slightly different. He is new into test cricket and still learning the trade at a different level of cricket. I do think he showed signs yesterday that he is learning as he left a lot more of wide stuff yesterday and hopefully he can stick more rigidly to that. Also just a couple or three tests ago he made a century so he is not a total flop. Admittedly, he has some way to go but I feel he is a work in progress and besides he (by county cricket averages is by far the best option out there as far as openers go).

Its tough on the guy but I think he has one more innings to make a score or that is the end (for now anyway). It looked more hopeful for a bit yesterday but it was that mode of dismissal yet again, and a score of 10 is still very poor. The century is credit in the bank, but if he doesn't add something of substance second innings he will have 9 failed innings out of 10.

VTR wrote:Its tough on the guy but I think he has one more innings to make a score or that is the end (for now anyway). It looked more hopeful for a bit yesterday but it was that mode of dismissal yet again, and a score of 10 is still very poor. The century is credit in the bank, but if he doesn't add something of substance second innings he will have 9 failed innings out of 10.

Lets not forget he is trying to learn against the No.1 test side in world cricket as well and you discard him and replace him with who? I'd say as long as England are competitive in matches then it is worth persevering with him in a bid to allow him to bed in and become more competent and confident at test cricket level.

Yeah its tough for the guy which is why I think he could come back later. Some players are just luckier than others who they debut against though. You could argue Carberry had it even harder and its doubtful he will ever be seen again.

Compton for me to come in, someone who might be harder to dismiss, so the middle order aren't in after less than 10 overs all the time

Right hand left hand at the top of the rder would make things harder for the Aussies.

Australia's only hope exists in this first hour.

VTR wrote:Yeah its tough for the guy which is why I think he could come back later. Some players are just luckier than others who they debut against though. You could argue Carberry had it even harder and its doubtful he will ever be seen again.

Compton for me to come in, someone who might be harder to dismiss, so the middle order aren't in after less than 10 overs all the time

Carberry is NOT one for the future though as he is 35 (?). Compton is an option but he was hounded out by everyone because he never scored quickly enough and Lyth is now getting hassled for trying to get his bat on too many balls so which do you want? Lyth may prove not to be the answer but if he isn't you'll be relying on someone not as competent as he is at county cricket level.

Back to today and a 100 lead for England would be handy but by no means definitive. A 150 lead would be very good but still not quite one that kills off Australia. A 200 lead begins to put England in control and 250+ I'd say goes a great way to sealing it.

Bairstow gone to a beauty that got big on him. Perfectly directed bouncer.

Bairstow bounced out by Johnson for 5 and England are 142 for 4.

There's the early wicket that Australia so desperately craved!

Here comes the inevitable collapse

And Stokes gone two balls later in identical fashion. England 142 for 5.

Another cracking bouncer, an absolute snorter.

Uh-oh!

Johnson has started wonderfully.

I'm a little disappointed with the last ball of Johnsons over. As a batsman in that situation you are expecting the short ball, you are expecting the ball to be coming at your eyes. Bowl a yorker, don't let him just duck under it.

Sometimes I hate being right

Would take a 150 lead - not sure where its coming from though or if its going to be enough as a chase of 200 will be pretty horrible!

England still in control here, let us not forget.

VTR wrote:Would take a 150 lead - not sure where its coming from though or if its going to be enough as a chase of 200 will be pretty horrible!

The problem with all these aggressive players down the order is that on occasions like these with Root in and scoring you need more of a holding type player to support him and Buttler, Ali and Broad ain't that type of player so there is not much scope in these circumstances for a big partnership which England needs.

CaledonianCraig wrote:

VTR wrote:Yeah its tough for the guy which is why I think he could come back later. Some players are just luckier than others who they debut against though. You could argue Carberry had it even harder and its doubtful he will ever be seen again.

Compton for me to come in, someone who might be harder to dismiss, so the middle order aren't in after less than 10 overs all the time

Carberry is NOT one for the future though as he is 35 (?). Compton is an option but he was hounded out by everyone because he never scored quickly enough and Lyth is now getting hassled for trying to get his bat on too many balls so which do you want? Lyth may prove not to be the answer but if he isn't you'll be relying on someone not as competent as he is at county cricket level.

I want someone who can bat time. Would love a Trescothick but we don't have one, so someone who can at least help Cook build some opening stands. Wouldn't say Compton is less competent than Lyth at CC level either

VTR wrote:

CaledonianCraig wrote:

VTR wrote:Yeah its tough for the guy which is why I think he could come back later. Some players are just luckier than others who they debut against though. You could argue Carberry had it even harder and its doubtful he will ever be seen again.

Compton for me to come in, someone who might be harder to dismiss, so the middle order aren't in after less than 10 overs all the time

Carberry is NOT one for the future though as he is 35 (?). Compton is an option but he was hounded out by everyone because he never scored quickly enough and Lyth is now getting hassled for trying to get his bat on too many balls so which do you want? Lyth may prove not to be the answer but if he isn't you'll be relying on someone not as competent as he is at county cricket level.

I want someone who can bat time. Would love a Trescothick but we don't have one, so someone who can at least help Cook build some opening stands.

Wouldn't say Compton is less competent than Lyth at CC level either

I'd say the county cricket averages says Lyth is the more prolific (perhaps my use of the the word competent was incorrect).

Probably won't see Starc for a while at this rate.

I'll probably put the mockers on him but in Root I think we have a genuine top 3 batsmen in the world. Ok we had KP, but I'm talking Ponting, Tendulkar Lara, Kallis, De Villiers level

Starc has bowled atrociously, but has landed the key wicket.

Root's tossed away a century as well!

seanmichaels wrote:I'll probably put the mockers on him

Correct. Root caught in the slips for 63.

Think we both did.

Johnsons bowled 2 crackers, but Bell and Root have thrown away their wickets. Pretty poor to be honest.

seanmichaels wrote:I'll probably put the mockers on him but in Root I think we have a genuine top 3 batsmen in the world. Ok we had KP, but I'm talking Ponting, Tendulkar Lara, Kallis, De Villiers level

Incredible scud. No other explanation for it given the way Starc was bowling.

The England lead stands at 46 with 4 wickets left standing. England 182 for 6.

We'll be lucky to get a lead over 100