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

England bowled out for 281 and the lead is 145.

Pity Moeen holed out like that..

He had to go for it , I suppose. Though Finn can hang around...perhaps he might have knocked it around for a while first.

Lead getting close to 150 which we'd have killed for ninety minutes ago...

CaledonianCraig wrote: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.


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.

Australia not far off my road map. This one is still in the balance.

145 the lead then.

Not fully capitalised on the opportunity, but it should be enough.

Aim has to be to bowl Australia out for 300 or under. Same as last time, really - knock over the top order during the early knockings, while the ball is seaming, then attack the susceptible and weaker middle-order.

This test could be over today!

CaledonianCraig wrote:England bowled out for 281 and the lead is 145.

Blimey my internet stream has gone slow ! You posted that three minutes before I saw the wicket...

Disappointing , after the overnight situation. But a handy advantage.

As always , the key is early wickets. Get Warner/Rogers and Smith early and it should be enough...

Not sure what to make of pitch conditions : but perhaps significant that no one has passed sixty in two completed innings ?

I think my road map wins today I called the 2 wickets in the first 5 overs, and an unlikely partnership involving Broad to take the lead to 150!

For Australia, bat time. Score 500. And put England under pressure.

This pitch is doing enough to make a 145 lead very useful. The ball was still doing things for Australia late on so the pitch has not gone benign. I'd say if Anderson starts like he did yesterday early wickets will fall.

Looking very like there'll be no cricket this weekend!

kingraf wrote:For Australia, bat time. Score 500. And put England under pressure.

Ssh - that was the correct advice for England also, not in the spirit of the match I am afraid. I am recommending they slog like headless chickens for 2 sessions and see where we end up

VTR wrote:I think my road map wins today I called the 2 wickets in the first 5 overs, and an unlikely partnership involving Broad to take the lead to 150!

You did ! Brilliant

Can you just give us the result now and save all the tension ?

alfie wrote:

VTR wrote:I think my road map wins today I called the 2 wickets in the first 5 overs, and an unlikely partnership involving Broad to take the lead to 150!

You did !  Brilliant

Can you just give us the result now and save all the tension ?

I always think England are going to lose so don't ask me the result Aussies to make 275 ao

VTR wrote:

kingraf wrote:For Australia, bat time. Score 500. And put England under pressure.

Ssh - that was the correct advice for England also, not in the spirit of the match I am afraid. I am recommending they slog like headless chickens for 2 sessions and see where we end up

The Strauss team would probably have done just that. Make the 500 , I mean. This team is a bit less settled - which perhaps makes them more exciting , in a way. But frustrating , too.
They're a bit like BMc's NZ , not yet fully developed .

Warner starts brightly with ten off Broad's first over. What England really don't want is a fast , large opening stand here...

Yes Broady! Delicious delivery.

Good to see the umpire not allowing Rogers to review after he took so bleedin' long.

Wouldn't have mattered. Except they'd have lost a review

That is 299 for Broad. Johnson got his 300th earlier today...have two bowlers ever reached the milestone on the same day before , I wonder ?

alfie wrote:That is 299 for Broad.  Johnson got his 300th earlier today...have two bowlers ever reached the milestone on the same day before , I wonder ?

Very much doubt it as you wouldn't be talking that many bowlers who have ever got there. Broad so close to 300 with Warner edging one!

Got to get Warner soon.

Hoggy_Bear wrote:Got to get Warner soon.

Agreed - he is absolutely devouring this lead. None of the others can or will bat like this

VTR wrote:

alfie wrote:That is 299 for Broad.  Johnson got his 300th earlier today...have two bowlers ever reached the milestone on the same day before , I wonder ?

Very much doubt it as you wouldn't be talking that many bowlers who have ever got there. Broad so close to 300 with Warner edging one!

True. Modern phenomenon as they play so many more Tests today. My question was largely rhetorical.

Still needs one anyway...one of these would be nice ...soon ?

alfie wrote:That is 299 for Broad.  Johnson got his 300th earlier today...have two bowlers ever reached the milestone on the same day before , I wonder ?

Not according to the BBC website - it has never happened on the same day of the same test before.

I've only just caught up with today. Sad England didn't build on that good start. I would hope for 350 at least after getting them out cheaply.

The danger is aussie get a big total here and England likely get out cheaply again.

Warner fairly racing along here. Always feel he is going to give you a chance ; but he doesn't half score quickly ...bit unnerving for the bowlers .
Need to stay patient.

trebellbobaggins wrote:I've only just caught up with today.  Sad England didn't build on that good start.  I would hope for 350 at least after getting them out cheaply.

The danger is aussie get a big total here and England likely get out cheaply again.

Looking at at least 400 for the Aussies this innings, leaving England a daunting 250+ to win. A total they will probably fall far short of.

Warner taking England's advantage away very quickly.

That lead not looking very big now. If they pass it with less than 3 down I think we are up against it....

Huge wicket Finny!

Big wicket for Finn ! Got Smith twice now in the match...

Hoggy_Bear wrote:

trebellbobaggins wrote:I've only just caught up with today.  Sad England didn't build on that good start.  I would hope for 350 at least after getting them out cheaply.

The danger is aussie get a big total here and England likely get out cheaply again.

Looking at at least 400 for the Aussies this innings, leaving England a daunting 250+ to win. A total they will probably fall far short of.

based on their batting even when they have a big advantage and little pressure i'd say anything past 150 looks unlikely.

Warner out before tea would be very nice!

VTR wrote:Warner out before tea would be very nice!

Never happening.

VTR wrote:That lead not looking very big now. If they pass it with less than 3 down I think we are up against it....

Possibly true. Then again ; two down now , and if Warner were to come out now they might not pass it at all based on recent form...
Though surely Clarke is due some runs ?

alfie wrote:

VTR wrote:That lead not looking very big now. If they pass it with less than 3 down I think we are up against it....

Possibly true.  Then again ; two down now , and if Warner were to come out now they might not pass it at all based on recent form...
Though surely Clarke is due some runs ?

probably a 300 partnership right here.

Fifty up for Warner

Nass going on about him a lot...he has certainly played his shots. Edged and missed a couple too , though.

Half the lead gone at tea ; two down. Still advantage England , I think.
Big last session coming up.

Good wicket. Wrong player though?

Hoggy_Bear wrote:Good wicket. Wrong player though?

Think on balance I'm happy to have got Smith. He is inclined to make Very Big Scores once set.

Warner certainly running down the lead quickly. But I always think he could come out any minute...

Would certainly be happer if he does so soon after tea

Australia 73 for 2 at tea. Half of the first innings deficit erased for the loss of two wickets. Still England in the box seat but you feel that the final session of the day could go a long way to deciding this test and maybe the Ashes. Another three wickets for England and they'll feel they have this by the scruff of the neck. Australia will feel they are right in this if they close tonight leading by say 50 with just three wickets down.

Sq Having watched nearly every minute of Clarke mach 2012, I can safely say I know how this movie ends. Warner scores a run a ball hundred, and Clarke scores a double ton.

Jeez Clarke really does look old. Batting like he's old as well. To quote Phil Collins.... "You can tell that he's been there"

This guy Ali has delivered many ga.e changing punches with bat and ball in his short career........a drawn game and and telling contributions in atleast 4 games with bat and /or ball in my view he is good for ten to 15 tests unbroken run now
And yet I sensed he is always under the scanner
His stats as a pure spinner 41 wkts in 12 testsmostly on English pitches makes him a good enough to hold His place as a bowler , and certainly no inferior than any other spinner I have seen in eng recently.
Yet there is a sense e 3 bad games and like Balance he will be shown the door

Clarke gone cheap...somehow not a surprise! Neat catch from Lyth.

Warner actually has to bat now. Like bat. Not slog.

Another goes! Specialist fielder Lyth with the catch!

kingraf wrote:Sq Having watched nearly every minute of Clarke mach 2012, I can safely say I know how this movie ends. Warner scores a run a ball hundred, and Clarke scores a double ton.

Only 197 short.

Nice catch Lyth. Finn another good double.

And Voges first ball !

FINN

Oh Finn, I was cruel and so very wrong.

To be fair, Alfie. My following post in a roundabout way predicts his demise.

The man looks utterly shot at the moment.

YES!!!

Wow, and another! England seriously eyeing a two day win here

kingraf wrote:To be fair, Alfie. My following post in a roundabout way predicts his demise.

The man looks utterly shot at the moment.

Well yes. I assumed you were hexing him