England vs Australia 4th Test, Trent Bridge

First topic message reminder :

As The Ashes thread has gone on a tangent arguing over who is SA's best fast bowler, let's get back on topic with a match thread.

Conditions for the 5 days look generally dry so there will be an almost certain result for either team. Also looking cloudy for large periods, so the loss of Anderson might be huge for England

England: Cook, Lyth, Bell, Root, Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler, Ali, Broad, Wood, Finn

Australia: Rogers, Warner, Smith, S Marsh, Clarke, Voges, Nevill, Johnson, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon

Rogers survives a close lbw shout

gentle start, I reckon they'll get 400 starting with a big opening partnership.

Extras off to a quick start again this innings. England will want him early

GSC wrote:Not sure it was aggressive, the partnership was going nowhere, might as well have an over rather than poke around for a few runs we don't need.

Probably wouldn't have closed if Moeen was still there. But we'll never know...

Certainly England didn't really look interested in batting long today : scored fast ; back bowling by lunch. Did they feel that there will be more there for bowlers today than Saturday ? Or do they fear weather trouble later ?

You'd think a lead of 450 was feasible with more care. But this is the way they play , now. Let's see how it works...

GSC wrote:Extras off to a quick start again this innings. England will want him early

That extras guy is just impossible to get out

Broad has the ball on a string right now

It feels like a mistake Alfie, they've been Aussie a sniff now. A long grinding fight back to 400 and Aussie will be setting eng a tricky one. A slow build to 450 and they'd probably not be betting again.

we can see here aussie won't be getting out cheaply this innings at all.

Warner goes to lunch wondering how hes still in having played and missed 4 times in one over

Warner completely outclassed by Broad in that over.

alfie wrote:

dyrewolfe wrote:Would have thought we'd have declared by now. Lead is well over 300, so why not stick Aus back in?

Even if they made 500 (most improbable) that would still give Eng less than 200 to chase.

As it is Aus are unlikely to make over 300 so we probably won't even have to bat again.

Have we been asked to put on a batting exhibition just to entertain the punters?

You writing Cook's script now , direwolfe ?

Fair idea : give them a tricky three overs before lunch.  

Nah. Just been sending him subliminal messages from my desk at work.

This match reminds me of the beauty of Draw in cricket. It's so patently unfair. Imagine a similar scenario in a football match,
"Okay lads, we're 6-0 down after 20 minutes, but don't worry, if we manage not to concede again for the next 70 minutes, we leave with the points split"

So no breakthrough this morning. Must be Australia's morning I suppose : though 117/5 on top of the lead England had isn't too bad for the home team.

Might have to work a bit harder to get 10 wickets this time round. But they have plenty of time...

Good way of looking at it Alfie, Austrlia won the session. They just have to keep doing that to be back in the game.

Swinging like ape sh!t. Over early tomorrow unless it really brightens up over lunch.

Winning sessions isnt enough anymore. They need to dominate everyone

Well even if they make 400, and I don't see where that's coming from, England would have a not very intimidating 70 to win. Enough time for Lyth and maybe a couple of others to get out, but not much else

England could chase 200. Australia don't have the spinner to run through the line-up on Day 4/5. Australia won't make the 530 to give us a 200 chase, unless we have an absolute stinker.

All our bowlers have to do is stick to their task and the most I can see Aus making is 450 at an absolute push.

My money would be on England by an innings or 9 wickets (allowing for Lyth).

trebellbobaggins wrote:It feels like a mistake Alfie, they've been Aussie a sniff now.  A long grinding fight back to 400 and Aussie will be setting eng a tricky one.  A slow build to 450 and they'd probably not be betting again.

we can see here aussie won't be getting out cheaply this innings at all.  

Well not for 60 this time I guess. But remember , this Aussie team is 3 out all out

Strauss team would have made a four hundred plus lead. But they probably wouldn't have won the previous match in three days...

This is the way they play now. Have to admit , it ain't boring.

Declaring before lunch on day 2 is idiotic.

Gooseberry wrote: Good way of looking at it Alfie, Austrlia won the session. They just have to keep doing that to be back in the game.

Have to win a fair few more sessions to get even ! But yes ; if they end today at 260/0 they will probably think they were back in with a chance.

You'd get good odds

Scottrf wrote:Declaring before lunch on day 2 is idiotic.

Not much point batting for a few more overs for hardly any runs. Broad and Finn weren't looking like making many runs so might aswell have a bowl.
With a bit of luck could have had at least 1 wicket.

Similar question to earlier, Scott. Why is it idiotic?

Scottrf wrote:Declaring before lunch on day 2 is idiotic.

I agree - Broad clearly set for another hundred

Because there's no chance of it going to 5 days. There's a tiny chance of them scoring enough to not be able to chase. You're giving them more of a chance, however tiny. Doesn't matter if it's another 100 runs or 10.

Na, love it. Got a bit of arrogance about it. Bit of a statement in saying we don't need those extra runs, however few they may be. And, as we saw yesterday, batting got easier as the day went on so trading off a few extra runs for some more overs in favourable bowling conditions is probably worth it.

On the flip side they have more runs than they'll need and poking around for 10 minutes for couple more wouldn't change much, as opposed to getting them back in for a 10 minute examination

JDizzle wrote:Na, love it. Got a bit of arrogance about it. Bit of a statement in saying we don't need those extra runs, however few they may be. And, as we saw yesterday, batting got easier as the day went on so trading off a few extra runs for some more overs in favourable bowling conditions is probably worth it.

Because the mental game is really important after they've just been skittled for 60...

It is exactly the type of thing that the Aussies would do and we would be admiring them for it and asking why our captain never does things like that.

Scottrf wrote:

JDizzle wrote:Na, love it. Got a bit of arrogance about it. Bit of a statement in saying we don't need those extra runs, however few they may be. And, as we saw yesterday, batting got easier as the day went on so trading off a few extra runs for some more overs in favourable bowling conditions is probably worth it.

Because the mental game is really important after they've just been skittled for 60...

Because 20 extra runs are really important when we have a 331 run lead AND have just skittled them for 60...

It wouldn't have been 20. They were scratching around for maybe 4 more in 3 overs before one got out.

To be honest, I wouldn't have declared. I wouldn't have even had a hit about this morning either. I'd have batted. And batted. AND BATTED. Basically I'd set this up to be the most embarrassing defeat in the history of cricket. But I have a vengeful personality.

What on earth is going on with the criticism of declaring? We had 3 overs at them and could have had 2 wickets. Now they have to start again. Finn and Broad were in against the new ball, they'd have made another 10 max

Scottrf wrote:Because there's no chance of it going to 5 days. There's a tiny chance of them scoring enough to not be able to chase. You're giving them more of a chance, however tiny. Doesn't matter if it's another 100 runs or 10.

But then there was a greater chance of them getting a wicket when the conditions were still good before lunch. Each specialist batsman ( if you can call them that). Every ball faced also just adds to the (small) chance of one of two of their 3 main bowlers getting injured.

Also Broad was absolutely riding his luck and Finn ..well just cant bat full stop. Getting 10 runs wouldve been a miracle to be honest.

As its panned out it didnt exactly work ( or make the damdest difference?) but that doesnt make it idiotic.

This already feels like Aussies day. 300-5 by close of play.

they cannot get out. how do you dismiss the cricketing gods?

Broad is having another of those spells.

When he's in the mood hes devastating

kingraf wrote:To be honest, I wouldn't have declared. I wouldn't have even had a hit about this morning either. I'd have batted. And batted. AND BATTED. Basically I'd set this up to be the most embarrassing defeat in the history of cricket. But I have a vengeful personality.

You're a hard man , raf

And I quite understand that plan. But you probably don't pick Stokes , Bairstow , Buttler and Moeen and play that way.

alfie wrote:

kingraf wrote:To be honest, I wouldn't have declared. I wouldn't have even had a hit about this morning either. I'd have batted. And batted. AND BATTED. Basically I'd set this up to be the most embarrassing defeat in the history of cricket. But I have a vengeful personality.

You're a hard man , raf

And I quite understand that plan.  But you probably don't pick Stokes , Bairstow ,  Buttler and Moeen and play that way.

Oh for the days of Strauss/Trott/Collingwood!

trebellbobaggins wrote:This already feels like Aussies day. 300-5 by close of play.

Where have I heard that before?!

Few near things already...one wasted lbw review , edges just over.

Have to expect it : can't have everything go to hand like yesterday ! Reckon Broad will have one very soon...

Aussies leaving better this time . And the sun is out. No 29/6 today.

And now a dropped catch ! And not such a hard one ...

Keep this up and KP_f will be back

Warner dropped by Cook. Need those to stick Captain

A drop! The horror.

Poor Broad, he's bowled tremendously well without any reward.

I think Raf is right really.  This morning felt rushed.  England had so much time they did not need to get out cheaply and declare early.  We're seeing Aussie carve away at that lead.  If england are facing 200 in a couple of days (a total they won't get in the 4th) then they will badly regret such a rash approach.

Thee drops.. it all worked for England first up and all falling apart now. This match has a sting in it's tail folks.

Easiest pitch they have ever batted on, pity for Clarke hes hiding down the order and cant cash in

Dropped catch, things going for Australia unlike in the first innings. I think England will have to put in some graft here, but will be 350 all out in the end

Duty281 wrote:A drop! The horror.

Poor Broad, he's bowled tremendously well without any reward.

tbf its a spot of karma for yesterday ...especially the stokes catch

Gooseberry wrote:Easiest pitch they have ever batted on, pity for Clarke hes hiding down the order and cant cash in

then 500 really is on and England really did screw it up this morning. way to throw the match

If the pitch stays good enough for Australia to get 500 , I'll back England to chase 170 to win...

Fifty stand. Some good batting ; some luck. One thing this means is that England won't get Smith in to face the new ball. And Broad is getting a bit frustrated.

Looks as if this is going to be a long slog . So the "other" bowlers are going to have to do their share.

I think there will be cricket on Saturday.

Swings and roundabouts, yesterday we were taking worldies and every edge went to the slips. Today one drop and they cant get close to edge it