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

alfie wrote:Cheers trebs.  Keep on jinxing - you may get a late wicket or two...

I think i'm spent, it's not happening sadly.

Stokes gets Nevill

ahh timing.

phew.

A fresh Broad in the morning dew will be revitalised I suspect.

Good to see different bowlers stepping up and having a go in Andersons absence.  Nobody is that class but it is good to see them try.

Johnson coming now, him and Voges in unmovable form means they could well pass England with these two. I still think a tricky chase of 50-100 coming.

Well it has been a better scrap by Australia.

Another 230+ could make it relatively awkward.

Wicket! Nevill's clueless defence again.

Anti climax if it isn't done tonight..

Come on England humiliate the morons

Nevill has a knack of hanging around, but does he actually contribute much?

A wicket in the next fifteen minutes, and it really might end tonight

the lead is indeed crumbling.

i'm a bit concerned how eng will cope if they have to chase 50+

a sting in this one yet? nothing is won yet. They aren't getting these two out.

Stokes has been a cut above all but Broad today

Deserved for Stokes.

Could be a bit of a push for this to end tonight!

You'd think Broad had bowled 100 over in the last 2 days the way Bumble is getting on! He's bowled 25 with a full days rest in between!!!

and he can't expect to be getting a day like yesterday too often, today is just a solid enough day for Broad.

yesterday might have been Ashes defining if Eng only need a few runs to win because of it.

Couldn't sleep. Came back to congratulate Ben Stokes on his five wickets.

They all look a bit weary ; but like our own trebell , master of the jinx , they are working to the end.

One more tonight would be nice...

You can't let up Alfie, it's why they won't lose these two steel wickets.

We're going to play a test match at night, yet we can't play under cloud with floodlights on.

So the light wins.

But only three to take tomorrow . Done by lunch , surely ?

Fine effort by Stokes today : seriously felt he had been improving recently and just hadn't had any luck...some rewards at last : good timing !

Aussies need 200 now to make a match of it. One more big push tomorrow

Starc actually laughing at himself saying they are still in it.

Missed the game on the first 2 days and was restricted to a look at the scorecard mostly. But what a couple of days for England, putting up a performance that puts the last test to the shade. Australia at least had some half-moments in the 3rd test, but this has been a total calamity. Think even the 2005 Bangladesh played better, a superior England team then was challenged by an upstart then, these Australians have been well and truly pathetic. They lost 4-0 in India, but at least the first couple of days did matter for both sides.
While the Australians have been godawful, it has been a splendid display from England. Root yet again at the centre of things with the bat and Bairstow also playing an important innings. Broad's figures are absolutely sensational, I am sure watching it would have been even better. Very glad to note Stokes is showing what he can do with the ball.......

liverbnz wrote:Starc actually laughing at himself saying they are still in it.

Well he has to say it, believing it is something else entirely.

I'm sure if he's bowling at some formidable lead like 20 he'll be very confident

Clark unlikely to ever step onto a pitch again for Oz…sad end of a great player

Pretty sure Australia aren't going to dump their captain after a few low scores for Mitchell Marsh or Shane Watson.

If they do they're idiots

Er hello they just coughed the urn by an innings! 9okay they will in the morning)

I'm fairly sure he's going to jump before hes pushed after this test.

The Australian media will be out for blood after this. Last time in England the Australians brought a poor team over with a new coach and were expected to be smashed by a superior England team. The time before that they really should've won but choked.

This time they were by consensus a much stronger side, and they've been smashed in 3/4 tests. And its getting worse.

Olly wrote:Pretty sure Australia aren't going to dump their captain after a few low scores for Mitchell Marsh or Shane Watson.

If they do they're idiots

No they are doing the right thing for the team as a head will be required by the media. Clark has to take the fall. thats life. Clark going will deflect from the disaster that just played out in front of us for Aussie cricket.

Richie will turn in his commentary box.

This kind of humiliation! When was the last time the Australians had to face up to something like this?
Can't remember anything like this in the last 25 years at least....... Perhaps Clarke, who anyways hasn't been scoring any runs of late like his good buddy Brad Haddin will have to take the fall.......

Or he will have to inspire Voges to play like he did in his debut test and build hundred partnerships in the company of Starc, Hazelwood and Lyon and then bowl England out to turn things around!!
Can't see anything close to it happening though.......

msp83 wrote:This kind of humiliation! When was the last time the Australians had to face up to something like this?
Can't remember anything like this in the last 25 years at least....... Perhaps Clarke, who anyways hasn't been scoring any runs of late like his good buddy Brad Haddin will have to take the fall.......

Then you clearly weren't around in 2010/11 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010–11_Ashes_series - the first time a touring side had won three tests in a series in Australia by an innings. That must have been pretty humiliating, too.

liverbnz wrote:Starc actually laughing at himself saying they are still in it.

Perhaps he's been reading the record books:

1981 Headingley, Dilley joins Botham with England 7 down second innings and still 91 behind. Result - England by 18
2015 Trent Bridge, Starc joins Voges with Australia 7 down second innings and still 96 behind (reduced to 90 by stumps)

Not saying it's going to happen but never say never, or count chickens etc.

If heads must roll, I suppose you have to accept that Clarke's head is one of them. I'm not convinced about Smith the captain. Seemed very middle of the road in the India series. At the moment, I don't think he can hold a candle to Clarke's captaincy, and I don't think Australia have a batsman in the dugout who is worth dropping one day their greatest of all time for. As such, unless the feeling is that freeing Clarke of the captaincy makes him bat better, I wouldn't do it. Think maybe Clarke needs some time out. Since the South Africa tour, he's basically been in the wars. Tore his hammy in Zim. Tore it again later in the year, lost his best friend. Tore the other hammy, had to deal with the pressure of making a return for the world cup. And has played seven Tests since. Think he's mentally gone walkabout, and you can't blame him.

Australia's captain Michael Clarke is set to retire from international cricket at the end of this Ashes series. In a change of heart following the team's dismal showing in the pivotal fourth Ashes Test, Clarke is believed to have indicated he will stand down after the Oval, meaning Steve Smith will lead the side to Bangladesh.
Clarke had been adamant he would keep playing for some time before this match, but another dreadful match for himself and his team has left no room for the sort of graceful home ground exit bestowed on others.

SimonofSurrey wrote:

liverbnz wrote:Starc actually laughing at himself saying they are still in it.

Perhaps he's been reading the record books:

1981 Headingley, Dilley joins Botham with England 7 down second innings and still 91 behind. Result - England by 18
2015 Trent Bridge, Starc joins Voges with Australia 7 down second innings and still 96 behind (reduced to 90 by stumps)

Not saying it's going to happen but never say never, or count chickens etc.

Means that Voges needs to do a Botham, will be pretty hard with the new ball coming and it still hooping about

Come on England, bring the Ashes home before the football begins.

Jumped before he was pushed if this is true.

http://www.cricket.com.au/news/michael-clarke-retire-after-ashes-2015-according-to-reports-australia-england-trent-bridge/2015-08-08

ShahenshahG wrote:
Australia's captain Michael Clarke is set to retire from international cricket at the end of this Ashes series. In a change of heart following the team's dismal showing in the pivotal fourth Ashes Test, Clarke is believed to have indicated he will stand down after the Oval, meaning Steve Smith will lead the side to Bangladesh.
Clarke had been adamant he would keep playing for some time before this match, but another dreadful match for himself and his team has left no room for the sort of graceful home ground exit bestowed on others.

Seems strange to me. Clarke isn't that old, even though injuries have taken their toll. More to the point, though, Rogers and Voges can't have long left, and Shaun Marsh doesn't look like nailing down a middle order slot. Where does that leave the Aussies? Only Warner and Smith as guaranteed batsmen.

Starc gone, needed a fifty, 2 to go

Gone! Stokes threatening a second separate eight-for.

Shame about Clarke, he deserves to go out at home down under. Didnt think much of his broken arm comment, but he deserves a home send off

I wonder if flags are being flown at half mast Down Under and people are wearing black armbands. Expecting the Aussie PM to declare a national day of mourning...

Back on the subject of the Aussie players, the skipper in particular, I saw that Clarke has been struggling with a bad back lately, which would at least partially account for his problems. If his body is telling him its time to call it a day, maybe he should take notice?

And as I type this Starc is caught in the slips for 0. Stokes strikes again! Aus 242-8. My prediction from yesterday is still looking good.

Nine gone !

Lovely Yorker from Wood ...

Superb yorker from Wood. Hazelwood had no idea for the duration of that tortured innings.

One away from the Ashes coming home. One away from Australia losing series number four in England without reply.

Not long now!

Wood takes out Hazlewood's middle stump before he can put any runs on the board. Aus 243-9.

Voges may not get his 50 at this rate...

Another gone, can voges get a deserved 50?

He does after all.

50 up for Voges. The Aussies' only line of resistance since the opening pair got out.

Well done Voges. Shouls keep watto out the squad, I Wonder about Mitchell Marsh

Good work from Voges, he stays in the team then.

still think he might lead them to a small lead.  Chasing 2 after lunch.

temporary21 wrote:Well done Voges. Shouls keep watto out the squad, I Wonder about Mitchell Marsh

That Extras chap is looking pretty handy too!

They needed Ashton Agar here!

This isn't a Baad Australian line up. Even if you exclude Clarke. For all his travails, Smith has two Ashes hundreds in Australia. And a ton in South Africa. Add Warner, Rogers (don't think he'll retire immediately If Clarke really goes) and maybe Voges, and you're 2/3rds of the way to a decent batting line up. They've just had two calamitous failures in a row, which cost them the Ashes.