The Ashes - official thread

[KP_fan]

First topic message reminder :

Cummins was out no doubt about that, not sure what he was complaining about to be honest, a clear noise and deviation off the bat.

why were there 2 deviations?
one clearly before the ball had passed the bat and nothing seemed to be touching anything then...and the second when ball passes the bat.
Both deviations looking similar...put a question mark over the correct functioning of Snicko

that said 3rd umpire could have done nothing different than upholding the onfield ump

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Root goes for 77

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

That’s a ludicrous catch by Warner

[Duty281]

And there's the game. Another brilliant catch by Warner, and a great scalp for Lyon to exceed the great Dennis Lillee.

England had lapsed into a bunker mentality because of accurate Aussie bowling - only scoring about 40-odd runs in 35 overs - and Root felt the pressure.

[Duty281]

That’s a ludicrous catch by Warner

Would be tempted to give him MOTM based on his slip catching alone!

[Nathaniel Jacobs]

Root can consider himself pretty unfortunate with that dismissal. Bat pad over the keepers head to a diving slip. You'll never see that in another 100 matches

[No name Bertie]

Did Root really need to skip down the wicket towards Lyon's delivery only to uncontrollably edge it?  Did he just give away his wicket because he got bored being defensive?  There are two days of play left.  Doesn't he like taking his time?

[Soul Requiem]

You still have to score runs, it's not about survival but winning. England are caught between a rock and a hard place here.

[No name Bertie]

You still have to score runs, it's not about survival but winning. England are caught between a rock and a hard place here.

The point is he didn't have to take risks - certainly not this time of the day when the Australian bowlers and fielders are fresh - two days of play is plenty of time to score the runs - the bowlers and fielders will get tired later in the day.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

You still have to score runs, it's not about survival but winning. England are caught between a rock and a hard place here.

Exactly - and it’s hardly like he played a ridiculous shot ala Roy at Edgbaston, trying to work with the spin to the leg side, like Nathaniel says you won’t see a bat pad caught over the keepers shoulder by first slip for another decade or so!

[JDizzle]

They did say on comms Root hasn't been dismissed coming down the track to a spinner since 2016. Fair enough shot, he plays it well.

[Gooseberry]

Bairstow is starting to look sharp but you know he's gonna screw up, just edges a 4 as I type!

Crowds really behind England which is good.

[Gooseberry]

In defence of root knocking Lyon off his length by attacking him is a legit tactic. Wether they strike or defend the key is doing it with commitment and well. Bairstow starting to do that now and the rate he's scoring at they won't have to survive as many balls.

[No name Bertie]

They did say on comms Root hasn't been dismissed coming down the track to a spinner since 2016. Fair enough shot, he plays it well.

Root shouldn't be chasing the ball - under the conditions of this match, under the conditions of where the current series is at.  He chased the ball, missed it, got himself out.

[JDizzle]

They did say on comms Root hasn't been dismissed coming down the track to a spinner since 2016. Fair enough shot, he plays it well.

Root shouldn't be chasing the ball - under the conditions of this match, under the conditions of where the current series is at.  He chased the ball, missed it, got himself out.

Yes, he should just block for two days for the draw.

[Soul Requiem]

They did say on comms Root hasn't been dismissed coming down the track to a spinner since 2016. Fair enough shot, he plays it well.

Root shouldn't be chasing the ball - under the conditions of this match, under the conditions of where the current series is at.  He chased the ball, missed it, got himself out.

So he tried to win the match? There comes a time when you have to stop blocking.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Bairstow has really moved the score and intent along, Pattinson now becoming a bit erratic and Paine has men on the boundary.

If these two can get England to within 100 runs of victory, then we might might just have a sniff

[No name Bertie]

They did say on comms Root hasn't been dismissed coming down the track to a spinner since 2016. Fair enough shot, he plays it well.

Root shouldn't be chasing the ball - under the conditions of this match, under the conditions of where the current series is at.  He chased the ball, missed it, got himself out.

So he tried to win the match? There comes a time when you have to stop blocking.

So there comes a time to throw away your wicket? Because that is exactly what Root did.

[JDizzle]

SkyBet have England as favourites now. Thanks to all the people betting with their hearts! Aus great value and still heavy favourites for me.

[Duty281]

Australia have bowled a load of rubbish with this new ball. Erratic line and length.

[Duty281]

SkyBet have England as favourites now. Thanks to all the people betting with their hearts! Aus great value and still heavy favourites for me.

Yeah, just saw Bet365 moved England to odds-on favourites, which is laughable at this stage.

[Soul Requiem]

They did say on comms Root hasn't been dismissed coming down the track to a spinner since 2016. Fair enough shot, he plays it well.

Root shouldn't be chasing the ball - under the conditions of this match, under the conditions of where the current series is at.  He chased the ball, missed it, got himself out.

So he tried to win the match? There comes a time when you have to stop blocking.

So there comes a time to throw away your wicket?  Because that is exactly what Root did.

I don't think you understand cricket.

[No name Bertie]

Australia's bowling has got a bit erratic with the new ball.

[No name Bertie]

They did say on comms Root hasn't been dismissed coming down the track to a spinner since 2016. Fair enough shot, he plays it well.

Root shouldn't be chasing the ball - under the conditions of this match, under the conditions of where the current series is at.  He chased the ball, missed it, got himself out.

So he tried to win the match? There comes a time when you have to stop blocking.

So there comes a time to throw away your wicket?  Because that is exactly what Root did.

I don't think you understand cricket.

Actually there are plenty of people that agree with me elsewhere.  It is to a large degree why England have been playing poorly for some time at test cricket - poor decision making and mentality rather than intrinsic talent deficiencies.

[CaledonianCraig]

SkyBet have England as favourites now. Thanks to all the people betting with their hearts! Aus great value and still heavy favourites for me.

Yeah, just saw Bet365 moved England to odds-on favourites, which is laughable at this stage.

It is but bookmakers adjust their prices when big sums are lumped on. No doubt lots of England fans lumping the money on. In this instance they tighten the odds purely for that reason.

[JDizzle]

They did say on comms Root hasn't been dismissed coming down the track to a spinner since 2016. Fair enough shot, he plays it well.

Root shouldn't be chasing the ball - under the conditions of this match, under the conditions of where the current series is at.  He chased the ball, missed it, got himself out.

So he tried to win the match? There comes a time when you have to stop blocking.

So there comes a time to throw away your wicket?  Because that is exactly what Root did.

I don't think you understand cricket.

Actually there are plenty of people that agree with me elsewhere.  It is to a large degree why England have been playing poorly for some time at test cricket - poor decision making and mentality rather than intrinsic talent deficiencies.

I suppose you are equally as critical of this Bairstow and Stokes partnership then? As they are playing attacking shots too.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

They did say on comms Root hasn't been dismissed coming down the track to a spinner since 2016. Fair enough shot, he plays it well.

Root shouldn't be chasing the ball - under the conditions of this match, under the conditions of where the current series is at.  He chased the ball, missed it, got himself out.

So he tried to win the match? There comes a time when you have to stop blocking.

So there comes a time to throw away your wicket?  Because that is exactly what Root did.

I don't think you understand cricket.

Actually there are plenty of people that agree with me elsewhere.  It is to a large degree why England have been playing poorly for some time at test cricket - poor decision making and mentality rather than intrinsic talent deficiencies.

I suppose you are equally as critical of this Bairstow and Stokes partnership then? As they are playing attacking shots too.

Don’t bring actual facts to this - england should have defended for 190 overs left in this game to get the runs...

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I am also all over the Aussies in play at 6/5 - ridiculous odds

[Gooseberry]

Bowlers are losing a bit of discipline now and it is in the realm of possible. These two are playing just the right way for them.

But Aus at 6/5 is still strong, always feel its one wicket and collapse oclock

[Gooseberry]

4 leg byes ....5 wides...Pattinson is losing it...remember the Mitch Johnson song?

[Born Slippy]

Aussies still favourites here regardless of the current odds. I’d have it about 50-50 if these two were to survive to get the target to double figures.

[Duty281]

Well that's a spirited counter-attack to give England hope. Australia need to regroup and return to their suffocating line and length of late yesterday and early today.

Starting to remind me of the 2012 England v Sri Lanka test, where England had to chase an improbable 340. Trott and Prior got England to 233/4, but after Prior fell, there wasn't a lot of batting left and England collapsed to 264 all out.

Could be a similar story here, with only Buttler and Woakes, plus three tailenders to come.

[robbo277]

Another good session for England. 80-1 session again will put them right on the precipice.

Disappointing to lose Root early, but the new ball did go for runs, especially with Bairstow in there. Important Stokes and Bairstow take their time to start again and don't give anything away. Get it down to double digits then just work down in 10s.

[Gooseberry]

Think thats still a likely scenario Duty but England have put themselves in a position where its not beyond them.

[sirfredperry]

I keep getting my predictions wrong but I still think Aus will win. Spirited effort by England, though, and at least they may be tiring the bowlers out.

[No name Bertie]

They did say on comms Root hasn't been dismissed coming down the track to a spinner since 2016. Fair enough shot, he plays it well.

Root shouldn't be chasing the ball - under the conditions of this match, under the conditions of where the current series is at.  He chased the ball, missed it, got himself out.

So he tried to win the match? There comes a time when you have to stop blocking.

So there comes a time to throw away your wicket?  Because that is exactly what Root did.

I don't think you understand cricket.

Actually there are plenty of people that agree with me elsewhere.  It is to a large degree why England have been playing poorly for some time at test cricket - poor decision making and mentality rather than intrinsic talent deficiencies.

I suppose you are equally as critical of this Bairstow and Stokes partnership then? As they are playing attacking shots too.

Don’t bring actual facts to this - england should have defended for 190 overs left in this game to get the runs...

It is a fact that Root chased the ball, missed it, got himself out. Each ball has to be played on its own merits plus the overall context of the match and the series has to be taken into consideration. It is perhaps the English mentality, why England nearly lost to Ireland, why England lost to Australia in the first test, why England where skittled out for 67 in the first innings of this test. Keep defending poor play but don't moan the results that come from it.

[Duty281]

Think thats still a likely scenario Duty but England have put themselves in a position where its not beyond them.

True, they've done well this morning. But like a football team going down 0-3 at HT, it's likely they've given themselves too much to do.

[Duty281]

DRS saves Bairstow from another umpiring error.

[AlciG]

That face from Bairstow when he called for the DRS was like WTF ump what are you thinking

[Duty281]

But Bairstow doesn't last much longer. Poor shot.

England still need 114.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Didn’t save him long, he found a way to get out like any true Englishman does, wafting at something trash

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Refused to have hope until those two got it under 100. They didn’t. That’s the end

[Dolphin Ziggler]

That is just atrocious

[Born Slippy]

Two terrible wickets to give away after so
much hard work. Game over.

[Duty281]

Wow, way to throw it away. Down to the last proper partnership.

[alfie]

I resolutely avoided this site all morning so as not to jinx them ...rats.

But after those two wickets I'm afraid we are back to hoping for a miracle so let's all enjoy some gallows humour as we count down to the end...

Seriously good effort in this innings after the horrible first innings ...several batsmen , in their different ways , have made a real fight of this . But you always felt in a chase this long it was only going to take one loose shot , one silly run out , to derail things..(.why teams rarely complete chases like this !) We've had both in five minutes and I'm afraid I can't see Stokes and the bowlers making it from here...

Pity. All it needed really was Ben and Jonny to settle after lunch and rustle up another fifty or so and it would have been England with the whip hand. Or Jos to get a start. But that's cricket. In truth to win a game after being bowled out for 67 you really can't afford any mistakes.

Woakes gone as I type and this is going to be over pretty soon...

[Duty281]

Woakes spoons it to the fielder like Buttler in the first innings. Good Aussie bowling - plenty of short stuff which he doesn't have a hope against, then tempt him to the drive with the fuller one.

Stokes may as well swing for glory.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Woakes has been found out.

[Duty281]

Lyon's bowled very well today - offered the control that the seamers have sometimes lacked - but he's only got one wicket in the column...admittedly it was a big wicket!

Hazlewood on 9 wickets for the test. He'll fancy one more.

[alfie]

Woakes spoons it to the fielder like Buttler in the first innings. Good Aussie bowling - plenty of short stuff which he doesn't have a hope against, then tempt him to the drive with the fuller one.

Stokes may as well swing for glory.

Yes the bowling once they resumed after lunch was immediately very good (although the actual breakthrough ball was a loose one ! But as we all know it is the good balls beforehand that often cause the batsman to make an error ).
They had rather lost their control before the interval ; which has been unusual for them in this series. But clearly they got their heads back on over lunch ...and resumed with their best bowling combination. Hazlewood has had a very fine match

I am impressed with the discipline Australia have shown during this series. I think that has been the main factor in their being about to go 2-0 up ...as I don't believe there is much difference in the two teams in terms of ability. Langer has done a great job with them...even if he does sometimes come out with some silly management type jargon ...

[Duty281]

Ah, Jofra plays one shot too many. Can't really blame him. Another good catch by the Aussies.

Can't rely on Broad or Leach to bat long.

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