THIRD TEST: THE WACA

The Sun says the fix is in. Root won the toss and, surprisingly, elected to bat. It all adds up.

Comments

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Foist,

Just something from left field for all of you.

In the Sydney Shires competition it is the new law of not being able to put a foot in the danger area that is having the biggest impact of all the new laws.

[Tony Tea]

Where is the danger area? (Excluding the middle east.)

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

it is that area in front of the little white liones on either side of the wicket.

For my money Cook is gone as a test batsman. If he is given enough innings he may well hit a tom just like Border, Boob or even Taylor did but it does hide the decline

[Philsgone]

Welcome back Mitch. I hope the batting and nowling is better than the fielding. A sitter

[Philsgone]

and my typing.

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Fish has batter cricket has batsmen!!

[Carrot]

Finally some decent cricket from England up-front with the bat. They're at least two wickets ahead of the game at the moment. Great for the series.

I've said things like that before, and obviously there was the conversation with Rex in the last thread; I should make it clear that I would never want to see Australia lose, but surely we want to see good, competitive cricket from two confident sides that know what they're doing and are executing plans. It's much more interesting seeing Australia win despite strong opposition, and for the Ashes to be a hard-fought, meaningful series rather than some sort of procession.

Interesting that Dudley hasn't got any really meaningful runs so far but has had plenty of starts. It's really not like him. You'd back him to come good at some point.

[Tony Tea]

Australia has to win more Tests than England to regain the Ashes. England only need to win the same as Australia to retain the Ashes. Both teams are pretty mediocre, especially with the bat. It would be no great surprise to me if Australia fell over in this Test, meaning they have to try to maintain their one Test advantage in Melbourne and Sydney. How confident are any of you that Australia would hold off a resurgent England in the last two Tests? England wins in Perth - a very real possibility since Australia like to play from the front, AND everyone has been stupidly saying England is gawn - and I reckon England retains the Ashes.

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

which bowlers are going to take the twenty wickets? IF and it is a big IF the Aussies took their catches the poms would have been all out before the end of play.

I agree the poms would easily in England but not here.

[Philsgone]

Our captain doesnt seem to understand that an all-rounder bats AND bowls. Not enough overs from MMarsh for mine. If we batted first we would have got 500, second more likely 350. 20 wickets will be tough for the poms to take, given how hard it has been for us to take 5 at this stage. Dropped cathces lose matches, or something like that

[2BarRiff]

England's bowlers taking 20 wickets is not the issue.

Australia's batsmen throwing away 20 wickets is the issue.

[Tony Tea]

I've been on the phone for about 20 minutes, log on to Crooky, Poms have lost 5 wickets.

[2BarRiff]

Given the way yesterday went, I'm happy with 403.

I'll be less happy with 403 when we get rolled for 260.

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Marsh is an allrounder. As Warny would say can't bat,
can't bowl and can't field.

[Philsgone]

Simple solution for Warner. Make sure he is off strike after any break in play. That way he wont be asleep when he faces his next delivery.

[Carrot]

I'm not sure if Marsh is playing as a genuine all-rounder anymore. Sure, he holds the same spot in the batting order, but given what's been written about him, his Shield season and that he's recovering from injury, I'm not sure if he's someone that's going to give us 10-15 overs a day, but more like 5-10. So he's now playing as a batsman with an option. I think that's more than fair enough really - he's one of those guys that is almost too talented, which can sometimes mean that he becomes valued for too much and doesn't get the chance to properly specialise. It's probably the best thing for him, and us - witness the Waughs when they stopped being genuine bowling options.

Speaking of the Waughs, Waugh Jnr is playing Australia under-19s now. Is it too early to give him a nickname? SOT?

[Philsgone]

He is never going to bowl any more than 5-10 overs with Smith as his captain. Also picking an allrounder with shoulder surgery and 20 overs into his new shoulder is only something we would ever contemplate.

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

If Marsh can hit a tom you know it is a flat wicket and the bowlers cannot bowl!

[Philsgone]

Truer words never posted on the internet

[Tony Tea]

Would that make a 200 a tom tom?

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Flat wickets make for boring cricket as we are seeing here.

Poms are to be beaten on good cricket wickets please.

[Philsgone]

Poms are to be beaten. Here endeth the lesson.

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Not on a boring pitch which is why we cannot bat when the ball does something..
The only thing more boring are the commentators.

ABC is now as bad as Nein. I miss Aggers.

Marsh out. Good!

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Who apart from Root would snick a ball that hits the crack.

[Carrot]

Huh? It's a boring pitch.... but it's got cracks in it. You couldn't have come up with a worse contradiction if you tried! The random factor of a pitch cracking up on day 4 and 5 is interesting by definition. This is proper old-school stuff, and it's probably the last time we'll ever see it now that the WACA's going and everywhere else uses drop-in pitches.

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

three centuries and a double ton equals boring pitch. Have the cracks led to dismissals ?

no..you are letting spin get to you ( get it?)

[Carrot]

What? Starc? Vince? “The ball of the century”? And the second innings is only 38 overs old! It’s always painting by numbers with you, isn’t it, Trampis?

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Reverse swing old son. Reverse swing is sharper and swings more that natural swing.

[Philsgone]

Damp squib or not, great bowling by the Haze. I hope Cummins was under orders to bowl short, because he was wasting his time otherwise. Starc misses MCG , back for Sydney so his heel is fully rested. Fingernail re-attached for lippy, so he should be right for the MCG. Bird to fly into the team. Now will Mmarsh score 4 single figure scores like his brother. Dont be surprised, tho I reckon he might have turned a corner

[Philsgone]

I assume the long term plan for Bayliss was to get a result in Australia. Hasnt happened. On that basis expect him to be jettisoned when htey get back to the UK.

[The Mongrel]

England: Dear Australia. Please accept this gift of the Ashes for Christmas. With our compliments.

Australia: What a thoughtful gift. Unfortunately we cannot reciprocate. Thank you so much for your thoughtful gift.

[Tony Tea]

England just returning what is rightfully ours.

[Carrot]

I can’t remember a more “processional” Ashes series (is that right? Does that work in that context? Whatever). There was nothing particularly exciting or emphatic about it; England turned up and just slowly fell over. And we all knew it would happen somehow, despite Smith handing them second chances in Adelaide just for kicks. Or because he’s on commission for gate-receipts and/or television ratings and wanted a 5th day.

Can’t get too excited about this, to be honest. It’s all a bit ho-hum. Two pretty ordinary sides give or take Smith and our bowling attack, and a predictable home series result. Nothing to see here, really.

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Carrot on the money IMHO

[I am and will always be Not Trampis]

Let me help out the Poms.

First of all you selected the wrong side. I said before the tour started they did not have the bowlers. You could not bring out both Broad and Anderson. I did say I would bring out Anderson because he is much more dangerous. Either Buttler or Fokes ( wow imagine Stokes , Woakes and Fookes in the same side. Aggers would love it.)
I would suggest using Crane or Leach both of whom are supposedly in Oz.

I am not too confident about retaining the Ashes though. Our Batsmen on a pitch that is doing something or the ball is swinging is not a comforting thought. Also our bowlers will find English conditions hard to bowl on.