TOPIC:

Great start  Cummins finally wins a toss and unbelievably decides to bowl.
England 0/46 going at 5 and a half an over.
And the untouchable Warner drops a dolly at first slip the only chance given in the first 45 minutes!!!
Very disappointing neither Neser or Abbott was given a go all series, instead they go for the same ol attack that has been pummelled all over the park by the Poms especially in the last few Tests!
No doubt a certain someone will believe his beloved R&Ps "so called plans" are working a treat!!! 

finally pulled the Dukes back a length and getting it to move & wobble
3 wickets but it was Marsh who got it first
could be better if the potato hadn't dropped the first one

late one: now Carey butchers one

Well that was an entertaining 1st dig by Bazball, morally that was a win for B1/  B2 and no doubt all the R&P dissenters amongst us. .

Up to the batsmen now to make England's haste count.....Warner gone already, but that's a given.....another non start nipped in the bud.

Ali injured, Root may need to bowl a few, day 2 pitch, England looking to change the ball after every over, perfect  opportunity for Aust to bat for 4 -  5 sessions to build a healthy lead.

Can Uzzie or Smith sign off their UK Ashes careers with a century?..Can Marnus go back to back? Or Head and Marsh return serve some of that Bazball heat?

I know what I am hoping for.....and sadly, I kinda know what the R&P dissenters are hoping for....game on.



 

Good day 1 by the Aussies. Hopefully a first innings lead can be built.Starc bowled fantastic. 
A little early to put the beers on ice.Test Cricket can turn quickly. Also looks like it might be a difficult wicket to bat last on.

saw just about everything in one day - those dropped catches might end up biting Australia hard but England did throw away some wickets 
batting now has to set up a decent lead

Over the last couple of years this wicket at county level has flattened out. We saw with the test championship the best days to bat were day 2 and 3 so go ahead lads, bat for two days get miles in front and put your foot on their throat. Surely thats the message at stumps last night.

Wasn't it good to see some slips and ring fields, we still let their openers turn the ball over a bit but some strategy and decent bowling/fields can do wonders.

Patience is the way to beat Bazball - i heard somewhere that i think it was Brooks has left (Not played) at just 9 balls this series. Surely that means bowl at 5th stump on back of a length and let him throw his hands at everything.

No 4th test heroics from Paddington bear, Root and Stokes I sense the bravado has gone out of the poms. Hopefully our batters can build a nice first innings lead.

Reasonable day for Oz yesterday but this series has seen quick changes in fortune pretty quickly.Today is probably the most crucial day of the test in that if Australia is all out by end of day the big lead they badly need to survive batting last won’t be there.Hopefully the batsmen will perform as a unit and grind away and concentrate on not giving their wicket away.On a side note yesterday was the 75th anniversary to the day of Australia scoring that 3/404 in just under a days play to win the 1948 Leeds test - does that make it BradmanBall?And if the Poms lose this test they will probably live by that old Oscar Wilde saying”It’s not whether you win or lose it’s how you place the blame”.

Thank you England for removing that arrogant crab of a cricketer Marnus Labuschagne. Absolute corker of a delivery by Wood and equally ripper catch by Root.

9 runs off 82 deliveries from a number 3 unless you are injured you are a selfish and arrogant cricketer. Never walks like he accepts he is out always looking around as though he is questioning if he hit it, if the catch was taken, I seriously thought this clown was going to ask for a review.

Biggest run scorer of the morning is byes that tells the story. Glad to see the back of Labuschagne. Can't stand him.

It is kanga cricket to bowl yourselves out in 50 overs, few balls did strange things. England made 903 for 7 here in 1938. Also, even if the cricket madness gets the English level 2.2. Root got the same result last time having to play against an extra Aussie batsmen. Does the BBC have proper cricket writers? I enjoy reading all the posts, too.