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mikeh wrote: What a marathon spell by Anderson. 11 overs on the trot if you don't mind
He and Woakes were swinging it around everywhere in the night air. Has bought England back into the contest although if the Aussie's can get another hundred at least tomorrow, you would think they would be OK as Starc and Co will be able to bowl at them in similar conditions in the 3rd session on the 4th day

It's incredible how different that new colour ball is compared to the red or white item mate - I think it's actually good for cricket as it brings the bowlers back into a game that really has been dominated by the bat in recent times - well more than the doctored wicket issue that plagues the modern game anyway.

Strange decision by Smith not to enforce the follow on...esp with a night session to prize a few Eng wickets out....the bowlers had not even taken the second new ball in Eng first innings....perhaps a smidge of arrogance from Smith thinking Eng wouldn't be mentally good enough to get the Aussies a few wickets down before stumps.....definitely need Handscomb to step up and earn his keep..can't expect Marsh to go big again...he is due a low score....hopefully sneak out another 100 or 150....and get Eng into bat for the 3rd session....definitely made a game of this Smith has

Certainly seems that enforcing the follow on has gone out of favour, but great point by Freeze, I was thinking at the time if ever you went back enforcing the follow on then this was the perfect time.
Australia should still not have any issue from here, though having put them back in and having them at 3/50 would be much more appealing.

I thought Warners inning was particularly strange. He was completely defensive which I thought played totally into Englands hands. His strength is his ability to play shots to throw the bowler off his line and take the pressure off the other players. A quick 30 or 40 from him even if he had got out, would have had the lead over 300. Instead he just poked around and got out anyway. The poms got the rub of the green with a few umpires calls but I'm fine with that because they've had no luck with DRS in the first innings. The Aussies still have 3 recognised batsmen, 2 allrounders and a few useful tailenders so their aim should be to eke out another 132 runs to bring the lead up to 400, then unleash the bowlers and hope for carnage under night skies

That last session tonight has given the Poms a bit of a sniff here and that on top of Stokes looking like being made available very soon from all reports.
This series is far from over in fact i think the Poms have gotten completely into Smiths head looking at his ridiculous over the top leaves in this Test.

There was more animated chat between Handscomb and the English players on the way off the ground tonight. Stokes was rumoured to be named for the ODI's I thought, not the ashes.

both captains have made errors in this game. Root being luckier then Smith. The test match would have been over tonight had Australia bowlled again.

This will proobably go down simlar to a cup of cold sick, but considerring this night test match business, the ACB needs to review the whole question. When sides come out to Australia, they are suppossed to be disadvantagged by our unique conditions. Here, I think of the pitches and the climate. Originally, as people would be aware, the Adelaide test was played in late Januray in sticking hot weather which favourred the locals. Now, what do we have? A test played in totally artificial conditions, from pitch, to waether, through to the lights, all of which together, have favourred England.

Anch: I agree with a lot of that: from here, if they bat in an adult way, as did Woakes and Overton, England should be able to draw the game, making our Perth test very important indeed.

Other than rolling England for less than 150 - and Woakes and Overton put paid to that - I could never see Australia considering enforcing the follow-on with only four bowlers.
Ironically, if Smith had used a part-timer (himself or Warner) the follow-on would likely not have been an option.
268 runs in front with six wickets in hand - we should be able to at least get 400 in front.
Of course, this is Test cricket and stranger things have happened ...

The Poms fought back in the last 90 minutes.But there still a long way behind with there fragile batting.Cook survived 90 odd balls but never got on top of the bowlers.Hes has to bat a really long innings in there 2nd dig.