TOPIC:

All the best of the season to you and other Ozfootyites, Southerner.
For all their hyped-up talk leading into the game, today would be arguably England's worst day of the Ashes series so far.
Apart from another Joe Root half-century, the To and Froms' only highlight was the late dismissal of Dave Warner.
I never make a call on a Test match until both teams have batted, but England will need a big first session tomorrow to remain in contention. 

Spot on Arch, a lot of muppets were writing England off last night probably those T20 pseudo cricket fans who dont really understand proper cricket in which you can really only judge after both sides have batted at least.

As I have posted continuously on here in this thread England's bowlers have been bowling well for the majority of this series so far they have just been let down by poor fielding (Buttler in particular) and our batsmen have had a shed load of luck but that will always desert you at some stage and this morning England have really upped the ante on our batsmen most who are out of knick in my eyes including Labuschagne & Smith who I know have scored runs in the first 2 Tests but have had a helluva lot of luck to make them.

God I dont usually watch Ch7 but am away at present but gee what an awful lot of commentators they have got in today with the likes of Ponting etc missing.
It is the clowns who do the Big Bash usually.......didnt think I would ever want to go back to Fox Cricket so much even to hear Warne bang on with his usual rubbish about how hot Melbourne's weather is (was 17 yesterday with rain delaying the start of play), how they will get 100,000 to each day of the Test (they only got 57,000 yesterday on a public holiday) etc etc!!! 

Michael Vaughan had a meltdown,Day 1 Melbourne..Rain had stopped play and Jim Anderson +Joe Root.Where looking at the wicket + joking around with the Aussie players.
The former English captain said.(Players can drink  with the Aussies after the days play).But no pleasantrys after the white line is crossed.Nassah Hussain has also had something to say about it.
England day 2 first session was good.So maby they got a big rev up last night.

​​​

BH hear what you are saying about Australia's batsmen getting lucky especially Smith and Labuschagne, but come end of the day ,dropping catches is like bowling full tosses, half volleys, or playing across the line, or leaving  a big gap between bat and pad -  its poor cricket......Australia have simply held more catches and made those drop catches count by scoring runs. Whilst Eng have done well to fight back and bowl Aust out for less then a 100 + lead......their batting has been crap, too reliant on Malan and Root and both those guys, like Labuschagne, are due to miss out sooner rather then later.......their tail is too long in this test......no way is this test going to be a draw, so it's do or die for Eng from here on........whilst I don't expect Aust to do a whitewash, Eng  batsmen are just as out of nick as Aust batsmen......just got  to hold your catches I guess......catches win matches as they say.

England done well with the ball.But didn't take long to see there late session was going to be tricky.250 + would be a difficult chase down for Au..But can't see them beating there first innings.Unless the wicket settles tomorrow morning. 

What an enthralling last little session of Test Cricket that was just then!
Give me that any day over any T20 game!
England's 2 best bats Root & Stokes have some work to do but if any of them can these 2 will.
Got a feeling Root is determined to notch up this long awaited century on our soils in this dig.

had a bit of just about everything today - great watching for sure
it's been a bowlers test and I cannot see it being anything but continuing again tomorrow either
Boland & Starc pulled out some pearlers late

absolute carnage - I'm stunned at what I've just seen 
All out for 68
Ashes in the bag already

Amazing effort by Boland.....cricket is a funny game....Cummins beats the bat countless times in his 10 over stint for no return.....Boland snags a 6 for in half as many overs.....great debut test for the fella.....may be his last too?....If I was Boland I'd be saying that's me done playing test cricket.....not too many one cap wonders with a 6 for in test cricket....

BH.....another 4th innings where Gary goes wicketless mate.....surely only a matter of time before JL calls time on the GOAT......in all seriousness though.....that England side  is beyond a rabble.....makes up for watching that Broad carnage a few series back in the UK.......

Absolutely incredible morning of Test Cricket.
I thought the last half hour last night would be hard to beat and then came that first hour this morning.
Astonishing stuff and Starc, Cummins, Green & Boland were superb and nearly every ball looked like a possible wicket.
You just cant beat proper Test Cricket.

Freeze England's batsman (except Root & to a lesser extent Malan) have been abysmal for sure but they have actually bowled well.
You cant say any of Anderson, Robinson, Wood, Broad, even Root & at times Woakes have bowled badly?!
As for Gary The Goat mate he can put his feet up without even having to take his baggy green off to hand to Blocker Wilson or Pistol Reiffel in the second dig, job done for Goat with a 3 for in the first dig and 10 coming in as the nightwatchman with the bat!