Ashes series 2015

Lyth, Bell out cheaply... who would have predicted that. Oh yeah fucking everyone!! Root to save the day?hope so... also well done to Ballance for sticking in, hopefully he can hang around and support Root for the whole afternoon session. Cook out to Lyon on that pitch first morning... shame on you!!

Close of play England 343-7

Australia bowled pretty poorly but i think won the day. After choosing to bat we needed 450 minimum, after Jos getting out I think we will be lucky to reach 400. But when 3 of your top 4 only contribute 27 between them you will struggle.

Maybe I could be right for us to get around or as near to 400 as possible....

Australia have generally bowled poorly today and dropped Root on 0. England would have been facing a hugely different situation had he not been dropped imo. Possibly bowled out for a very meagre total with Australian batsmen taking the game away from the hosts.
Once Australia's bowlers find their form I really worry for England particularly on wickets with more pace and bounce than the one in Cardiff. The fact that England have still lost 7 wickets given the circumstances leaves me feeling extremely concerned.
England got away with it today............ BIG TIME!!

The home groundsmen will be ordered not to provide a single wicket throughout the series with a hint of genuine pace or bounce - thus nullifying the main advantage of the Australian pace attack - in particular Mitchell Johnson. Pretty much how we won the last home ashes series and why we have a fighting chance in this one. Only flaw is that if we manage to regain the ashes (personally I don't think we will and think we'll have the first drawn series in a long time) we'll get bounced out when we return down under.

Anyone know who the next opener in contention is in the county championship as Lyth doesn't strike me as test class. Is Hale more than just a one-day player? Having an attack minded partner to Cook might be an interesting way to go.

Also, how much longer can Bell justify his place in the team? Since his 143 in the first innings of the 1st test against the West Indies his scores have been:

11,1,dnb,0,0

and the in the home series against New Zealand:

1,29,12,1

and he has started the Ashes off with: 1.

Surely James Taylor or Johnny Bairstow must get a go if Bell doesn't arrest his slump soon.

Of course the wickets will be designed to nullify the aussie attack thats the point of having home advantage, you don't see India preparing green tops for opposition pace bowlers they are always dust bowls that deteriorate very quickly and allowing their spinners to run through sides. As for the batting its the same old problem, out of form players not being given the chance to get some practice by playing enough county games. I personally would give Bell and Lyth a couple more tests to try and get some runs before sending them back to their respective county,s, Bairstow would be an obvious replacement for Bell but the opening slot is more of a problem.

Opening options, Hales, Vince (ok he bats 3 in 4 day cricket, but can be in from the 1st ball so he has seen plenty of new ball bowling), Carberry who was treated shit in my opinion.

Carberry is not a test class opener and did nothing in his brief test career to convince people otherwise, it was Nick Compton who was given the shit end of the stick. I would prefer Hales if to open if a change is made, at least he can score quickly and dominate attacks if he gets in.

(08-07-2015 22:33 )lancealot790 Wrote:  Carberry is not a test class opener and did nothing in his brief test career to convince people otherwise, it was Nick Compton who was given the shit end of the stick. I would prefer Hales if to open if a change is made, at least he can score quickly and dominate attacks if he gets in.

Carberry was thrown into a team that had no spirit and were spanked 5-0, yet he still averaged more than others in the team.