Ashes series 2015

Oops 30-4

Even Joe Root can't rescue us this time.

Utterly predictable.
England making a batting paradise look like a bloody minefield .

Could lose by an innings and plenty at this rate .

All self inflicted dismissals yet again .

Australians had rub of the green
How many times did their batsmen play and miss?
Australia are bowling in warm over cast conditions. England bowled in total sunshine yesterday. Matthew Hoggard is proof of importance of cloud cover. In cloudless conditions he was a glorified trundler In warm over cast conditions he turned into Malcom Marshall.
The importance of batting first can not be over stated. Nearly all our victories in the ashes since 2005 have come when we batted first.
Listening to Shane Warne you would think it's just a case of Australia Bering the greatest team to play the game. Don't get me wrong Australia took advantage of favourable conditions that's all you can do. But we have not suddenly become world beaters over night after beating them and certainly not become no hopers after this performance.

Close of play England 85-4

good fightback from England to get to 85 with no further wickets down

Yes good fight back but with root back in the pavilion it is going to take some momentous batting lower down to get to as close to Australia as we can and save the follow on

I wonder how concerned the selectors are with Ian bell's performances so far this summer

(17-07-2015 19:26 )babelover48 Wrote:  Yes good fight back but with root back in the pavilion it is going to take some momentous batting lower down to get to as close to Australia as we can and save the follow on

I wonder how concerned the selectors are with Ian bell's performances so far this summer

They should be very concerned... but he is bullet proof so they won't be bothered. They will trot out the usual crap about experience being needed.

Lyth is waving his bat at any ball that is wide, Ballance cannot put a stride in to a half volley and Bell is Bell. With 3 of the top 4 failing every time we cannot win any series.

Changes... they might as well let Hales open his technique looks sound and in his mind he belongs at international level. Bairstow is also in the form of his life. Hales to open, Root to 3, Moeen 4 Bairstow 5, Rashid 8

To be fair to Bell he got done by a beauty early doors. That ball would have got out any batsmen before they are set. Smith and rogers wafted at a few early on and missed. When your luck is out you only have to make one mistake before you are back in the pavilion.
I personally would like to see Rashid in. A bowler than can spin the ball both ways is a huge asset on any wicket.

(17-07-2015 10:49 )lancealot790 Wrote:  It is a five day pitch designed to generate maximum revenue for the ECB,

Really? Some balls kept quite low on Friday. Since variable bounce has been apparent as early as the second day, I suspect that the pitch isn't necessarily as good as you make out.

At lunch on the 3rd day England are 181/5 with Cook still there on 56. So 186 more runs needed to avoid the follow-on, although I suspect Australia wouldn't enforce it.