England 2021-22 Ashes Tour

^^ As an England Cricket supporter, being cynical can be a good coping mechanism. Sadly the expected rain interruptions on day 2 look less likely.

4th Ashes Test Sydney Day 2 Close
AUS 416-8 dec (134 overs) Kawaja 137 Smith 67 Harris 38 Starc 34 Broad 5-101
ENG 13-0 (5 overs)

Extras an early contender to be the top scorer for England in 2022

Apparently the 416-8 dec was a below par 1st innings score at Sydney. All that is required from England is a potential 2 days of batting to secure a draw. I don't really have much faith in the follow-on target being reached. Clutching at straws day 4 looks very wet, with heavy rain & a potential thunder storm.
This is still a decent pitch, but there are cracks, & I expect the quicker Aussie bowlers to get more out of it.
Stokes has a suspected side-strain, which adds to our problems. Jack Leach is completely shot. With no cricket behind him, he can neither attack enough to take wickets, or contain. It took more than 30 overs in the series before he bowled his first maiden, with just 2 from 50+ overs. Root has one more, & a slightly better economy. Root has taken more wickets, & has been England's most successful spinner in the last 3 away Ashes series.
No real surprise that Stokes has picked up an injury, he's ben rushed back into the side after a lay-off & has looked out of sorts with both bat & ball.

^^ that for me is where England contracts don't work, Leach and Pope spent most of last summer on the bench carrying the water for England , then you take them out to Australia and say go and win us the game when they have hardly played cricket for a year, as soon as players are not in the starting line up they should be sent back to there county to play it's just one more thing wrong with English cricket at the moment,
And agree the whole thing with Ben was joke from the start how could he possible be ready for 5 day cricket and the way that puts strain on the body, just shows how little the English management know about other players not already in the team that they couldn't think of anyone else,
I really hope lose badly will see big changes in the coaches which look like a lot of jobs for mates at the moment and selecters

(06-01-2022 11:13 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  I don't really have much faith in the follow-on target being reached.

Let's be optimistic. The spread betting companies have England on offer at 255-270. Let's hope for that at least.

36/4 at lunch and that is with 2 dropped catches by Australia .

Stop it England.
My sides are splitting again

^^The ginger twins push England to within striking distance of the follow-on target, with stand of 128, before Stokes fell for 66 & Buttler out for a duck.

Ex England women's cricketer Alex Hartley, was on commentary, describing the days play. She said "I bet those of you in the UK weren't expecting to be waking up with Wood in the morning"

Century for Bairstow !!!