England v Aussies Cricket Tests

England haven't won an Ashes test at Old Trafford since 1981.... think the rain will keep that record ticking along. Might get 3 days of cricket in this one, at best? Cant see anything other than a draw.

 

It’s a good catch.
Nothing more.

 

It was a very good catch, to be fair. But YJB needs to make some significant runs and get us a healthy first innings lead to vindicate his continued selection.

 

Impressive display by England today, poor old Root I doubt any batsman could have kept that out, lets hope when England bowl they can find that exact spot.

 

Looking at the weather, I wouldn't be surprised if Stokes declares with about a 150 lead. Try and not up another ton inside 15-20 overs, declare and send them in. Getting 20 wickets in the timeframe is the hardest part of the job, i reckon under overcast conditions which today will be, we will back ourselves to bowl them out today and probably have 100-150 to chase. Saturday will be a wash out, Sunday looks touch and go but if we can muster up 25 overs, this team will back themselves to chase 150.

Other than that, it's draw written all over it. Cant bat too long either, if we declare at lunch with a 200+ lead, the Aussies know with the forecast they dont have time to chase that and post a score to defend, so they will bat out for time after a while. Need to declare with a tempting total dangled.

 

Dont think the aussies will be tempted by anything in this game, they have played poorly and will go for the draw if they can and job done for them

 

Glad the selectors didn't bottle the Bairstow call, what an innings really stuffed it down the Australians throats.

 

Weather forecast at Old Trafford looks dire for both days. If the Met Office app is anything like correct it's hard to see another ball being bowled in this test.

 

As you were.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/66313864

 

Not surprised it's the same side. I think we win this, square the series and rue the decisions in the first two tests. Fairly confident this is Andersons last test in England.

 

The bowling line up is going to look very different over the next few years.
Broad is 37
Woakes is 34
Wood is 33 and has obvious fitness limitations.
First time he’s played 3 tests on the trot since the last ashes.
Robinson also has fitness issues and seems to break down frequently.

Time for a couple of the younger bowlers to start staking a claim.

 

This decision seems nuts to me. I think it's based on sentiment, because this could well be Jimmy's last test series. His performances in this series simply don't justify his selection. Josh Tongue performed far better and ought to have been retained for all the tests. He would likely have been much more of a threat at the Oval than Anderson. We need to win and, although Anderson has been tidy enough, we need to take 20 Aussie wickets and Tongue is much more likely to help us do that.
However, nothing would give me more pleasure than for Jimmy to go out and get a fivefer in both innings to round off his great career in style.

 

That's a bit harsh on Bluey mark 2, yes he was poor in the previous game but thought he did nothing wrong in the last test at Old Trafford.

 

Agreed, with the proviso that if the pitch is a typical Oval one, expect some bounce which would give either Robinson(probably the management's next in line) or Tongue a chance.
Ah well.
Broad stays because our options with a Left quickie are pitiful,
Sam Curran is useful in the one dayers but the cupboard is bare.
Stokes has been unable to do much bowling, which going forwards doesn't help us.
Moeen on the other hand has been a big short term help.

Cummins has been costly recently which is nice to see but i expect both Starc and Hazlewood to do well here.

 

As I said, he was tidy, but we need more than that from our opening bowler. How many wickets did he take?

 

I fink someone is getting their jonny mixed up with your jimmy

 

My bad I thought it was Johnny Bairstow you was on about, as @Get Rid Of It says mixing Jonny up with Jimmy .

 

Looking at the ages, the attack we have in the next Ashes in 18 months will be surely very different?

Broad will probably go, Woakes maybe not? Doesn't have a great record in Aus with his lack of pace and movement with a Kookaburra ball. Wood will go (if fit). Robinson is a funny one. Always seemingly has a knock, doesn't have great pace, doesn't move the ball that well or consistently, he doesn't look like a bowler than will excel in Aussie conditions.

I'd expect Tongue to grab a place in the bowling lineup. I think Leach will be the spinner but would like to see them take Ahmed and i hope he goes on tour in the winter. Carse is the one who's probably next in line for a pace bowling slot, but it could very well be a completely different bowling lineup by the next Ashes.

 

Bazball or just plain clownshow batting,

It would have been alot worse if they didn't drop Harry Brook early on

aussies well on top and will take their sweet time grinding out the runs