Other end of the stick, mate. I was attempting to make a funny comment on Mods being lazy f*****g b******s. Obviously, that was successful. I agree with Chippy that you and Dorty should just back off each other. Give it a week and we’ll all be getting invites to your wedding.
I would be thrilled if either of those things happen. Don't think we're going to skittle the Aussies with four bowlers and no Jimmy.
Possibly, hell probably in all fairness. A it stands we're looking at a lead of about 100 if it carries on in a normal manner. I don't expect that to happen. It's still a new ball, we've got to start afresh and the next few batsmen in are very capable but in horrible form (Bairstow, Ali and Woakes), add in that we are presumably all out when 9 down as we're fielding an injury. All together that is a reipe for a collapse, even so it would have to be spectacular for us not to get a lead of 50+ All Australia need to do is bat for over 2 sessions and the pressure moves back to us. Chasing over 150 on this pitch will not be fun and I'll back them to set us 200. CricVi has us understandable favourites but at 80-10 which is nuts. If we're still batting an hour after lunch tomorrow then it's hard to see us not winning. It's rarely that simple though... FWIW you are obviously welcome to cheer on Australia but when you say you aren't into a sport then just come onto the thread to support the opposition it is reasonable to assume you're doing it just to annoy so you can't be that offended when you achieve that aim. I didn't realise there was previous or that you actually had PTSD (or anything really), look after yourself, I'm not one for throwing abuse around myself and hope the thread can get back to topic!
They have only brought the one spinner - albeit quite a good one... I think we'll get another 50 runs or so. Maybe 70 from here. Then it will go more or less as you predict. Followed by an Ireland style collapse in the fourth innings.
Lyon is a far better spinner than anything we've had since Swann. Smith actually isn't terrible and if it's turning well I expect to see him get a few overs. Our main advantage - and reason I think we'll win - is that for all the talk of what this will be like on day 5 it's hard to see it going that far. If Anderson wasn't injured I'd say we were 80-20 favourites. Now I reckon 70-30. Australia NEED to keep the lead to under 100 though. There's no realistic prospect of them getting towards 300 in the 3rd innings so we'd be chasing a manageable, if tricky, target.
If you want to put forward the Australian perspective then have a read through the Sydney Morning Herald match reports. They usually do a good job of brutally assessing the day and then laying down why England aren't that good and how Australia will win - whilst also usually adding that Australia are no big shakes themselves. After Broad took 5 wickets on day one they refused to name him, only referring to him as an England bowler.
Quote from the live text: "You couldn't make it up. 14 years after THAT ankle injury, Glenn McGrath almost did it again - just stopping himself from stepping on a ball that had strayed from England practice. After that, there was a chat with Paul Collingwood about Jimmy Anderson's fitness. "He looked a little ginger," said McGrath. "There's nothing wrong with being ginger," said Colly."
Nicely balanced - if England stick another 40-50 on the lead it will swing their way. Pitch looks tough to bat on - be good to get the Aussies in for last session today at the very least
Shocking play by Ali and Bairstow. Never understood leaving a ball pitching just outside off stump and playing no shot. These two just need to continue doing what they are doing. Agree with JD that another 40-50 should put us firmly in the box seat but still need a good bowling performance and better bowler/fielder management from Root than in the first innings where he was shocking.
