it's too much. 251 will require some heroics somewhere, at least 2 heros scoring 80+ I cannot see it with the way they batted first innings.
We're going to lose at least one wicket before close of play. And Head has probably pushed this score 50 beyond England, Duckett looks very, very iffy here.
Well the overs could not have gone better. just the 3 edges by duckett. one miles over the cordon, one just short. just stand there for 30mins tomorrow. just 30mins to slow up their front line men and give us a chance to get in. (not a chance by duckett.)
IF we can lose just 2 wickets by 130, then we can do it. But if the Aussies can lose 6 wickets in a few hours in close atmospheric conditions, we can lose 10 for well less than 220 runs.
it's all about seeing off the most fierce bowling while not taking absolutely stupid risks. this lot will 100% go to the short stuff. we have 2 days to score 200 odd. you can actually stand there and their their best guys exhaust themselves and only hit the poor stuff that doesn't climb you want to let them have to get to spin and just knock the singles and build a score. by form duckett can score quick but will get himself out playing at stuff nobody needs to go near. brooks is like a classic limited overs hero who's only just realised the ball is allowed over waist hiegiht and has never seen it before. bairstow is very rusty we need 50 off Crawley at least 50 off root if not more and we need stokes to do it AGAIN.
Even with rain for bits of the next two days, we should be looking at 150 overs play - 1 and 1/2 an over. No need to be flinging the bat at all unless it gets to Monday afternoon and we're 6 down and need another 100.
Really good day for England. Got some useful conditions and actually made it work. Head going all Stokes and pushing score up made it trickier but it’s doable with plenty time left in the game. Not sure why both teams have struggled so much when get 6/7 down and spread the field and bowl short in the only hope to get someone out.
Played right into Head's hands (no pun intended) this evening. We basically challenged him to hit the ball so hard from the fastest bowler of the series that it clears the boundaries (the shortest of the test grounds for this series), and guess what? An Aussie brought up on hard pitches where every other bowler is 90mph+ can do just that. Yes, I know he got out to that in the end, but he'd have struggled more to pitched-up swing bowling and a more closer field IMO.
Just reminded me of England of the last few years where would get the top 6/7 out with proper balls caught in slip or bowled/lbw then number 9 comes to the crease and we think they’re too good to edge a pitcher up delivery or block one on the top of off so bounce everything at them. Yes eventually they’ll top edge it but not before swinging and getting bat on a few of them to get a quick fire 20
what got me is thst we know when they had the specks four eyes in and head that bother are left hand and there is broad who is a left handed batman's nightmare. oh I know let's leave woakes on and just compound it by bairstow standing the wrong side while the bowl at his legs.
Well, they have Starc, for one, and the Aussies often pick a predominantly seam attack for England tours. Can't remember off the top of my head, but did Mitchell Johnson ever tour down here? Or Tait? No surprise that their most accomplished seam bowler in England Ashes tours was 80mph Glen McGrath.
it'd be nice if they set us up for a chance by standing there for a half hour and trying to get in. Australia in this position would go 3 to 4 and over max and get it done. we have to win or lose the ashes, duckett has a major responsibility to not hack at a ball he should know he can leave on length alone. let their best bowlers tire themselves hitting the pitch and kill the ball before attacking. 200 needed = 40 Crawley, 40 duckett, 50 roots, 50 stokes and 20 out of wood swinging. we can't rely on brooks or baorstow getting jack **** on form if any one of these above fail then someone like alli or woakes need to deliver the run (again will just hack at it) we need to not have a run of wickets or regular leaking. objective one for every single batsman is get in, then score. a half hour stood there each man.
Absolutely hammered it down here in Yorkshire over night and the forecast for the early evening is looking the same. Monday is forecast is rain in the afternoon too.
duckett caught lbw. he really is like watching a no 7 playing at no 2. he's a very good no 7 mind. he's.plum imo. we got 20mins of my wanted 30 and 23 runs of my needed 40. they have sent out alli!!! what the **** like. I know brooks ain't up to it bit alli is not much better
we need a quick say 25 or 30 here from alli if we can. I'd be for knocking singles if possible and Crawley taking the strike for 90%
