Right then just got home from work and cant wait for my day off tomorrow to watch day of the 4th test.
Didn't have the radio with me at work this morning but got a text from a mate in Adelaide about midday Having watched the highlights its a mix of some lovely seam/swing bowling and some terrible decision making from the Aussies Just incredible really,to see a test match effectively decided in the first hour or so. And such an important test in the context of the series. End of an era for some of those Aussies (Clarke/Haddin) It's exactly what makes Test cricket such an amazing spectacle at times
I think after second test Clarke was walking around like he owned the world and after a day of the third test he was toast. Most aussies have been playing like they know he's gone and half of them are too so...... none of them have done much of anything to win this. Ali put on enough runs in the third test and I think they gave up then. Not to take anything away from England's planning and execution of the ways to get the aussies wickets either mind.
Definitely should have declared and try to bowl them out again by COP day 1. Imagine the humiliation of losing a 5 day test in a day
I'd bat them into the ground, pile on the runs, already 214 in the lead, anywhere near 400 run lead and it'll be all over!
I think we'll look to try and bat them out of the game with 1 innings. So they'll be aiming to add another 150+ to the board today. I can see us batting until the middle of the post lunch session and that'll leave us maybe an hour before tea and the final session to try and skittle them. Personally I think we will see a fight back from the Aussies, they can't bat that badly twice, and I think they'll put up a respectable showing in their 2nd innings. It still won't make any difference though and the game will be over by the close tomorrow.
Depends what the ball is doing. If it's cloudy and moving a bit then I think they'll get bowled out for about 150. I think england need to look at forecast, no point declaring if it's 25 and sunshine, might as well bat until conditions suit bowling then stick them in again even if they only have a lead of 300
Imo we should bat on until broad and wood have to come out and we should then declare. Finn broad and Wood have work to do today. Ali, stokes buttler need to have a swing and a few runs. Buttler badly needs them.