Gone !! Smith c Crawley b Robinson 0. 12-3. Brilliant bowling. If only we'd have caught the satanist ffs. Keep the foot on the throat
Apparently Labuschagne has been dropped 14 times out of the 29 chances given since 2019 ! Unbelievable. Robinson beats him again, and then he hits 4 through cover. Gifted
Enjoy the highlights when you wake up - it's terrible 3-12 at one point. The wicket is a mare but you can only play what's there. Good bowling
Wood 2 overs for 16 ! Serving up utter filth ffs, relieving all the pressure. Don't think this wicket suits him, surprised Woakes hasn't come on.
Head pulls straight up in the air but it lands safe, more good fortune. Woakes has started with 2 awful deliveries. Letting all the 2 opening bowlers efforts go to waste. Poor
Ffs 65-3. Wood 3 overs for 31. Pathetic. Completely undoing all the excellent early work. Just bowl tge right line and length ffs it's not hard. Clueless
Genius !! Broad bowls Labuschagne behind his legs as he charged him. Leaves him flat on his face. Desperately needed after partnership of 71 off 70 balls. 83-4. Been a tale of 2 bowlers bowling superbly and 2 bowling terribly. Been very entertaining and frustrating
Although half the bowlers have been poor I think we'd have taken 85-4 at lunch! Just keep at it next session
We would but I feel it could've been better. Its kind of the tale of the series, opening bowlers doing really well and then being let down by the support bowlers , whereas there's been no real let off from the Aussies. Whoever follows the 2 openers bowls just aswell if not better, Boland has been sensational since he came in and Woakes has just been turd on any wicket outside England ! This wicket doesn't suit Wood's style, poor old Jimmy must be cursing not getting a bowl on the 2 greenest wickets ever witnessed in Oz !
I said it before the series started that I thought Robinson was gonna be a great bowler for us in the future, and he's done nothing but impress me further on this tour. In the Hazlewood mould he's so consistent, it's gonna be impossible to replace Jimmy and Broad when the time comes but Robinson will be in the team for years !
As you say, we don't have the depth of bowlers they do so keeping that kind of pressure on is harder for us. Take out 2-3 of our guys (including the two old timers!) and we have a real dearth of bowling talent sadly.
Think we are missing a few, Archer and Stone spring to mind and Mahmoud but they are all fast bowlers. Can't instantly think of any swing bowlers that we are missing and obviously a huge lack of a top notch spinner. It does look like the Aussies have bowlers capable if stepping straight in and performing at a high level, unbelievable to think Boland hadn't played before and fortunately at 31 won't play too many more.
When we've been at our best in the last few years it has been because Stokes has been fully fit and firing. Having him as a 4th or 5th seamer able to steam in with hostility using an old ball has been key to us bowling out sides or keeping an end up. Others trying to do this job in his absence or when he's not fully fit have proved futile, he's vital to us winning games with bat and ball. Unfortunately going forward I don't see his body holding up to bowl those sort of spells much in the future, he'll be an out and out batsman in the near future or he'll have to retire through injury.
What has happened to Robinson after lunch, 20 mph slower than earlier and looks like he can hardly run . Smashed away twice, that doesn't bode well, it's his stamina issues that are holding him back from being one of the worlds best bowlers. Worrying. Gone off the field !
Looking toothless after lunch and Robinson off the field. Head rattling along at a serious rate, this could get ugly very quickly considering we've got to bat on here too !
Robinson isn't fit enough. Root has publicly called him out on it. Has had to leave the field after 1 over. Back on now. A lot of talent, but must work on his general fitness and diet. Head looks set for a big score here.
Meh....... If only England had the capabilities to recover from 12-3 to 237-6 and had batsmen who could take the game by the scruff of the neck......