Hello hello, bit of overhead this morning, Woakes on, Aussies in trouble. Archer and Woakes may be tricky to deal with here. Archer is ****ing rapid. Time for some Steve Smith chin music.
****ing hell 94mph from Archer this morning. Not many would fancy that whistling past their chin to be honest. 4 down in the blink of eye and saved by the rain. Hopefully we get some more play and can take advantage. Two quick wickets and the aussies will be well behind. However if Smith and Wade can stick in again, they might be ok. Finely poised. The rain won't do the aussies much help. That pitch will have got wet which means it will deteriorate quicker. It will also be sweating under the covers which always juices the seam movement up. The turn was looking significant so Leach may get a chance to shine. The problem is our batting, someone will have to stand up 2nd innings but to be honest they all look out of it bar those who didn't play in the world cup like Burns. Stokes, Bairstow, Roy, Root all look not at the races which is somewhat understandable. Those are the cards we've been dealt so no point whining, just need someone to step up to the plate.
If we can bowl the aussies out quickly then, despite the rain, it basically turns into a one-day game. And we're meant to be good at those. Right?
Aye it could make a very big difference. I wouldn't want to be batting at the end of a day like today.
Been a fascinating day - game is on a knife edge. England score a quick hundred on top of current lead then stick the Aussies in - be a tough chase on this pitch Also - fair play to Smith, took some stones to come back out after that working over
Archer is bullying the Aussies a real treat. Keep him fit and on form and the Ashes should be ours (and West Indies)
With the next test starting on Thurs be interesting to see if Smith is fit or allowed to play given the concussion tests and missing today
Whenever England get into this position the same ****e happens. They give Broad the ball and he never threatens the stump. He sends 5/6 wide of off, then 1 down the leg side and never forces the batsmen to play. He is a great great player, but he is absolutely predictable. Woakes has bowled too short the entire test, and Stokes, who is on now, just hasn't been given enough of the ball in my opinion. He is doing the same thing as Broad though. ****ING GO HARD AT THE STUMPS DICKHEADS. WE NEED WICKETS. Archer has been the standout, and Leach has bowled quite nicely. Never looking in danger of getting the wickets required though.
Just admit you were wrong again. You even posted that Australia would bowl England out on Monday to win when the last scheduled day of the game was Sunday. Worst prediction ever!
Aussies being saved by the rain was lucky. had that day have started at 10.45am England would have coasted home. It really is how the Aussies bounce back because they took a pummelling off Archer and England were well on top by the end. With the team batting first largely having the advantage in test cricket, it may be time to do away with the coin toss. Have a coin toss for the first one and then just alternate thereafter. Seems a more fair way (even the Aussie actually put us in!). The danger would be home groundsmen preparing surfaces accordingly after the first test. However they could overcome that with some kind of ICC adjudicator overseeing the preparation?
Smith confirmed out for next test Also - pitch at Headingley is apparently rated three times quicker than Lords - should be interesting to see what Archer can get up to on that surface