Match Day Thread Contes boys vs Klipperty Klopps

Fair point mate. Can’t disagree with that.

Are you guys saying 5-0 over there? Without Stokes we have no X factor when we need it. At 200/4 we needed him to take game away from you guys. And again to break Smith Marsh partnership.

 

Look, the press here is as dreadful as your red tops, if there is no story today, they make one up.They can't write headlines like "Squirrel runs up joggers leg looking for nuts " or "Freddie Star ate my Hamster", two of my personal favourites, so they tend to be bolshy instead.
I can't stand the Mathew Haydens and Glen McGraths dishing out this 5-0 stuff, and not a proper cricket follower that I know is even thinking that. Actually no one wants that. I can guarantee you at the end of day 3 not a peep from any newspaper about 5-0.
Don't be fooled, this is no great Aussie side, out of 10 probably a 6, at best a 7. Take out Smith ,which will happen in more than one innings, and things look different. Stokes is a big loss, but he is a tosser off the pitch and needs this kick up the arse.
As always, home advantage should see us get up , but I can tell you I put $10 on England to win the first test after day 1. Meanwhile the Barmy Army and the "Richies", our Benaud tribute mob, are organising weekend games, barbeques and drink- a- thons, so real cricket supporters are simply enjoying the games and the comraderie, as they have always done.

 

Great summary CP and one that I thoroughly agree with, spot on with the press. I guess they are the same the world over except maybe North Korea. I think the English teams problem with "The Gabba" is a mental one and they are glad its done with now. Hoping for more runs next time out from our top order so as to exert more pressure on your lot, we let you have it too easy in the field.

 

The Gabba was always our best chance with it's usually bouncy pitch and our fast bowlers,but then it was slower and spin friendly which was a suprise. 2nd innings it sped up a bit and your 2nd innings saw our team with everything in their favour. I think Smiths innings took the stuffing out of Joe Root who lost the plot a bit.
Adelaide will be weird, not sure about this night Test decision, but will definately even things up. It's been scorching in Adelaide but storms expected, so it's anyones guess.

 

Sorry to drag out the cricket on a football forum , but Joe Root is off his nut. He has said that Steve Smith was "mocking" the England team by laughing about the "headbutting " incident. What Smith was laughing at was the Aussie opener telling the world that there was no "headbutt" just a weird "nice to meet you" gesture that Bairstow used. The Aussies were trying to get Bairstow off the hook, but Root has really muddied the waters and looks even more lost than he was after the Gabba test.Great batsman he might be, but too immature to run the show for England. Therein lies half the problem. The ECB was too quick to annoint the "golden boy" as Captain before they understood his Character, or lack of.
Still think Adelaide is a 50-50 game.

 

Is this a one day affair or a test match?

 

The Ashes are played for with all test matches Ginge. Agree with CP. Root has taken that Ozzie press conference totally out of context. Best thing he could do would be to admit as much and apologise, but I wont be holding my breath.

 

I think all players on both sides should say nothing unless they say something complimentary, at least to the press. The sledging on field is usually pretty innocuous and forgotten at days' end.
Adelaide is to be a day night Test, I think the first, certainly between these 2 teams, and a big question mark with most cricket lovers. It removes the early liveliness of the pitch and apart from bigger crowds, doesn't seem to me to do much else.