1st Test Fri 16-20 June 2023 - Edgbaston

[andystroud]

Robinson you beauty

Words that I didn’t expect to see on this forum ever again

 

[tonyw]

If Foakes comes in, then who do we leave out? The openers didn’t do anything wrong and Bairstow’s batting is ideal for Bazball.
As for the declaration, if we had taken a couple of quick wickets it would have looked like a master stroke. The new ball was due in two overs, so I’m not sure how many runs we would have managed. Those are the risk/reward elements of Bazball

Just because it's a difficult decision - doesn't mean you shouldn't make it.

Having a truly top notch wicket-keeper not only makes sure you take a higher percentage of the chances the Aussies are offering (how many has Bairstow missed this game? 4?5?) but it also gives you additional options with the ball. Foakes has stood up to both Anderson and Broad in the past year and that can be a really effective strategy to restrict the batsmen's movement and get in their heads. It certainly looks like taking wickets is going to be more of an issue than scoring runs for England this series.....plus it's not as if Foakes is a rabbit with the bat either.

So while you'd like to have Duckett, Crawley, Pope, Bairstow & Brook in your team - truth is there ought to be only four spots available so one of them has to miss out. I wouldn't want to make that call, and it would be harsh on whoever gets dropped, but it needs to be made because half-arsing the wicket-keeper position is not how you beat the world's best.


Still on a knife edge. One more tonight, and I think England might be slight favourites. Who has the best slower ball Harmison impression?

 

[andystroud]

Smith gone.

 

[andystroud]

I wasn’t questioning that Foakes should come in, I’m just not sure who can be left out.

 

[Sarge]

cmon England, get one (or more) wickets before CoP today

 

[Yellow There!]

No such luck, all done with a hell of a day to come tomorrow

 

[SteMerritt]

Just caught up with close of play score, I stropped off down the garden to sit in the sun with a drink at 5:30pm and Australia 50-odd without loss, fantastic to see them 3 down with Smith and Labuschagne (or however it is spelt) out. Game on tomorrow, going to be a top day of test cricket.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

New to cricket here but for some reason I’ve really got into the ashes this year. Great to see Broad step up when it mattered!
Bring on tomorrow!

 

[andystroud]

Play to resume at 14:15. It’s going to be a struggle for either side to get a result but could be an interesting afternoon

 

[SteMerritt]

Quick wickets needed, especially the night watchman. If we can get them under pressure there's a win for the taking.

 

[tonyw]

Rain has definitely brought the draw into play (it's going to be tough for us to pick up six wickets if the Aussies decide to batten down the hatches).

But get Khawaja this session, and we'll have a chance. Not 100% convinced by the Aussie lower middle order.

Course, if Head gets going, then the Aussies will still fancy chasing this down.

All four results still possible!

 

[unification]

All the talk seems to be of this being an English victory. Maybe it’s just because this is England, I see it as a total that Australia can chase down without issue.

Of course it all can change but I’d fancy a Bazball side to chase down 281.

As I type that, breakthrough! Travis Head gone.

 

[SteMerritt]

Course, if Head gets going, then the Aussies will still fancy chasing this down.

Well he's going.... back to the pavillion Ali strikes.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

I do have a bit of a problem with our bowling (win OR lose).

Moeen obviously is in agony with his finger - it seems obvious that he simply hadn't bowled enough overs in pyjama cricket to create the callouses on his fingers. Unlucky in many ways, but I wonder if it was foreseeable?

That wouldn't be as poor as it is if Stokes was able to bowl a significant number of overs, but he simply isn't - based on how much he hasn't bowled in the game (and not at all in this innings).

So we are left with the old warhorses plus Robinson and a few overs of Root (who is not a front line Ashes bowler obviously). Something to look at for the next test - and we'll probably need a different spinner.

 

[Sarge]

Jerome Sale is at Edgbaston for day 5 - someone is covering his radox show while he's taken a day off to go to the cricket

 

[SteMerritt]

This is slowly slipping towards Australia. Nothing happening for us at the moment out there, they need another 101.

 

[Sarge]

This is slowly slipping towards Australia. Nothing happening for us at the moment out there, they need another 101.

ice cream with a flake needed now

 

[ZeroTheHero]

I don't think that lead was ever enough with our bowling attack.

First innings declaration mumble mumble, said it at the time mumble mumble, proper cricket mumble mumble and quiet tutting.

 

[unification]

Tea break and it was needed. A chance to regroup for England. Khawaja and Green were chipping away at the total with patient cricket.

A chance to put some other plans into place to get the last five wickets - and stop the Australians chasing down the runs.

I still think this is there for the Aussies but as the old adage goes ‘add two wickets’ and everything changes.

 

[SteMerritt]

20 overs to the new ball, IF we can pick up one or two before then it will certainly get interesting.