joz8968

iTrader: (13)

Totally.

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

Right then, who else is up bright eyed and bushy tailed... All ready to see England get smashed again lol?

Best get that kettle on...

An0n0m0us

No chance Day/night is a great idea for playing down under get to watch it whilst having breakfast.

Like where Jimmy is fielding to wind Steve Smith up but sadly don't think it will work the bloke is just too good!

Funkii Munkii

His face when Overton got him out, always nice to see

lozgti1

You never know !

An0n0m0us

Oh I do and it aint happening

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

Gutted. I was 'hopeful', too.

An0n0m0us

There was no chance they were making that total on that wicket in a 4th innings. They followed the normal script, lose 1 wicket early on the rest fell like a house of cards.

Our bowling is too weak without Stokes and Ali not on form. And our batting is woeful with too many senior players not contributing.

lozgti1

Have we got to wait 'til Christmas now?!

An0n0m0us

Nope the 3rd walloping I mean Test starts 14th. Then 4th Christmas night and 5th Test 3rd Jan.

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

Oh, I'm fully aware that it was a 1000/1 chance and that getting 300+ batting last is a near 'holy grail' in Tests, etc etc. And also pretty much foresaw today's turn of events.

But, you've still gotta have at least 'some' hope...

Ho hum.

An0n0m0us

Oh I agree, with Root and Bairstow and Ali to bat there was the talent there to do it but they just aren't in enough form to pull it off at the moment.

7 consecutive defeats in Aus now shows the weakness in the team playing on those type of pitches. We play excellent on English green pitches but we don't do well touring on dry hard pitches whether it's Aus or India.

Funkii Munkii

Spot on

One thing about Cricket is there is always some sort of hope, doesn't get to me like footy does, probably one of the reasons why I love Cricket so much.

So is anyone applying for tickets for next Summer in the ECB ballot ? hopefully none of you so more chance for me

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

"Ballot"? What's this, then? A pull out of the hat type thing?

lozgti1

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

And I've booked the days off to watch them (as I did for the first two tests).

Nice to be 'rewarded' by England for my 'loyalty'...

Funkii Munkii

They do it every year for the following years tests, you apply for tickets and in Jan they pull names out of their computerised hat. IND AUS PAK all touring here next year.

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

Ah, I had no idea! Interesting...

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

Are the usual suspects 'looking forward' to, no doubt, another drubbing in the 3rd - the 'hump' match lol - of the rubber?

Once again, I've taken the time off.

An0n0m0us

I'll watch a bit tonight and then pick it up in the morning. After the Anderson/Duckett affair i'm not expecting any great turnaround.

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

Yeah, the players have gone all mental.

lol

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

"Alistair Root"

An0n0m0us

It's time for Cook to go i'm fed up with his poor form and continually getting in the side for being the ECB's golden boy.

An0n0m0us

What an utter shambles both with the bat and bowling this morning. I can see the convicts getting a 1st innings lead.

Funkii Munkii

Agreed, nothing like going to bed in an optimistic mood only to wake up to find out we capitulated again, this is such an English sporting trait....

An0n0m0us

They could declare now at 146 ahead and still win by an innings with how we are not playing.

Ignoring Aus are far better in all departments my biggest concern is our bowling. Broad with his height and experience and previous success in Aus is woefully out of form. I think Anderson is a waste of time in Aus, he can't bowl on dry fast pitches. If it doesn't swing/move off the seam he has no answer to getting batsmen out. Put him on English pitches and he is one of the top bowlers in the World but to me that is not good enough when really the only other Test playing country with similar pitches is NZ. We still lack an out and out pace bowler which is what Aus pitches are made for. It's what we are missing to make up a 4 man pace attack to compliment Anderson/Broad/Stokes and Woakes or Finn are not the answer.

There's only 1 way to trouble Steve Smith on home pitches and that is out and out pace and bounce. If you haven't got that then you are relying on the World's best batsmen making a silly shot which as he has shown and why he is the World's best batman he rarely does. Our bowlers have not got a clue how to bowl to him because ultimately they are too slow and it's just batting practice to him.

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

Could we just get out of jail with the squalls and the pitch issues?!

Then win the last two... Ashes retained. Job done.

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

Oh well.

Well done Aussies. Thoroughly deserved.

Tidgy

england suck!

An0n0m0us

It will be another 5-0 whitewash like last time.