*Official* First Test at Trent Bridge

[Burgey]

Ashton has really kicked on since the break up with Demi Moore.

 

[MW1304]

Well yeah goes out with Mila Kunis now iirc.

 

[Furball]

Hughes in the middle order is a total waste of time from an Australian point of view, particularly when there's spuds like Watson wasting a place in the top 3.

 

[Burgey]

Lovely Guardian article on Agar's innings.

Ashton Agar's teenage talent and ready smile captivate Trent Bridge | Barney Ronay

 

[Cabinet96]

They mentioned that on the commentary last night, said he batted No3 for them.

Which wasn't true funnily enough: The Home of CricketArchive

 

[howardj]

So finely balanced this Test

Like the way we bowled to Broad and Swan in the 1st innings

Will be a huge plus during the Series for us if we can nullify their tail like we largely did in the 1st innings

 

[morgieb]

Finely poised here, though Cook and Pietersen sorta worry me, particularly given this is the best time to bat and the pitch should break up soon.

Great day. Agar WAG.

 

[sphynx]

These two still together at lunch tomorrow then we win. Aussies need to get an early wicket and put the pressure on.

Hardly.


I agree with Boycott here, England will struggle to score more than 80 runs a session tomorrow, they will have a lead of 250 at the end of tomorrow if they can bat all day, and they will have a second new ball to negotiate near the start of the middle session with a lead of around 100.

People are forgetting Clarke in this situation, especially the second innings. He just came off a 300 run series in India in much worse conditions than this when his back was rooted, he's just as likely to go into god mode than he is to get another jaffer like the first innings.

Hell, even Starc managed 99 against a barrage from Ashwin, Jadeja and Ohja, Siddle looked like Michael Clarke at times. Smith and Haddin are in the side, and despite how ****house he played the first innings nut from Swan, Haddin is a great player of spin and Hughes didn't look troubled at all by Swan when he got in. Then you've got the kid now slotting into to #8 probably, it's one of the best tails I can remember, it will bat to #11 with Pattinson who's opened the batting in grade cricket ffs..


The game is only absolutely over if England manage a 350+ lead imo, of course it's going to be hard with Swan on a crumbling pitch, but you can't definitively say anything after what happened yesterday.


This continual underrating of the Aus side is hilarious tbh, you'd think the mentality would of shifted considering how England are in a position to lose this game, despite batting first on the driest pitch at Trent Bridge in 30 years..........

 

[Flem274*]

Hughes in the middle order is a total waste of time from an Australian point of view, particularly when there's spuds like Watson wasting a place in the top 3.

Agreed, especially since he's more comfortable against pace than spin. I don't mind him at four but I'd swap him for Smith at six. Ideally Hughes would bat top three.

I'd rather drop Twatto than Cowan but we know that's not going to happen. Some would drop both but I don't rate Khawaja very highly.

 

[Flem274*]

Also think Agar is too much of a front foot planter with no bend in the knee to really be more than a number eight, but he's picked for his bowling so who cares a decent number eight is fine. Certainly has a very good eye and temperament.

 

[ankitj]

Agar tum na hote...

(Agar in Hindi means "if". Above is an Indian song. The line translates to "if you weren't there")

 

[3703]

Jimmeh gets his Michelle. Superb bowling. So much for this long tail then......

Yeah. So much...

Never write off an Australian side ever. Never, ever, ever gone.

 

[3703]

Good god this is a cracking test match though. You could not have asked for a more unpredictable, dramatic chain of events in the opening two days.

Delicately poised too.

 

[Adders]

This continual underrating of the Aus side is hilarious tbh,

Hmmmm, mate from what I've seen of the first 2 days play this test is panning out pretty much according to what most people were saying before hand.

We know your bowlers are good and I don't think anyone was seriously underestimating them, we also know that England's batting lineup is not without out it's issues. With the exception of an incredibly freakish 11th wicket stand, you would be staring down the barrel of a big loss with your batsmen having blown the good work put in by your bowlers.......how do you think what's gone down in these last 2 days changes any of the pre series opinions most of us had of the Aussies??

I'd say you need to savour and enjoy what happend yesterday, it was one of the most remarkable things I've ever seen transpire on a cricket pitch........but do so in the knowledge that it was so far against the grain it's not funny, 500-1 shot that came good for you.

 

[Ruckus]

Agreed, especially since he's more comfortable against pace than spin. I don't mind him at four but I'd swap him for Smith at six. Ideally Hughes would bat top three.

I'd rather drop Twatto than Cowan but we know that's not going to happen. Some would drop both but I don't rate Khawaja very highly.

Unless he pulls off something big in the second innings, Cowan has to be the one to be dropped. Very average test record, poor form coming into it, and a deplorable shot in the first innings. There is really nothing going for him atm, so he should be replaced by Warner at 3. Agree about Hughes. Should bat 4, Clarke back to 5 and Smith at 6.

 

[social]

I would leave Hughes alone for once

The guy is starting to look like a real test batsman at last and the last thing we should be doing is shuffling him up and down the order because of other people's failings

He has been successful in the middle order on this tour so who knows, maybe he has finally found his niche

 

[sphynx]

Hmmmm, mate from what I've seen of the first 2 days play this test is panning out pretty much according to what most people were saying before hand.

We know your bowlers are good and I don't think anyone was seriously underestimating them, we also know that England's batting lineup is not without out it's issues. With the exception of an incredibly freakish 11th wicket stand, you would be staring down the barrel of a big loss with your batsmen having blown the good work put in by your bowlers.......how do you think what's gone down in these last 2 days changes any of the pre series opinions most of us had of the Aussies??

I'd say you need to savour and enjoy what happend yesterday, it was one of the most remarkable things I've ever seen transpire on a cricket pitch........but do so in the knowledge that it was so far against the grain it's not funny, 500-1 shot that came good for you.

The Aussie bowlers bowled ****house in the first innings and still managed to skittle the English batting lineup for 215, all the talk has been "England threw their wickets away" but nothing is said of the lack of pressure applied across the board, it could of been much much worse had they hit their area's.

500-1? Yeah only on the theory of a no.11 coming in and doing it, whilst it's remarkable that a 19 on debut has done it, he batted #5 in the Aus underage sides, played grade cricket for Richmond at 15 and has a FC batting average of now 40, it was only a major shock to every Englishman in the media that didn't do any sort of research. He's an all-rounder, and one that England are going to have to contend with at #8 for the rest of the series, if you think it's a one off innings, then Agar is going to piss you off for the next 10 years.

As far as the batting lineups go, Anderson got it to hoop really well, and bowled out of his skin. Sure he might do it again, Swann might turn it square, but England still have to contend with arguably the best batsman of spin in world cricket, as well as Englands bowlers playing into form Hughes, a 24 year old with 21 FC ton's and probably Australian's best young batsman

The fact Australia are still in this after the Haddin/Cowan brainfades, Roger's ordinary LBW, Watson flay and Anderson's jaffer brings me way more confidence than before this match started.

Hughes, Smith and Agar have shown there's way more in the middle order than people were predicting, and at some stage that top order will get runs, if you think otherwise, keep dreaming, Rogers is a quality bat, and for all Watson's short comings, he usually gets starts. Cowan is the major weak point of that batting lineup, and Warner will be replacing him at Manchester, you'd get $1.50 odds for it.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Yeah, what preceded Agar's knock only confirms the difference between the two sides. But if it shames the rest of the batting into a little introspection - and tbh, Agar, Smith, and Hughes can be very proud of themselves, as can the bowlers for the most part - then Australia can still put up a fight in this series. But they have to win this match else I'm afraid England are going to ride roughshod over them.

 

[Spikey]

Bakker said he'd fielded calls from bat makers keen to sponsor Agar and from companies hoping for introductions and meetings.

Read more: Ashton Agar innings marketing phenomenon

booooooooooooo

 

[Backlash]

This continual underrating of the Aus side is hilarious tbh,

Not really, the freak last wicket partnership has papered over the cracks. Another 200 runs from England and it is yet another loss for us. 5 in a row in fact.

Looks like Australian cricket fans have accepted mediocrity.