*Official* Third Test at Old Trafford

[Prince EWS]

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that if the pitch is as dry as everyone (other than MacGill) is saying, I actually would pick Starc over Bird. It's still close but I think Starc's ability to get reverse swing and to take the pitch out of the equation would count for more on a dry pitch than the fact that Bird seems to be bowling a little better at the moment. Not too fussed either way though.

 

[Biryani Pillow]

Indeed.

Admitting you've lost any (feeble) argument you had there.

 

[GotSpin]

Looking forward to watching this actually. Predicting 2-1 in a couple days times

 

[Swingpanzee]

I actualy have a feeling this match may be close. Not a nailbiting finish but a tense moment or so.

 

[Burgey]

Admitting you've lost any (feeble) argument you had there.

This is what happens when people (in the sense umpires can be described as such) have absolutely no comprehension of the context in which a comment is made.

 

[marc71178]

Which is pretty much exactly what was said. If they have altered the pitch and are responsible for whatever those burn marks are though it makes them look a bit silly, given they should beat us without having to prepare anything out of the ordinary. I hope it turns square from day 1, will create some interesting conversation in here haha.

I think some of it is related to the 90 degree rotation in pitches as part of the rebuilding of the ground.

 

[morgieb]

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that if the pitch is as dry as everyone (other than MacGill) is saying, I actually would pick Starc over Bird. It's still close but I think Starc's ability to get reverse swing and to take the pitch out of the equation would count for more on a dry pitch than the fact that Bird seems to be bowling a little better at the moment. Not too fussed either way though.

Yeah, I'm inclined to agree. On a normal English pitch though I would pikc Bird.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Can't wait for this to start, ashes soon be won.

 

[Spark]

I think some of it is related to the 90 degree rotation in pitches as part of the rebuilding of the ground.

Yeah I remember seeing an ODI at the ground just after it had been rotated and the pitch was just bizarre, was behaving completely differently in patches of the pitch.

 

[Burgey]

So the pitches at OT run east-west now? Is this a common thing in England?

 

[LongHopCassidy]

David Warner's parody twitter delivers:

 

[Riggins]

what arc does the sun take?

 

[Burgey]

what arc does the sun take?

Mate, I know I'm old school, but I assume it still rises in the east and sets in the west.

 

[Burgey]

Not that it matters in Manchester, as anyone who's been there would know.

 

[NUFAN]

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that if the pitch is as dry as everyone (other than MacGill) is saying, I actually would pick Starc over Bird. It's still close but I think Starc's ability to get reverse swing and to take the pitch out of the equation would count for more on a dry pitch than the fact that Bird seems to be bowling a little better at the moment. Not too fussed either way though.

MacGill was commenting on the Old Trafford pitch in 2005 tbh.

 

[Prince EWS]

MacGill was commenting on the Old Trafford pitch in 2005 tbh.

Ahh that makes sense. Reserving comment until I've actually seen the pitch but based on the information we've got so far I'd be picking Starc.

 

[greg]

Mate, I know I'm old school, but I assume it still rises in the east and sets in the west.

Pitch used to be East-West, the change was to make it North-South.

 

[Maximas]

lol at some of the dry pitch comments, rain isn't the only way pitches get watered...

 

[Burgey]

Pitch used to be East-West, the change was to make it North-South.

Ta. All pitches here run north-south.

 

[greg]

lol at some of the dry pitch comments, rain isn't the only way pitches get watered...

No but the point is that the weather means the pitches are naturally dry. So leaving them so by not excessively watering to compensate can hardly constitute 'doctoring' the pitches. There is also another theory that the modern drainage systems are sucking the moisture out of the squares so the character of pitches are changing.

Frankly the whole concept of the "traditional English seamer" is really a bit of a myth these days. We rarely see them for test matches these days. The weather obviously plays a part through offering swing, but most of the pitches themselves are flat.