1st Test, Edgbaston, Birmingham

[BoyBrumby]

Luck definitely plays a bigger part in cricket than most sports IMO

It's an interesting point, actually.

I'm not convinced it does as such, association football's uniquely high premium on scoring means it's probably the most susceptible to the vicissitudes of spawn (it's possible to jam one in off the centre half's arse from your only corner and the oppo fail to score from 50 chances).

However, due to the nature of batting, with the little death of a dismissal in every innings, it's possible that luck affects players more in cricket than in other team sports. Once a batsman is gone, occasionally due to some outrageous jam (Kane Williamson in the group game v England, for instance) he has no further chance for redemption in that innings and/or game, depending on format).

So the question is, how many runs do England need to shut down the game? 350? 400? I can't see Australia scoring enough second innings runs to build a lead of 200 if they concede a deficit of more than around 75. Will that be enough runs?

Won't feel safe without anything less than 150 and seriously doubt we'll get that.

Chasing 4th innings on this deck is going to be stiff AF. Lyon's ragged a few already.

 

[Tom Flint]

Don't write off an England collapse, Bairstow very suspect early on and ali a walking wicket atm. Stokes played a brilliant knock last night against that changed ball and settled everything down. We could have folded then

 

[Howe_zat]

Yeah Stokes' knock was mint. Plenty of control and confidence about it.

The over/under for England's first innings runs is 426.5. I think that's a smidge high but I'd have taken your hand off for that when we were 200-4.

 

[Tom Flint]

Burns showed unbelievable patience to not push at Lyon. He didn't bowl a loose delivery at him all through the 90s

 

[NUFAN]

Burns showed unbelievable patience to not push at Lyon. He didn't bowl a loose delivery at him all through the 90s

The delivery Lyon bowled to Burns to get him off 92 was loose. It wasnt a good ball at all and releaved some pressure since he had been stuck on that score for quite a while.

 

[social]

Still good luck for the replacement to swing round corners though mate

New balls are this year’s batch and don’t swing while replacements are from last year and do which is why both teams were trying to get them replaced

If I was an English fan, I would want to know why Duke is providing a ball that doesn’t suit Jimmy

It’s not as if we have any swing bowlers

 

[Howe_zat]

Agree how he played late on is very encouraging.

It’s kinda frustrating, even though I would have tentatively stuck with him for this series, to see those who wanted him out yesterday turn on a dime for him today. He didn’t actually play that well, he just stuck to it and got a great day out of it eventually. Mick Vaughan on TMS has come out with a complete 180 as expected, for example. Don’t let the RNG decide your opinions guys.

 

[Tom Flint]

The delivery Lyon bowled to Burns to get him off 92 was loose. It wasnt a good ball at all and releaved some pressure since he had been stuck on that score for quite a while.

Yes good point, it just seemed like pressure was building for ages, from memory he must have bowled about 10 dot balls to him after that one though inc a maiden on 99

 

[Tom Flint]

I always thought and said he is worth sticking with, we barely have a fc middle order bat averaging 50+ and scoring 1000 county runs. Yet he has consistently been there or there abouts for 5 seasons whilst opening. I know he plays his home games at the oval but he has a great average on the road too

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Apologies for my posting last night being of the same standard as an Aussie batsman overseas.

Anyway 400 minimum target today.

 

[hazsa19]

New balls are this year’s batch and don’t swing while replacements are from last year and do which is why both teams were trying to get them replaced

If I was an English fan, I would want to know why Duke is providing a ball that doesn’t suit Jimmy

It’s not as if we have any swing bowlers

I’m sure I’ve heard people say they’re using 2018 batch for all the balls this series.

 

[marc71178]

Yes, apparently Nasser said that the replacements were all from 2018 at the time then had to issue a correction as they weren’t.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Obviously a vital first session this morning with England still behind and needing a good lead to avoid too big a 4th innings chase.

Could be a vital session for this thread as well.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

So weather forecast changed then going by BBC weather and should get close to a full day in.

 

[Burgey]

Burgey Staaaahp pls. We get it. How couldn’t we get it?

Literally the first time I’ve mentioned Starc. I’d have played Haze over he and Siddle

 

[Howe_zat]

So weather forecast changed then going by BBC weather and should get close to a full day in.

As usual on a kinda-wet-but-not-that-wet day, the met office, google and BBC weather apps are all disagreeing on the time and chances of rain.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

As usual on a kinda-wet-but-not-that-wet day, the met office, google and BBC weather apps are all disagreeing on the time and chances of rain.

I usually stick to BBC and try not to confuse the issue by getting too many, it fries brain if you do.

The easy thing with Edgbaston is if you are at the ground and can't see the city then you are in for a decent delay.

 

[Starfighter]

New balls are this year’s batch and don’t swing while replacements are from last year and do which is why both teams were trying to get them replaced

If I was an English fan, I would want to know why Duke is providing a ball that doesn’t suit Jimmy

It’s not as if we have any swing bowlers

Yes, apparently Nasser said that the replacements were all from 2018 at the time then had to issue a correction as they weren’t.

IIRC they say that they didn't have enough left from 2018 and a bit later that they were going to get ones specially made for the test series that were like the ones from 2018. I believe the reason why they made them worse was because no-one could score runs in county cricket. Of course the damp weather doing the period scheduled for the CC, lush wickets and the fact you weren't even allowed to use the heavy roller during the match were bigger reasons. Cricket has never been improved by making the seam on the ball smaller, better pitches is always the answer.

Apologies for my posting last night being of the same standard as an Aussie batsman overseas.

Anyway 400 minimum target today.

That's a fair analogy.

 

[Starfighter]

As usual on a kinda-wet-but-not-that-wet day, the met office, google and BBC weather apps are all disagreeing on the time and chances of rain.

I usually stick to BBC and try not to confuse the issue by getting too many, it fries brain if you do.

The easy thing with Edgbaston is if you are at the ground and can't see the city then you are in for a decent delay.

Do none of you lot look up the weather radar and forecast models?

 

[Howe_zat]

Do none of you lot look up the weather radar and forecast models?

For tests in Birmingham I usually just look at the sky tbh.

It’s cloudy.