*Official* First Test (Edgbaston, Birmingham) 16–20 June

[Daemon]

I'm still annoyed at Marnus's shot last night. If he just leaves everything wide of off stump and goes into stumps 15(40) or something like that then Aus are in an exceptionally strong position, but instead he's fishing at balls that wouldn't hit a second set when his entire game is built around good judgement of where his off stump is.

He’s really done a Virat this game. Two awful shots that would make him proud.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

lol I can't believe people still talk about Archer playing Tests again. Give it up. It was already a pipe dream before his latest injury, now it's just fantasy land stuff.

Sadly he seems a busted flush. It really is sad but Root overbowling him seems to have done him in.

 

[Spark]

He’s really done a Virat this game. Two awful shots that would make him proud.

I sincerely don't know how you lot tolerate it - and I know many of you don't - because it honestly drives me spare when batsmen do that.

 

[Shady Slim]

Depends if you're holding him accountable for all these bizarre decisions being made in both India & England

I know Australia are spooked by ****ball but its been atrocious

smith was a pretty dreadful tactician in his actual stint with the armband to be fair - really only ever had a plan A. but that was also broadly emblematic of that era of australian cricket - perhaps it’s a bit ouroboric

 

[Spark]

Dreadful is overegging it re: Smith. His main problem was that he would get weird fixations and not use certain bowlers for no discernible reason. Otherwise he was okay. I certainly don't think most of the truly terrible fields we saw yesterday - no catching fielders, boundary riders on both sides - were his idea.

 

[Shady Slim]

I sincerely don't know how you lot tolerate it - and I know many of you don't - because it honestly drives me spare when batsmen do that.

hey easy there Michael Vaughan

 

[chris.hinton]

Though checking forecast for there and in Shropshire where I am the rain expected to end around 11 and not 1 now. Which is good news for us. Hour delay maybe?

Slightly longer the heavier stuff hasn’t hit Birmingham as yet but can play till 7 anyway so no real issue

 

[Burgey]

I know Australia are spooked by ****ball

Are they though, or are they just trying to work things out tactically as they go? Because they're right in this game after losing the toss and they've managed to not let the game get completely away from them at all. It's easy to get sucked into the "ooh err they're defensive" crap from the commentators. About the only thing I could criticize them for is setting fields for bowling two sides of the deck. Part of dealing with it is seeing the conditions and knowing the other mob are going to score quickly in them.

I think they've done ok given they just didn't bowl well day one after losing the toss and their two best bats haven't given a yelp. This is as close as England will get to them all series. Once they knock this chase over they're on the downhill slide to 4 or 5 blot depending on the weather.

 

[Spark]

Are they though, or are they just trying to work things out tactically as they go? Because they're right in this game after losing the toss and they've managed to not let the game get completely away from them at all.

I think they've done ok given they just didn't bowl well day one and their two best bats haven't given a yelp. This is as close as England will get to them all series. Once they knock this chase over they're on the downhill slide to 4 or 5 blot depending on he weather.

The inability to knock over the tail is a real issue. It's not like we can put that down to Bazball either, it's been a chronic issue.

 

[Burgey]

The inability to knock over the tail is a real issue. It's not like we can put that down to Bazball either, it's been a chronic issue.

Sure but like you say that's not about being spooked by how England are playing, it's a general deficiency they've had for a few years and for some weird reason don't seem able to overcome.

 

[Spark]

Sure but like you say that's not about being spooked by how England are playing, it's a general deficiency they've had for a few years and for some weird reason don't seem able to overcome.

Oh yeah but the fields they set yesterday was absolutely a reaction to how England were playing. We had seven boundary riders to James ****ing Anderson, he of the single digit Test batting average. That's before we get to our use of Hazlewood and Boland, rather than the respectively faster and taller Green, as "enforcers" bowling bouncers which just sat up to be hit on this pudding of a deck.

 

[Shady Slim]

Oh yeah but the fields they set yesterday was absolutely a reaction to how England were playing. We had seven boundary riders to James ****ing Anderson, he of the single digit Test batting average. That's before we get to our use of Hazlewood and Boland, rather than the respectively faster and taller Green, as "enforcers" bowling bouncers which just sat up to be hit on this pudding of a deck.

i remember when cw commentary was a thing and believe you and i were doing an england windies test in the windies (i believe the windies got up in the series); the windies had like a deep point only for jimmeh and you were going nuts

 

[GotSpin]

Are they though, or are they just trying to work things out tactically as they go? Because they're right in this game after losing the toss and they've managed to not let the game get completely away from them at all. It's easy to get sucked into the "ooh err they're defensive" crap from the commentators. About the only thing I could criticize them for is setting fields for bowling two sides of the deck. Part of dealing with it is seeing the conditions and knowing the other mob are going to score quickly in them.

I think they've done ok given they just didn't bowl well day one after losing the toss and their two best bats haven't given a yelp. This is as close as England will get to them all series. Once they knock this chase over they're on the downhill slide to 4 or 5 blot depending on the weather.

They've had some truly terrible fielding and bowling plans this test as well as the inability to adjust when things aren't working

I don't mind them being defensive...but at least stack it on one side and bowl there. Cummins is a pretty poor captain and it often shows. Having a deep point and deep midwicket is just unforgiveable early on and this is not even touching upon our inability to bowl to the tail

The fact that Australia is about to clean up this test and the test series is more a testament to how **** Bazball is honestly. Khawaja batted brilliantly but England would have been miles ahead

 

[Spark]

I will say though that one thing the fields have helped them do is not be at big risk of a spell where England just takes the game away in an hour by scoring at like 10rpo, which can absolutely happen with these batsmen, this pitch and this crowd. For all the justified criticism of the tactics it has felt that Australia has always had a vague handle on the game which isn't nothing.

 

[Spark]

i remember when cw commentary was a thing and believe you and i were doing an england windies test in the windies (i believe the windies got up in the series); the windies had like a deep point only for jimmeh and you were going nuts

This doesn't surprise me at all

 

[GotSpin]

I will say though that one thing the fields have helped them do is not be at big risk of a spell where England just takes the game away in an hour by scoring at like 10rpo, which can absolutely happen with these batsmen, this pitch and this crowd. For all the justified criticism of the tactics it has felt that Australia has always had a vague handle on the game which isn't nothing.

They were going at almost 10 an over yesterday for a period

 

[Spark]

They were going at almost 10 an over yesterday for a period

In the first hour yeah which was the one time in the game where it did really look ropey. And even then it wasn't the defensive field which saved them but an unplayable ball. They got a much better handle on things after Root ran past one though.

 

[Burgey]

Khawaja batted brilliantly but England would have been miles ahead

They wouldn't have been though, because their line up isn't suited to grinding it out in a more traditional way. Which is fine and not a knock on them, but it's pretty hilarious hearing people bemoaning their side playing loose shots when the entire MO which has brought them recent success is about going as hard at the ball as possible. It's the price you buy them at.

 

[Burgey]

Still 174 needed.

 

[Adders]

Still 174 needed.

15 - 20 too many imo