*Official* Fourth Test (Old Trafford, Manchester) 19-23 July

[Ashes81]

Unbelievable knock from Crawley - took apart the attack after a nervy start.

 

[loterry1994]

Englands batting and bowling just been more settled than Australia. Surprising it’s 2-1 to Aus. Yeah England had their top 5 nicking off in some innings but they’ve pretty much all played a big innings this series. And their bowlers have dragged a lot of innings back

 

[loterry1994]

They’ve only bowled 50 overs, you’d have a point if they’d been in the field for a day or two. 3 bowlers and 2 all rounders should be able to handle this much. In all likelihood Murphy would not have somehow saved this abject performance.

Selection isn’t the problem here, they’ve just been junk.

murphy wouldn’t of done jack all this test I reckon

 

[subshakerz]

Superb innings, but lot of inside edges and nicks going through slips.

This is Crawley we are talking about.

 

[Michelle Fivefer]

This may not be as exciting now.

Depends what you mean by exciting, Don’t want too many alarms or a clatter of wickets.

 

[Kirkut]

They’ve only bowled 50 overs, you’d have a point if they’d been in the field for a day or two. 3 bowlers and 2 all rounders should be able to handle this much. In all likelihood Murphy would not have somehow saved this abject performance.

Selection isn’t the problem here, they’ve just been junk.

You'd thought that they would have come up with a strategy in the 10 day break, but then they switched to short ball tactic when hit for runs.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

They can still pick up wickets and slow the rate

Damage is done.

Bowled out you'd imagine a 150 lead at least from here so that is hard to turn round

 

[Aidan11]

Depends what you mean by exciting, Don’t want too many alarms or a clatter of wickets.

I want Bazball. Should have sent Wood in instead of Brook

 

[flibbertyjibber]

This may not be as exciting now.

I'd take 3 an over and no wickets from here. Done the damage already

 

[91Jmay]

It might work but surely first 10 balls you bowl normally at a new bat not just give him singles

 

[Spark]

murphy wouldn’t of done jack all this test I reckon

I don't think he'd have had much of a bowl tbh

 

[Spark]

It might work but surely first 10 balls you bowl normally at a new bat not just give him singles

Bowl normally? What is this magic of which you speak

 

[Silver Silva]

Englands batting and bowling just been more settled than Australia. Surprising it’s 2-1 to Aus. Yeah England had their top 5 nicking off in some innings but they’ve pretty much all played a big innings this series. And their bowlers have dragged a lot of innings back

Khawaja was brilliant in the first Test batted all 5 days and Smith got a hundred at Lords ,that's what helped Australia to a 2-0 lead ..

 

[Whistler]

How are Australia getting away with an over rate of 11? That’s intentionally taking time out of the game and unsporting.

 

[Aidan11]

Will Broad be required for Nighthawk duties?

 

[loterry1994]

I honestly don’t think it’ll rain as much as the forecasts say

 

[91Jmay]

Really proud of Tubby completely ignoring that absolute dung from Butcher

 

[Spark]

I honestly don’t think it’ll rain as much as the forecasts say

Have you seen the latest? It's absurdly grim for the weekend

 

[loterry1994]

The over rate argument is weird I think you have to sometimes take things into consideration. Like when you don’t have a main spinner or like today when the bowlers are getting thrashed around the park for a boundary or two an over. Getting that ball back from the fence is pretty much the same as a ball being bowled it wastes time. There hasn’t been much dots as well

 

[91Jmay]

Yeah, don't mind seeing that. That is a pearoller