1st Test, Edgbaston, Birmingham

[morgieb]

Think it's going to be easier to list who stays in the XI for the second test than who goes at this rate.

Jimmy is broken, Moeen looks utterly shot, Woakes was blowing out of his arse yesterday, Denly patently not of the requisite quality, Roy not looking a test opener's arsehole and YJB must be on last warning too.

Next Test is in more than a week so I think Woakes should be fit for next week.

But I think the other changes probably have to happen for the reasons you say. I feel like Roy might be saved because the 70-odd against Ireland was only three innings ago and I suspect YJB won't go just yet but I think the others look really vulnerable.

 

[SandshoeCrusher]

**** me. Game over. That Yellow Bastard ripping through us as predicted.

He's ripping through some yellow pommy bats eh!

 

[stephen]

Australia have always had the wood on Ali. Might as well being in another Valleys boy. VDCC representing for two countries and not for the first time.

 

[stephen]

Lyon turning it square.

 

[Starfighter]

That's a good take from Smith.

 

[morgieb]

Dominant session, needless to say. Lyon looks pretty lethal, and the quicks are bowling great too. Easier situation admittedly but this is what a great team bowling performance looks like.

 

[GIMH]

Stokes & Buttler should be sitting watching Paul Collingwood rearguards over lunch.

I remember one in SA in 09 and he batted all day. My mate was listening to TMS while working, he was in and out the car. Hadn't caught Colly's score but he'd batted so long he assumed a ton must be coming up.

Finally he hears...'Collingwood moves onto 23...'

That's how you bat to save a game.

 

[GotSpin]

Great all round performance

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Batsman could still be hard to dislodge once they get set. The remaining personnel doesn't inspire confidence that that's necessarily very likely.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Love to see that sheepish grin wiped off Root's face when things don't look so good. Not all fun n games is it now?

 

[Burgey]

Can see a road block coming. Buttler, though a hapless, clueless slogger is the vice skipper after all and will try to knuckle down, while Stokes is England’s second best bat and rapidly becoming their best.

Still expect Australia to win with plenty to spare, but wouldn’t surprise if these two held us up before a quick collapse ends it

And Australia’s bowling has been relentless tbf. This is how they were first three tests against India too, but they were constantly defending 150 instead

 

[trundler]

Well that's gone unexpectedly.. Not

 

[OverratedSanity]

Can see a road block coming. Buttler, though a hapless, clueless slogger is the vice skipper after all and will try to knuckle down, while Stokes is England’s second best bat and rapidly becoming their best.

Still expect Australia to win with plenty to spare, but wouldn’t surprise if these two held us up before a quick collapse ends it

And Australia’s bowling has been relentless tbf. This is how they were first three tests against India too, but they were constantly defending 150 instead

Buttler has actually shown the ability to grind it out on occasion. His partnership with stokes vs India last year came in a similarly hopeless situation.

 

[hazsa19]

With all the well known weaknesses in our side, I still would never have thought we would be chasing nominal 400 to win after a 1st innings lead of 90. Hell of a task to recover from this.

 

[Starfighter]

What a beauty!

 

[Son Of Coco]

That'll do it.

 

[stephen]

That was the perfect fast bowler dismissal.

 

[mr_mister]

Hack freud

 

[King Pietersen]

FFS. This is awful.

 

[Burgey]

This is going to be a paddling. Christ, from 8/120 day one to this. Crazy.

So may of you are too young to remember 89. This smells of it.