1st Test, Edgbaston, Birmingham

[Starfighter]

Can't wait to see what hyperbolic headlines appear tomorrow (and cringe).

 

[ajdude]

view’s pretty good from the top of the world test championship table

 

[trundler]

All round awful from England. Squandered a winning position in the first dig them squandered a decent lead and let Wade get a century. Let Australia grind them into the dust. And can we finally admit that having a few no rounders doesn't make up for a flaky top order? Pattinson was very unlucky in the first innings, I thought. Lyon stepped up. If your spinner can't win you a game on a pitch like this he's worthless. Epic match performance from Smith. Cummins looks like he's back.

 

[Starfighter]

Australia were paying $7 to win at the end of day 2 fyi

England were still ahead yesterday morning iirc. Something like $1.61 to $2.40.

 

[NotMcKenzie]

Even if we lose the rest of the tests, I just want to say [think: "Bill Lawry"]:

Stick that up your collective a***s, Birmingham

 

[wpdavid]

Australia were paying $7 to win at the end of day 2 fyi

Maybe. but that was always nonsense to anyone's who's actually been watching England this year,

 

[trundler]

Those two Smith tons have to be up there with any of the other great performances in cricket history. I dont think there's ever been a pair of tons that influential to a result.

Those usually come on roads or at home against weaker sides so this is comfortably the best match performance I've seen

 

[wpdavid]

England were still ahead yesterday morning iirc. Something like $1.61 to $2.40.

As I said to Mr Mister - sometimes the bookies are just wrong.

 

[mr_mister]

Maybe. but that was always nonsense to anyone's who's actually been watching England this year,

Not maybe, definitely. Can you show my bet slip if you’d like

 

[Starfighter]

Funny how active flibberty was on Thursday night, now he's completely disappeared. I can imagine he'll be back as sneeringly as ever if England go on and do well and win.

 

[trundler]

So should Bairstow be binned or what

 

[lordscc]

Pathetic performance really.

 

[lordscc]

So should Bairstow be binned or what

Yes, bring in Foakes

 

[Test_Fan_Only]

England test side for the next test.

Burns, Sibley, Balance, Root, Northeast, Stokes, Foakes, Woakes, Archer, Broad, Leach.

Cannot do any worse than the current lot.

 

[wpdavid]

Those two Smith tons have to be up there with any of the other great performances in cricket history. I dont think there's ever been a pair of tons that influential to a result.

I put them up there with Steve Waugh's twin tons on a tricky Old Trafford wicket in 1997. On that occasion, Australia were actually trailing in the series 0-1, and 0-2 may have taken some turning around. Instead they coasted home in the usual fashion. Probably against a better England attack too, although Caddick's no-show was about as useful as Anderson's injury this time.

 

[wpdavid]

Not maybe, definitely. Can you show my bet slip if you’d like

That's not quite what I meant
Even if it is what I typed.
My point stands that the odds were nonsense though.

 

[Niall]

So should Bairstow be binned or what

Not sure how you can justify keeping him, his test numbers have been horrific recently.

 

[hazsa19]

So should Bairstow be binned or what

Wasn't that long ago that he scored back to back hundreds. Leach and Archer will come in.

 

[wpdavid]

Yes, bring in Foakes (for Bairstow)

I'd bring in Curran and hand the gloves to Buttler.

And Leach for Moeen would be a ,massive improvement too.

 

[Spikey]

Those two Smith tons have to be up there with any of the other great performances in cricket history. I dont think there's ever been a pair of tons that influential to a result.

I can't think of anything else like it off the top of my head. Steve Waugh 97 doesn't work imo because Aus had a 80 odd lead going into their second innings