3rd Test at Headingley, Leeds

[Maximas]

Can't blame him for wanting to finish it off in that over.

Yeah while he had the momentum behind him, field up and there wasn't a chance to pinch a single it was the right approach

 

[burr]

Ouch. That was a choke. Brought about by stokes of course who scared the Aussies s***less (as he probably would anyone) but a choke none the less.

Australia really just never win the close ones, as Glenn Mcgrath said on tms

 

[Spark]

Also geez that hour of piss with the new ball ended up being costly hey. Bowl like they did immediately after lunch straight away with the new ball, this probably wraps up before lunch.

 

[Spark]

That last ball from Cummins was rank too. Why couldn't they just go ODI mode and bowl yorker, yorker, yorker?

Mentally shot

 

[mackembhoy]

I thought my heart was going to stop about 5 times in that last partnership.

Absolute unreal scenes. Just hoy the superlatives at that, there aren't enough.

 

[OverratedSanity]

At the moment it happened, he was in a good position to get them home, and should have done so, but made a poor decision (played a shot he'd avoided the whole innings off Lyon) at it would have cost them the game. Is that really not a choke? Or do you have to have it handed to you and then you **** it up at the last minute having slowly let it slip away?

Bit different to Lyon forgetting how hands work though

 

[trundler]

If Stokes had gotten out this would've still been as good as Tendulkar's Chennai innings.

 

[Maximas]

Mentally shot

Physically too, the seamers worked really hard over the two days and it wasn't cold

 

[burr]

Of course where it was really lost was not putting England to bed in innings three. 350 always gettable these days. Hard obviously, but gettable.

 

[cnerd123]

The field you set for Stokes, was 9 fielders in the ring saving the single. He probably hits one of the 2 balls for 4 but you get Leach facing the full over.

They really should have been doing that for the last half of each over, but i reckon Stokes in this form would have taken one boundary and then chipped it over the infield for an easy single

 

[Maximas]

Such a good match thread, with death threats to boot

 

[Spark]

Physically too, the seamers worked really hard over the two days and it wasn't cold

Oh yeah but it seemed pretty clear by the end that there was no real consistency in method to what they were doing, and no real plan other than hope that Stokes picked out a fielder.

The captain really has to do everything to slow the game down in those circumstances. It's the opposite of an ODI chase; time works for the fielding side in those circumstances IMO. The more you can draw it out, the more likely it becomes that the tension and pressure will force an error from the batsman or that you'll get enough balls at the #11 to get him out.

 

[trundler]

Yeah, the tactics were insipid. Gotta feel bad for the bowlers.

Realistically, you'd only expect Smith to come back from this. 05 v2.

 

[cnerd123]

Oh yeah but it seemed pretty clear by the end that there was no real consistency in method to what they were doing, and no real plan other than hope that Stokes picked out a fielder.

The captain really has to do everything to slow the game down in those circumstances. It's the opposite of an ODI chase; time works for the fielding side in those circumstances IMO. The more you can draw it out, the more likely it becomes that the tension and pressure will force an error from the batsman or that you'll get enough balls at the #11 to get him out.

Slow overrates tho

 

[Spark]

Slow overrates tho

Win the game and Paine gets suspended, win-win!

 

[trundler]

To reiterate, this is ****ing crazy. What a game of test cricket. I was in a rickshaw home with 2% battery when that final 4 was hit. Could've been left stranded at 8 pm but it was worth it. ****ing INCREDIBLE.

 

[vcs]

Smith will come back and **** block the English with a couple more epic innings.

This Ashes is great.

 

[GIMH]

Said it earlier today but got to think the slow batting from us yesterday really helped today. We basically played as though for a draw for long chunks and while it meant it took us a bloody long time to get the runs, we were facing very tired bowlers when it came to the crunch.

I think this match may have surpassed Edgbaston 05.

 

[NUFAN]

They really should have been doing that for the last half of each over, but i reckon Stokes in this form would have taken one boundary and then chipped it over the infield for an easy single

Not sure Stokes was capable of that at all. It was either 6, 4, dot or risky single.

Who was it btw who thre the ball to Lyon for his fumble. It was definitely the right height for Lyon, but could have been closer to the stumps.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

To reiterate, this is ****ing crazy. What a game of test cricket. I was in a rickshaw home with 2% battery when that final 4 was hit. Could've been left stranded at 8 pm but it was worth it. ****ing INCREDIBLE.

The miracle of Test Cricket saved you.

Test cricket is the best cricket