***Official*** 1st Test at Brisbane

[Son Of Coco]

Just catching up on some pre-game news and I saw the video Stokes sent the team. It seems pretty bizarre to me. I can't make head nor tail of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9xTv3aclPQ

 

[Gnske]

Just catching up on some pre-game news and I saw the video Stokes sent the team. It seems pretty bizarre to me. I can't make head nor tail of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9xTv3aclPQ

Uhh.....

That's the wrong video I think.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I'm encouraged by it also being that the prediction was ''England would get skittled for'' something ridiculous like ''ninety by Australia's answer to Roberts, Holding and Garner''. Instead, we saw Australia's medium paced plodders blaming the wicket at one stage and Starc pulling facial distortions even more pronounced than his normal ones.

 

[Starfighter]

I'll be interested to see how Chris Woakes goes on this pitch.

 

[91Jmay]

Hard to know what to think. If that's as well as England can bat then they look to be in trouble for the rest of the series. Its a lot of grind and scrap to lose only 4 wickets and still only share the honours. Then again their plan has a chance as England's lower order seems to have more flair and could run away with the game after the top order wears out our fast bowlers. Pretty tight margin on that plan working though.

I don't think a call can be made on our controversial selections so far. I'm not sure we missed a 5th bowler today and even if one of Henriques, Christian, Maxwell or Cartwright were in the XI, Smith would not have risked their filth when keeping the run rate tight became our mission on this flat wicket. Besides Lyon did his job as well as that of the 5th bowler today. When Paine dropped that catch I thought his whole day and career depended on how many more Vince got. Turned out not many. So he was lucky and can live to be judged another day thanks to the fielding of the man he let down. In fact Lyon has wiped a lot of egg from the selector's faces today with his efforts at the bowling crease and in the field.

Not sure how our two best players failing can be seen as the best we can do?

Overall happy with the day, our batting line up is laughable and we didn't lose the Test already. We were watchful on a flat but slow pitch. I thought Aussies bowled well, excellent control throughout with Cummins showing his potential.

 

[harsh.ag]

Nah disagree with this. From an England pov I'm encouraged by today's efforts. We've made it a habit of being 30 odd for 3 the last few years with our middle lower order getting us to passable totals, to be 194/4 with all the bats we were most worried about getting some runs is a good sign I think.

Yeah it was a grind, but it's clear the plan is to make sure the Aussies stay in the field as long as possible and I'm not going to complain about these blokes putting such a high price on their wickets.

Just think Root should be the one to put the pedal on the gas. Esp in a situation where the top 3 have worked to a certain extent.

Also, tbb has a point wrt regression to the mean.

 

[Cow]

We were a bit unlucky. Lyon makes that runout once in twenty.

Starc is defo the bowler to target. Bowling left arm filth today.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Nah disagree with this. From an England pov I'm encouraged by today's efforts. We've made it a habit of being 30 odd for 3 the last few years with our middle lower order getting us to passable totals, to be 194/4 with all the bats we were most worried about getting some runs is a good sign I think.

Yeah it was a grind, but it's clear the plan is to make sure the Aussies stay in the field as long as possible and I'm not going to complain about these blokes putting such a high price on their wickets.

Very even days play I think and if England can get through the new ball with minimal damage tomorrow morning a big score is very much on the cards.

Yeah, getting lots of overs into the 3 man attack who have suspect fitness is a great plan for later in the series with 5 games in 7 weeks. Think that is our plan and it may well work. Also batting long here means we have more chance of avoiding defeat at a banker Aussie ground too.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Not sure how our two best players failing can be seen as the best we can do?

Overall happy with the day, our batting line up is laughable and we didn't lose the Test already. We were watchful on a flat but slow pitch. I thought Aussies bowled well, excellent control throughout with Cummins showing his potential.

Cook is past his best. Mind you, I don't have as much faith in this attack to stay on the line they need to to make sure he doesn't do any damage. I'd hope we don't serve up the multi-line and multi-lengthed **** we managed to deliver in 2010/11 though.

 

[the big bambino]

Not sure how our two best players failing can be seen as the best we can do?

Maybe, but what if there isn't an upside? maybe Cook has tanked as a player and Root's innings looked a struggle. maybe you'll have to get by carrying your 2 most credentialled batsmen rather than being led by them. Don't know. Just have a feeling there aren't too may gears left for England's top order. You'll be looking for consistent runs from the lower order on today's play.

 

[StephenZA]

Maybe, but what if there isn't an upside? maybe Cook has tanked as a player and Root's innings looked a struggle. maybe you'll have to get by carrying your 2 most credentialled batsmen rather than being led by them. Don't know. Just have a feeling there aren't too may gears left for England's top order. You'll be looking for consistent runs from the lower order on today's play.

Describing Eng batting for the last 2 years.... Pity they bat down to no 9 and that Bairstow at 7 is probably their best bat outside Cook and Root. Hence their consistent ability to get to 400+ even when being down 150/4...

 

[MW1304]

The run out was a thing of beauty, have to say. Enjoyed it immensely despite what it did for our innings.

 

[Top_Cat]

Just think Root should be the one to put the pedal on the gas. Esp in a situation where the top 3 have worked to a certain extent.

Need a reason to put pedal to the gas, though. They're facing 3 of the best bowlers in the world and Root absorbed pressure after Stoneman and Vince didn't capitalise. He'd have been rightly smashed had he gotten out trying to force the pace and exposed the others. Bad luck for Root but Malan, Ali, Bairstow and a pretty solid tail have a chance to put 350+ on the board tomorrow with the deck quickening instead of ending the day at 6 or 7 down like a lot of visiting teams to Brisbane do.

 

[MW1304]

Criticism about slow scoring on the first day of a Test match seems to be a very recent phenomenon.

Not to mention some bold conclusions being made off the back of one innings.

 

[JRC67]

First session will be critical tomorrow. If Stokes was with the team I think it would have been advantage England. If England are still batting at lunch I think they'll be in a position to make a defeat unlikely. The biggest plus today is they have got overs in to the suspect bodies of the Aussie quicks. Ideally all 3 will be made to bowl over 30 overs this innings. An England collapse in the first hour remains a real possibility.

 

[GotSpin]

I didn't watch it. And cricinfo's commentary has nothing on it.
Was there any reason to not raise the finger? Perhaps a noise that suggested an inside edge?

In general, I think it is too easily said a wrong decision is a shocker. Especially considering inside edges with LBW-decisions (no idea this was the case here). Traditionally (right or wrong), the suspicion of an inside edge is enough to save a batsman!

Erasmus just straight up ****ed it. It was absolutely plumb

 

[GotSpin]

I'm glad that Warney that defended Paines missed chance by stating 'he hasn't kept much lately'.

Of course he ****ing hasn't

 

[Bijed]

Early days but I'm hopeful Stoneman can see an end to the wheel. I like his game.

Yeah he's showing some good promise. OTOH Cook might not be around for an especially long time more, so whilst it might suffer a slight interruption, the wheel shall continue to be forever.

Also well done Vince. Even if he gets nowhere near this for the rest of the series, he's already proved me wrong.

 

[GotSpin]

Were the Barmy Army split up today? Never heard them being so quiet

 

[Gob]

First session will be critical tomorrow. If Stokes was with the team I think it would have been advantage England. If England are still batting at lunch I think they'll be in a position to make a defeat unlikely. The biggest plus today is they have got overs in to the suspect bodies of the Aussie quicks. Ideally all 3 will be made to bowl over 30 overs this innings. An England collapse in the first hour remains a real possibility.

This is a sort of a wicket on which Aus make their customary 550/7 dec so no i don't think batting by lunch would put them in that situation. Losing only 4 wickets is good by England but they should have made more runs. This reminds me of that Chennai when Aust batted for close to five sessions after dismissing India cheaply but just couldn't score runs quick enough to bring home the advantage