***Official*** 3rd Test at the WACA

[oblongballs]

I think Moeen has mostly got out to Lyon before this last (soft) dismissal.

Yeah, it was 4 in 4 to Lyon I think...but bounced out, sure guys.

 

[hazsa19]

Think Moeen will be (should be) a selection victim of this series.

Don't get me wrong, imo a Moeen innings is as good viewing as it gets. But he's just not consistent enough in either discipline. We need to invest in the young spinners we have and get someone in we think can go on to be a Test class spinner, not a Batsmen who can bowl a bit.

Probably need to start preparing flatter wickets too because we seem to have forgotten how to play proper test cricket in tough environments.

 

[Compton]

Moeen has 33 wickets @ 28 this year.

He’s fine.

 

[Burgey]

Yeah, Broad kept it tight in the first two Tests and I thought he was the best of England's bowlers in Brisbane. But he tailed off in Adelaide and he was woeful here.

Yeah but he’s getting nothing results. And it’s killing them.

On a happier note, Stoneman, Vince and Malan really look promising for England. I don’t know that Vince is a long term number three, but he could do some damage in the middle order. I could watch him bat all day.

Stoneman played a bad shot yesterday but otherwise looks fine, and Malan has probably been the surprise packet of the whole series from an England POV.

 

[GIMH]

That’s what makes Cook and Root’s failures all the more frustrating tbf.

Okay Cook may well be done. But Root really should be doing better.

Vince can consider himself unlucky in this one and certainly is showing more than he was previously.

But one of Cook/Root turning up, coupled with Stokes available and we might actually have been competitive. I don’t think we’d have won the series or anything, but you know.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Root coming out and playing gormless shots across his pads early in his innings is terribly disappointing.

 

[Groundking]

Yeah Root and Broad have been the biggest let downs so far this series, and when 3 out of your 4 standout players (Cook, Root, Anderson and Broad) are miss-firing you're always going to struggle a lot.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Seems to be showers through most of the day.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Think Moeen will be (should be) a selection victim of this series.

Don't get me wrong, imo a Moeen innings is as good viewing as it gets. But he's just not consistent enough in either discipline. We need to invest in the young spinners we have and get someone in we think can go on to be a Test class spinner, not a Batsmen who can bowl a bit.

Probably need to start preparing flatter wickets too because we seem to have forgotten how to play proper test cricket in tough environments.

He was one of the best players in the home summer. Won games single-handedly with the ball and played some brilliant innings from no. 7 (or even no.8?). You can't drop him for struggling against the mighty Australians.

 

[gettingbetter]

I think Moeen will make way - not that he should. That said, that would mean that Crane would play and I think that could stigmatize his career (see Borthwick and Kerrigan). If you had Rashid in the squad, I see small justification.

 

[the big bambino]

Not sure if England would expose Crane like that. If he plays they'll need Moeen if his bowling falls apart under the pressure guys like Smith and Marsh can place on a new spinner. On the assumption that Stokes still wont play this series maybe bring in Wood and Crane for Woakes and Broad. So Anderson, Wood, Overton, Crane and Moeen as the attack. The pacemen have distinct methods from each other and overall the variety is quite a difference to the samey fast medium stuff England have fielded until now.

 

[Pothas]

That’s what makes Cook and Root’s failures all the more frustrating tbf.

Okay Cook may well be done. But Root really should be doing better.

Vince can consider himself unlucky in this one and certainly is showing more than he was previously.

But one of Cook/Root turning up, coupled with Stokes available and we might actually have been competitive. I don’t think we’d have won the series or anything, but you know.

Yeah we would have taken this contribution from the 3 batsmen that were completely unproven coming into the series. At least Vince has shown why I have been going on about him for about 5 or 6 years, don't think I will ever find a player as frustrating, but I still can't ever quite give up.

This is the first time Root has annoyed me, the conversion thing before never really bothered me but we needed him to be so much better here.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Stuart McGill apparently rates Crane quite highly. On the evidence of what I have seen from him so far, I can only assume Stu had enjoyed a couple of bottles of premium Hunter Valley red beforehand.

 

[Burgey]

What an indictment on the ground staff.

 

[eleven]

C'mon the draw

 

[morgieb]

The pitch report sounds really worrying if true.

I'll be very annoyed if people bag out the declaration decision because of this.

 

[morgieb]

It's very annoying that invariably when a rain-affected draw happens to Australia, it's always when they're ahead in the game. Haven't been saved by the rain for many years.

 

[Cabinet96]

Water getting through the covers overnight is considered village at club level ffs.

 

[quincywagstaff]

Apparently Simon Katich commented that the affected areas on the pitch are like playdough.

What an utter humiliation this would be for Cricket Australia if the day had to be abandoned. And with Mitch Starc now under an injury cloud things could be looking up for England!

 

[Cabinet96]

It's very annoying that invariably when a rain-affected draw happens to Australia, it's always when they're ahead in the game. Haven't been saved by the rain for many years.

Had a days worth of cricket rained off in Adelaide 2010 tbf. There was the opportunity there.