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

[Furball]

but at 131-4 would have snatched anyone’s hands off for a score over 400.

What about at 360/4?

 

[Gob]

lol this

 

[S.Kennedy]

Nahh. England have only really won two days (4th day 2nd test, 1st day 3rd test) thus far. It has been a quite good series though. The Indian series had one competitive test, the first one; I remember England being utter dross. India v Australia however - now that was a series!!

 

[Johns]

ENGLAND should fight back

England bowlers didn't bowled a lot of bouncers to Australian yesterday especially Steve smith.

 

[hazsa19]

This is the most balanced Ashes series I've seen since 2005, there is a fight from both the teams every session. The series score does not do justice to how good the cricket has been.

2013 in England had some good matches. TB and Chester Le Street could have gone either way.

I get what you mean though. There have been some really compelling sessions in this series, but then England/ Australia will go and lose/ win the match in an hour of madness/ brilliance.

 

[adub]

General advise to bowlers bowling to Smith - get him out early.
General advise to bowlers bowling to Smith when plan A doesn't work - give him a single.

The Poms have maybe 30 minutes this morning to put plan A into action. Otherwise they really should go to plan B and keep him off strike as much as possible. They need 7 wickets. That doesn't have to include S Smith and everyone else they are set to bowl to today has big question marks. I'm sure the English would be delighted to have Smith 150* if they can roll us for <350. If they let him dominate and see a fair share of the strike then plan C - bat big in the 3rd innings, is what they'll need.

 

[adub]

This is the most balanced Ashes series I've seen since 2005, there is a fight from both the teams every session. The series score does not do justice to how good the cricket has been.

The 2009 Ashes was a thing you know.

 

[stephen]

The 2009 Ashes was a thing you know.

Despite the scorecard it wasn't that close of a series.

 

[Woodster]

What about at 360/4?

Like I said in the post mate, from our overnight position and what we went onto in the morning it was disappointing to get just over 400.

 

[Compton]

England bowlers didn't bowled a lot of bouncers to Australian yesterday especially Steve smith.

Bouncers aren’t nearly as effective at the pace of the English seamers.

 

[adub]

Despite the scorecard it wasn't that close of a series.

Rubbish. Rain pretty much saved England in the 1st . Australia had two bad tests and were pretty much dominant for the other three (although the 3rd was closer and a late Aussie collapse in the 2nd dig would have given England a sniff, but at effectively 262/5 with Clarke on 100 not out it was pretty much the loss of the whole of day three that saved them). England dominated the other two. I don't know how you can define that as anything but an even series.

 

[adub]

Bouncers aren’t nearly as effective at the pace of the English seamers.

Yeah, at 130 or so on a true bouncing wicket they're 4 balls to anyone with a cut and pull shot.

 

[GIMH]

Rubbish. Rain pretty much saved England in the 1st . Australia had two bad tests and were pretty much dominant for the other three (although the 3rd was closer and a late Aussie collapse in the 2nd dig would have given England a sniff, but at effectively 262/5 with Clarke on 100 not out it was pretty much the loss of the whole of day three that saved them). England dominated the other two. I don't know how you can define that as anything but an even series.

Agree with that but I guess there wasn’t really a close match. Edgbaston could have been. Hard to know what happens in that one without the weather.

 

[Spark]

Agree with that but I guess there wasn’t really a close match. Edgbaston could have been. Hard to know what happens in that one without the weather.

These sides don't really do close matches tbf

 

[stephen]

Rubbish. Rain pretty much saved England in the 1st . Australia had two bad tests and were pretty much dominant for the other three (although the 3rd was closer and a late Aussie collapse in the 2nd dig would have given England a sniff, but at effectively 262/5 with Clarke on 100 not out it was pretty much the loss of the whole of day three that saved them). England dominated the other two. I don't know how you can define that as anything but an even series.

That series was a bunch of one sided smashings. The final tally does not reflect how one sided each match actually was.

 

[GIMH]

These sides don't really do close matches tbf

No and even some painted as close don’t reflect it in the score

The first test in 2013 was seriously close. Every other ‘close’ match since 2005 has wound up with a big scorecard margin (I’m drunk so may be forgetting something)

 

[GIMH]

That series was a bunch of one sided smashings. The final tally does not reflect how one sided each match actually was.

Not sure what your point is here

England beat Australia twice, both decisively
Australia destroyed England once
Australia had the absolute better of England in one other match but couldn’t get Monty Panesar or James Anderson out when given an hour to do so

The remaining match could arguably have gone either way without the weather

 

[GIMH]

I’m somewhat intoxicated but I guess I do get your point which is that there weren’t any close matches but I’d say the score did just about reflect the series, as England just about had the better of one drawn match whereas Australia did the other.

No chance I’ll be up for the start of play in the morning. Fingers crossed when I wake up we are batting again.

 

[adub]

That series was a bunch of one sided smashings. The final tally does not reflect how one sided each match actually was.

That's called moving the goalposts.

The series was exceptionally close. You can have a close series with one sided matches. Two games each where one side was clearly on top and a 5th game where it could have gone either way is a pretty balanced series.

 

[adub]

I’m somewhat intoxicated but I guess I do get your point which is that there weren’t any close matches but I’d say the score did just about reflect the series, as England just about had the better of one drawn match whereas Australia did the other.

No chance I’ll be up for the start of play in the morning. Fingers crossed when I wake up we are batting again.

See you when you wake up Sunday,