*Official* England v Ireland Test

[Howe_zat]

15/0, hmm, nothing happening yet, guess I'll get some work done

*refresh*

Oh that's nice

 

[Chin Music]

I have a meeting to attend in about 20 minutes so will have to log off then from watching. Sterling needs to take advantage of his overturned LBW if this game might continue to have some interest.

 

[chris.hinton]

Too easy. We are showing Australia we mean Business and having extra time to prepare

Broad is warming up

 

[chris.hinton]

This test will last for just 3 days

 

[Burgey]

Lack of a fifth bowler combined with England’s aging attack being exposed here with Leach on in the 12th over day one under leaden skies. You’d ideally want seam (they aren’t quick) from both ends but you can’t blame Stokes for not trusting Broad’s infirm frame to bowl a second spell so soon.

Will be the same with Cumulonimbus. Real problems ahead if/ when they play together in a four man attack.

 

[Starfighter]

 

[BoyBrumby]

Good to see Hand handed a cap. Hope he takes the chance with both hands, etc.

Is his first name pronounced "fin" or "fee-on"? My cousin has a daughter called Ffion. Just sayin'...

 

[Son Of Coco]

View attachment 35916

 

[Starfighter]

Can someone opine on what the pitch is like? Someone on Reddit posted an article in the Telegraph about they had dug up the whole top surface in order to try make it more BazBall favourable.

 

[Burgey]

It seems a bit two paced to me, but tbf its day one and cloudy. Some aren’t carrying through very well while the odd one has taken off. Doesn’t seem to have done too much really

 

[Starfighter]

It seems a bit two paced to me, but tbf its day one and cloudy. Some aren’t carrying through very well while the odd one has taken off. Doesn’t seem to have done too much really

The article said the specific aim was to make the ball come onto the bat and make it not two-paced. Make of that what you will.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

That was way too soft of a dismissal.

 

[Burgey]

The article said the specific aim was to make the ball come onto the bat and make it not two-paced. Make of that what you will.

I think it’s early season tbf, session one and pretty cloudy. Can’t base a likely season on this

 

[Howe_zat]

Quite a strong opening session given the only bowler with problems seems to be Tongue.

 

[ataraxia]

Just thought I might point out that that is genuinely the easiest catch imaginable.

 

[Starfighter]

The number of batsmen who can actually play the sweep is about a tenth of those who think they can.

 

[Howe_zat]

Quite a strong opening session given the only bowler with problems seems to be Tongue.

You'd have hoped for more penetration.

 

[Ashes81]

Pretty much as you'd expect for the first session.

Some early wickets - a combination of some decent bowling and a couple of poor shots.

I'd like to have seen us bat first, just to test our top order in tricky conditions.

When we bat conditions will be better and we'll probably tonk 400 or so in a day but won't really show us anything ahead of the Ashes.

 

[Aidan11]

Excellent first session by England. And Broad.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

26 overs in one session is pathetic from England