*Official* Fifth Test at the Oval

[Tangles]

They have all mentally checked out. Great sign for the test.

 

[FBU]

Can't believe how good the Aussie bowlers are with the bat. Marsh, Cummins and Lyon top scorers.

 

[social]

Smith got a blob against a bloke who doesn't move it off the straight (although he is quick tbf), not a great sign.

Just saw the "highlights" and tbf it was a very good ball

If you want a laugh, checkout Watto's dismissal - dead straight, medium-paced full ball that he played all across

Like an instant replay of so many of his other dismissals

 

[Dan]

Yeah Chambers is distinctly not terrible. Zero consistency, but can bowl the odd beauty.

 

[Redbacks]

Pretty sure he only moved to England as an adult for cricketing reasons too; he played for South Australia in youth cricket.

Was a lighting quick bowler at youth level.

 

[Dan]

I really do feel like Cummins should play. Reactionary? Yeah, but FMD he's got the ability to be an absolute gun and I want to see him bowl with the red ball again.

 

[91Jmay]

Yeah Chambers is distinctly not terrible. Zero consistency, but can bowl the odd beauty.

Yeah he is fast. Genuine express pace.

 

[Tangles]

I really do feel like Cummins should play. Reactionary? Yeah, but FMD he's got the ability to be an absolute gun and I want to see him bowl with the red ball again.

My reservations are fitness based. He has only been bowling 10 overs a day and hasn't played FC really since his injuries started. A breakdown during a test would suck for him and the team.

 

[Gnske]

Might as well play him, he'll outscore most of the team on recent form.

 

[Compton]

My reservations are fitness based. He has only been bowling 10 overs a day and hasn't played FC really since his injuries started. A breakdown during a test would suck for him and the team.

Bowled 20 overs in a day against Northants. No reason he'd have to bowl more than that in a day against England.

Then again, with Australia's batting lineup, he won't get much of a rest between innings.

 

[SteveNZ]

Bmac is a wonderful man.

Ashes hero Ian Bell reveals how round of golf with positive thinker Brendon McCullum put him on a par with Ian Botham | Daily Mail Online

I love it that Brendon is absolutely dead keen to pitch in and help England win (or more likely Australia lose). Every month that goes by I like him more.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I keep forgetting this Test is a thing. For a split second I even wondered why they were playing a three-day warmup before the one dayers.

It's weird too because I'll win a lot of money if it's a draw (bet on England 3-1 as the series score before it started) so I should be invested. It's just such a meh.

It is a thing though as if we win we go above Australia in the rankings into 2nd place.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Selvey saying Hazlewood is being ditched on twitter. Dressed up as shin soreness.

 

[Top_Cat]

Ok so it's only a pretty ordinary county lineup but is anyone really surprised that Cummins has stood up when virtually everyone else bar Marsh has failed? #pleasedontbreakhim

Yeah, exactly. Some blokes just know how to cricket. No FC cricket in two years, Bowls his balls off with the best economy then top-scores with the bat. Right now, there's no 'form' for a guy that good, if he's fit you pick him because he does the business himself and lifts everyone around him.

It was astounding how many times he hit the winning runs for NSW last year. Always brings value to the game.

 

[NUFAN]

Yeah, exactly. Some blokes just know how to cricket. No FC cricket in two years, Bowls his balls off with the best economy then top-scores with the bat. Right now, there's no 'form' for a guy that good, if he's fit you pick him because he does the business himself and lifts everyone around him.

It was astounding how many times he hit the winning runs for NSW last year. Always brings value to the game.

Or we could just play Siddle!

 

[Spikey]

i'd just pick both of them but i guess mj wont be dropped

 

[LegionOfBrad]

I realise this has probably been brought up but the bowlers while not great haven't exactly been the biggest issue. They've tried pretty much every batsman in the touring party already haven't they?

 

[91Jmay]

Hazelwood has been very poor so has well earned his dropping. Cummins I've never seen play outside of a warm up game vs PMIX and some ODIs where he got smashed about by Bell a little bit. His hype is through the roof though and his test figures against SA very impressive so I am excited to see him play.

 

[GIMH]

I saw what I think was his debut in SA and he was quality

 

[dermo]

an attack of cummins, starc and johnson could go bad very quickly