*Official* Fourth Test (Old Trafford, Manchester) 19-23 July

[the big bambino]

Starc has a shoulder injury. Too short turnaround between tests.

Maybe or not. They are still expecting him to bowl.

 

[Woodster]

I genuinely think he's the best bowler in the world, but Paddy palpably looks like he's blowing out of his arse just now. Needs to hit the pine, IMHO, but with him being the skipper I guess it's a massive call.

Bowler of his quality shouldn't be going at nigh on 6 an over in tests, Bazball or not.

Think he needs to be stripped of the armband for his own good. Seems pretty bloody ordinary at it too. Head the obvious replacement now he's established beyond any reasonable doubt.

Yes completely agree on Cummins, he needs to find something from somewhere. No hiding place when you’re skipper, he’s having to play every Test, be the main man with the ball, skipper the side under intense scrutiny, he just looked shot yesterday. His dropped catch would not normally happen if he wasn’t frazzled.

Still wouldn’t back against him coming back today with a match changing spell mind!

 

[Zinzan]

Brilliant from England, they've given themselves enough time now to force a result even if Saturday is a washout (assuming we get full overs today and Sunday). They really deserve the 2-2 scoreline going into the 5th test.... here's hoping!

 

[Kirkut]

@Spark @Prince EWS Ban him for supporting racism.

Banning me won't change the reality. It's happening in broad daylight all the time, xenophobic hosts prepare raging turners and ensure that immigrants (touring sides) don't feel comfortable. There are some unruly immigrants with their bazball nonsense and we'll teach them how to integrate

 

[Bahseph]

Brilliant from England, they've given themselves enough time now to force a result even if Saturday is a washout (assuming we get full overs today and Sunday). They really deserve the 2-2 scoreline going into the 5th test.... here's hoping!

I might be getting on the wrong side of my Aussie CW posters here but 2-2 going into the final Test is what I want as a neutral. I don't think this is over yet though. Australia have enough guns to atleast get a draw from this game, and England definitely wanting to win this might give them an opportunity to snatch an unlikely win.

 

[straw man]

Crawley WAG. I went to bed when Crawley and Moeen were at the crease and thought, aside from advancing England's cause, it would be particularly frustrating for Australia if those two kept edging and missing, while middling the balls in between to the boundary. At that strike rate it doesn't take long to take the game away.

Wow...hell of a scorecard.

I don't usually say this sort of thing because people are entitled to their opinion but there is a bit of humble pie to be eaten with some England fans, especially the ones who attacked Crawley and saying he was only in the side because Daddy has money. Which has always patently been false. He has severely underdelivered but always been the best technical strokemaker by a country mile and other guys (Lees, Hameed, Sibley, Burns) have been tried as traditional stodgy opening bats and not offered anything.

England's inner circle have always known he's a hell of a talent and **** he's delivered in spades today. I'm over the moon for him, seems like a nice fella and is genuinely thrilling to watch.

I don't know if I'd go this far - he's just a guy with great ballstriking ability (lowest golf handicap in the England team they said) but still great big technical holes that bowlers have managed to exploit most of the time. Bowl a foot outside off and he'll edge behind, as other posters have said. If cricket was a game of hitting legstump half volleys to the fence then yes, Crawley is glorious, but I don't think previous criticism of his place in the England team has all been unfair.

 

[Alex0paul]

Looks like rain all day today

 

[mackembhoy]

Wow...hell of a scorecard.

I don't usually say this sort of thing because people are entitled to their opinion but there is a bit of humble pie to be eaten with some England fans, especially the ones who attacked Crawley and saying he was only in the side because Daddy has money. Which has always patently been false. He has severely underdelivered but always been the best technical strokemaker by a country mile and other guys (Lees, Hameed, Sibley, Burns) have been tried as traditional stodgy opening bats and not offered anything.

England's inner circle have always known he's a hell of a talent and **** he's delivered in spades today. I'm over the moon for him, seems like a nice fella and is genuinely thrilling to watch.

He's taken the drop well unlike everyone else England has tried. Really taken Ben and Brendon advice to play for England again.

First to 1000 runs in the CC striking at 75s. 4 tons in his last 5 innings. So I'd not lump him with the others now.

Durham have been playing their own version of bazball scoring 5-6s most of the season. Batting points galore. As they moved it to 450 instead of 400 for max cos of bazball.

Lees and bedingham put on a 310 in partnership yesterday. They were 292 from 300 balls. Not sure what they ended on balls wise, as got a little bit harder as they both departed. Lees 176 after 195 last week.

RE Crawley he's all made us look stupid. They really couldn't care less if he averages 30 if he plays this sort of knock once in a blue moon. Obviously they'd hope he plays more than 3 or 4 in 30 odd tests or whatever he's played now.

 

[straw man]

Bazball England really do prefer batting second and chasing in the fourth innings, huh. This and the third Ashes test (while losing the first batting first and declaring prematurely), and the three fourth innings chases against NZ at home last summer. Even the second Ashes test that they lost chasing approximately followed that formula, just a little short.

Flatter pitches have to play a significant part in this too.

 

[Gob]

Looks like rain all day today

Where do you get that

Today looks fine as it stands

 

[morgieb]

Where do you get that

Today looks fine as it stands

I just checked the Met Office, it's now saying rain from 12-3pm and fairly heavy rain. Does not look promising for much cricket unfortunately.

Sunday's forecast is at least better now though. Still dicey, but better.

 

[Molehill]

I just checked the Met Office, it's now saying rain from 12-3pm and fairly heavy rain. Does not look promising for much cricket unfortunately.

Sunday's forecast is at least better now though. Still dicey, but better.

I'm struggling to see how England can force a result. They can play until 7.30pm today and may well have to as I suspect they'll lose some time this morning. But I'm still not sure how much play they'll get on Sunday. Nobody should even bother turning up tomorrow.

England's only chance is to smash a quick 150 and then hope to find that spot Hazlewood got for Root 10 times.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Australia held off Bazball throughout this series though and this is the first time it really broke free. They threatened to do it few times but Aust somehow drag it back with wickets

Mostly by stupid dismissals, multiple stumpings, happy hooking etc...

We rode our luck early on but after Crawley got to 50 apart from a couple of inside edges he was basically in control and it was a brutal innings. Root was lucky with a couple early but then played beautifully. Aussies fell apart totally and Smith and Cummins both looked like rabbits trapped in headlights as they attempted to stem the flow of runs.

 

[Gob]

Mostly by stupid dismissals, multiple stampings, happy hooking etc...

We rode our luck early on but after Crawley got to 50 apart from a couple of inside edges he was basically in control and it was a brutal innings. Root was lucky with a couple early but then played beautifully. Aussies fell apart totally and Smith and Cummins both looked like rabbits trapped in headlights as they attempted to stem the flow of runs.

All of that goes hand in hand with Bazball

As I said earlier, I did not get to watch from the second session onwards but they there were plenty of chances in the first session. Looks like they went in with the short **** again and lost the plot

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I genuinely think he's the best bowler in the world, but Paddy palpably looks like he's blowing out of his arse just now. Needs to hit the pine, IMHO, but with him being the skipper I guess it's a massive call.

Bowler of his quality shouldn't be going at nigh on 6 an over in tests, Bazball or not.

Think he needs to be stripped of the armband for his own good. Seems pretty bloody ordinary at it too. Head the obvious replacement now he's established beyond any reasonable doubt.

5th test in a very short space after no cricket for months is catching up with him. He looks shattered, Hazelwood also had no cricket for longer so looks tired and off it too. Two huge players off form in such a big match is massive and then there is Starcs injury too. How they stop the rot today is anyone's guess, I imagine Bazball will be in full flow from early with Brook, Stokes, Bairstow and Wood getting full licence to go nuts.

 

[Gob]

I just checked the Met Office, it's now saying rain from 12-3pm and fairly heavy rain. Does not look promising for much cricket unfortunately.

Sunday's forecast is at least better now though. Still dicey, but better.

Today should be okay as per weather.com

Blah no point. They don't deserve to save this by weather with the kind of cricket played

 

[Molehill]

As I said earlier, I did not get to watch from the second session onwards but they there were plenty of chances in the first session. Looks like they went in with the short **** again and lost the plot

That's precisely what happened and I think the pace of this much wicket is far truer which made pulling and hooking a fairly safe shot. At no point did it look like getting either of them out as they were always able to get on top of it.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

All of that goes hand in hand with Bazball

As I said earlier, I did not get to watch from the second session onwards but they there were plenty of chances in the first session. Looks like they went in with the short **** again and lost the plot

The 2nd session was abysmal. Cummins and Smith looked like the Chuckle brothers with all the pointing and silly faces it was ' To me to you' with changes of the field after things happened all the time.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

That's precisely what happened and I think the pace of this much wicket is far truer which made pulling and hooking a fairly safe shot. At no point did it look like getting either of them out as they were always able to get on top of it.

Root was close with his 2nd pull to holing out but it fell short.

 

[chris.hinton]

Australia fans i hope you don't stay up for the latest day of pain