Back from the first day at the Gabba. Apart from the rain on the way home it was an excellent day out.Despite Cummins having the best bowling figures , to me Starc always seemed the most dangerous bowler. When Burns was out the first ball of the match the roar was deafening. As has been said, Australia has to get the runs and with unsettled weather it could be a task (especially as Australia are crap).
This is very much the straw to which I am clinging, yes
Judgement. yes.
Aspersions, opinions and premature adjudications are fair game.
OK, so the end result was being dismissed 100 runs short of a pass but some handy bowling and Test standard fielding was unforgiving on any chance ENG offered.
Root, Malan and Stokes nicked off to good deliveries.
Burns looked like his preconceived plan was diametrically opposed to Starc’s preconceived plan. If he’d just stood his ground, a leg glanced boundary to open the innings might have been a different talisman for the series.
Hameed looked good until nicking off to a ball he probably could have let go.
Playing the sheet anchor role he seems to is exceptionally valuable, but stand alone he doesn’t look like he’ll burn you on the scoreboard
Didn’t see enough of Pope, but what I did indicated a guy who was still batting on The Oval rather than being acclimatised to the Gabba.
Buttler and Woakes looked sound enough. You’d take 50 off the combination every innings.
The tail didn’t wag, but then they haven’t really much more credentials.
So, were one to be charitable and gift reasonable luck and 100 runs to Burns, Malan, Root & Stokes and taken some pressure off Hameed you might have got an innings of 250. Problem being you really need 350.
Conversely I’m not convinced this Australian batting line-up can consistently post 350. Reckon they’ll be stumble early but if Labuschagne & Smith can get through the next session that Head, Green and Carey will make the difference.
I’m not convinced this England batting lineup can consistently post 150
I think I may be prepared to pass judgement now.
Looks like we had a chance to salvage some dignity at 236/6, until Head took the game away from us. Dropped catches and missed run outs don’t help, but the lack of depth in bowling is the truly worrying thing. Leach doesn’t worry the Australians and Stokes isn’t fit. So much of England’s success in past years has come from using Stokes to balance the line-up; if we can’t play him we’re going to be a bowler or a batter light.
… the truly worrying thing from today. Worries about depth in batting came yesterday.
Until the third session, I’d have argued with you.
The cricketing gods had smiled on the Aussies.
The toss was a good one to lose. Though it looked green there was little lateral movement from the pitch and the carry to the keeper was good.
Clinical at the crease and in the field.
Conversely, when batting the Aussies rode their luck. A couple of slips could have lead to run outs. Catches went down. Chances fell between fielders. Wood was the pick of the bowlers from either innings and lacked naught but a touch of good fortune.
But they tired and looked to be suspect in fitness. Travis Head took hold of the waning attack and his century in a session would seem likely to set the game up.
My takes from yesterday were
- Cameron Greens non shot said he is not top six material yet,
- Travis Head played an innings that I didn’t think he could. Another innings like that and I could be convinced.
- There was much bleating about Stokes and no balls but really that is a difficulty he has to address.
A couple of points from the day before when I was at the ground- the Gabba is a great viewing ground, although I think it is still unclear given the height of our seats, if humans can find enough oxygen to survive. Beach balls are not funny and can be a danger if they hit someone unawares walking up and down the stairs. The drinks mob- we had a group of young people inside us in the seating row who were constantly wanting to go out to get beer, bring it back, or consequently go to the toilet. The constant train of people doesn’t make viewing easy.
Barmy army are still shit.
Interesting parallel between the sides evidenced by the planned, consistent and effective attack on Leach.
When playing an orthodox finger spinner they need to, through taking wickets or more usually tight line & length, put a tourniquet on the run rate. This buys the rest time for the pace bowlers.
(as a aside. with Cummins being the rarity of being a bowling captain his high rotation of his pace attack was interesting. eg Starc takes a wicket in his first over. Get taken off after his second. I reckon most captains would have given him at least four. )
Better armed with their excess of lefthanders in the order, by hitting Leach out of the attack AUS caused the burden falls on the seamers. Wood and Robinson were chuckin’ 'em down, consistently at or above 150k. Then the lack of preparation comes back to bite.
[Moderating]
Use of racial slurs is not allowed here. This is a use of a racial slur, even with the asterisks. This is an official Warning.
Ouch! I intended that to be ironic, but I see your point, and I apologize unreservedly.
Alliterative, maybe? Because apparently his parents emigrated from India.
I’m not digging myself into a bigger hole here. I’ve already made an ass of myself.
No worries. Googled it and figured it out. I’m a bit clueless on this side of the pond.
I still don’t know and am quite happy with that.
Glory, glory … the Poms are not taking it lying down.
2-190 and 88 behind.
Finishing the day on 220-2 with the deficit 58 - much better from England. Big partnerships are physically and morally draining on bowlers, which after the first couple of days is what was needed to keep alive hopes for the series, never mind the match.
But what does tomorrow bring? Even playing for the draw we’ll need minimum 450, probably 500. That’s a long way off. Most likely thing is that at least one of Root and Malan go cheaply tomorrow morning, because restarting is hard. There should be enough of a platform for one of Stokes, Pope or Buttler to make a mark. But we still need to bat for another three sessions to get the score/time equation in our favour so we are not at home to Mr Hope just yet.
Apparently Hazlewood didn’t bowl much? Given lack of warm up for both sides, I’m wondering how much fitness is going to tell over the series.
My worry for England here is how the rest of England’s batting will go. 220/2 is a very strong position, but 150 of that is one partnership, it’s not difficult to imagine 300 all out.
Yeah, my scenario above is only one branch of the potential future.
Root and Malan out in the first two overs, no more than 20 a piece for the middle order, no more than 10 each for the bowlers is a perfectly plausible but quite different picture.
(England have scored 46 ducks this calendar year, which is the sort of thing it’s hard to do by accident)
Mundane question about DRS shown in progress during games -
When watching the DRS reviews on tv broadcasts of most games, it’s obvious by the “oohs” and “aahs” heard in the background that the crowd within most stadiums are able to watch the DRS process while it’s happening (just as we are at home). I actually think it would more suspenseful for the crowd to see the referee decision before the replays, but I guess it’s best to keep everything as transparent as possible. Is the crowd also able to hear the 3rd umpire’s dialogue with the video assistant and field umpire? If so, this makes the umpire’s signal pretty meaningless.