Looks like England may well get a lead. Although it’s still entirely possible that the sun will shine tomorrow, the ball won’t swing and the Australian middle-lower order will get the best of the batting an get a couple of hundred run lead before the pitch crumbles and becomes unplayable.
The Ashes
(just for reference)
That’ll teach me to go to bed at a decent hour … !
Hoping for overcast conditions for the first hour or so today as England’s swing skittles the Aussies followed by glorious sunshine when England get in. Also hoping Broad is fit, will be tough to get the remaining 16 wickets without him.
Can I just say that, in terms of pure aesthetics, Anderson’s dismissal of Clarke was wonderful.
Perfect length, late swing in, nipping away to beat the bat and clipping top of off. You just know that is exactly the ball he meant to bowl as well. Beautiful.
Great morning for England thus far. 118-9. When Smith fell for 53, Swann and Anderson ran through four more wickets in short order.
This game could well be over before the weekend.
That said, Agar looks like no mug with the bat and England are currently helping out by bowling like total fucking idiots. The gap is coming down and this could resolve to a one inning a side shoot out.
Australia’s fragile batting has been revealed again - 6 wickets for 3 runs! Shameful.
But I just watched Mr Agar - no jelly he! - power his way from the 30s to 69 at lunch. Records falling all over the place; the last time a #11 top-scored in a test innings was in 1889 or something, the highest ever score by a #11, and so on. I rather doubt he’ll be #11 next game … magnificent, shows it’s not really that hard. Apparently he bats at #3 in his club side.
The top and middle order over-complicate things, I think, too much “sports psychology” and such muck, paralysis by analysis.
Though I am disappointed we didn’t finish the job you have to love cricket, what a great story 19 years old on debut and top scoring at 11. In the Ashes. I expect one of them to go soon after lunch and for Cook and Root to still be at the crease come the close.
I like to dream.
The emotion swings of Test cricket.
From almost throwing the ugg boots at the TV screen to a personal standing ovation in
The morning session illustrates two principles.
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Occupy the crease. If things are going pear shaped and/or conditions are agin you, hang in there. It might get better, you might just turn it around. Phil Hughes, take a bow.
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The strategy of bowling differently to the tail should be punishable by tar & feathering. I don’t believe there was a wicket taken with a short pitched delivery in the first 19. Good length, a bit of swing or cut and the bowling goes through both teams like a hot knife through butter. So why suddenly start to bowl half trackers at any batsmen? Why give away singles to Hughes to get to Agar.
That late cut Agar played off Swan, didn’t that show quality!
Wow, stunning performance from the young lad.
Currently on 96, best no.11 performance ever. You have to hope that he gets a ton (and then gets skittled immediately after)
And I have to agree with penultima thule, England seemed to take their foot of Australia’s neck.
…oops!
Nooooooooooooooooooooo! out on 98! What has he done?
Brilliant knock but he’ll get a roasting from Clarke, he’s thrown his wicket away.
And he’s out, just two runs shy of his century! Shame really, whould have been the absolute dream debut for him. What a turnaround in the score though. England better get moving quick and get some good runs this afternoon while the sun is shining!
Or not! 11 for 2 at tea; not the start we were looking for, no sirree. KP & Cook really need to hang around for the rest of the day.
If Pakistan was playing and this had happened, there would have been allegations of fixing by now. What a surreal match.
And the HotSpot camera wasn’t available to adjudge the Trott LBW because it was still in playback mode in case it was needed for a review of the wicket the ball before! A bit of a farce…
I think, to be honest, it was a bit of an absolute dream debut for him anyway!
At least he’s left himself a target to aim for when he’s in at 11 (ha!) in the second innings.
Honestly, what is it about Australia and young spinners on their ashes debut? If he turns out to be a legend I’m going to be furious!
I think we can confidently say that was an interesting day’s cricket.
Agar’s innings was fantastic but it shows how horribly out of form the batting line up is at the moment. Unless they turn things around quickly, this could become as ugly as the India series. Darren Lehman needs ask them each to come up with three dot points on how they can improve. By tomorrow morning or else.
They should get that Australian who just scored 169 not out for Surrey into the squad for Lords.