The Official Cricket Thread

[Sandstorm]

Start again England, hope you’re not relying on the Ginger Butterfingers

[Gumboot]

I didn't watch it, but see that once again England has leaked lots of extras: 31, including 17 byes and 12 leg byes. Not saying that's all down to Bairstow, but... they shoulda picked Foakes!

[Tez]

Never saw a wicker keeper roll about so much to catch a ball below knee height about a foot either side. Never seems to move his feet, bet he’s a lousy dancer.

[Guy Smiley]

Excellent spite in a first post. Well played, that man.

[Big D]

I didn't watch it, but see that once again England has leaked lots of extras: 31, including 17 byes and 12 leg byes. Not saying that's all down to Bairstow, but... they shoulda picked Foakes!

In general the England bowlers have had to and been able to create many more chances than the really should have to.

In India they may only make a few chances and the keeper needs to be able to take them.

[SaintK]

England going at 8 an ovetr for the first 5 overs of the 2nd innings!!

[tabascoboy]

So Stokes promotes himself to #3 in place of the injured Moeen - this is either going to be 400+ runs today or we get the inevitable collapse to 200 all out

[Thor Sedan]

Incredible that Aussie will at least come out of this series with a draw.

Not sure how they've managed it (The YJB factor)?

[Gumboot]

England has all the time in the world of course, but I hope they go nuts in the next session.

[JM2K6]

Big day.

Broad has just announced he's retiring from all cricket at the end of the match. Probably will finish the series as the top wicket taker on either side.

[Big D]

Big day.

Broad has just announced he's retiring from all cricket at the end of the match. Probably will finish the series as the top wicket taker on either side.

Had a great career with some truly magical moments. He'll be hoping for one more big spell tomorrow.

[And 1 guest]

Great player, great career. All the best to him, and fond memories of some truly magical moments

[Big D]

He could easily have played next summer but retiring v Australia or v Sri Lanka and West Indies it makes sense to do it now while playing well.

[Random1]

Feel really sad!

Loved watching Broad steam in.

Got no one like him coming through the ranks

[Thor Sedan]

I guess the Sky Sport money was to good to pass up.

He is easily one of England's greats.

A classic 'love to hate him' character. But absolute diamond off the pitch.

His commentary/punditry will be great to listen to.

[Sandstorm]

Loved Borad until he started wearing that stupid white bandanna. Now he just looks like a tool.

Can still bowl another season at the top IMO.

[Deepsouth]

Gee it's awfully quiet in here.

Deathly quiet one might say

[charltom]

I'd imagine that's because there's no action at the moment.

Without play, it's a little bit boring speculating whether Australia may or may not be able to win a series in England for the first time in 22 years. When there's some play, that may well become more worthy of discussion.

[tabascoboy]

One down. Prospects for play don't look great later, a huge mass of rain over in the west and trundling eastwards. A great shame to have two exciting tests so badly affected with loss of play, let's hope we manage to get this one completed before the weather has any further say, however the chips may fall.

[inactionman]

This changed ball looks a bit more lively.

[Insane_Homer]

Shit review.

Also don't think showing Broad's wife making blowjob faces is appropriate this time of the morning

Woakes with another. This second new ball is doing the trick

[Gumboot]

Great start by Woakes.

[Grandpa]

Also don't think showing Broad's wife making blowjob faces...

I'd like to see more...

[Sandstorm]

Labushane goooorn. He's had a shit series

[Sandstorm]

This "new" ball is diving all over the place!! The Aussie fans and media are going to shit themselves about it.

[inactionman]

This "new" ball is diving all over the place!! The Aussie fans and media are going to shit themselves about it.

It needed replacing, given it was deformed by cracking into Khawaja's lid, but it doesn't seem exactly like-for-like.

[Guy Smiley]

This "new" ball is diving all over the place!! The Aussie fans and media are going to shit themselves about it.

A quick rub with a bit of wet and dry and she'll be right.

[Sandstorm]

This "new" ball is diving all over the place!! The Aussie fans and media are going to shit themselves about it.

A quick rub with a bit of wet and dry and she'll be right.

[Thor Sedan]

Quite happy this series is coming to an end.

While I like the spite and on field sledging - the media has been almost unwatchable/unlistenable/unreadable. All this talk of moral ashes victories etc - how about play the best cricket to win matches and judge it on that?

England definitely the most entertaining team - but with all the leg ups they had in this series - they still can only manage a loss or drawn series - that must be a bit of a concern for them.

[inactionman]

Quite happy this series is coming to an end.

While I like the spite and on field sledging - the media has been almost unwatchable/unlistenable/unreadable. All this talk of moral ashes victories etc - how about play the best cricket to win matches and judge it on that?

England definitely the most entertaining team - but with all the leg ups they had in this series - they still can only manage a loss or drawn series - that must be a bit of a concern for them.

I must have missed all those leg ups.

[Thor Sedan]

Quite happy this series is coming to an end.

While I like the spite and on field sledging - the media has been almost unwatchable/unlistenable/unreadable. All this talk of moral ashes victories etc - how about play the best cricket to win matches and judge it on that?

England definitely the most entertaining team - but with all the leg ups they had in this series - they still can only manage a loss or drawn series - that must be a bit of a concern for them.

I must have missed all those leg ups.

Really? Winning 4 tosses in a home series is a massive leg up. Like probably the best leg up.

[inactionman]

Quite happy this series is coming to an end.

While I like the spite and on field sledging - the media has been almost unwatchable/unlistenable/unreadable. All this talk of moral ashes victories etc - how about play the best cricket to win matches and judge it on that?

England definitely the most entertaining team - but with all the leg ups they had in this series - they still can only manage a loss or drawn series - that must be a bit of a concern for them.

I must have missed all those leg ups.

Really? Winning 4 tosses in a home series is a massive leg up. Like probably the best leg up.

That's what you meant? I thought you meant actual leg-ups.


Mind you, I recall Australia winning a tournament in the middle east only as they won the toss in all their games, so I suppose there may be some mileage in it.

[Sandstorm]

Quite happy this series is coming to an end.

While I like the spite and on field sledging - the media has been almost unwatchable/unlistenable/unreadable. All this talk of moral ashes victories etc - how about play the best cricket to win matches and judge it on that?

England definitely the most entertaining team - but with all the leg ups they had in this series - they still can only manage a loss or drawn series - that must be a bit of a concern for them.

I must have missed all those leg ups.

Really? Winning 4 tosses in a home series is a massive leg up. Like probably the best leg up.

Meh. Cummins finally won the toss in the last test and then made the wrong decision. There's plenty of evidence that he'd have fucked up again if he'd had "more leg ups" too.

If anyone has had a leg up, it's Australia with the rain.....

[Hal Jordan]

This "new" ball is diving all over the place!! The Aussie fans and media are going to shit themselves about it.

A quick rub with a bit of wet and dry and she'll be right.

Gardener's Question Time on planting hardy perennials in Mike Atherton's pocket, anyone?

[Insane_Homer]

Clearly dropped, wtf is the review for?

[Deepsouth]

So Stoked knew he'd dropped it but reviewed it anyway.

You just can't make this hypocrisy up......

What a turd.....

[Biffer]

Stokes knew, but they're desperate.

Sums England's series up imo. Dropped catches lost them the series.

[Grandpa]

Can't believe that might be it... Ashes over for another two years. They should make it a ten match series... it's too much fun to stop! Damn rain!

[JM2K6]

Quite happy this series is coming to an end.

While I like the spite and on field sledging - the media has been almost unwatchable/unlistenable/unreadable. All this talk of moral ashes victories etc - how about play the best cricket to win matches and judge it on that?

England definitely the most entertaining team - but with all the leg ups they had in this series - they still can only manage a loss or drawn series - that must be a bit of a concern for them.

I must have missed all those leg ups.

Really? Winning 4 tosses in a home series is a massive leg up. Like probably the best leg up.

Given there's 5 matches, the "fairest" it can be is 3-2 to one team. 4-1 is the difference of a single result.

Australia's bad luck: the toss. Some of the conditions (but not all) they've batted/bowled in. Nathan Lyon's injury. Probably some more, but I'm not an Aussie.
England's bad luck: Leach's injury immediately prior to the series. Ali's finger injury during the first Test. Ali's groin injury during this Test. Robinson's injury during the 3rd Test. Pope's shoulder dislocation in the 2nd Test (made worse by the officials fucking up). Stokes' knee playing up. Brooks getting out bowled when set to a freak dismissal. Root twice getting absolute grubbers out of nowhere. Smith being allowed a catch he grassed. Australia changing the ball in a previous Test and immediately getting more movement and wickets to go with it. Nearly two days of rain when battering Australia making the 4th Test a draw instead of setting up a winner-takes-all final Test.

Do I think England have been lucky at times? Yep. But they've also been very unlucky at times. The whinging about English luck requires ignoring quite a lot of very unfortunate events that you'd be unhappy with happening at any time, let alone several of them happening in the course of a single series.

Haven't had a chance to watch much today, though I did get to see Jimmy bowling pies and Stokes knocking the ball out of his own hand. Don't blame him for leaving it up to the umpires to decide if it was a fair catch, but it's obviously a desperation move.

[Grandpa]

Stokes knew, but they're desperate.

Sums England's series up imo. Dropped catches lost them the series.

The good news is, British kids want to play Bazball now.. not cricket, not football, not rugby, Bazball! So it bodes well for the future... it's caught the imagination of the younger generation. Can't ask for more than that... well, apart from not dropping catches...