Ashes 2015

[Ciderhead]

Yes Clarke gone!

Ali justifying his selection, important contribution with the bat and now picking up the two most prized Aussie wickets

 

[Bobbin']

Early candidate for MOTM at the moment.

 

[TheArtfulDodger]

How the hell did Smith manage to get himself out with that shot, just abysmal.

Australia making mistakes, England looking the stronger so far.

 

[Skinner]

Ali and Ballance stepping up, Bell though...

 

[JJH]

Aussie's 166 behind with 5 wickets in hand at stumps.

I think we're in front when you take into account that they have to bat last on this pitch.

 

[TheArtfulDodger]

Definitely ahead, new ball tomorrow. I'd expect Haddin to provide some firepower for Australia, but even with that I'd like to think England can build up a large enough lead quickly to give us plenty of time to bowl them out again.

 

[Matt_]

Ali justifying his selection, important contribution with the bat and now picking up the two most prized Aussie wickets

Well done to the selectors for sticking to their guns with their team selection for this game. Moeen is hopefully getting back to his "Beard to be feared" form of last summer, today can only have given his confidence a big boost.

England are in a decent position but it should be remembered how many times we had the convicts five down in the last series only for them to manage to wriggle off the hook. Largely aided and abetted by the nemesis of English bowlers, Brad Haddin, who is still to bat in this innings.

That said, hopefully old man Haddin's batting form will mirror his creaking performance behind the stumps in this game.

 

[4froale]

Watson goes LBW, huge wicket.

 

[JJH]

Perfect start!

 

[SpireiteDan]

Wood gets Lyon LBW now, really good start form us, this.

Want that prick Haddin out now.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Good start, not getting ahead of myself.

 

[SpireiteDan]

Jimmy getting some big swing in his first over with the new ball.

 

[SpireiteDan]

Yes Jimmy!!!!!

Fuck off Haddin.

 

[Pilgrim Meister]

Another wicket

304-8. Haddin walks

 

[Saddlerrad]

Haddin caught behind, 304-8 at drinks.

Johnson to come out swinging? Catchers in now as he's a bit of a slogger and will always play through the line.

 

[Pilgrim Meister]

306-9.

Johnson gone, one more to go

 

[Saddlerrad]

Johnson caught at mid wicket off the bowling of Broad.

306-9.

 

[Bobbin']

Good start, not getting ahead of myself.

Surely even you must be feeling quite good now!?

 

[Saddlerrad]

Surely even you must be feeling quite good now!?

Lords a couple of years back....

Haha, yeah. I'm feeling very good! A 3 figure lead would be immense.

 

[Ciderhead]

Thought it was supposed to be us with the soft underbelly! Fantastic stuff, right in control now

 

[JJH]

5 wickets in 75 minutes with only 40 odd runs put on the board.

Perfect morning, perfect.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Must bat well now, 3rd innings is always difficult. See if we can score 300+ by this time tommorrow. Grab a 450 lead and then have 5 sessions at them.

 

[Saddlerrad]

If we are living in an ideal world, as we have done so far today.. Cook and Lyth get us to say 120-1. That's effectively 250-1. At that point, there will be no better opportunity for Bell and Ballance to hit themselves back into form and rhythm. No better opportunity. If we do get that sort of balance, it's time to start hitting out a bit, seeing if we can score at 5 an over. Maybe give some wickets away but we'd score enough runs to make an Aussie victory effectively impossible. 4-5 an over through 90 odd overs takes us to tommorrows dinner - We'd have almost 500 on the board then.

5 sessions at them on hopefully a low, slow, uneven wicket that may spin.

Obviously, ideal world stuff.

 

[The Alex]

Can't believe I've missed this after not missing a ball the last 2 days!

 

[TheArtfulDodger]

Cook as inept as usual.

 

[spireite]

We need to sort out this top 4, it's brittle af

 

[JJH]

Ballance gone for a duck. Will end up being down to young Joe Root yet again.

 

[JJH]

Lyth looks absolutely all over the place at the moment.

 

[JJH]

I'm not excusing Bell's form by any means, but it can't be easy for him when he comes in every innings with us on a low total with a few wickets down. He's under massive pressure every time he comes into bat, and this innings is under team and individual pressure, he needs a score soon.

 

[RavenBish]

It's kind of Lyth's game though, he battles through, he's not one of those bastmen that either looks on form or not, like an Ian Bell type. If he can overcome the odd shaky period he's not going to give his wicket away and can easily recover. Seen him do it for Yorks loads, you don't think he's owt special and then a few hours later he's got another big score.

Top order needs sorting though, Ballance is a ferret at present and this is a big innings for Bell. Moving Root up and bringing Bairstow in or introducing Hales/Westley/Leaning all seem like preferable options at present, despite their inexperience.