Ashes 2023

There were two more overs before the new ball.

 

Yes, another over wouldn't have hurt. Would still have been a tricky 15 minutes for the Aussies.

 

Judging by the first couple of overs that declaration looks a bit light, especially still with 4 days left. Plenty of time for them to get 500/600 and still have 2 days to bowl us out and chase it down if needed.

I get why Stokes declared and I hope it works. Just a tiny bit sceptical.

 

Should have batted on. 450 would have been a decent score. A good chance the Aussies will pass our score and apply some pressure on our second innings. We should have scored another 30 odd runs and if they had taken the new ball, we would have scored even more quickly or been out anyway.
I'm sure the declaration was more about trying to show aggression and intent for the audience rather than a real belief we would pick up wickets in those 4 overs or so. The wrong call in my view.

 

It pains me to say it, but I agree. However, one wicket would have justified the call.

 

Agreed . I could understand decision if they had 10 overs to bowl at them but only 4 at the sacrifice of maybe another 30-50 runs

 

Good shout about the weather .



Leta hope the groundsmen drag their feet bringing out the covers to allow some good old fashioned English rain on to the square

 

Nice and overcast here in Islington . Let’s hope for the same in Birmingham .

 

Just checked weather again and rain predicted for all day Sunday , all day Tuesday and 2 hours today and 2 hours on Monday .

 

Ball starting to move . Fingers crossed .

 

Todays picture quiz

 

He said "I don't believe in God, but I'm afraid of him." Well I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Stuart Broad.

 

Bairstow drops another, before Broad ruins his own good work by overstepping

 

Nah. The chance of taking a wicket last night didn't outweigh potentially a lot more runs and making Australia feel slammed. Taking a wicket early is possible at any time and we let them off the hook. The physcological advantage of surprising them with a declaration is less than that of them conceding 450 plus.

 

I’m not sure we disagree. I wouldn’t have done it. And it didn’t come off. But I can see why it was done: Stokes was trying to surprise and do what the Aussie openers would least like. If they had started their innings at midday today they would have been much more mentally attuned to the job than last night. But then they would also have been facing a bigger deficit of 450 plus.

At the end of the day (Gary) it’s more likely to be a failure to take chances today that will prove decisive, not the declaration.

 

If Bairstow drops another one he’s up there with Kamran Akmals tour of Australia in 09-10 ( not suggesting deliberately however )

 

Australia are able to take their time because England rattled through the first day and declared early. General consensus was 400 was only just about par

 

Bairstow really needs to score over 100 each innings if he's gonna cost 60-80+ plus runs as wicket keeper

 

I bet Stokes wishes he hadn’t made that rash “looks good” declaration now. Only 30 odd ahead with 2 wickets down, surviving the first hour will be really important today. Looks like it should be sunny but the damp pitch will presumably it humid and allow the ball to move around. We may be praying for the forecast rain tomorrow to be even more disruptive than forecast.

 

I’ll bet you he doesn’t think anything of the sort.

 

Sadly you may well be right. Hopefully if he gets into position to do so, he doesn’t make a suicidal declaration today. Rain tomorrow but given we need to win the series to regain the ashes we can’t afford to lose this one.

 

Is it a 'sadly' thing? This current iteration of England aren't phased by losing as they're backing themselves to win more this way than they lose. Obviously they can't defy simple maths when it comes to what's needed to win the series but at these early stages I think they aren't going to panic if they're 0-1 down by the end of this match.

 

We lost the first Test in 2005.

 

It's "sadly" if it results in a comfortable Aussie win after 2 overly-aggressive England declarations. I'm all for this new philosophy of going for it, but let's not declare today in a position which immediately makes the Aussies favourites to win ! We may well not get the opportunity to declare anyway if the ball swings around and we lose early wickets.

 

I would not be surprised to see us attack this morning and declare (if we survive long enough) half way through the final session. Weather tomorrow morning does not look good although brightens up after lunch. Set them 250-280 but giving us enough time to bowl them out. I'm all for it to be honest as it makes for more exciting cricket

 

16 off the first over of the day would suggest England are going to go for it

 

We seem determined to try and lose this match if we can and have enough time. 130/4. Suggest we will be all out for about 220. The rain tomorrow is forecast to be very heavy but through Birmingham by about the time play starts. Will just be a question of how quickly the outfield dries out enough to play but the way we are going, the Aussies may not need much time tomorrow.

 

I would say we are determined to try and win the match which is how it's been since Stokes became captain. We need to be a little careful now as not to be 200 all out but I love positive way we play now.
An important half hour now up to lunch

 

Of course they aren't literally trying to lose it, but the way they put speed of scoring over the volume of scoring could see us post an unnecessarily low and obtainable target if they aren't very careful. We are playing as though we are in a dominant position and running out of time to force a win, whereas at 145/4 the game is evenly balanced at best. I don't want to see us chase and declare and set a target which immediately makes the Aussies favourites, just to try to force a result.

 

God you are a misery guts.