3rd Ashes Test: England v Australia at Birmingham on Jul 29-Aug 2, 2015

[lockyno1]

Next test Clarke (out), S.Marsh (in)...and Burns in for Voges would be perfect too. Fair dinkum Clarke is hopeless. Of all the players he looks the worst out there. Marsh was poor last night but he will learn, and Warner is the biggest Flat Track Bully ever. Looking more and more like his first hundred in Hobart was an absolute fluke!

 

[Red Bear]

Ugh. Rubbish day. Hopefully show some fight and get ourselves back into this one.

 

[some11]

Ratings for tonight will be big.

 

[THE CHAMP]

Next test Clarke (out), S.Marsh (in)...and Burns in for Voges would be perfect too. Fair dinkum Clarke is hopeless. Of all the players he looks the worst out there. Marsh was poor last night but he will learn, and Warner is the biggest Flat Track Bully ever. Looking more and more like his first hundred in Hobart was an absolute fluke!

Don't badmouth Clarke he's got a shitload of fanboys in here
Poor deluded merkins

 

[Tommy Smith]

Fo shizzle, England can collapse like no other team.

This first session will be crucial IMO.

Absolutely.

If England can be 100-1 for the session then it's almost game over. But if England lose 5 for 75 then it's game on.

Both are quite likely, altbough I'd back the latter to happen.

 

[The Charlatan]

If Root goes early, the rest will crumble I reckon.

Shame to see Clarke playing so poorly.

 

[Tommy Smith]

I think the death of Phil Hughes has really took its toll on Clarkey. He was a close friend and the team's spokesperson, fronting press conferences with remarkable strength.

But ultimately I think it's taken the edge off of his game, at an age when batsmen are prone to decline anyway. And understandably so. If, or more likely when, Australia retain the Ashes it wouldn't surprise me if he retired.

It's not as if a more glamorous ending would await at the SCG against the Windies in 5 months.

 

[Canard]

Absolutely.

If England can be 100-1 for the session then it's almost game over. But if England lose 5 for 75 then it's game on.

Both are quite likely, altbough I'd back the latter to happen.

Could it be one of those Tests where both teams get out cheaply in the first innings and score 350+ in the second?

I think the death of Phil Hughes has really took its toll on Clarkey. He was a close friend and the team's spokesperson, fronting press conferences with remarkable strength.

But ultimately I think it's taken the edge off of his game, at an age when batsmen are prone to decline anyway. And understandably so. If, or more likely when, Australia retain the Ashes it wouldn't surprise me if he retired.

It's not as if a more glamorous ending would await at the SCG against the Windies in 5 months.

This, plus his back seems gone. It's like he is in pain constantly.

He could have played till he was 45 otherwise.

 

[Tommy Smith]

I'd back Australia to score 350-400 in the second innings if it pans out that way.

But not in a million years could I see England getting close to that in a chase. We basically start every innings 1 for very little with Lyth at the top of the order. And aside from yesterday Ian Bell hasn't been much better.

Bairstow also has to prove himself. And after that is a very long lower order. So much pressure is placed upon Cook and Root.

England must score 300 in the first innings as they wouldn't want to be chasing any more than 200 imo.

 

[Twizzle]

I cant see a score that big on this pitch

 

[TheParraboy]

Agree with Tommy, If the poms get to 300 or thereabouts in the first dig I think we are screwed, or close to it. Would mean we would need to score 350-400 for only a 200 run lead

First session day 2 is crucial, if poms bat deep into the 2nd session then there can only be one winner for mine

 

[JJ]

Agree with Tommy, If the poms get to 300 or thereabouts in the first dig I think we are screwed, or close to it. Would mean we would need to score 350-400 for only a 200 run lead

First session day 2 is crucial, if poms bat deep into the 2nd session then there can only be one winner for mine

Everything hinges on Root (as it does on Smith for Aust to a degree) - one real class act in each lineup - if their lower middle order can work with him, it'll go a long way to winning - but I expect some twists and turns...

On Smith above, as a Kiwi (given we have sideways movement too) it's not the big move across that's so worrying for me, rather that he plays with the bat so far from his body - on true Aust pitches you can do that, but traditional greenish English/NZ pitches it's really a risk...

Gee, Rogers is having a great series - lot to like about him

 

[Hutty1986]

f**k off nuffy

 

[African Monkey]

Absolute ripper of a bouncer from Johnson.

 

[Hutty1986]

Second baller for the redheaded stepchild!

 

[African Monkey]

Lol do the opposite to what Shane Warne says and that should do the trick.

 

[Pete Cash]

Good bowling Mitch.

 

[Twizzle]

booyah

 

[BunniesMan]

Brilliant start but the problem with already being behind is it'll only take one decent partnership for us to be f**ked. Can't let the lead go above 100.

 

[Hutty1986]

The couple dozen runs our nuffy batsmen cobbled together are gone. Hazelwood needs to stop leaking runs