To keep the important cricket away from the boring county cricket that no one cares about 😉

England win the toss and bat are 98-2 at lunch. Australia ever so slightly shading the first session in my opinion. Vital the KP and Trott stay there and build on what is a cracking batting track that is only going to get better.

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Ah, I'm glad to see someone took my advice.

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The Aussies should be pretty happy to have 2 down at lunch. The bowling has been eratic at best, and England really should have been going into the afternoon session with all wickets still intact.

Trott looking good, no reason why these two should not bat through to tea. Plenty of runs on this wicket, and from the look of it Swanny will be in clover as the match goes on and the wicket takes spin.

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Not quite the one sided affair people thought, wihich is good IMO

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Not quite the one sided affair people thought, wihich is good IMO

Lol! We're one session in 😂

We'll judge any one-sidedness after 5 tests

I see Ben just jinxed KP. Australia now definitely in the ascendency.

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Not quite the one sided affair people thought, wihich is good IMO

Even less so now. KP flashing and nicking once again.

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Not quite the one sided affair people thought, wihich is good IMO

Lol! We're one session in

We'll judge any one-sidedness after 5 tests

I see Ben just jinxed KP. Australia now definitely in the ascendency.

A bit more swing about than might have been expected, but I still think it was the right decision to bat first. I can only think that the pressure of the occasion has induced some poor shots from the English batsman.

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Not quite the one sided affair people thought, wihich is good IMO

Lol! We're one session in

We'll judge any one-sidedness after 5 tests

I see Ben just jinxed KP. Australia now definitely in the ascendency.

I know Matty, but  Sir Ian and others have been talking about it being  a hammering each time, as you know take each session at a time , Aussies win the first one and they will take heart from that .

Bell or Trott will have to get a ton to put any pressure on the Aussies .

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We're going to need the bowlers to save us yet again.

I'm not at all convinced that our batters are back to proper form yet. Poor shots = 3 wickets lost (1 was a good ball).

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A bit more swing about than might have been expected, but I still think it was the right decision to bat first. I can only think that the pressure of the occasion has induced some poor shots from the English batsman.

 

I think there's about as much swing as was expected. A bad toss to win, given the winner was always going to bat (or be crucified if they elected to bowl, then saw the opposition score big). Jimmy would have ripped them to bits in these conditions; probably with a 5-fer by now.

 

But don't worry, we've got Root coming in at 6 to rescue us. Oh, wait... 

Hope he proves me wrong, but I've no faith in Bairstow; he's little more than an agricultural slogger - and we already have a lower-order shot player in Prior.

By all accounts, Root got a decent ball, but Cook & Pietersen got themselves out.

 

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Trott gone Aussies on top. None of our batsmen are in particularly good form so we might struggle in the batting department this series. We will have to rely on our bowlers.

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Trott gone Aussies on top. None of our batsmen are in particularly good form so we might struggle in the batting department this series. We will have to rely on our bowlers.

 

Arse

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Root was the only genuine wicket earned from a good delivery, the rest gave their wickets away very cheaply.

Agreed that Bairstow has had very little batting time of late, so not expecting much from him.

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As Boycs would say you can only judge a pitch after both sides have batted. I will refrain from any sweeping statements for now, Aussies certainly on top that's for sure but plenty of life in this one yet. On decent stand between these two, Prior, Broad or Swann and it will be honours even I say.

If they take 3 or 4 more and have us 8 down at the close then clearly they win the day. As I say though, let's see how they go on it tomorrow first.

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As Boycs would say you can only judge a pitch after both sides have batted. I will refrain from any sweeping statements for now, Aussies certainly on top that's for sure but plenty of life in this one yet. On decent stand between these two, Prior, Broad or Swann and it will be honours even I say.

If they take 3 or 4 more and have us 8 down at the close then clearly they win the day. As I say though, let's see how they go on it tomorrow first.

TBH, that's nonsense, though. A poor stroke is a poor stroke. This has nothing to do with the pitch. 3 batsmen have lost their wickets to poor shots. If the Aussies fall cheaply, that won't change that fact.

 

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Agreed that Bairstow has had very little batting time of late, so not expecting much from him.

 

My issue with Bairstow is not so much lack of time in the middle, as lack of ability. He'd be a decent wicketkeeper-batsman, but just doesn't cut it for me as an out and out batsman.

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Agreed that Bairstow has had very little batting time of late, so not expecting much from him.

 

My issue with Bairstow is not so much lack of time in the middle, as lack of ability. He'd be a decent wicketkeeper-batsman, but just doesn't cut it for me as an out and out batsman.

Of course having said all that he's just now become our second highest scorer of the innings so far.

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Bell out he is in a really bad run of form must be close to being dropped. Siddle bowling well.

We're scoring quickly but keep losing wickets, need minimum 300 to have a chance.

 

 

 

 

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Genuinely good delivery though this time. No shame in being out to that one.

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As Boycs would say you can only judge a pitch after both sides have batted. I will refrain from any sweeping statements for now, Aussies certainly on top that's for sure but plenty of life in this one yet. On decent stand between these two, Prior, Broad or Swann and it will be honours even I say.

If they take 3 or 4 more and have us 8 down at the close then clearly they win the day. As I say though, let's see how they go on it tomorrow first.

TBH, that's nonsense, though. A poor stroke is a poor stroke. This has nothing to do with the pitch. 3 batsmen have lost their wickets to poor shots. If the Aussies fall cheaply, that won't change that fact.

 

Have to agree with Nick on this, a poor stroke has naff all to do with the wicket.

Aussies on top............at the moment

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