Ashes 4th: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Re: Ashes 4th: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

This is just reminiscent of a few years ago. Batsmen making starts but not going on with it. Our bowlers letting the tail make too many runs. All that's missing is a middle order collapse.

All of Warner, Smith, Marcus and Head looked in ripping form. That not 1 of them got close to 75 is inexcusable.

[lemmon]

Re: Ashes 4th: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

That not one of them could get past 75 or 100 was really ordinary. Marnus going out the way he did followed by Head going out the way he did got me super frustrating. I didn't see the remaining dismissals, not sure I want to!

I thought there was something weirdly lackadaisical about Steve Smith's whole innings too? He looked in good touch, but was nearly caught in the deep first ball and chanced his arm walking across to Mark Wood bowling 150kph. He was really looking to push the pace right through his knock, where I think 2019 Smith beds in on this deck and you'd have to drag him off it kicking and screaming.

Some of his comments were...odd during the home summer too. Sometimes you can just tell when it looks like a batter has had enough - I have a faint inkling he might be considering finishing up in the whites after this series but staying on for the ODI World Cup.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Ashes 4th: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

Didn?t take long?

[Bornadog]

Re: Ashes 4th: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

Finish with 317, thanks to Starc's 36 no

[Bornadog]

Re: Ashes 4th: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

Duckett gone for 1

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Re: Ashes 4th: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

And now we're just letting Ali smash us around.

[EasternWest]

Re: Ashes 4th: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

And now we're just letting Ali smash us around.

Why not, what harm could bleeding a few runs do?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Re: Ashes 4th: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

Why not, what harm could bleeding a few runs do?

Our best hope is rain. Shame

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Ashes 4th: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

I didn’t even want to win the ashes anyway.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Re: Ashes 4th: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

Their spinner has already beaten our highest scorer.

We continue to give up singles.

[jeemak]

Re: Ashes 4th: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

There's no nuance or pressure being installed in the bowling. Crawley was dodgy as outside of off stump edging inside and out, but we go straight and take the pressure off.

What happened to top of off/ top of fourth?

He almost edged on twice doing that, and we didn't think to keep that line going, it's ****ing cooked.

[jeemak]

Re: Ashes 4th: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

Possibly the worst fielding session I've seen from Australia since the time Andrew McDonald was actually bowling for us.

If you're going to go short, make it short and make it hurt. And put some pressure around the ****ing bat. What a shit show.

Clearly playing for the weather but it's a risky strategy.

[ledge]

Re: Ashes 4th: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

Well that was an absolute shambles . Haven’t seen AUstralia this bad since WSC took players.
This doesn’t bode well for the future.
Is it a one off bad test .. if not this is the end of a dynasty that’s lasted for 30 odd years.
I think even if the ashes are retained the need to look at younger players is imminent.
I think Warner will be first to go. Forced retirement as in dropped.
Cummins captaincy collapsed completely under pressure, even Smiths attempts to take over and settle the ship did nothing.
We can all say why no spinner but that doesn’t excuse the batting and bad fielding .
Be an interesting next few days . Rain is definitely a big want , which is not heard of when talking Australian cricket.
Very bad first two days.

[lemmon]

Re: Ashes 4th: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

England are setting themselves to bat once and we're in deep trouble. I think England look to get 250 ahead by lunch, declare and force us to try and save the game over 8 rain-affected sessions. Squeaky bum time or what?

Are we starting to see some strain on Cummins as a bowling captain? He's shouldered immense pressure so far.

[GVGjr]

Re: Ashes 4th: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

England are setting themselves to bat once and we're in deep trouble. I think England look to get 250 ahead by lunch, declare and force us to try and save the game over 8 rain-affected sessions. Squeaky bum time or what?

Are we starting to see some strain on Cummins as a bowling captain? He's shouldered immense pressure so far.

Two different days, none of the Australia batsman got the sort of scores they should have and while England bowled well it was hardly the bowlers beating the batsman regularly and frustrating them into bad shots. Lots of starts and no application witch is typical under McDonald. On Day 2 England batted well and of course Crawley went on with it.

Baring a lot of rain it looks like we could be heading into the last test at 2 all.