Australia v England, 5th Test, Sydney, 4-8 January, 2018

So even with most if not all all the contentious Australian selections coming off this, would Paine look the most set for the medium to long term?

A few more runs and this would have been the highest Ashes total at the SCG.

Cracking ball by Lyon to finish Cook's Test batting in Australia.

Both Broad and Jimmeh have been terrific bowlers but their best is behind them. Bar one innings, Broad has bowled filth. Jimmeh has given his utmost. The other English seamers have been meh on our roads. Moeen had had a shocker. That said our bats have had a good series which I acknowledge, but so too would other players. The test for five of the too six is against good bowlers on pitches, not roads. I doubt SA will serve up autobahns.

Anderson has done well here - terrific effort.

I think it's the last we've seen of Cook, Broad, Ali and Anderson in Australia.

lardbucket wrote:Cracking ball by Lyon to finish Cook's Test batting in Australia.

Aye, it was a real Jaffa. It also saved blushes from Ima and zBog mishap off Pirple. Odd that Bog is fielding at first slip.

Back to MM for a minute ... I still believe he is a batsman who can bowl the occasional over; not an all-rounder.

horace wrote:

lardbucket wrote:Cracking ball by Lyon to finish Cook's Test batting in Australia.

Aye, it was a real Jaffa. It also saved blushes from Ima and zBog mishap off Pirple. Odd that Bog is fielding at first slip.

May be too tired to move ... but he was too wide given how far up the keeper and slips are to the stumps.

Thankfully Seasick held one on the second effort. The four Oz bowlers have all been terrific.

Cummins in particular has bowled with guile and threat.

Cook has passed 50 twice in his last 17 innings. The two scores were 243 and 244*.

Still, they shouldn't be in a rush to drop him.

"I think it's the last we've seen of Cook, Broad, Ali and Anderson in Australia."

Who is waiting to replace Anderson?

Tim Bresnan?

lardbucket wrote:Back to MM for a minute ... I still believe he is a batsman who can bowl the occasional over; not an all-rounder.

If I were he, I'd be selling that line too, given his contribution with the ball in this series...

furriner wrote:So even with most if not all all the contentious Australian selections coming off this, would Paine look the most set for the medium to long term?

Probably. We do have some decent younger keepers. The Marsh brothers will again be tested overseas and by better opposition. Bancroft unfortunately has had a tough series after a promising start to the series

Who, among the English, has earned their lunch money in this series? Root, Malan, Anderson ... Bairstow-ish?

Pretty apt description of Vince's performance this series on cricinfo/

Vince heads off into the sunset, a cowboy with the perfect lasso technique who sadly can't ride a horse.

Meanwhile Root is batting very well against a searching assessment.

furriner wrote:Pretty apt description of Vince's performance this series on cricinfo/

Vince heads off into the sunset, a cowboy with the perfect lasso technique who sadly can't ride a horse.

To be fair it was good bowling from Cummins. He has been knocked over by a few jaffas this series. I think the Poms would be mad to get rid of him.

horace wrote:

furriner wrote:Pretty apt description of Vince's performance this series on cricinfo/

Vince heads off into the sunset, a cowboy with the perfect lasso technique who sadly can't ride a horse.

To be fair it was good bowling from Cummins. He has been knocked over by a few jaffas this series. I think the Poms would be mad to get rid of him.

Aye...Ian Bell replacements don't grow on trees

horace wrote:

furriner wrote:Pretty apt description of Vince's performance this series on cricinfo/

Vince heads off into the sunset, a cowboy with the perfect lasso technique who sadly can't ride a horse.

To be fair it was good bowling from Cummins. He has been knocked over by a few jaffas this series. I think the Poms would be mad to get rid of him.

He's been pretty 'consistent', but

Hehehe.... No doubt about that. Would have loved to see I Ron Belfard out here for one more series. Have fond memories of sledging him in the nets at the BD test all those years ago and the look of confusion on his face.

The sledge of course was not on par with your inspired effort on Atherton. Good times.

Vince seems more a number 5 than a first drop.

Poor Root has now copped a nasty blow on the the thumb. Rotten tour for him.

OP Tipping wrote:A few more runs and this would have been the highest Ashes total at the SCG.

But 649 is now a unique score for the oz team. Prior to the innings, it hadn't been a total.

Another wicket to Elmer. Poms in deeper doo doo. Another innings defeat on the cards now.

skully wrote:

Red wrote:Surely this is the worst attack England has sent here, and there were some horror ones in the nineties.

Any attack that has two bowlers with over 900 Test wickets between them can NEVER be considered the worst ever. England have not been helped by Broad being below his best for the 1st 3 Tests and Jimmeh has bowled the wrong length but they have been hard to score off.

It's surely about context though and not career stats. Otherwise we could roll out Lillee and Thommo for a series.

Broad has looked decidedly average. Anderson in contrast has been whole-hearted, but in essence has he been penetrative, especially at the top of the order, outside the bowling-friendly conditions he was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to bowl in in Adelaide.

Great effort by the 4 primary Aus bowlers to achieve the rare feat of 4 bowlers taking 20 wickets or more in a 5 Test series. Only the 3rd time.

Aus last achieved the feat - in 2006-07.