England v Australia, 1st Test, Edgbaston, 1-5 August, 2019

Khawaja seems to have his mojo back.

Partly been allowed to ... !

PeterCS wrote:

PeterCS wrote:

beamer wrote:Foakes and Leach in for Lord’s?

Something like that makes sense.

( Also because suddenly, England also need a lower middle order! )

You know what, though? I'd be sorely tempted to bring Curran (S) in at some point. Even for Denly. Who looks for all the world like a new Scott Muller. (Well, his fielding's ok.)

The snag is he is not so fast.

But everything he does is with fierce intent. And of a good standard. He tends to make things happen. And he's left-arm, a useful bonus.


We didn't mention who replaces Anderson. Presumably Archer, if fit. But they'd better not risk him too, if he's not certainly fit.

Not Wood, anyway - out for the season, I hear.

Aye, indeed. Anderson may be too.

The Jason Roy Clown Show continues ...

He'll probably win the game for you in the second innings.

Well, that's the innings defeat averted.

Effectively 3 down for 1.

Just watching Moeen's deliveries here ... has his action - ahem - deteriorated quite a bit?

lardbucket wrote:He'll probably win the game for you in the second innings.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man in cap and bells?

lardbucket wrote:Just watching Moeen's deliveries here ... has his action - ahem - deteriorated quite a bit?

His confidence & form certainly have.

England making the (admittedly excellent) Smith unbowlable at the mo.

PeterCS wrote:The Jason Roy Clown Show continues ...

Again to clarify. ...

Not saying Roy IS a clown, or that he mightn't do better (hopefully sooner rather than later) ... just that his performances at Test level so far (being harsh here?) have generally been more capers than demonstrations of sense or skill.

Three grim dismissals, a couple of shelled catches, & the latest example: he races to the bowler's end, with both batsmen already *comfortably* completing a third run, grabs & flings the ball with wild fury to the far end, hits a startled Bairstow on the body, & off it scoots for an overthrow. Bringing the same batsman back on strike, with the welcome extra run.

(-1).

stumps, Australia effectively 3-34, wanting another 200 plus

Already have enough, Dello might say.

And that's that. Game well poised. Smith wicket the obvious key - not that you'd know it from how bereft of cogent ideas Root seems to have formulated to get him out (or even just nullify him).

Moeen's last game, you'd think. He's bowled some dross when we desperately needed him to step up. Going at fives on a turning pitch with the captain giving you quite a lot of protection is an ordinary old effort.

Still think England have blown this with the way they batted this morning. Scrambled to a lead of 90, but it should've been 100 runs more.

Agreed on the Smith points.

Stokes was the only one with any apparent idea & determination to get him out. But Stokes too was tending too often to skite it off to the right, whether to left-handed Head or right-handed Smith. And you don't bowl to Smith's leg stump/pads, or to Head's cover drive or edged cut.

A genuine quick, and a spinner past Smith's edge, needed for Lord's. Might have been clear before now.

Admittedly, they seemed to think Jim would last at least one Test, and find a cunning delivery or two ...

PeterCS wrote:First one scans, but is a bit pointless.

Second one doesn't fit the rhythm. It would be more to a spiritual, like "He's got the whole world ...". If you stretch "saaaaand-" over two beats.

Actually it fits quite well. You just use the rhythm break between the bowels in " paper".

England still firm favourites with bookies. A considerable partnership or two ihtbe middle might push the hose odds out and England anyway. How's the weather? The draw has halved in value.

It chucked down after they went off for bad light. Don't know if it's going to interfere with the last two days, but I wonder if it might've breathed a bit of life back into the pitch.

Not sure it would help with the captain you've got. I'd Morgan that bad a red ball player?

lardbucket wrote:

PeterCS wrote:

PeterCS wrote:

beamer wrote:Foakes and Leach in for Lord’s?

Something like that makes sense.

( Also because suddenly, England also need a lower middle order! )

You know what, though? I'd be sorely tempted to bring Curran (S) in at some point. Even for Denly. Who looks for all the world like a new Scott Muller. (Well, his fielding's ok.)

The snag is he is not so fast.

But everything he does is with fierce intent. And of a good standard. He tends to make things happen. And he's left-arm, a useful bonus.


We didn't mention who replaces Anderson. Presumably Archer, if fit. But they'd better not risk him too, if he's not certainly fit.

Not Wood, anyway - out for the season, I hear.

What happened to Toby LeRone?

lardbucket wrote:stumps, Australia effectively 3-34, wanting another 200 plus

At least.

Back in the land of Aus after a long, long sleepless flight from South America. Ugly scoreline to wake up to after falling asleep while Woakes and Broad built the English lead last night.

Warner ay? How shit is he in England? And Bancroft is still the technically deficient crab that was dropped last year.

So 1 down after Edgbaston - again. Sigh.

Well at least the game made Day 4 , but barring a miracle or the more likely scenario the English weather intervening, England will be 1-0 up before the end of the day.

I'm a little more optimistic.

At worst - surely - we should scrabble together another 120 runs, 7 for 120 if we bat almost as badly as we did in our first innings. Even that would leave a tricky chase of 150 on a 4-5 day pitch.

More likely, you'd hope, that we will set a target of 180, and given a good performance from one of the two still in and a bit of support, we could set a target of 200 plus, which I think will at least be a challenge.

If we lose Smith very early, though, we are likely screwed.

[quote="Bradman]the rhythm break between the bowels
[/quote]

Usually neither tuneful nor rhythmic ...

beamer wrote:

PeterCS wrote:Jim looks in all sorts of pain.

Most stupid rule change of recent years was banning runners. As long as you don’t get one for being an overweight, unfit, fat qunt, what’s the problem?

Agree. The rule is ludicrous and should be called the FatArjuna is a Lazy Socioopath rule.

Of course Jimmy should have had a runner. It was a genuine injury suffered during the game.