Re: Australia v England, 2nd Test (D/N), Adelaide, 16-20 December, 2021

by Red Mon 20 Dec 2021, 01:22

skully wrote:One could ask the same about Harris.

He looked good last night but fell to a Buttler screamer today. The vagaries of Test Cricket. The struggling Harris falls to two belting catches by Buttler (as did Smith today). On 3 other occasions Buses dropped sitters/fairly straight forward catches. Two in I1 Shrapnel was the beneficiary and went on to make 103. The third of them was the ball after he snaffled Harris today (Smith).

FWIW, I think both (Burns and Harris) will survive to fight another day. For England, who else is there? Similarly for Aus. Aus has a few young tyros (Street for one) knocking on the door, but are they really ready?

Tend to agree with the tenor of this. Also thought too that Root could have retired hurt and preserved his wicket for the ultimately futile survival show today.Both teams have problematic openers, though England is worse off. Thought Anderson never looked particularly threatening, even if he bowled with parsimony. Labu clearly lucky compared with Harris who perished at the iron gloves of Buttler. Still think he is lacking at this level though.

by skully Mon 20 Dec 2021, 04:56

Turned on a smidge late to the sight of Pope strolling back to the pavilion.

Burns - shit, Hameed - shit, Pope - shit, Buttler - hmmm.

Australia v England, 2nd Test (D/N), Adelaide, 16-20 December, 2021 - Page 8 240px-Twoandahalfmen6

by skully Mon 20 Dec 2021, 05:48

Foxy saying that Hazy is apparently* still a little sore in the grunt muscle and there's a good chance he'll miss T3.

Also talk of Scott Boland being an MCG specialist. Something like 100 Shield wickets at 20.

by skully Mon 20 Dec 2021, 06:04

Some good fight being shown by Buttler and Woakes.

A couple of decent overs from Marnus. An extended bowl for him here would be good, to add a string to Aus's bow.

by Nath Mon 20 Dec 2021, 07:01

skully wrote:Foxy saying that Hazy is apparently* still a little sore in the grunt muscle and there's a good chance he'll miss T3.

Also talk of Scott Boland being an MCG specialist. Something like 100 Shield wickets at 20.

Boland and Steketee released from squad to play BBL. Harris still in the squad.

by horace Mon 20 Dec 2021, 08:16

Lyon having one of his less than distinguished efforts on Day 5. Slips too deep on this slow road.

by skully Mon 20 Dec 2021, 08:56

27 overs to go.

Shirley Koo should have a bowl at Sturat??

by Fred Nerk Mon 20 Dec 2021, 09:09

Nath wrote:
skully wrote:Foxy saying that Hazy is apparently* still a little sore in the grunt muscle and there's a good chance he'll miss T3.

Also talk of Scott Boland being an MCG specialist. Something like 100 Shield wickets at 20.

Boland and Steketee released from squad to play BBL. Harris still in the squad.

Pity. We might never know whether SB becomes 'ScoBo' or some obscure T Rex title (Jeepster?) (Telegram Sam?). Or what hilarity the Barmies give us, most likely to the tune of the Rawhide theme....

by Red Mon 20 Dec 2021, 09:18

Buttler still battling away.

by Nath Mon 20 Dec 2021, 09:45

by skully Mon 20 Dec 2021, 09:45

The lower half of the England order made us work hard for the win.

Well done to Jhye on his maiden michelle.

by beamer Mon 20 Dec 2021, 09:47

Buttler and Woakes to open in Melbourne? We’ve tried worse…

by Red Mon 20 Dec 2021, 09:59

beamer wrote:Buttler and Woakes to open in Melbourne? We’ve tried worse…

Can't been worse than the inauspicious starts provided by Hameed and Burns.

by beamer Mon 20 Dec 2021, 10:03

Red wrote:
beamer wrote:Buttler and Woakes to open in Melbourne? We’ve tried worse…

Can't been worse than the inauspicious starts provided by Hameed and Burns.

Exactly, do that and we can play an extra bowler and keeper…

by beamer Mon 20 Dec 2021, 10:10

Career Test averages for current/recent England players:
Burns 31
Buttler 33
Crawley 28
Hameed 30
Malan 31
Pope 30
Lawrence 27
Bairstow 34
Denly 30
Moeen 28
Foakes 32
Sibley 29
Woakes 28

Remarkably consistent in their mediocrity (a generous term). The last one of course is a bowling all-rounder…

by skully Mon 20 Dec 2021, 10:14

Very disheartening, beams.

This batting side is a far cry from the days when the likes Strauss, Cook, Trott and KP were marmalising our bowlers. Even Collingwood and Bell got a piece.

by beamer Mon 20 Dec 2021, 10:17

Question is, is it time to stamp the vast majority of these as NTPFEA after this tour, have a new coach, new captain, bring in a load of youngsters around Root as batting anchor and Stokes as all-round talisman? Pension off Anderson and Broad, accept a long-term rebuild like a 2-14 NFL team?

Well, maybe, but they’ll go for papering over the cracks/repeating the cycle to give us half a chance of scraping a Desmond again in the next home Ashes.

by beamer Mon 20 Dec 2021, 10:25

Not that we can build through the draft as per a crap NFL team of course, closest equivalent is sending the scouts to Yarpland again. Other than that it’s a question of the “talent” available, and the marginalisation of the County Championship in recent years has taken that to an all-time low, or certainly a third millennium low. That’s not to say that there might not be some hidden gems there if you look beyond headline stats though.

by Fred Nerk Mon 20 Dec 2021, 10:27

It looked to me like Buttler had finished playing his shot when he kicked the bail off - and if so, according to the rules as I understand them, he couldn't have been out HW.

???? Embee?

by beamer Mon 20 Dec 2021, 10:32

Fred Nerk wrote:It looked to me like Buttler had finished playing his shot when he kicked the bail off - and if so, according to the rules as I understand them, he couldn't have been out HW.

???? Embee?

You can be out hit wicket even in setting off for a first run, so presumably if the ball’s still live and you haven’t entered the process of running, or trying to get back in your crease, you can be out this way?

by horace Mon 20 Dec 2021, 10:44

beamer wrote:Question is, is it time to stamp the vast majority of these as NTPFEA after this tour, have a new coach, new captain, bring in a load of youngsters around Root as batting anchor and Stokes as all-round talisman? Pension off Anderson and Broad, accept a long-term rebuild like a 2-14 NFL team?

Well, maybe, but they’ll go for papering over the cracks/repeating the cycle to give us half a chance of scraping a Desmond again in the next home Ashes.

Bad luck Beams

You should be pleased your mob did not turn it up and Woakes and Buttler showed a lot of ticker. Only two Tests in and Jeeves is having a weird series by any standard. A bad non attempt by Carey saved him from a pair and a probable dropping.

I reckon Broad should be pensioned off but Jimmeh should be persuaded to stay as long as he wants, He was easily your best bowler.

by beamer Mon 20 Dec 2021, 11:14

He’s nearly 40 though, he’s not going to win us series in India, Australia etc. in a few years’ time. He’s not immortal, he’s not Tom Brady (though even the latter threw a shut-out last night…) Time to cut that particular cord I think.

The chance of this series being competitive was always a long shot, we haven’t won a single Test in Australia for nearly 11 years and the lack of preparation was unprecedented. But that shouldn’t hide the fact that the same issues recur time after time. We clearly need to find a tough Zimbabwean to sort it out, as we did in 1999 and 2009.

by lardbucket Mon 20 Dec 2021, 12:33

Hick?

by beamer Mon 20 Dec 2021, 12:55

He’d walk into this batting line-up. Even at the age of 55.

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