Australia v England, 4th Test, Sydney, 5-9 January, 2022

Geez, England have had a huge slice of luck in this innings.

Suddenly looks very easy.

Along with session 3 of Day 2 in Brisbane (Malan and Root), that was the Poms' best batting session of the series.

Poms looking v comfortable now.

plumbest of plumb lbws there, out of the blue

just a question in the umpire's mind re whether the bails would have come off?

ouch, that's Bairstow off, he won't be able to bat with that

lardbucket wrote:plumbest of plumb lbws there, out of the blue

just a question in the umpire's mind re whether the bails would have come off?

Poms looking v comfortable now.

Good ton to JB.

Well played Jonny B, didn’t expect that. Probably booked his place for another couple of years of averaging 25, but maybe he’ll take the gloves off Buttler and bat 7 going forwards…

Not a lot of fight from the rest of the top seven, an injured Stokes the honourable exception. Root making a shaky start to his second crack at MoYo’s record.

Nice to make them bat again, even if they’d have chosen to anyway. A bit more rain and the draw might come into play, as long as we don’t have to last more than 2 sessions.

Jonny B. - good.

I like Bairstow but from my miserable Indian fan perspective (as applied had this been an Indian series) I’m not sure what the fuss is about and why he’s apparently roaring about. Sure great personal accomplishment but bloody hell you’re 3 (from 3) and probably fading away in this one too. Those team, press and individual celebrations will look a lot better if you won this one.

Furri:

I can't speak for anyone else, but:

My comment was just a pun (esp. for Lardy, perhaps) - and its brevity a signal - fully intended - of the wider problems of and for England with its batting. ...

Is this the gingerest England team ever?

Well done to Jonny B. Excellent ton.

Patty dropped the whitewash when he dropped Stokes.

Spesh takes the figures with 4-36. He now has 11 wkts at 8.27.

Handy 100+ lead for Aus. We make a quick 230 and set them maybe 350 and give ourselves a day to win the Test.

skully wrote:Spesh takes the figures with 4-36. He now has 11 wkts at 8.27.

Handy 100+ lead for Aus. We make a quick 230 and set them maybe 350 and give ourselves a day to win the Test.

are they starting early tomorrow as well to make up time?

skully wrote:Spesh takes the figures with 4-36. He now has 11 wkts at 8.27.

Handy 100+ lead for Aus. We make a quick 230 and set them maybe 350 and give ourselves a day to win the Test.

The new GOAT ... maybe The Kid

https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=bowling_average;qualmin1=10;qualval1=wickets;template=results;type=bowling

Not bad, but that might just woof him.

Better suggested nick for Boland by lardy (via another medium)...

Scott Boland = ScoBo. (reference to ScoMo)

Kind of sums it up that we can have two wicketkeepers in the XI and yet neither is fit to keep. And we have to use a part-timer because we don’t have another one close at hand (though Billings has been called up for the final Test).

Shame we didn’t quite make 300 or the second new ball, that would be cause for a bit of Afzaaling even if Jonny’s innings wasn’t…

Have England got 3 subs on the field?

I’ve seen Pope, Overton. now Lawrence.

Guess Wood’s probably left the field after his spell, to join Bairstow and Buttler. 14th men must be something of a rarity… apparently Billings is currently racing through NSW to join the party.

That’s a thin attack now without Stokes and Wood.

Anderson, Broad, Leach, Root, Malan to restrict Australian lead?