England v Australia, 1st Test, Cardiff, 8-12 July, 2015

Too soon to say, really.

PeterCS wrote:Anyway, f*ck you begrudgers who swore England would be 4 down by lunch.

"Quislings!", to use a favourite SNP phrase.

Only three, the open top bus has been booked, and NO tickets for you.

I was one such, and it's something of a relief to be errant on the conservative side let me tell you Pierre.
So I'll take the ban with good grace.

All right. You can have a return. (Because no passengers so far.) (Except Bell.)

(I hope a Larry David fan caught the Soup Nazi allusion, without curbing his enthusiasm for other series.)

skully wrote:So Haddit dropped a tough one off Root very early then. Looks to be costly.

Was a sitter. Will cost us the series.

Has anyone got a can of RW Neutraliser handy? ....

JGK wrote:

skully wrote:So Haddit dropped a tough one off Root very early then. Looks to be costly.

Was a sitter.  Will cost us the series.

Didn't think it was a sitter but pretty much regulation for a regular test keeper.

The poms not only surviving here but scoring much more freely. Maybe Haddit got some inkling of what was going on in the SOO and was in shock.

PeterCS wrote:(I hope a Larry David fan caught the Soup Nazi allusion, without curbing his enthusiasm for other series.)

Let's hope that Kramer hasn't been left in charge of the bus...

Or the milk.

The trend of play is with the poms atm. Nice little French cut there.

Review turned down; momentum with England.

How limited is Ballance.

Has no shot to the short ball - other than letting it hit him.

Can't attack the pitched up ball.

What's the plan - just wait for short and wide stuff.

And Root is getting too cocky - tighten up a little bit son.

If Ballance is limited - then tell him to teach Bell & Cook how to bat.

Yes he is. But hey, bloody stickability (and fortune favouring the obdurate a bit) does count for something, in some contexts.

(Watch 'im get out next ball .....)

I think Cook is looking in decent nick - he just got into the mindset of 'I must get on top of Lyon' and made an error of judgment.

Perhaps if his partner had been Root rather than Ballance he'd have felt less inclined to force the issue.

Plus, watching Ballance is just grim. Like an even uglier version of G Smith.

PeterCS wrote:If Ballance is limited - then tell him to teach Bell & Cook how to bat.

Yes he is. But hey, bloody stickability (and fortune favouring the obdurate a bit) does count for something, in some contexts.

(Watch 'im get out next ball .....)

I'm giving hamster boy nuff proppage. What I like about him is he's not back in the shed, after leaving his Maltesers on the wicket. What I like about him is he's not back in the shed with the overlord of the ECB jizzing through his halo. OK, he's exceptionally awful to watch. He makes you fall out of love with the entire sport, just that little bit. But he's there. At the wicket. Not scoring runs, yet averting a complete catastrophe. Go well, you pouch-cheeked little house pet.

Haddin needs to go, after the Ashes - he's going down in instalments. He can only be in the side for his batting. Against England.

England getting right on top. Not sure where the next wicket will come from. Haddit will rue this for some time; the first test obviously sets the tone for the series.

4-43 would have looked so much better than 3-187.

Bloody useless Dubbers.

Haddin's from the ACT. 

Looking on the upside, this should be his last Test. 

I'm still stunned at Starc's utter crapness too.

PeterCS wrote:I go away for 10 mins, and what 'appen?

D'OHHHH!


Delete that Yorkshire national anthem!

Undelete. UNDELETE!

I love Yorkshire.

Who cares what Ballance looks like if Root's at the other end?
As long as he doesn't hog the strike he just has to keep things ticking over and his wicket intact. And keep doing that while Stokes, Buttler and Ali pile them on. If we finish on 560 and he's 73 n.o. that'd be tidy from 43-3..

Hey, Jonty!

You guys are well on top again.

You up for drinks again? - less than a bottle of cognac next time I swear.

Of course, Lardy! Always up for an ale or ten and a chinwag..

I don't care what Ballance looks like (mainly as long as I'm not watching him) - but he is hogging the strike now and he's dragging Joe Woot down with him

So far have secured tickets (at great expense) for days 1 through 4 at Trent Bridge, and will hang around for at least a couple of weeks afterwards. Should be plenty of time.