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

lardbucket wrote:I liked the rat-faced snarl of resentment immediately afterwards.

The lip curl

lardbucket wrote:

vilkrang wrote:We'll be lucky to make 350.

You're really not very good at this are you?

You never know after that one...

vilkrang wrote:

lardbucket wrote:

vilkrang wrote:We'll be lucky to make 350.

You're really not very good at this are you?

Yeah, do I feel silly now! Would much rather we be all out like I thought!

I think you've underestimated your side and overestimated ours, all along. And Harris's loss is huge.

That was a very Ian Bell type shot from Buttler.

lardbucket wrote:

vilkrang wrote:

lardbucket wrote:

vilkrang wrote:We'll be lucky to make 350.

You're really not very good at this are you?

Yeah, do I feel silly now! Would much rather we be all out like I thought!

I think you've underestimated your side and overestimated ours, all along. And Harris's loss is huge.

You didn't have to watch your side capitulate 5-0 without even getting close to 400. Did we even ever get to 300? I'm not sure we did.

It's really not that big of a stretch to think that a similar result isn't on the cards, because there aren't that many changes to the two teams and with the bowlers Australia have brought in doing well.

I'm obviously delighted that we haven't lost the match already by being bowled out for 100 and am very pleased to see a good contest but we haven't won the test yet and it wouldn't surprise me to see Australia get 400+ and then knock us over for nothing in the 2nd innings and chase down a measly target.

Very even first day though with all 3 results very much in the balance. Good stuff, did not expect this after the last series between the two sides.

Dire actually

England's day, though.

We could have been 40/4. That says it all really.

Yes, that would have been different.

Couple of overs short. Slow bowling?

late start too

taipan wrote:Couple of overs short. Slow bowling?

Slightly late start.

Gah, too slow

My word, Broad just did something sensible.

lardbucket wrote:late start too

Added 15 minutes for the late start judging by the clock.

No, top day for England, pretty 4rpo. Very entertaining indeed and they have surpassed my expectations, albeit on a lifeless track.

Brass Monkey wrote:No, top day for England, pretty 4rpo. Very entertaining indeed and they have surpassed my expectations, albeit on a lifeless track.

That's the kicker though, would like to see how Aus get on until I judge how well we've done.

But I didn't think we would still be batting at the end of the day. I didn't think we would still be batting after tea going from the last series.

Joe Root - what can you say.First name down in a current World XI for my money.

Well played England, who clearly have taken 1st Day honours. Root looked very good while I was watching. Congrats to him on the opening century of the series - he really looks a quality player. Hazy looked the best bowler, Koo was good occasionally but was too erratic, and Midge disappointingly looked pretty nonthreatening and expensive.

Haddit's overdive only cost 134 runs. Qunt.

England will take great confidence from the opening Ashes 15 day. So based on this, we could have a good series on our hands.

skully wrote:Well played England, who clearly have taken 1st Day honours. Root looked very good while I was watching. Congrats to him on the opening century of the series - he really looks a quality player. Hazy looked the best bowler, Koo was good occasionally but was too erratic, and Midge disappointingly looked pretty nonthreatening and expensive.

Haddit's overdive only cost 134 runs. Qunt.

England will take great confidence from the opening Ashes 15 day. So based on this, we could have a good series on our hands.

Aye, looks very promising. Wouldn't be a complete shock to see total capitulation when it comes to our bowling but that's as good and as competitive a 1st day of an Ashes series that you are likely to see.

So apart from an overdrawn opening ceremony, I think Cardiff can be proud to hold a fairly entertaining opening day of The Ashes. Might nip along on Sunday if tickets are still £25 and play is evenly poised.

England imploding toward tea, Mitchell Johnson getting zilch assistance from a slug-like pitch, and Joe Root continuing to become an England Legend. Good stuff.

Also, Watson? Why?

DJ_Smerk wrote:Also, Watson? Why?

Alas Smerfy, we Aussies have been asking that for 4 years.

So Starc's going to be one of those streaky bowlers who goes from gash to unplayable to gash in the space of a few balls.

He'll deffo go for runs but he is the kind of bowler who can seriously open the game up with a quick 2 or 3 wickets.

How are England going to bowl Aus out on this featherbed for anything under 500. Even Gary 'French cricket' Ballance managed to face 150 balls before, inevitably, missing a full straight ball.

Lindsay no.2 wrote:So Starc's going to be one of those streaky bowlers who goes from gash to unplayable to gash in the space of a few balls.

Is this a new age version of Anderson's Beige cycle?

Well, honours just about even after that first day. Root's supreme form (and Haddin's drop) clearly the main reason for England staying in the contest, but typically aggressive stuff from the lower middle order, we have to take the odd careless dismissal if we want to see them play that way. And say what you like about Ballance, but he's got some resilience about him, even when clearly in no sort of form and scoring 1 run to Root's 30-odd at one stage, he didn't get frustrated and Belf it away... a Collingwood sort of innings, if you like.

If Moeen and the tail can get us above 400 tomorrow then we're reasonably well placed, the Aussies may well sail past that but they will need to do so in order to really put the pressure on. Hard to judge a par score until both sides have batted, but looks a whole lot better than it did a couple of overs after drinks, when it looked like the series could be effectively over by lunch on day 1!