England v Australia, 3rd Test, Edgbaston, 29 July - 3 August, 2015

Brass Monkey wrote:I hope he does well. But I can't see it. I don't see what use another bowler who utilises the circumspect, white-flag-waving dobbers tactic is to us. May as well pick Footitt. He was left out of the Aus tour match, he's a change of angle at the very least. He won't be the quivering mess egotist the rest of them are.

Has Plunkett been ditched indefinitely?

cant tell if this is genuine british limp bottom lip or attempted reverse woofery. either way its boring. far too soon to be waving the white flag

Big Dog wrote:Whats the weather forcast looking like?

Doesn't look too foul. Looks pretty clear except maybe some showers on Saturday.

Not much rain but overcast. A little ray of sunshine for their bowlers perhaps though?

Showing highlights of the 2006/7 series now. Just what I wanted for my day, highlights of a raping to start the day and a live one later on.

Take something and have a lie down. Nothing but doom merchants on these Ashes threads.

If the English players were as faithless as their supporters and the English media, the series WOULD finish 4-1 to Australia.

They're not.  Maybe not 'balls of steel' but I am expecting a tough contest and the whole series could still easily turn back England's way.

Absolutely no room for complacency.

lardbucket wrote:Wall to wall grey misery.

JGK wrote:That's the city, what about the weather?

Some things are better left unsaid.

Just the toss in it so far.

Bradman wrote:Take something and have a lie down.  Nothing but doom merchants on these Ashes threads.

I can't, I'm at work.

vilkrang wrote:

Bradman wrote:Take something and have a lie down.  Nothing but doom merchants on these Ashes threads.

I can't, I'm at work.

At 7.25?

I thought poms only started at 9

Bradman wrote:Take something ...

'Satan, get thee hence'

I still reckon its 'win the toss, win the test'

Might be one of those tricky decisions where it's going to move around early on or be start-stop with weather, so not a clear cut bat first...

When you've just lost by effectively an innings and 400 runs, confidence will be very low and England could easily lose this on the first day if they don't settle early on with either bat or ball.

There wasn't a single competitive day in the last test (or in the last series).

I'm still thinking that Cardiff was an aberration but we will soon find out.

Losing happens but it's just the manner of taking it with arse in the air and no fight that was the most galling.

Big Dog wrote:I still reckon its 'win the toss, win the test'

Totally agree.
With the proviso "bat first".

Really wish they would stop showing 2006/7 highlights now, it's not a fun way to start the day as an Englishman.

In response to you Aussie boys claiming we're turning into 'doom merchants' etc I'd say that if the ball swings then we have a chance to compete. That is a chance mind you - not a certainty.

No swing, no chance of a win, surely.

If it does swing then it will also be beneficial to your blokes - and they can move it a greater pace than ours which makes them potentially even more threatening than if it's a flat deck.

Anyway, from the last test I responded to a Dello post saying we needed to make a sacrifice of the Belf to appease the Gods. We, in our arroagance, did not do that. The Gods have made clear their anger by making Wood lame and forcing us to bring in Finn. They will probably send another signal during the game when the first straight drive Cook has played for about 5 years ricochets off Johnson's foot and knocks Root out sparko. The result is pre-ordained.

Lost the toss, and the test one would think. 2-1 and it's looking like a big ask to win the last two tosses and even after winning the tosses we would be so under pressure that it wouldn't be the guarantee of a win that it is when Aus win the toss.

1st English team without a Southern African since 2004.

There are few things grouser than Ashes cricket live on the telly from England.

Sit back and enjoy Skully.

Hello?

Oooh bugger.

Is it me or has Jimmy bowled a jaffa to Rogers with each of his first balls in the series? Then just kind of gone flat.

Squeaky bum first run.