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

interesting start. this looks like being a tense first session

Good toss to lose.

3 down at lunch at least.

Warner doing a Watson?

Pitching outside leg?

JGK wrote:Good toss to lose.

3 down at lunch at least.

at least

Bad review boys. Must stop listening to Watto on your days off.

Warner is a worry in the first innings. So vulnerable if it's not batsmen friendly.

so who replaces warner for the fourth test?

Ethics? The Gall! wrote:so who replaces warner for the fourth test?

Twatto.  Natch.

Might as well get in early...


Well done England on bouncing back from the Lords thrashing.   2-1 after 3 will be hard to peg back.

At least it seems as if the pitch has a bit of juice and carry in it.

Can we exploit it - and what appear to be favourable overhead conditions.

JGK wrote:

Ethics? The Gall! wrote:so who replaces warner for the fourth test?

Twatto.  Natch.

Can I review that decision?

Apparently* the team batting first at Edgbaston hasn't won in the last 6 tests there.

JGK wrote:

Ethics? The Gall! wrote:so who replaces warner for the fourth test?

Twatto.  Natch.

Beat me to it.

So everything depends on Clarke....oh sh*t

A serious question (not just a Finn sledge).

How, from such a long run-up, does he manage to only get it down at low 80s when he used to be able to hit 90+? What have they done to him technically? Got him to slow his arm down or something? It just doesn't make sense to me - I thought the usual form was that young bowlers got quicker as they hit their prime, not the other way round.

Nice ball there though. If he could put it there 6 out of 6 then fair do's - just not sure he can.

Good start, especially from Finn.

F*ck me - get another slip in Cook you lemon. Clarke looks nervous as a virgin at a House of Lords after party.

Finn bailed you out of that error of judgment Cook. Make sure you put some in for the remaining batsmen eh? They are 34-3 after all.

Big Dog wrote:So everything depends on Clarke....oh sh*t

How were the scallops?

Wow. Finn bowls Clarke... What am I watching?

JGK wrote:Might as well get in early...


Well done England on bouncing back from the Lords thrashing.   2-1 after 3 will be hard to peg back.

Bump...

Lindsay no.2 wrote:A serious question (not just a Finn sledge).

How, from such a long run-up, does he manage to only get it down at low 80s when he used to be able to hit 90+? What have they done to him technically? Got him to slow his arm down or something? It just doesn't make sense to me - I thought the usual form was that young bowlers got quicker as they hit their prime, not the other way round.

Nice ball there though. If he could put it there 6 out of 6 then fair do's - just not sure he can.

To quote a long time admirer of Finn's - one Michael Holding ;

"If he were a West Indian, he would be doing a lot better than he is now.
We wouldn't have messed him up.
Simple as that.
Too many people telling him too many different things..."

Perhaps there's your answer LN2.

But I agree - far too many 4 ball overs ... good ball to snuff out the Smiffer though.

Brass Monkey wrote:Wow. Finn bowls Clarke... What am I watching?

Watching Clarke emulate Ballance.

Broad pushing the line all the time. Indeed that looked way over.

Umps need to monitor that and get in the bowlers ears before a wicket/no-ball review gets in the way.

Merlin wrote:

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

Totally agree.
With the proviso "bat first".

We were stuffed from this moment. Clueless.

vilkrang wrote: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.

Doom merchant!

JGK wrote:Good toss to lose.

3 down at lunch at least.

Good early prediction; and it's looking that way.

Good toss to lose. In fact bowling conditions that will probably flatten out are arguably the best tosses to lose.

As mentioned by a few of us last test, it was surprising to see England blunting their own attack.