England v Australia, 3rd Test, Headingley, 22-26 August, 2019

Likely to be a covers on/covers off day. You'd be tempted to bowl because the batsmen will be unsettled frequently.

Poms win the toss and bowl. Ugh.

As rumoured, the 3 changes for Aus - Harris for Bancroft, Labuschagne for Smith and Pattinson for Siddle.

England unchanged.

Looks like it will start soon.

Lined the stomach with champ, cabbage and shanks. Trying to perforate now with End-One and Jamesons.

Are the Bookies offering odds on Warner making double figures?

Is the first time in cbnlg's hopefully brief appointment there is not one Warparian in the team.

If Broad stops moving it that much Warner won't get off the mark. headlights.

Do they still call this summer? No use getting excited about cricket in England given the lack of sun.

horace wrote:Are the Bookies offering odds on Warner making double figures?

Well, he made it, but it was damned hard work. Sturat is bowling an excellent seam and Joffrey is landing it in "good areas" although down in pace by 10 mph.

200 will be a good effort by Aus in these conditions.

To the surprise of no-one, it took England just one Test to reduce Archer to a medium pacer.

Dello wrote:To the surprise of no-one, it took England just one Test to reduce Archer to a medium pacer.

I have to admit that thought did very much cross my mind as he loped in and rolled his arm over.

Ridiculous how overbowled he was at Lord's. DOUBLE the overs of dobbing workhorse Woakes.

Warner prospering.

As it happens, Root inserting is backfiring so far. This is forecast to be the worst day, weather-wise, and probably not much of it left. If England get to bat fourth, Ashes may be retained by the time they get to OT.

And even if this one is a draw, England massively up against it to regain the urn. 2/2 will be necessary from Tests 4 & 5, no draws, no losses. Seems unlikely at this point.

LJH has been tipped off about the recovery, 50 stand etc, so he's suddenly turned up at the ground ...

Let's hope for his sake he doesn't have to hand out any medals ...

PeterCS wrote:LJH has been tipped off about the recovery, 50 stand etc, so he's suddenly turned up at the ground ...

Let's hope for his sake he doesn't have to hand out any medals ...

**groanarama**

what is wrong with the Pomgolians....some of them are fielding like they're specialist 12thmen - they are not.

Sounds like they’ve been bowling like specialist 12th men. A load of Pratts, if you like...

all over now.

A duck for Dick...

If we can get rid of Yarpie Shane we’re almost through.

The 11 inexplicably unchanged overs that started the final session from Woakes and Stokes, that yielded 70 runs, was perhaps the shittest phase of cricket I've ever seen from a fielding side who were, until then, in control.

Stokes can fall back on his batting, but Woakes' efforts and Root's absence of any kind of leadership was proper sackable stuff.

Frustrating day here at Headingley. Australia continues to be incapable of stringing back to back partnerships together.

Weather will be great going forward so it was a good toss to win.

Dello wrote:The 11 inexplicably unchanged overs that started the final session from Woakes and Stokes, that yielded 70 runs, was perhaps the shittest phase of cricket I've ever seen from a fielding side who were, until then, in control.

Stokes can fall back on his batting, but Woakes' efforts and Root's absence of any kind of leadership was proper sackable stuff.

Something’s not quite right with Woakes and he probably needed to sit this one out. Although he too has been more use with the bat than three of the top four in this series.

First Michelle for King Joffrey, hopefully first of many. Good recovery after that third wicket partnership threatened to be a match-winner even at that early stage. Bowl them out for 200 and we should be well ahead in the game even with our batting and having to bat last.

And the Yarpoz goes after missing a knee-high full toss from Stokes that was hitting middle of middle...

Turned out okay in the end (although if it's a low scoring game, that 100 run partnership between Warner and Labia Shane milked almost exclusively off the back up bowlers could tip the balance).

Six-fer for Jofra. Did all the donkey work again. Bowled the most overs. I mean, he's clearly miles better than Woakes and Stokes (and Leach, who was apparently available today as a bowler too - not even an exploratory over, Joseph?), but it's a joke how reliant England have become on him after just one game.

Notable that he commented twice that he was just happy to get off the field and get some rest when discussing his sixer. I'm not sure he'll finish the series unless the whole bowling unit come to the party - no weak links.

If a fit Anderson joins Broad and Archer, that clearly helps on that front.

So, tomorrow's the game: can we bat a full day?

Aussies lost 8-43 in the last session there. Our lot would be proud of that kind of collapse... and one partnership accounted for 111 out of 179 runs, which must be close to a record in proportionate terms.

If we can get 250 we’re well ahead in this.

We just got home from the game. It ended up alright but as others have said we let 60 or 70 runs go way too easily.
I have to wonder, at the end of this series, just how much England will regret not playing Archer for a clearly injured Anderson in the game we lost. In my view it's going to be decisive.

It just shows the shittitude of our batting, that we can bowl a side out for 179 on the first day and still not be convinced we’re going to win this match.