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The Ashes 2017/18

lost the toss and aussie batting on what looks a very dry flat deck, gonna be hard work bowling them out and expect lyon causes us problems as the test goes on, hard to feel any optimism ahead of this
 
I'm still hopeful it will finish 5-0. Should have picked Stokes and left Cook at home. Terrible decision regardless of the case against him. He's not been found guilty so he should have been allowed to play.
 
HomerJSimpson said:
Another long day, and can't see day two being much better. Expecting England to be chasing down 500 in the first innings
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great bowling Homie :)

much better session from England now need to score big on what already looks an overly dry wicket, pretty 2 paced and getting slower. will want to get them in the first inns for sure
 
Nice to see some decent England bowling. Broad looks a different player to what we’ve so far in this series. Long may it continue!

However, I’m not confident on the England batting lineup posting a competitive score 🙄
 
Well... who would have thought it. Stayed up long enough to see the ‘Underarmbowlers’ dismissed..... though , admittedly, not all ‘live’ due to good malts!!
 
fundy said:
great bowling Homie :)

much better session from England now need to score big on what already looks an overly dry wicket, pretty 2 paced and getting slower. will want to get them in the first inns for sure
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It took a while for the Homer magic to work on Cook but got there in the end. It’s helped with the Aussies being down a bowler and also Starc not there but for once England playing the pitch far better today - some cracking drives from Cook and good solid start for Root. Vince is so close to be a very good number 3.
 
Junior said:
I agree, we don’t have the depth in the squad. Remember the last hiding we took in Oz and we ended up using lots of different players. Even Borthwick was called in and he was playing club cricket in oz. It was embarrassing, I don’t think any wholesale changes would make a difference.

Sometimes you just have to admit that they are streets ahead of us and we didnt have the firepower to compete in the first three games. I like the fact the players are now being told to step up , be accountable and fight.
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Well played Cook. People forget that he is still one of the best batsmen in the country. He rarely failed for Essex last season and as yet, there is no one to step up and replace him.

I’m not hopeful of a result as we tend to compete for a couple of days and fold, but im glad we are showing some fight.
 
Junior said:
Well played Cook. People forget that he is still one of the best batsmen in the country. He rarely failed for Essex last season and as yet, there is no one to step up and replace him.

I’m not hopeful of a result as we tend to compete for a couple of days and fold, but im glad we are showing some fight.
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Have you noticed how many people Homer doubts and I believe its all down to his failings how he judges others.
Would be nice to salvage something although I have not been watching this time.
 
pokerjoke said:
Have you noticed how many people Homer doubts and I believe its all down to his failings how he judges others.
Would be nice to salvage something although I have not been watching this time.
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The thing with cricket though, you just have to admit when you have been outplayed, and you have to stick by your gun players when they are out of form. I always hark back to the days of Hick, Crawley, Ramprakash, Devon Malcom etc. World class players who never got a decent run in the side.

If Broad, Cook etc were dropped, they would go back to county cricket , be the best players in the championship and people would be shouting for them to be recalled. I’m all for bringing in youth, but there has to be a balance.
 
Liverpoolphil said:
It took a while for the Homer magic to work on Cook but got there in the end. It’s helped with the Aussies being down a bowler and also Starc not there but for once England playing the pitch far better today - some cracking drives from Cook and good solid start for Root. Vince is so close to be a very good number 3.
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lack of bounce in the pitch a big factor too, slower and lower far closer to the pitches we bat on at home (as long as it doesnt fall apart from being too dry)

lets hope he can make another double ton :)
 
Junior said:
The thing with cricket though, you just have to admit when you have been outplayed, and you have to stick by your gun players when they are out of form. I always hark back to the days of Hick, Crawley, Ramprakash, Devon Malcom etc. World class players who never got a decent run in the side.

If Broad, Cook etc were dropped, they would go back to county cricket , be the best players in the championship and people would be shouting for them to be recalled. I’m all for bringing in youth, but there has to be a balance.
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definitely prefer the days where guys may get a chance too many than several too few as used to happen with the revolving door selections, that said its much harder to drop someone when you have little to replace them with. sides going to look very different in a few years with no broad, andersen or cook thats for sure
 
fundy said:
definitely prefer the days where guys may get a chance too many than several too few as used to happen with the revolving door selections, that said its much harder to drop someone when you have little to replace them with. sides going to look very different in a few years with no broad, andersen or cook thats for sure
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For sure mate. Jennings seems to have something so I hope he gets a run when Cook decides to step down.

Im not sure who can step up in the bowling department though. Porter, Coad or Overton seem the ones , but I just don’t think they set the world on fire. I hope they prove me wrong. Harmer , if or when he qualifies too could be the spinner we are crying out for.

My other beef is that I think Anderson should have been captain for last Summer and this Ashes series. Let Root have the vice and have him take over. I hate how we always burden our talisman type players with the captaincy when they are too young,
 
I cant help thinking that the fact the series is lost and the pressure is off a bit has somethin to do with the improved performance in this test.
 
Not wishing to do a Homer but we’ve had one good day in four test matches. Plus Australia were 260 odd for 3 after the first day, so there’s plenty of time for us to fluck it up :rofl:

My question at the end of series is why we included Ali in the team when he is clearly not fit to perform at his best?
 
Piece said:
Not wishing to do a Homer but we’ve had one good day in four test matches. Plus Australia were 260 odd for 3 after the first day, so there’s plenty of time for us to fluck it up :rofl:

My question at the end of series is why we included Ali in the team when he is clearly not fit to perform at his best?
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They included Ali because once again they left the best spinner at home and picked someone who had a poor season in the County Champs - they don’t trust Crane so why take him.
 
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