4th Ashes Test Durham

First topic message reminder :

They're all at it again on Friday. Just as England are likely to chuck in a bad performance when everyone expects them to win (Leeds 09, Perth 2010/11, Manchester 2013) they usually bounce back next Test (Lord's and Oval 09, Melbourne 2010/11).
I'm taking England to win one of the last two Tests to ensure a series victory. Onions, it seems, will come in and that could be a good move. Still think this is not a very strong Australia team. It's just that they were an average team playing poorly in the first two Test while at Manchester they were an average team playing well.
Before Manchester, we were asking if Australia could improve/get back into the series. Well they certainly achieved the former if not the latter. Now we could ask - Can England start firing on all cylinders ?

Must say that Trott dismissal shocked me...he was playing like a man in total command since lunch.
Real nothing shot ...and a most un-Trott like third score around 40/50 for the series.
Can't be a concentration problem surely ? Maybe just a bad run...

Trott looks to be trying to score to quick. I think he has taken offence to his slow tag by us fans..

Still a 49 is fine. No dramas

Jut a dry patch for Trott; he had good series against South Africa, India and New Zealand, so I wouldn't be too worried just yet.

Wouldn't say I'm worried yet ...more just a bit puzzled. I will go along with Duty's "dry patch". And look forward to a century at The Oval.

Wonder what is par on this ? Looks to me to be a bit there for the bowlers to work with , albeit slowly. And a slow outfield. Might not be a particularly high scoring match , so this is a decent start , I think.

England haven't made a score of above 400 in this series. Quite strange when you consider England are 2 nil up as well! Great platform this to break the 400 barrier though.

Trott getting out may be a blessing in disguise to England, as the run rate has increased up to 3 per over. Which is just why you have to love Pietersen.

England have been injected, and it's rubbed off on Cook as well.

KP out. Christ, going to need a big one from Bell!

KP gone ! Lyon strikes again. !

Not even having a hit , either...

Well Trotts SR was fine(49 off 60!!! thats an 85), however he got out pushing to score and maintain that as he has been this whole series.

Ah, Pietersen edges behind, 149/3. Time for England's best batsman (of the series) then.

Bell cant keep getting these scores surely!!

He has made at least a 50 every innings i think

sod the cricket. I just found a false widow in my house.

my wife was bitten at the weekend and in terrible pain (on her ear).

Well, we've clearly got these things breeding here:

https://twitter.com/KernowFishy/status/365839557905743872/photo/1

Duty281 wrote:Ah, Pietersen edges behind, 149/3. Time for England's best batsman (of the series) then.

 this ashes has been really depressing for just how few England batsmen can be relied upon to perform. it's failure after failure and aussie are going to win the ashes back down under if serious changes aren't made or form found.  it's getting to crisis point.

mystiroakey wrote:Bell cant keep getting these scores surely!!

He has made at least a 50 every innings i think

25, 109, 109, 74, 60, 4*. Great series thus far for him.

(Thanks to Cricinfo)

A false widow!!!

I take it it looks like a black widow but doesnt kill?

trebellbobaggins wrote:

Duty281 wrote:Ah, Pietersen edges behind, 149/3. Time for England's best batsman (of the series) then.

 this ashes has been really depressing for just how few England batsmen can be relied upon to perform. it's failure after failure and aussie are going to win the ashes back down under if serious changes aren't made or form found.  it's getting to crisis point.

Come on Trebbs, chin up. Repeat after me:

"England have won 3 consecutive Ashes series."

Now I may be totally wrong. But I don't think this is a 400 pitch at all.
Three players have got a start - at least - and not gone on , though there haven't been many alarms in between the wickets ; and Cook has really grafted for his runs.
Pitch may quicken up tomorrow. Might change things a bit.

Guess we will find out over the next couple of days.

mystiroakey wrote:A false widow!!!

I take it it looks like a black widow but doesnt kill?

 yes, the most venomous of all UK spiders.  Originally very rare but spreading in all warmer areas.  Cornwall has been warned they were on the edge of becoming common place.  I'd say they are.

I realise now one bit me two years ago.  Gave me chest pain, severe pain in the hand and weird feelings in my teeth too.

alfie wrote:Now I may be totally wrong. But I don't think this is a 400 pitch at all.
Three players have got a start - at least - and not gone on , though there haven't been many alarms in between the wickets ; and Cook has really grafted for his runs.
Pitch may quicken up tomorrow. Might change things a bit.

Guess we will find out over the next couple of days.

Difficult to deduce really. There's a bit of swing out there, slow outfield, slow pitch, and it may turn later on.

If England get 400, they should win I'd have thought.

not a nice 4th innings pitch this.

trebellbobaggins wrote:

Duty281 wrote:Ah, Pietersen edges behind, 149/3. Time for England's best batsman (of the series) then.

 this ashes has been really depressing for just how few England batsmen can be relied upon to perform. it's failure after failure and aussie are going to win the ashes back down under if serious changes aren't made or form found.  it's getting to crisis point.

Ah , but that rather depends on whether Australia are able to find someone else apart from Clarke who can be trusted to make consistent runs , does it not ?

I mean , getting 300 odd regularly will be fine if they can knock Australia over for a hundred less...

well will we get to 200!

Well batted Alistair Cook 

The beauty of Test cricket: England were on top 15 minutes ago, now they're on the ropes. 400? I'd take 300.

Oh dear...Cook has picked the wrong one to leave  

If they get 300 I reckon they'll have done well. Last twenty minutes has rather undermined a good start.

I wouldn't but I guess I will have to.

englands top order is a shambles doody, it really is.

Warne was not wrong that aussie are coming out of this looking in better shape for the home run than a messy and struggling England.

And now the wheels are coming off

Hoggy_Bear wrote:And now the wheels are coming off

 it's been coming. out of form players, coaches too loyal to them and not dropping them when they need to.

England are in need of a shake up.

The ginger nuts will sort us out !

Rubbish from England today. Batsmen get in then get out as per usual so down to the bowlers yet again to bail them out. You would have to say 5 out of the top 7 are completely out of form, think they need some county cricket to get it back.

We can't bat.

Rubbish

We really need to bring in some different faces these guys are out of form.

Bairstow not out there but bet it isn't long before he fences at one and is out

How can we drop kp, trott or cook though??

They are all world class..

and we are not losing tests!

VTR wrote:Rubbish from England today. Batsmen get in then get out as per usual so down to the bowlers yet again to bail them out. You would have to say 5 out of the top 7 are completely out of form, think they need some county cricket to get it back.

Scrumpy wrote:We can't bat.

Rubbish

Uh-oh, more knee jerking.

Average really from England thus far, but it is very delicately poised. One good partnership in the evening could see England 260/4 at stumps, and one good spell of bowling could leave England in tatters. All to play for.

Don't think we drop anyone. They just don't get time to play cricket to get into form with these matches crammed together. Would prefer a more spread out schedule rather than back to back to back Test matches so we can have a million thrilling one dayers afterwards.

This kid Root is out of his depth, he will be a top batsman but its just too soon for him.

Totally OTT reactions on here. Australia's session with the late wickets but a long way to go.
And then Australia have to bat and we can get a balanced judgement of the pitch.

Come on chaps : even if you think one or two players aren't in their best form , do you seriously think you can find instant replacements who would do better ?

Scrumpy wrote:This kid Root is out of his depth, he will be a top batsman but its just too soon for him.

 

Is that a knee-jerk Duty?

As I said previously, really not much between these two sides at all. Which is good in terms of enjoyable, competitive cricket.

Oh dear, oh dear.

Cook fails once again to convert a fifty into a ton and it looks as though KP has had his 1 good innings for the series.

England in a spot of bother at 153-4.

Need Bell to have another good innings and for Bairstow to show he's worth keeping.

oh god. a nest of them under my bath.

England saved by the Bell!

To call someone who made a half-century in India on debut, and who made an Ashes century not too long ago, "out of his depth" is just bordering on insanity.

But he keeps failing at the top of the order, maybe Compton deserves another go, imo there is very little between them on form.

Scrumpy wrote:But he keeps failing at the top of the order, maybe Compton deserves another go, imo there is very little between them on form.

Top of the order is where he should bat. Give him some time though, he's only had 4 Tests opening, one of which he cracked a 180 in. He deserves all winter as well opening, and I'm sure the England selectors will know that.

God I hope not if his dreadful run continues, one swallow doesn't make a summer, he fails when England need him the most.

trebellbobaggins wrote:oh god. a nest of them under my bath.

get a pet lizard Trebbs. It will hunt them for you

haha might need it roakey.

horrible. I've been under there with the spray now.  blasted it.