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 ?

...since you just know Hill will blunder later on , you really should keep reviews for stone cold certainties.
Have to keep the remaining one on ice now.

Worth just reviewing any Hill decision at this point.

The Australian openers manage to see that mini session through without damage. England need to make the new ball really count.

288 needed with all the wickets in hand....Eng bowlers did not make any impression.

EVEN session.....match still 65-35 standing Eng's way

With Hill's calls there is always that not so unfair temptation to review. But they really have to keep their reviews safe enough, sooner or later, he's bound to have a couple of wrong calls.

A nice little boost that for Australia, successfully seeing off those 5 overs without loss. England have shown that the best way to bat on this pitch is with intent, and maybe if Australia do that then Cook will have one eye on the runs to win column. Still massively in England's hands though.

Hmm. England didn't put it out of reach...

But 299 is a tough ask. Enough balls did things for Harris - and even Lyon ! - to suggest batting in this fourth innings may not be any picnic.

By the way , apologies for not posting on this for the second half of yesterday , despite the fascinating swing of fortunes. Was just too busy , with one eye on this and the other watching events in Moscow.
So belated congratulations to Ian Bell , for yet another vital and quite excellent century  

Thought Bairstow did his job too ,and got a nasty ball at the end...and of course this morning was the Tim B show...

Could still be a tight match to the end. Bit like Trent Bridge ?

Its quite interesting. England could be 3-0 up by close of play today. Looking at the Englands batting averages for the series this is quite remarkable. Bell apart, not one batsman averages over 40.

Cook 218 @ 27 avg
Root 260 @37
Trott 194@ 24
KP 276 @34
Ball 500@ 500 @71
Bairstow 203 @29
Prior 86@14

http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2013/engine/match/566935.html

Ian Bell is the difference.

djkbrown2001 wrote:Its quite interesting. England could be 3-0 up by close of play today. Looking at the Englands batting averages for the series this is quite remarkable. Bell apart, not one batsman averages over 40.

Cook 218 @ 27 avg
Root 260 @37
Trott 194@ 24
KP 276 @34
Ball 500@ 500 @71
Bairstow 203 @29
Prior 86@14

http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2013/engine/match/566935.html

Ian Bell is the difference.

you should add Braid and Swann and Bresnan also to that list...and you will see the shortfall of 5 regulars has been made up by the handy contributions from 8,9 and 10

KP_fan wrote:you should add Braid and Swann and Bresnan also to that list...and you will see the shortfall of 5 regulars has been made up by the handy contributions from 8,9 and 10

Broad 28, Bresnan 26, Swann 23 - how mad is it that Broad has a higher average than the two previously-thought best batsmen?

Well the Australian averages tell a similar tale , I think ...without looking at them I would think some bowlers feature quite prominently.

Has been a bowlers' series so far , with the possible exception of Old Trafford. Not minefield pitches , but not comfortable either. And both sides have decent bowling resources.

Brief patch of rain has delayed proceedings. Game probably going to go into Day 5 now, so my prediction of laughing at the knee-jerkers on Monday has gone for a burton.

And while everyone is sheltering from the rain, the BBC are doing comments on your 'West Indian cricketer' name. The formula is:
First name = US President when you were born
Surname = Last British seaside resort visited*.

So that makes me Nixon Walton.

*I'd prefer this to be first British seaside resort visited - would make me Nixon Scarborough. Now he sounds like a dangerous quick bowler...

Rain saves England again
is an alternative Reality

Rain could be very good for England. Might liven up the pitch. Also means if anyone gets set today they will have to start again tomorrow with the target still presumably still some way off.

Falls down a bit for people in their 20s and 30s being called Reagan and Bush. Id be Carter Morcambe by the way

If the rest of Day 4 is rained off, then we could be set up for a very exciting final day if the weather's OK for tomorrow. Always look on the bright side!

dummy_half wrote:And while everyone is sheltering from the rain, the BBC are doing comments on your 'West Indian cricketer' name. The formula is:
First name = US President when you were born
Surname = Last British seaside resort visited*.

So that makes me Nixon Walton.

*I'd prefer this to be first British seaside resort visited - would make me Nixon Scarborough. Now he sounds like a dangerous quick bowler...

I'd be Johnson Scarborough, which is a pretty good fast-bowler name IMO.

Carter Llandudno. Doesn't work for me, perhaps it should be English seaside resort as not many of the Welsh ones are going to work too well!

Hmm. Truman Minehead...I sound quite dangerous  

When are we expecting to get back on ? At all today , or is it going to be one of those crosswords and card games afternoons ?

Reagan Weston. I'm the West Indian who buggers off to play IPL instead of playing for my country.

Restart at 2:50.

VTR wrote:Carter Llandudno. Doesn't work for me, perhaps it should be English seaside resort as not many of the Welsh ones are going to work too well!

VTR
I lived a few miles along the coast from Llandudno for a couple of years a decade ago. Place was called Dwygyfylchi (I kid you not). Definitely NOT a Windies player  

Ha! Definitely not, though I'd love to hear Boycs try and pronounce that one. He'd probably call it "a load of rubbish" and change it to something he could pronounce

Clinton Paignton.  

Bit camp for a fast bowler, but it'll do!

So wet outfield now. Harder for the Aussies to score boundaries I guess but the new ball is going to get a bit soggy pretty quickly.

I suppose the Welsh ones could be mystery spinners. They did used to have Nagamootoo which is pretty unusual

They have lost so much time and yet they have scheduled TEA

what would happen if they live without TEA to make upt the overs and to factor any more rains that might come.


Also they could have started half an hour earlier today to make up for the loss of time on D2.

These little infelxibilities in the name of tradtion ain't great for test cricket 

Fair point KP Fan but you have to consider corporate entertainment timed around tea. I am no fan of that whole scene to put it mildly but you are talking sponsors etc here. Money dictates sadly.

shoddy umpiring continues

Warner is a punchy back.foot player...gotta soften him with boucners and then pitch it up

KP_fan wrote:shoddy umpiring continues

 Very harsh. Full speed it looked out and I can fully understand why he was given out.

KP_fan wrote:Warner is a punchy back.foot player...gotta soften him with boucners and then pitch it up

and they keep feeding him with length and short and wide stuff.

PITCH IT UP

hampo171 wrote:

KP_fan wrote:shoddy umpiring continues

 Very harsh. Full speed it looked out and I can fully understand why he was given out.

it just didn't look like acclerating or sound like the nick of leather on wood

Rogers living a charmed life again!

Swann drops one for this inning also....and the same man Rogers

35-0. Just what Australia needed, and England didn't.

Déjà Vu...Swann drops Rogers as he dives in front of Cook...

Cue another century ?

He had to go of course ,that was never reaching Cook. Tough chance. Good over from Bresnan.
Rogers must have a hatful of good luck charms...

turn on tms, theyare moaning and writing off englands chances to get wickets.
 
turn off.
 
then eng drop catches.
 
aussies game then.
 
all the coverage is so negative at the mo though.  everyone has written eng off.
 
but with rogers riding another filthy luck innings it probably is a loss.

alfie wrote:Déjà Vu...Swann drops Rogers as he dives in front of Cook...

Cue another century ?

He had to go of course ,that was  never reaching Cook.  Tough chance.  Good over from Bresnan.
Rogers must have a hatful of good luck charms...

15 years of accumulated luck paying back

these two have to bat 10 more overs.....and then Aus has the upper hand...seen off the new ball

It is a bit of a gamble to have an opener like Sehwag, Dhawan, Warner....if they fire they set up the game for you nicely

Score racing along at present.

Third man for Rogers would make sense , for mine. But they are of course trying to attack while the ball remains new. Just don't want to overdo it...

That ball jumped ! Enough there to give the bowlers hope.

KP_fan wrote:

KP_fan wrote:Warner is a punchy back.foot player...gotta soften him with boucners and then pitch it up

and they keep feeding him with length and short and wide stuff.

PITCH IT UP

they are feeding him length or just a few inches short of good length and he keeps punching them

West Indian name

Bush Watchet  

When I said this would all be over tonight, I didn't think it would be due to Australia scoring 299 before close

60-0, what a dream start for them.

Oh well. Australia to win.
Just hope England can win at the Oval.

New ball pretty much wasted here. Alarming run rate so far. Desperately need a wicket from somewhere!

Swann. Probably about time.

The odd ball was doing things for the seamers , but with no wicket down and sixty knocked off the target , don't want to delay...

SIX over extra cover...reminds of Dhawan