The Ashes 2021/22

[Indian Bee]

Given the Australian government in the past I'm suprised they have let it go ahead. But for me if they have tested negative on LFT then no reason not to play imo!

Yep surprised but I think the norm is to have PCR tests also on the same day. Not sure when in the day or the logistics around this mind you.

 

[TW3Bee]

Night Watchman goes.

76-2.

 

[TW3Bee]

Some great commentary from David Gower and Ian Chappell.

 

[Indian Bee]

Huge wicket for England.

 

[Indian Bee]

Some great commentary from David Gower and Ian Chappell.

Agree. Have to say Mark Taylor and Simon Mann are also good listening to right now.

 

[davido_i]

Why is Wood rested after a nicking Labuschagne off from a 2 over spell????

 

[Indian Bee]

England have bowled really well so far this morning. With a bit of luck Australia could easily have been 5-6 down.

 

[IslandBee]

England have bowled really well so far this morning. With a bit of luck Australia could easily have been 5-6 down.

It's effing ridiculous - how many times are they going to play and miss!!!???

 

[IslandBee]

Agree. Have to say Mark Taylor and Simon Mann are also good listening to right now.

Played in the same football team as Simon Mann at university. Very decent centre forward!

 

[Untouchable]

Jimmy bowls Smith the cheat.

Aus 110-4

 

[davido_i]

Smith Bowled by Jimmy!!!
How sweet is that!!!!
Now two left handers who he can trouble

 

[Indian Bee]

Jimmy bowls Smith the cheat.

Aus 110-4

I swear that is the luckiest 16 he will ever get.

 

[IslandBee]

One or two more before lunch and we are right back in this!

 

[Cham]

Excellent delivery.. Need Harris out before lunch

 

[Inappropriate Smilies Bee]

Wonderful stuff.

why wasn’t wood allowed to bowl for first 18 minutes?

 

[IslandBee]

Has Harris got a middle to his bat!? FFS!

 

[Banana]

Wonderful stuff.

why wasn’t wood allowed to bowl for first 18 minutes?

Mark Wood not able to bowl for the first 18 minutes today after being off the field last night,

 

[Indian Bee]

That spell just now by Anderson was superb. 6 overs, only conceded one run with one wicket but beat the bat at least 10-12 times. Superb. Good to see a contest.

 

[IslandBee]

Absolute sh*te decisions by Root after lunch! What the eff was he thinking>

 

[Banana]

This session is quite important I'd say.

 

[badgerbee]

FFS!!
Absolute joke.

 

[badgerbee]

Not sure about that.....
Could all be done and dusted in about 9 days of actual play from the start of the first Test.....

Ridiculously pessimistic from me.....
We've done superbly to take this contest into an 11th day......
Great effort England.....

 

[bees1984]

Don't know I thought they may be able to set a total. Hell I even thought the openers might see out the first ten overs without losing a wicket. Disappointing batting again........

 

[Indian Bee]

Thought it was one of England’s best day on tour so far except the last hour of play.

If there is any glimmer of hope, they still have their best two batsmen at the crease. If England can get through the morning session and add another 200-250 runs then you never know. Time for Bairstow and Buttler to deliver.

 

[whyteleafebee76]

Thought it was one of England’s best day on tour so far except the last hour of play.

If there is any glimmer of hope, they still have their best two batsmen at the crease. If England can get through the morning session and add another 200-250 runs then you never know. Time for Bairstow and Buttler to deliver.

Two of the remaining batsman need to get a ton or close to it and we are in with a chance. Not asking much am I.

 

[badgerbee]

Ridiculously pessimistic from me.....
We've done superbly to take this contest into an 11th day......
Great effort England.....

Realise I'm getting a bit obsessive about this now, but......

This series has taken 834 overs to get this far.
Based on the expected 90 overs per day, that equates to 9.3 days play....
So assuming we manage to string things out for another 70 overs before we lose tomorrow, it will actually have taken 10 days of play for us to lose the series.

Pretty close to my pre-series (half joking) 9 days prediction....

 

[RAF_Patto]

Realise I'm getting a bit obsessive about this now, but......

This series has taken 834 overs to get this far.
Based on the expected 90 overs per day, that equates to 9.3 days play....
So assuming we manage to string things out for another 70 overs before we lose tomorrow, it will actually have taken 10 days of play for us to lose the series.

Pretty close to my pre-series (half joking) 9 days prediction....

So what you're saying is, it's all your fault?

 

[Cham]

Brilliant bowling from both sides. England batters have to step up.. Need to bat through the day

 

[Bungy Bee]

Bit of a sh*te day all round yesterday.......even Aussie commentators seem to speak with contempt about Englands efforts.....,make a game of it, You Reds...

 

[Les Beeavinu]

I'll put a positive spin on it - the only real big blow was Malan (who I thought was unlucky in not getting the benefit of a big doubt from the umpire). I'm resigned to the two openers going for less than 30 and the other wicket was a night watchman. In theory, we have enough in our locker to get 250 runs and if we manage that, we stand an excellent chance of winning.

Sometimes it's nice to think positively.

 

[RAF_Patto]

250 runs for a test playing nation sounds like Bangladesh in 2000

 

[Les Beeavinu]

250 runs for a test playing nation sounds like Bangladesh in 2000

Sorry, do you not think another 250 runs would be a good score in the context of this match?

 

[RAF_Patto]

Sorry, do you not think another 250 runs would be a good score in the context of this match?

My apologies, I read it as you suggesting our total would be 250!

 

[Alan D]

Hate to be negative, but I reckon the series will be lost somewhere between lunch and tea tomorrow. We are simply not good enough in this format of the game.

 

[badgerbee]

Hate to be negative, but I reckon the series will be lost somewhere between lunch and tea tomorrow. We are simply not good enough in this format of the game.

Agreed.

 

[Les Beeavinu]

Hate to be negative, but I reckon the series will be lost somewhere between lunch and tea tomorrow. We are simply not good enough in this format of the game.

If you hate to be negative, don't be.

 

[TW3Bee]

I'll put a positive spin on it - the only real big blow was Malan (who I thought was unlucky in not getting the benefit of a big doubt from the umpire). I'm resigned to the two openers going for less than 30 and the other wicket was a night watchman. In theory, we have enough in our locker to get 250 runs and if we manage that, we stand an excellent chance of winning.

Sometimes it's nice to think positively.

Love the positivity, but even if we get 250, that's only a lead of 170, 350 would give us a chance, but we won't get that.

 

[RAF_Patto]

Hate to be negative, but I reckon the series will be lost somewhere between lunch and tea tomorrow. We are simply not good enough in this format of the game.

Someone's optimistic!

 

[Bungy Bee]

Brilliant bowling from both sides. England batters have to step up.. Need to bat through the day

Do you mean batsman.......or bowlers......You Reds...

 

[Bristolian Bee]

Love the positivity, but even if we get 250, that's only a lead of 170, 350 would give us a chance, but we won't get that.

Close of play TMS analysis - pitch is a bit naughty and a 200 lead would make England favourites according to Steve Finn. For what that is worth

 

[IslandBee]

I have officially given up and will not be spending a lot more time on this.

We had a chance last night, and I committed to it, watching until 5am this morning. The decision-making after lunch was incomprehensible.

They were still 50 behind, 4 down, and our bowlers were massively on top. So, what do we do, but bowl Leach first off for about eight overs, to defensive fields with only 1 or 2 round the bat. They picked off the 50 to parity with very little pressure and while we picked up a couple more wickets before they reached our total, our chance was gone. Utterly bizarre!

I am glad I watched though because Anderson was outstanding; the closest a bowler gets to being unplayable. There cannot be many more opportunities to see this master practising his craft so I am very pleased I took this one.

 

[Inappropriate Smilies Bee]

I stayed awake til 8am ish. Do I win? Bowled well apart from letting Leach have a go bowling his leg side free runs to the lefties to ease the pressure on them straight after lunch when Wood & Jimmy had them on the back foot. Still in it, try to enjoy it and leave the inquest til we lose. I’m sure most of us expected Australia to get 450/9 declared so we’ve done much better than that to be -51 for 4 not -250 for 4. Root, stokes, Bairstow, Buttler still there. Last chance saloon admittedly. Beeeelieve.

 

[Indian Bee]

Two of the remaining batsman need to get a ton or close to it and we are in with a chance. Not asking much am I.

I thought yesterday morning was a big session for England and largely they bowled superbly. They did kind of lose it as @IslandBee said above in bowling Leach straightaway after lunch, although he bowled well towards the later end of the innings. If England can lost one wicket in the morning session tomorrow then I do believe it is game on.

 

[Inappropriate Smilies Bee]

I thought yesterday morning was a big session for England and largely they bowled superbly. They did kind of lose it as @IslandBee said above in bowling Leach straightaway after lunch, although he bowled well towards the later end of the innings. If England can lost one wicket in the morning session tomorrow then I do believe it is game on.

Worrying when YOU are the most positive poster about our chances!!!

 

[IslandBee]

I stayed awake til 8am ish. Do I win? Bowled well apart from letting Leach have a go bowling his leg side free runs to the lefties to ease the pressure on them straight after lunch when Wood & Jimmy had them on the back foot. Still in it, try to enjoy it and leave the inquest til we lose. I’m sure most of us expected Australia to get 450/9 declared so we’ve done much better than that to be -51 for 4 not -250 for 4. Root, stokes, Bairstow, Buttler still there. Last chance saloon admittedly. Beeeelieve.

OK, maybe I will give it one last go. I did very much enjoy Anderson and Wood (really great to see an England bowler bowling that fast!) but I have absolutely no faith in the team's leadership.

Here's hoping the four you mention can put something together but I will blame you if I wake up exhausted again tomorrow for no reason!!

 

[Indian Bee]

Worrying when YOU are the most positive poster about our chances!!!

just thinking about the 2nd test when Root and Malan batted the first session in the second innings without losing a wicket - you have England's best two batsmen at the crease so you never know. Equally, if Root goes quickly then it could be over in the first session

 

[badgerbee]

Hoping that commentary of a famous victory on Day 5 will keep me on a high in the early hours of Thursday morning, as I drive back down the A303, following our famous victory over City!!!!
What odds??!!

 

[Inappropriate Smilies Bee]

just thinking about the 2nd test when Root and Malan batted the first session in the second innings without losing a wicket - you have England's best two batsmen at the crease so you never know. Equally, if Root goes quickly then it could be over in the first session

That’s the spirit.

Hopefully selfish Buttler will come in and score 65 in 20 balls. (He really reminds me of KP two away Ashes ago when he never cared about the match situation, like he was playing beach cricket. Holing out for 3 in the over before tea first innings sums Buttler up. See that stumping he missed last night too?! Harris was about ten foot out of his crease! Bah I’ve gone all negative. Come on England.

 

[Les Beeavinu]

Hoping that commentary of a famous victory on Day 5 will keep me on a high in the early hours of Thursday morning, as I drive back down the A303, following our famous victory over City!!!!
What odds??!!

I know you're not being serious but isn't better to be thinking those thoughts than not bothering because you're certain it won't happen.

 

[badgerbee]

I know you're not being serious but isn't better to be thinking those thoughts than not bothering because you're certain it won't happen.

Yeah, absolutely.
And I do still hold out some hope.
I had the same hope following the Watford game, where I was really looking forward to the commentary on my way back that night, as Root and Malan were batting, and we looked like we could put up a fight......
I know it's become a cliche now, but it really is the hope that kills you.....