The Ashes on chit chat

How bad were England?.....

England's 67 is their 12th lowest Test score of all time, their fourth lowest at home and their lowest at Headingley

At 167 balls, it is England's ninth shortest completed Test innings

It is England's lowest Test score against Australia since making 52 at The Oval in 1948

It is the fourth time England have been dismissed for under 100 since the start of 2018 (after 58 v New Zealand, 77 v West Indies, 85 v Ireland) and the third time in 2019

Joe Denly's 12 is the lowest highest score in a Test innings for Englang

Hornet was a cowardly brainless display from England , terrible brainless batting if they had got 150 they would still be in the game now , shameful surrender

sorry my friend; i'm just laughing at them being 1.7 when 4 down

yes indeed 1-4 this morning 365 and some clown from the bookies saying it was a good thing

I'm on my holidays in Perranporth but I thought I would log on to see what odds the Aussies are, expected 1.04

Don't say it out loud but England might stretch it out to Day 4

Insane Betting

2/1 good grief

158 needed to win. England could do this.

England 4/5, blimey I did not expect that!

133 to win now! Patient batting for the first hour and now they're hitting the boundaries.

Shhhh, don't think about it out loud

Crazy run out.

Indeed.
But that's sport, daft things happen, sometimes in your favour, sometimes against you.

Incredible from Super Ben again

Unbelievable Jeff .....Wow

UBLE/REGY • August 25, 2019 4:20 PM BST
Did Baphony predict England win?

mouse muldoon • August 25, 2019 4:20 PM BST
Think he was heavily against them.

well you know what think did so think again - layed at 1.7 backed at 9s

& yes UR, i predicted it at the same time you & the hairless rodent did

Ben Stokes on Sky Sports: "Never give up, it's not over till it's over. When Leachey came in it was pretty clear what had to be done.

"He's made 92 as a nightwatchman so I backed him, knowing what he had to do. But I couldn't watch the balls going down to him at the end."

what a game, what a result

That was so tense at the end. Fantastic innings from Ben Stokes. What a summer of cricket we are having!

some banks will have got lighter today

If that had been a film you would have said it was unbelievable and ridiculous. What an innings from Stokes.

Third Test, Headingley (day four of five)...

Australia 179 (Labuschagne 74, Archer 6-45) & 246 (Labuschagne 80)....

England 67 (Hazlewood 5-30) & 362-9 (Stokes 135*, Root 77, Hazlewood 4-85)...


England won by one wicket

Australia
1.03    £488,369
1.04    £1,129,541
1.05    £735,487
1.06    £257,109
1.07    £1,323,376
1.08    £568,758
1.09    £276,398
1.10    £525,995

England
1.01    £345,387
1.02    £92,739
1.03    £18,974
1.04    £85,071

if anybody wants to listen to the last hour again there is a special on TMS

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07lmfpy

What a days cricket. Best innings ever seen from Stokes. It's all to play for!

Watched the highlights again this morning, incredible stuff.
The mental fortitude of Ben Stokes is remarkable, up there with the likes of Rafa Nadal.

Graham Dilley & Jack Leach : The forgotten heroes of English Cricket

Brilliant stuff Englandshire!  Was listening on the radio.  Congratulations!

England's leading Test wicket-taker James Anderson will play no further part in the Ashes against Australia after a recurrence of a calf injury.

The 37-year-old Lancashire seamer bowled only four overs in the first Test and missed the second and third.

He felt pain in the calf on Thursday during a four-day friendly for Lancashire second XI.

Somerset's Craig Overton has been named in England's 13-man squad for the fourth Test at Old Trafford.

England squad for fourth Ashes Test against Australia:......................... Joe Root (capt), Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow (wk),

Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Craig Overton, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes.

Skippy the bush kangaroo was seething about this

[   This image is no longer available.   ]

They had wasted a Review cost them dearly.

What do we reckon then about today (Day one, Fourth test)

Early days but the pitch looks a shirt front and if the Aussies can get to lunch with one or no more wickets down, I'd expect them to make hay this afternoon and evening, with Smith back in and Laubusagne looking a test match batsman.

Of course, this doesn't take the weather into account, which doesn't look too clever for today or the rest of the match - Manchester in September? What could possibly go wrong? - but if Australia do put 350-plus on in the first innings this puts scoreboard pressure on an England batting line up that still contains 3 walking wickets and has been weakened by the dropping of Woakes, in a match they must be trying to win.

...and why is Archer bowling like a t@rt?

Knackered after the World Cup and being bowled to a greasespot as Root's new toy in the Test Series?

Spoke too soon

Malfoy has just pinged Harris LBW

Overton gets a wicket.

144/3

Everywhere you go, always takes the weather with you

Not looking good weather wise. I'll take another draw, win the toss at the Oval, make 500 and bowl them out twice to win back the Ashes!!!

Going to need a lot more than this..... Wonderful TMS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sEEDZr03xA

that just about kills the series

For England, only two courses of action.

Get a rain dance going for Old Trafford and regroup for The Ovaland pray for decent weather there....in mid-September....hmm!

Or, in this test, put 150 on top of what Australia scored over the next 2 days and then try and bowl the Aussies out on Sunday....again, hmm!

Keep raining baby-our only chance

The draw well odds on now, England 108/2 trailing by 389.

Yeah and the Aussies 6/4. Think them prices are the wrong way round. Weather supposed to be ok from now but it is Manchester after all.

4/6 draw 7/4 aussies. They look too big imo but don;t want them to win obvs.

Tea - Eng 125-2.....


Trail by 372.......eeeeekkkkk

I can smell a collapse.

Yup. 2 wickets and Aussies odds on again. Roy still uncomfortable.

And gone cheap again. In big trouble now. Need to avoid the follow on.

September was never going to good for test cricket in the UK, i guess the world cup caused the late dates but they should be starting earlier with these gloomy evenings.

Bad light stops play. Doubt we'll see them again tonight. England 200-5 and need 98 to avoid the follow on. Roughly evens both the draw or an aussie win.

When do we all collect, before 3pm ?

when Lyon takes 6 for nowt

Got to feel for Roy their, unplayable ball.

Keeps getting done by the same ball ibra. We are in big trouble now. Need summat even more special from Stokes than  last time.

Agree but that ball was a corker and would had got most out.

I would had dropped him after the 2nd test even thou he will one day be a top test batsman.

Don't ever see him being a top test cricketer. Very glad to be proved wrong. Can't just keep letting balls through without an attempt no matter how good the delivery. Careless at best.

Stokes hero to zero, worst shot of the day

Agree but that ball was a corker and would had got most out.

I would had dropped him after the 2nd test even thou he will one day be a top test batsman.

First name on the temsheet for the one-dayers and T20 but has neither the technique nor temperament for the 5-day game. He has never done much for Surrey in the County Championship.

Now Ollie Pope.....

Fourth TEST MATCH SERIES - DAY 5 OF 5.....

England

First ....innings 301 all out
Second .... innings 197 all out

Australia

First..... innings 497 - for 8 wickets dec
Second..... innings 186 - for 6 wickets dec

Australia win by 185 runs

Well that's that !

'The urn is coming home'.....

Steve Smith on Sky Sports: "It feels amazing to know the urn is coming home. I've been here a few times when things haven't gone our way. This was always one to tick off my bucket list. It's extremely satisfying.

"We thought we would get our eight chances. I thought Overton was exceptional but fortunately the boys got the job done.

"I am incredibly proud of how I have performed and what I have helped the team achieve."

A wonderful world class batsman.....

An appeal to the Supreme Court is coming
Boris will say aus had 12 players

How can Steve Smith be a super agent?

Smith has been the difference - take away his runs and there's nothing between these two sides.

World class batsman and this pantomime booing has got to stop - we're lucky to be able to see such a player.

Who made England favourties at the start ?

England are lucky Australia have made loads of mistakes.

Today was shambolic on both sides. How Australia have virtually got away with a p1ss poor toss decision? Well, stupid shots, yes even by Stokes and awful fielding (Root dropped 3 times) combined with other silly mistakes as a no ball wicket is why. Looks a good pitch imo. When will Root ever convert another 50 to a century? All in all, there really isn't that much between these teams other than the freak that is Steve Smith. If you picked an ashes team, there would be many players from both sides in it. Only decent opener has been Rory Burns. The Aussies have had the better of the bowling but Stuart Broad would be well up there. Add to the fact they have won the toss 4-1 and it probably confirms Smith aside, not a lot between em and pretty poor series in terms of quality overall.

That's a fair summing up HGS, I've got a ticket for tomorrow but I truly cannot be bothered to go. I've given it away to my neighbours son.

Men's Ashes:....... England v Australia, fifth Specsavers Test (day one of five)


England 271-8:..... Buttler 64  not out , Root 57, M Marsh 4-35

Just watched the highlights and thought what a plonker Archer is ... batting in an expensive looking wristwatch.
And Buttler? Brilliant!
And Leach? My hero because I was a good defensive LH bat too.
A joy to watch those last few overs.

Yeah was good to watch cert but desperate that Buttler had to go to one day mode first day at the Oval. Hope he is there for a while in the morning. Needs to be.

Interesting what SirGB had to say about Jos.
He’s had tricky situations to deal with, trying to rescue the innings or get quick runs.
What would it be like to see him coming in at number 4/5 with no pressure on a good wicket.
What could he do?

As ever, Sir Geoffrey worth listening to.

Would only be one bowler from the England team in the ashes team, that is certain. Smith only just highlighted if Broad cant get you out then you on for an easy time.

Aussies did not have anything to lose from this test that is why they bowled, and wanted to bowl them out for low score, then post a high score and bowl them out again by day 4. Always been the Aussie way.

Butler isn't good enough to bat further up the order. It wasn't that long ago that they didn't even want him in the one-day side. Him & Bairstow have both been eulogised over at different points of their careers. I know Bairstow has been tried further up the order & it's now his place that is under scrutiny. There  just isn't the class of test bat around that there used to be

The Oval is no stranger to farewells, and this final Test will be the valedictory appearance of both David Gower and Sir Ian Botham on the Sky commentary team.

Befitting their status as iconic former players, Botham is known to be the highest earner on the Sky team with a salary believed to be in excess of £500,000, while Gower is also one of the better rewarded.

Strange; contract problems?

‘Isn’t good enough’. Ability is not a fixed thing.
Buttler has shown enough that he has a fair defensive side to his game which can still be improved upon.
Given the chance he could shine but we may never know.
Other options would appear to be minimal.

I believe this was SKY's doing Bap. They wanted a fresher approach. I think we all know what that means. Isha will doubtfully be on her own from now on.

As for today, good start but as ever are struggling to get loose change and Smith out.

Another record for Steve Smith:..... he now has the most runs in a Test series on English soil by a Smith, eclipsing Graeme Smith's 714 runs against England in 2003.

Over 1400 runs last 2 ashes series and counting. Crikey.

Steve Smith has now scored 751 runs at an average of 125.16 and has batted 1,854 minutes, just short of 31 hours.

Nice to see Archer bowl well.

Yup. 6 for Archer but Woakes only got one but was the main man. Anyways, Australia 225 all out and trail by 69 runs. Dodgy 20 minutes to follow for England.

They look p1ss poor totals to me on what looks a very good wicket. Need to get to close and bat all day tomorrow for starters!

England are very short now, I would not be interested at the price they are now personally.

I've had to take them on @ 1.42.

Looks like you have missed a good day slippy.

Standard may be poor but nonetheless a lot happening. Denly dropped in the slips by Harris, a dolly and Burns given out lbw last ball of the day. Poor decision by Kumar as pitching well outside and rightly reviewed. Englanfd 9-0 at stumps and lead by 78. Thats part 1 taken care of.Just need to bat all day tomorrow now.

A guy called Smith had inflicted an awful lot of pain on England

144 bowled v England Birmingham
142 caught v England Birmingham
                   
92 lbw v England Lord's
sub v England Lord's
                   
211 caught v England Manchester
82 caught v England Manchester

80 lbw v England The Oval

751 runs from 6 innings, giving an average of 125.17
If he is out for a duck in his second knock at The Oval, his average for the series drops to 107.29

He ain't labelled a freak for nowt.

First time I saw him, I said he batted like a pub cricketer.



I know we haven't won the Ashes, but 2-2 wouldn't be too bad.

banana	pear
apple	orange

Bairstow|Mat|Inns|NO|Runs|HS|Ave

Tests|68|119|7|3,984|167*|35.57

First-class|179|295|33|11,530|246|44

Exc Tests|111|176|26|7,546|246|50.31

Bairstow	Mat	Ave
Tests	68	35.57
First-class	179	44
Exc Tests	111	50.31

INTERNATIONAL TEST MATCH SERIES - DAY 4 OF 5....

England...

First innings...294 all out
Second innings...329 all out


Australia.....

First innings....225 all out
Second innings,,,263 all out


England win by 135 runs

The little brown urn is what really matters though.....draw 2-2..



Steve Smith is named Australia's man of the series.

England man of the series, Ben Stokes

Quite remarkable symmetry of runs scored per innings by each side

Runs	1st E	2nd E	Tot E	1st A	2nd A	Tot A
First	374	146	520	284	487	771
Second	258	258	516	150	154	304
Third	67	362	429	179	246	425
Fourth	301	197	498	497	186	683
Fifth	294	329	623	225	263	488
Total	1,294	1,292	2,586	1,335	1,336	2,671

Players to score 200 or more

Player	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	0	4s	6s
SPD Smith (AUS)	4	7	0	774	211	110.57	1196	64.71	3	3	0	92	5
M Labuschagne (AUS)	4	7	0	353	80	50.42	692	51.01	0	4	0	49	0
MS Wade (AUS)	5	10	0	337	117	33.7	578	58.3	2	0	1	47	1
BA Stokes (ENG)	5	10	2	441	135*	55.12	773	57.05	2	2	0	45	13
RJ Burns (ENG)	5	10	0	390	133	39	896	43.52	1	2	1	49	0
JE Root (ENG)	5	10	0	325	77	32.5	740	43.91	0	4	3	34	0
JL Denly (ENG)	5	10	0	312	94	31.2	753	41.43	0	3	0	44	1
JC Buttler (ENG)	5	10	0	247	70	24.7	528	46.78	0	1	0	30	3
JM Bairstow (ENG)	5	10	1	214	52	23.77	435	49.19	0	1	0	24	2