Ashes 1st Test at the Gabba

30 overs till the new ball, hopefully they can make another 90 in that time, at least

feck

Crap. Close but out, I think.

TIMVERRRRRR

just behind

Wasn't paying attention to the ball but good bowling. 

He's got a fraction of a toe behind the line but not grounded.

I got my 1.7 Aus but that is very unfortunate.

Bairstow go on the attack! Full Monty style.....no 1/2 measures.

ffs what a desperate way to get out. softer than soft

Well, I made another successful trade, I suppose but still very disappointing, as was looking like taking in a couple of the three lays I have left.

i was getting exited too

Nov 26, 2017 -- 3:22AM, Cardinal Scott wrote:

I got my 1.7 Aus but that is very unfortunate.

nice one

Nov 26, 2017 -- 3:23AM, Cardinal Scott wrote:

Bairstow go on the attack! Full Monty style.....no 1/2 measures.

Not the right call.  Woakes really can bat, so give him a chance to.  Sure, play positively and go nuts if you get stuck with Broad, unless it looks like he's on and probably even if he does, because even the good version of Broad can be out any moment.

Ali was going along nicely aswell. Woekes can bat a bit though so not into the tail just yes.

If Ali was going to defend he was right to do it stretching forward but he should have been leaving or attacking really.  He looked like getting out defending off the back foot and was untroubled when he left or attacked Lyon.

if you're gonna get stumped do it halfway down the track trying to hit it into the middle of next week

root just before lunch and mo a whisker over the line....very irritating

44444

Draw stuck at 14 for 8 overs.  Not that I should have backed it but still...

yeah shame,a lot of blockers there

root doesnt look to well

14s to bat 42 more overs isn't a bad bet by any means.

wobbly line

Yeah I was WRONG calling for Jonny to attack with gusto, Woakes has been solid enough, worthy but dull .

Think I have layed Aus after every Eng wicket both innings, done it again at 1.35 Moeen.

Nov 26, 2017 -- 4:08AM, jucel69 wrote:

14s to bat 42 more overs isn't a bad bet by any means.

When I bought the draw at 14 it was for a trade and I thought a bad bet.  Now it's hardly moved despite 13 very obdurate overs of resistance I think buying it at 11.5 or so is a great bet.  Some large lumps of money have kept it artificially high, I think.  Of course, even if England bat all day, the draw is hardly a certainty as they aren't scoring quickly and even if they set 280 in 80 overs, they could bowl Aus out.  I think it's a very generous price though, which is actually irritating as I had a massive draw green already and this just means I can't easily sell what I have off, because the prices feel wrong.

Nov 26, 2017 -- 4:23AM, Fatslogger wrote:

Nov 26, 2017 --  4:08AM, jucel69 wrote:14s to bat 42 more overs isn't a bad bet by any means.When I bought the draw at 14 it was for a trade and I thought a bad bet.  Now it's hardly moved despite 13 very obdurate overs of resistance I think buying it at 11.5 or so is a great bet.  Some large lumps of money have kept it artificially high, I think.  Of course, even if England bat all day, the draw is hardly a certainty as they aren't scoring quickly and even if they set 280 in 80 overs, they could bowl Aus out.  I think it's a very generous price though, which is actually irritating as I had a massive draw green already and this just means I can't easily sell what I have off, because the prices feel wrong.

If they last til tea, it will be back to 7/8s

It had just started to go too! I had lays at 9.2 and 9 it missed.  Can't see it recovering now.

that's fcuked that then, let Ball come in ahead of Broad please

come on jonny lad

225 is proper nip and tuck now

Johnny will need to get a ton to give us a chance, big ask with Broad et al

Nov 26, 2017 -- 4:27AM, jucel69 wrote:

that's fcuked that then, let Ball come in ahead of Broad please

I don't get all the dislike of Broad's batting.  He's clearly got a good enough eye and technique to do better than he does but he does contribute sometimes and his test average is over 20.  You'd not be wild about him at 8 but he's a plausible enough 9 and certainly better than Ball and Anderson.

huge ask but stranger things have happened
i cant watch this over

Nov 26, 2017 -- 4:36AM, Fatslogger wrote:

Nov 26, 2017 --  4:27AM, jucel69 wrote:that's fcuked that then, let Ball come in ahead of Broad pleaseI don't get all the dislike of Broad's batting.  He's clearly got a good enough eye and technique to do better than he does but he does contribute sometimes and his test average is over 20.  You'd not be wild about him at 8 but he's a plausible enough 9 and certainly better than Ball and Anderson.

It's the fact he looks scared that pisses me off tbf

lol.  Dumb

That's terrible batting, I'm afraid.  They had a fielder for exactly that shot.

right before tea as well, fecking hell

two aussies in the comm box on bt

Well, very small win this test, could easily have been a decent one with a touch more luck. Didn't look like a wicket would fall for any money only two overs ago but that's the game, of course and why so few tests are drawn. 

Hope Broad takes a few with him with the bat, then might just do something amazing with the ball.

that shot jonny,jeeeesus

There is an edge there..

Nov 26, 2017 -- 4:40AM, TerryHurlock wrote:

that shot jonny,jeeeesus

I know he was with the tail but he guided it to the man! I wouldn't mind if he'd had a huge heave trying to square cut it for 6 and got a top edge but that was horrific.

GONESKI

Good call to review.

2 wickets in the last over before tea, wank

10/1 on to chase 170, looks a tad short

This is problem of trading on day 5, you become completely stranded when getting on the draw for some tick trading under 20's

Nov 26, 2017 -- 4:43AM, jucel69 wrote:

2 wickets in the last over before tea, wank

Always likely to be a quick finish once Woakes out but I had some vague hopes of Bairstow and Broad thrashing the bowling everywhere.

Nov 26, 2017 -- 4:45AM, Cardinal Scott wrote:

This is problem of trading on day 5, you become completely stranded when getting on the draw for some tick trading under 20's

Which is why I tell myself not to do it but I usually do anyway! It's day 4, by the way but the point still holds.

200 runs 17k backed at 1.01

brown pants alert

Ouch.  17k down the drain...

wow 17k

Nov 26, 2017 -- 4:48AM, BJT wrote:

Ouch.  17k down the drain...

>one round amount too, old mate reaching for the rope

f'k thats gotta hurt

Nov 26, 2017 -- 4:50AM, TerryHurlock wrote:

f'k thats gotta hurt

anyone who bets under 1.1 heavily deserves to lose imo. Lazy betting

Some free money laying draw!

gonna take a lot of bets at 1.01 to recover 17k

yeah lazy money buyers

Lost their final 4 wickets for 10 runs and final 5 for 40 runs, final 6 contributed about 70. Not going to win tests with constant collapses like that. Got to hope the bowlers can get early wickets to pressurise them a little.

I'll start thinking about NZ v Windies now, our work is never done.

gotta lay the aussies to keep me awake,not won jack on this game unless we see some fun in this last session....but did have a big aus red so ho hum nothing ventured
that last couple of hours was a horror show

nz windies eh..i will have a look now....CS your a machine

Haven't had one bet on the Indian game, a complete wipeout

i was waiting/hoping to lay lanka 3-4 is but it never got there

soo close

Rain due tomorrow?  Enough to prevent 55 runs being scored?  I'll lay Oz for a few @ 1.01 & I'll take the draw at 360 for a giraffe

Disappointing after Smith's innings appeared to be the difference between the sides. It's now going to look as if they have been tonked.

Two failures from Cook obviously doesn't help but they will need to get more from the last four wickets to be more competitive. Woakes has been talked up but just 17 runs and 1/98 is not a great start for someone who is supposed to be an all rounder.

Yes the England batting just goes on and on. Err no actually the tail is soooo long now..

Cook aint gonna make a big comeback and JB is too low..

They cant stay at the crease but always score too slowly.

England need a huge rethink...

They wont drop Cook and they wont open with Mo which allows JB to go up one.

Starting with 3 debutante in the top 5 was insane anyway.

So it's Ballance or another debutante.

When was the last Ashes, management clearly needed more time......

This was what Boyks was hinting at....

SHAMBLES

Nov 26, 2017 -- 10:04AM, trilby22 wrote:

Rain due tomorrow?  Enough to prevent 55 runs being scored?  I'll lay Oz for a few @ 1.01 & I'll take the draw at 360 for a giraffe

Easy to forget in the heat of battle that laying 1.01 is the same as backing the other two outcomes at odds of 200 apiece. If the odds are already higher than 200 and/or you're actually only interested in one of those remaining outcomes then the 1.01 lay is an unnecessary donation of value to the market.

the tail that is unable to wag.... Many thought we were a batsman short but possibly its 2 with Cook merely a shadow of past glories.

Don't know if anybody suggested Moeen open, as its not 20/20 that would be a no no and Cook finding no form or rhythmn has exascerbated the shortcomings of the batting line up. If they dared to be strong and flew Ben out before the series is lost then I don't know if Moeen gets a start tbh. Scratch that, we drop Ball and Moeen stays put and goes in at 8 after BS and JB. An opener is only ever an obdurate century away from resuming self belief but if Cook doesn't click then the Ashes are lost because of the pressure on those following if they have no platform with which to play their natural games.

Moeen Ali admits he would love to open the batting for England in Test cricket

The reason for that is because the Worcestershire all-rounder was England's third-highest runscorer during the Ashes despite batting down at No8.

Indeed, it is a position where Moeen's talents seem wasted

Agree about Plunkett for sure.

time to give young overton his cap

time to give young overton his cap

I think 3/0 is already looming and a serious overhaul is required.

You just can't keep batting JB and Mo so low with no Stokes and 2.5 bowlers.

A steady the ship wont do it really.

Score quicker and be brave.

Remember Warner was also a one trick pony, we were told somewhat.....

This is not Pakistan or the UAE btw and 2 years on Mo has improved again.If technique was everything in an opener why has Cook had so many partners.

Either way he is too low.

Yes neutral here also and agree England will struggle to improve this lot without a change of thinking..

I don't think workload is a big factor bowling a few overs of spin 24 hours after you bat tbh.

One question with England, Why can they not go at a risk free 3 an over.

The pitch hasnt suited the aussies at all and theyve still got the job done with minimul fuss, albeit england folding both innings, but they got the treatment throughout yesterday. I can only imagine what its going to be like at the waca test, they are going to get the sweet chin music treatment for sure. And if their 2 down by then confidence has gone and we're back to 2013/14 all over again.

woakes has been the real disappointment. no back up to anderson and broad whatsoever. he's better than he's shown here surely. can't expect much of ball. has hardly bowled in the warm up matches and he's about england 7th choice seamer with stokes, TRJ and wood missing

scorecard gonna make it look like a comfortable win but england have really let australia off the hook here. should have had a lead of least 50 and 3 or 4 soft dismissals from well set batsmen - vince, malan, bairstow and moeen

I thought it was a fairly even contest if you take out Steve Smith's innings.

Adelaide under lights will be more of a crapshoot. England could get lucky with conditions and pull off a win. Not much chance in Perth though.

yep england never make a decent score in perth. they would your snap arm to go to melbourne 2-1 down and at least have australia under some pressure

At least getting paid out early can smash steelers h cap .leverage leverage..

Nov 26, 2017 -- 8:07PM, mafeking wrote:

woakes has been the real disappointment. no back up to anderson and broad whatsoever. he's better than he's shown here surely. can't expect much of ball. has hardly bowled in the warm up matches and he's about england 7th choice seamer with stokes, TRJ and wood missingscorecard gonna make it look like a comfortable win but england have really let australia off the hook here. should have had a lead of least 50 and 3 or 4 soft dismissals from well set batsmen - vince, malan, bairstow and moeen

hasn't looked fully fit since his injury in the summer

you are right to single out the batting, diabolical

all the talk about finding an opening partner for cook

ironic

tell those poofs Boyks..........

Well it was a crackerjack of a Test Match for the best part of 4 days. I think we failed the Test.

I was impressed with Root's Captaincy and planning up and until he didn't bowl Anderson and Broad after the break with a new ball! Madness imho but I am not there. Even the plan top bowl wide to Smith early on was acceptible though I didn't like it myself.

Before the match we thought we had problems at 2,3 and 5. They all scored in the first innings but imho we still have those problems and now also with 1 unless he moves his feet and survives the new ball. The new lads did well but have some glaring problems to sort out already.

The spin did discombobulate England but I do hope they are more " positive " as opposed to aggressive with Lyon. The left handers in particular must learn how to " milk " him if not bash him out of the park.

Woakes did not bowl well but we know he is just about ok for Test cricket as a 4th seamer. I thought Ball would be ineffective and he was to a degree despite his wickets. I would have taken a punt on Overton but really we need to get Wood into that lineup and fly Stokes out! Ali had a finger injury, I'll leave it at that for now.

The much unheralded Aussie tail stood up and we didn't! That made a big difference an often does in Aus.

I remember Steve Waugh averaging 273 in an Ashes series in England. Allan Border was asked if there was a case for promoting Waugh up the order? He just replied " why? don't you think he is doing well enough at 7? "

Ali was doing ok at 8 and making good and valuable runs. He could do it again. The loss of Stokes weakened the batting disproportionally. He plays straight and can properly bat when he wants to. I like them at 5,6,7 or even 6,7,8.

I didn't agree with Injera before about Root but maybe now out of the blue he needs to step up at 3 for the team in this series. You could then play Ali at 4, Bstard at 5 and protect Vince and Malan. Again if we had Stokes then Woakes or Wood would be in at 9. I'd rather have Overton than Ball for Adelaide although as I said before Adelaide would probably suit Ball the best. Overton should have played at the Gabba and Perth.

I would also consider changing the line up and put a left hander in from 4 when a left hander is out or a right hander when a right hander is out. it is not difficult.

Credit to Aussie too. They bowled with intensity and battled on through the pain berrier. Look at Starc on Saturady when the commentator noticed his ankle injury he upped his game and took two quickets after Ali's demise.

Their middle order and lower order batted with intelligence and guts. We let ourselves down on both levels!

However we look at the strengths and of the many weaknesses within the England team there is the immediacy of the 2nd test. Lose that and the ashes are effectively lost as we'll get blown away with pace in Perth and Melbourne & Sydney will be character tests of their own. I know there will always be doubts about the fitness of Wood but he was the one bowler who could bowl upward of 90mph+ which could have been utilised by England in short sharp bursts. Woakes & Ball have already shown they won't take wickets or even pressure the batsmen so we are in a desperate struggle to support the 2 front line bowlers. I was disappointed in Moeen although obviously injury would hamper his ability to turn the ball. Batsmen often got in but never went on to record big scores bar the effort from Vince. If I'm honest it is a series too far for Cook & the tail enders simply won't score runs so we are left with hope & not much of that is left with the ordeals to come.

All in all difficult to many positives out of the first test; a 5-0 scoreline is a definite possibility

1st 2/3rds were gripping & stimulating & it was finely balanced, very unsatisfactory how it all petered out. Never even stayed up for day 5

Fears confirmed of a defeat at the Gabba.

It barely looked like it at 302 and 70-4 with England looking set for a big lead.

Just like the last tour Down Under we're foolishly taking on the short ball and falling for THE most telegraphed traps. Malan top edged to deep square leg when going well.

Cook's second innings hook attempt was horrific. Jonnie's upper cut to 3rd man was farcical.

Smith was incredible, Lyon spun out the lefties and we were duly demolished.

A word for Bayliss and his multiple coaching staff: Learn to read a pitch. That was a 2 spinner track if ever I saw one. If Rasher played instead of Ball, he would have spun his leggie and google miles and their tail would have been toast.

bit tricky that one when glorified drinks waiter mason crane has taken his spot. one of most nonsensical decisions ever. he's never ever gonna play

Well done England backers and well played Pomms. Showed tons of backbone as usual. Another all time low for the lot of you. BATTERED.