THE ASHES OZ V ENGLAND 5 TEST SERIES

What was best price on here for the Aussie win?

what price were ENG/AUSSIES, when England were effectively  99 for 1 ?

Seen lowest price on England was 1.37

cheers

Puts one in mind of the timeless tests of yore
They thought it was all over but it was the wrong set of thinkers
Fools Guide To Blowing A Test Match
On no account play any scintilla of responsible,intelligent batting commensurate with the requirements of what is perceived as the pinnacle of Test Match Cricket
Just continue playing,flaying irresponsibly
'You know it makes sense Rodney' except maybe it doesn't
Continue to employ an  arrogant,clueless,Kiwi midget as coach
Soon be selling tickets by the session,nay even the hour so punters get to see some action for their gelt
Never seen the like in all my thirteen years on the planet

Sage, Test cricket is about technique, concentration, adaptability, flexibility. It is NOT a game to be played like a 1-dayer !!
If i want to watch 1 day cricket then i will go to a 50 over a side or 20/20 game, not a test match.

That England effort today was abysmal, no Plan B and falling apart when Head effectively out-bazballed them. Brain dead batting followed by totally wrong bowling tactics.
The arrogance in the England camp that it's their way or the highway is beyond me, they just can't accept that they need to be able to adapt to changing match situations/conditions.

Weatherald and Labuschagne showed how to bat at the other end when your partner is in the zone, England batsmen (and management) please take note.

Not so much crowing from English commentators and fans on the radio this morning, yesterday was plain embarrassing,  will people ever learn ?

I must admit even i did not think England could throw it away today in such a manner, they really do need some introspection before the second test.

When all is said and done that was not a good advert for test cricket imo, a 2 day contest does nobody any favours, least of all the money men !

Well played lads and incredible from Travis. Credit to Stokes and the other lads for going over to Head when he was out. Very classy from them at a time when they must have felt utterly deflated.

gutted another shocking batting performance

the second innings bowling was worse imo. no plan no patience no pressure no idea

proper test matches going on now india v sa , and ireland s 8th wicket stand of over 50 now trying to save the match v bangladesh

england blind women have won the world cup today, they scored more runs than enflands batsmen in the 1st test

great test match concluding tomorrow, india 8 wkts remaining need to bat all day to avoid defeat , gripping stuff , more exciting than any one dayer,/20 etc

I see they have turned down some pink ball match practice for the batsmen, they really are so cocksure that they know best despite all and sundry saying it should have been a no brainer with the Perth test ending so quickly. If the batsmen get rolled over again in Brisbane then there is nobody left to blame except themselves.

Sai Sudhasen 14 runs in 137 deliveries not out so far trying to save the test match, great stuff, geoffrey would love this

Australia will again be without Pat Cummins for the second Ashes Test in Brisbane as the captain continues to recover from a back injury.

Fast bowler Cummins, who has not played since July, missed Australia's astonishing defeat of England in the first Test in Perth.

The 32-year-old bowled in the nets in Perth and again in Sydney between Tests and was expected to return for the day-nighter at the Gabba, beginning on Thursday.

But Australia have named an unchanged squad, once again led by stand-in captain Steve Smith.

In naming the same 14 players, Australia are also without injured fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, while opener Usman Khawaja retains his place.

Cummins is understood not to have completed the programme required for his return to play in a Test.

He will join the rest of the squad in Brisbane on Sunday as he continues to build towards a comeback.

Missing the second Test means Cummins has almost three more weeks to prepare for a potential appearance in the third match of the series in Adelaide, beginning on 17 December (23:30 GMT, 16 December).

Hazlewood missed the first Test with a hamstring injury and, like Cummins, has been bowling in the nets in Sydney this week. There is no indication as to when the 34-year-old could make his return.

Be interesting if it's all cloak and daggers, Cummins was practicing bowling with the pink ball at the beginning of the week. There's rumours in Oz on Friday that he might still play.

Mark Wood out of second test, josh Tongue likely to replace him.

wood is no big miss imvho i would not have taken ,,too injury prone and too eratic

Wood is great with a pink ball.

Maybe he should have been rested in first test but they
wanted him to bowl flat out, and he's injury prone.

I'm not sure Wood could be described as a pink ball great, he's only played one test with it. Admittedly he did reap a handsome toll of 9 wickets in that match, but it was a bowler friendly pitch in Hobart and he was very expensive in the first innings when the Aussies racked up what proved to be a match winning total .

He is a very decent bowler on his day but it was a luxury taking him on this tour, hoping he would stay fit rather than expecting him to.
He only bowled a total of 11 overs in the two innings in Perth and that seems to have been too much for him.
Maybe he can still make an impact in this series if his luck changes.

windies cruising along nicely at 100-2 with 2 batters in a stand of 90 , all out for 169 , 

oops batsmen not batters

morning all crawley gets 50 and eng win toss and are 686 for 2 as we approch lunch

98 for 2 at lunch not bad given the start of 5 for 2

shocking from brook againpathetic shot

I'm not sure Wood could be described as a pink ball great

Nobody called him that you idiot.

root nearly ther cmon joe

Finally done it, brilliant stuff.

brilliant from joe hats off to you sir man in a boys team vwd

this ebony rainford bsmith has a shocking voice- lovely woman but no the best when it comes to commentating

ffs 9 down and root stranded   shocking stuff stark has six

YHTL is just a rude @hole who thinks he knows everything but like most of his ilk is just an arrogant blowhard. Lives his life on here and as such most have his number.
"Wood is great with a pink ball" he says on the evidence of one match where he got tonked in the first innings .
Safely ignored.

Good to see Root get his ton and Crawley played really nicely before a typically soft dismissal. The rest of the batting was woeful. They do have a competitive total though i think.

They must be thanking their lucky stars that they are not facing 3 of the big 4 Aussie bowlers. What would our score have been like if Cummins had played ? Starc again  top class but the rest very poor in comparison, particularly Boland for the most part just like he was in the first innings at Perth. Neser and Doggett both in their 30's but only 3 tests between them ! Shows how much the Aussies have relied on the big 4 for ages and they must be worried at their lack of options going forward.

Lol idiot doesn't like being called out for being an idiot.

Why not ruin cricket forum with your ridiculous
comments too, idiot.

Wood is great with a pink ball" he says on the evidence of one match

Simply not true is it, idiot.

There's only one person ruining this forum and it ain't me, we always discuss the games amicably here without insulting each other, but then you come along

"simply not true is it" - well you finally got that right, there is no evidence that he is great with a pink ball. He went for 115 runs in 18 overs in the first innings of that test.

Wood is a decent bowler but no more than that and the stats bear that out.

So why start it, idiot

Wood is great with a pink ball" he says on the evidence of one match

Simply not true is it, idiot.



Your statement is untrue, not mine, idiot

Where is your evidence to the contrary then ? I think you are blinded by "Durhamfavourititis"

He's played ONE pink ball test.

He has played one pink ball test, that bit you have correct, idiot.

So not that great then, got there in the end

But he's bowled, and practiced with pink balls outside
of that test match, idiot

Seeing you come out with such a nonsensical and irrelevant justification for your "Wood is great with a pink ball" claim has made my evening Donny.

Anybody can look good in the nets, what a numpty .
Well on second thoughts maybe not anybody, i hated the nets but was a wicket machine where it counted, on the pitch.

Seeing you prove your idiot status on cricket forum having
misquoted me, and rambled into 2 different opinions
of woods general bowling ability has rather made my day
but you keep on trying to dig your way out, idiot

I realise that English comprehension is not your strong point Donny, but here is part of my first post on this subject :

He is a very decent bowler on his day but it was a luxury taking him on this tour, hoping he would stay fit rather than expecting him to.
He only bowled a total of 11 overs in the two innings in Perth and that seems to have been too much for him.
Maybe he can still make an impact in this series if his luck changes.

Note, he is a decent bowler ON HIS DAY.  The fact he got flayed around Hobart in one innings does not make him a bad bowler, i was just putting your exaggerated claim in to context.
My comments are entirely consistent, unlike your risible efforts where there is no actual comment or argument made.
I come up with stats and actual reasoned argument, you respond with insults.
And it was ever thus.

Lol, it's not your strong point.

But hey ho, it never has been.


Great used as an adjective by me, and you pick it up as a noun

And we are still going, idiot

Well if you are saying "we" , then it follows that "we" must both be the last word you have used

btw, it doesn't matter a jot if you used it as a an adjective or a noun, the word is incorrect in relation to his pink ball exploits.

You misunderstood because you are thick.

Then you've spent a whole day confirming it.

Wood is a great pink ball bowler, doesn't mean
he's one of the greats, but in your thick head, apparently
it does.

Thats a great laugh especially when you go on about English comprehension
not being my strong point,idiot.

But you haven't elaborated as to why you think he is a great pink ball bowler have you ?
If you did we might be able to have a proper discussion about it, but in typical fashion you resort to insults and stupid remarks instead of making a case.

To reiterate, my take is he is not a pink ball great (noun) not a great (adjective) pink ball bowler.
He is a decent bowler but neither the noun or adjective suits. As i explained in my previous post which seemed to pass you by.

So how about you finally explain why you think he is a great pink ball bowler ?

Well had you started off like that instead of being
determined to prove your idiocy we might have had
decent discussion, idiot.

Well based on your previous modus operandi that's not a given is it ?
I mean my first post was hardly confrontational It was you that started the insults and things then went downhill.

The fact that you still cannot evidence your original claim about Wood is telling.
And is of course the reason why you got the @rse.

My modus operandi was to make a comment.

Yours was to try to be clever, but proved how thick you were.

Then you've spent a day digging, idiot

Great sport.

Only in your befuddled little loaf could my first post be construed as "trying to be clever".

It was simply an opinion based on fact, i even went on to say he was a very good bowler but of of course you don't even acknowledge that.
All you had to do was reply saying you didn't agree and state your case. But that was beyond you, plainly because you cannot argue with facts.
So you resorted to your usual insults and deflection.

You should take a leaf out of Whispering's book - we completely disagree on many things (especially politics) but there is no animosity or name calling. it's meant to be a forum for an exchange of views, not continual sneering and abuse aimed at those who see the world differently to you.

You are just a snivelling little troll as others are well aware.  What a way to spend your day. i actually feel sorry for you 

You really are an idiot.

Had your first post not been trying to be clever you would have simply disagreed.

But, hey ho, you are still digging, idiot

Great sport

Yes i am a great sport, thanks for noticing.

My first post was disagreeing with your claim, but should obviously invite a response from you setting out your reasoning. You know, the kind of thing that forums are for.

Lol, idiot, once again you deliberately misconstrue
what I say, as you did originally, but hey ho, you keep
digging, idiot

Still great sport watching your digging.

morning all another fascinating  day ahead of us

weatherald gets lucky there

i wonder where WD is ? Unusual not to have him contribute on the game. I hope hes ok

shocking drop by smith

I think I read whispering had been banned Dragon

Wd got reported and banned, should be due back soon.

Frustrating by England, feel they've been 2nd best but
dropping chances never helps, and could have been closer.

Ozzies given us a chance to get back, but we're not
sharp enough, yeah, it's hot...

A bizarre day with some Aussie batsmen chucking their wickets away but England repaying the favour by dropping routine chances.

Oz had their foot on our jugular until Green's moment of madness, wtf was he doing, it was like a tribute to Harry Brook.
Excellent catch from Jacks to get rid of Steve Sandpaper Smith but was it really as good as the likes of Vaughan made out? I honestly have seen catches taken like that regularly throughout most seasons. I suppose they have to keep the hype up to justify their jobs.
Jamie Smith showing again that he is not the best of keepers. Foakes is much better. Unless Jamie starts scoring runs again then questions must be asked.
Our much vaunted pace attack got a bit of a flaying. Atkinson hasn't taken a wicket yet this series in 39 overs and Carse bowled like a local league player at times, going for 7 an over. Worrying signs.

When all is said and done though, England are still in the game, 44 runs ahead  with 4 wickets left is a handy position for the Aussies but as we have seen fortunes can change quickly. No doubt more madness will ensue tomorrow.

ah ok thanks for the update re WD

good summary that Dixie

I think WD has been banned for about 6 weeks now Dragon, thought he might have been back for the Perth test but must have got a 2 month ban, hopefully no longer.

We have talked about the great WI side of the 70s and 80s before, i was interested reading an interview from some time back with the imperious Viv Richards about the fast bowlers he faced in his career. He said that the fastest bouncer he faced was from a young Wasim Akram and that Jeff Thomson was the most consistently rapid bowler he faced. However, the fastest short spell he encountered surprised me, it came right at the end of his career, his final one day match, shown on BBC2. It was the title decider for the Axa Sunday League,
Kent V Glamorgan. As luck would have it both sides were tied on points at the top of the table going in to the last game of the season, doesn't happen that often. The bowler was one Duncan Spencer, born in Nelson, Lancs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoOsa_DPhK0&t=1s

Unfortunately for me as a Kent supporter, Glam won by 6 wickets. The turning point was undoubtedly the umpire (David Constant i believe) belatedly calling no ball after Viv had been caught off Spencer as seen on the video above, he was walking off only to get recalled !  The great man then saw his side home. the crowd were hanging off the rafters at Canterbury that day. Annoyingly i could not get there in person ,as a great friend of mine got married that weekend and i was best man and i couldn't get back in time ! I did manage to see the second innings on tv though and well remember the Viv/Duncan confrontation, my old Medway team mate Steve Marsh was keeping wicket that day, bet he'd never kept wicket to a bowler of that pace before.

Duncan Spencer ended up playing very few games afterwards sadly, he was tipped to play for either England or Australia as he was dual qualified, but suffered a major back injury in 1994, after years of recovery (which included taking steroids) he returned in 2001 in Australia but then straight away got banned for a positive drugs test due to those very same steroids still being in his system. One can only wonder how good he could have been.

A good article on the BBC website about Duncan a few days ago -   https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/cx25xrvv0k4o

Agree Dixie about the article read it a couple of days ago. Unfortunately I can't remember seeing Spencer play. I think the quickest spell I've seen on TV was late 2000's South Africa were playing New Zealand away. Not sure what had happened in the first innings but Jacques Kallis had told Graeme Smith. He was was opening the bowling in the second innings, Kallis was really fired up and consistently bowling 93 94 mph for 8 or 9 overs and it looked on the TV it was a heavy ball proper hitting the bat hard.

Onto this game listening on Tms this morning sounded like England fielding will probably cost them the ashes. The over rates are horrendous do we think it could partly be bowling sides are trying to bowl less overs until the twilight so the ball is a bit harder when conditions are in there favour? Umpires really need to start keeping the game going.

king, i only saw Duncan bowl a couple of times (hardly surprising as he only played 16 FC games and 20 one dayers in his entire career ). everyone who saw or played against him said the same that he was damn quick. A shame that fate decreed we never got to see him have a long career.
Jacques Kallis was an exceptional player, not many can compete with his figures in the greatest all rounder category and as you say could bowl very quick stuff.

The over rates are a particular bugbear of mine, there is no excuse for not bowling 90 overs a day  whatever they say . Of course in this test the spinners haven't been utilised , indeed the Aussies left Lyon out which is strange given his good record here. The same thing happened in Perth so it's not just a day/night thing.

well done west indies ,   4 down going into last day , batted superbly to get the draw , greaves made 202  not out,

Remarkably quiet on here considering the Ashes is  going on !

Stokes and Jacks showed today how it was possible to bat for some time on this wicket, just don't play rash shots, it's not rocket science is it ?
It took a superb catch by Smith to end their partnership just when the Aussies would have been getting a bit twitchy about being set a nervy target.
Shame the rest of the batsmen left their brain cells in the dressing room.

Not sure what the heck McCullum is on about with his "we probably trained too hard" claim.  If that's the case why not lay off doing that kind off stuff and give the woefully out of form batsmen practice in the 2 day pink ball game that they shunned ?  Lots of questions for the management and their approach but no doubt the bunker mentality will remain.
Stokes at least seems to get it now, but the things he was saying today would have been better addressed before the tour, not halfway through. Nonetheless it's good to see some kind of realism.

Carey had a superb game behind the stumps for Australia, obviously he is a decent bat too but it was a good advert for playing your best keeper and if he can get runs too, all the better.  The contrast between him and Jamie Smith was stark. Foakes is the best English keeper and a decent bat ,but he has been left out in the cold as he is not a "dasher". We could have done with somebody like him in the middle order to shore things up. too late now though.

The last time a team came back from 2-0 down to win the Ashes was the Aussies in 1936/37, when in the first two tests they had been hammered by England, so maybe there is hope yet. For those who believe in miracles 25/1 is generally available.

Smith's record prior to this tour justifies his selection, his keeping had largely been 7/8 out of 10..his batting average way beyond Foakes..

obviously not so here and like anyone should be under some pressure for place but not as early as this bar a return to the 90's.

Looking forward to having a catch up with WD

lol TMB..happy days for you mate..

Starc stepped up big time in a way I didn't have him capable of (my bad) and plenty of others giving creditable efforts..

What side would you put out for the third test as its make or break for you?

I'd pick a proper spinner (Bashir I guess - though would have taken Leach originally personally seeing as he's Somerset's first choice)..
I'd imagine Cricket Australia will want to get at least 4 days again to make up the Perth short fall..

Beyond that the options are quite limited within the squad and unlikely to improve much..think they can still get the better of Oz in any given game but recurring theme of losing the big moments not just in the ashes but against top sides tells the truth of them..

post this tour I think Pope should be seriously looked at (could promote Bethel - though don't really see a case bar rolling the dice as he has no credibility in red/pink ball stuff) ...Zak's probably done enough to merit staying in, some of the others just not playing to potential maybe through prep, application or maybe just not good enough in Australia ...Archer, Atkinson only have one good outing to date.. Brooke, Stokes, Duckett, Smith not making enough runs..

Pomms more than capable of winning in Adelaide and I'm not ruling them out at this stage. More than enough talent in the side but they are playing well below their capabilities atm and that is not a good recipe when you are playing against any Aussie side. Pomms selection will be interesting. Would also be nice if we could win a toss now and then.

I would always take my best keeper on an Ashes tour and that's Foakes who is perfectly capable with the bat.

Smith could have gone as a specialist batsman (and back up keeper) rather than picking Bethell who has done little to justify selection, not particularly his fault of course as he is undercooked because he should have been playing 4 day cricket in the Championship rather than fannying around in (at times) meaningless white ball cricket instead.

Bashir can't get a game for his county but will presumably play in the third test as he is the only specialist spinner in the squad, you couldn't make it up.
How many other internationals in any sport can you say that about ?

Zak looked much better this week and would be unlikely to be dropped anyway, Pope would be under pressure for his place if there was a decent alternative , Carse needs to sort his radar out or Tongue should play next week.

No change to the England batting line up for the 3rd test which is hardly surprising given the lack of alternatives.

Bashir left out what was the point of taking him on this tour if they won't play him ?

Tongue deserves a go and replaces Atkinson rather than the errant Carse, not sure about that.

Surely England cannot play as badly again, but 5/2 is not tempting enough for me to get involved.

foakes has two test centuries as well as being the best keeper.

i struggle to think of anymore hubris in sport i have ever watched than 'bazball' - imo, all it is is one day tactics in a test match. we have failed to win series we should have won because of it. bring back the block or the forward defensive shot.

sack the coach, dial it down a few notches and we wouldnt be too bad, we would still probably lose in aus though.

Bazball was lauded by the media when England were often winning jolly, the more sensible commentators pointed out the true test of it would come when things didn't work out too well.

You have to have a Plan B and this is what the pig headed management would not take on board with their "this is how we play" mantra. It seems as though they may have belatedly realised that when playing the better test teams that they have to learn to adapt. It may be too late for this series but you never know.

Today was a proper day of test cricket with both teams on top at some point, the Aussies scored at a healthy four an over without going mad and England's bowlers stuck to their task well although Carse was expensive again as was Tongue. The odds are pretty much the same as they were at the toss which shows neither side has the upper hand at the moment, it should be a good contest.

Australia retain.  Brilliant effort really by England in their second innings but still no match here.  Aussie fielding excellent.
Please, no “click of god” stuff. 
Has any nation ever won a series with four test wins?

Honcho, the last three Ashes series down under have ended in crushing Aussie wins by 5-0 4-0 4-0 !!!

This series is following suit at the moment, the last time England even won a test down there was in the 2010/11 series when we won the Ashes 3-1 and the Aussies were soundly thrashed , all 3 England wins were by an innings !   Of course they won by playing proper test cricket, current management should take note.

All of the criticism of England in the media seems to centre on management, preparation etc. on tour but surely the only conclusion to be drawn from those 3 tests is that England are no where near as good as Australia in their conditions. If Arsenal beat Forest Green Rovers in an FA Cup match they don't blame the Forest Green management, they accept that there is a big gulf in class and ability. Australia take sports very seriously and are good at most of them. In England only a few keen youngsters get the chance to play any sport at all these days. Long gone are the Wednesday afternoons playing Football, Cricket, Tennis etc. for 2-3 hours and all pupils had to participate when I was at school unless they had a doctors certificate. And that was a small state comprehensive, not a private school.

Sage, it's fairly obvious that the Aussies have played better than England and they are indeed hard to beat at home but the fact is that they are an ageing squad and have been missing crucial players in Cummins, Hazelwood and Smith for all or part of the series so far. They were there for the taking if England had prepared properly and adjusted their mindset to adapt to match situations. The Aussies have relied on Travis Head  and Alex Carey a lot for their runs.  Green, Wetherald and Inglis have not contributed much and as such England really had the chance here to silence their critics but have failed dismally to do so.

It was madness  to go in to the First Test without proper match practice. Your Arsenal v Forest Green comparison is not really a fair comparison.  I would say it is more like Arsenal going in to their first match of the EPL season without playing any pre-season games beforehand. they were completely undercooked and it showed. The management and their arrogance are very much to blame. They were warned by commentators and ex players about this but snubbed the advice. A golden chance to win the Ashes down under has been chucked away.

The only stage where they looked in with a chance was in Perth first innings when they looked evenly matched but Head soon put them in their place. If anything it was the Ausies who looked under cooked. I'm sure there are 10 more Australian players in the wings who would still beat England. We have lost Anderson and Broad and don't have a spinner.

England are just an unprofessional **** show.

england have clearly regressed since 2022 and 2023 when they hardly lost a game. since scoring 800 against pakistan they've won as many as they've lost. the 2-2 draw with india is looking poorer by the day. if england were any good they should have comfortably beaten a transitional indian side minus rohit and kohli at home. india going through a real poor spell since as well

Sage, all of the Aussie team members played at least one Sheffield Shield match( 4 day competition) prior to that first test. Yes England were in the ascendancy after the first day and a bit but it has been pretty much one way traffic since.

Passing up the chance of some match practice before the second test was baffling and unforgiveable, both the management and players should hang their heads over that.

And now we are hearing more tales of drinking shenanigans on their trip to Noosa before the Third test, totally gobsmacking that professional sportsmen in this day and age could carry on in such a manner, especially with the Ashes on the line.

The trip has been a disaster and heads should roll.

Yet more dreadful batting (on both sides) today. Amusing to hear both McGrath and Vaughan saying it wasn't a suitable pitch for Day 1 of a test just because it favoured the bowlers.
Yes the pitch was green and offered movement for the seamers but it was far from as unplayable as twenty wickets falling would imply.

How many of those wickets that fell today were really down to the pitch ? Just a handful - there were a plethora of poor shots and several strangled down the leg side to nothing deliveries. Test players of the past would have battled it out, leaving the ball is not a crime ! 

The fact is that the modern day batsmen's technique is simply not up to dealing with the moving ball. Too many of them are playing white ball cricket most of the time they are not playing Tests, when in days gone by they would have played for their counties in red ball 3 or 4 day contests in between. Giving the England players lucrative central contracts and barring them playing for their counties most of the time is counter productive, they SHOULD be playing proper county cricket to get vital red ball practice.

What a terrible bunch of pundits covering this series on Sky. Swanny is an absolute biased joke. Thought the Poms could get 450 on that wicket. Please Lord spare us from him. Just goes to show the chasm and class that Warnie showed not only on the pitch but in his assessment of the players performance and the game in general. Swanny a pub player compared to the great one.

Bazball is not dead.

A small footnote on the ashes.

The boxing day test ended on boxing day in some parts of the world.

Given the ludicrous media coverage today and the players celebrations one could be forgiven for thinking the last month had never happened and our brave cricketers had won the Ashes rather than simply making the series score 1-3 !


The way this game panned out does indeed suit the bazball approach but if the England management are fooled in to thinking they should carry on with it then we will have learnt nothing. There is a place for it, but assess the match situation first. Truth is that the pitch was not as bad as the scores would seem to signify. Nobody even made a half century in the match which is pathetic for a test.

So many wickets were thrown away (mainly by the Aussies). Preparing a bowler friendly pitch was a bit strange given the home team's severely weakened attack and the fact the series was already won.  And the lost revenue thanks to the match finishing in two days doesn't bear thinking about.

Thanks Dixie. 16.21.  I clearly wasn’t aware of that.
I’ve liked cricket since watching test after test on the Beeb during the seven weeks of school hols but can’t say I’m a student of it.

England in danger of spoiling a good overnight score.

2 early wickets, Brook & Stokes. 229/5.

183 behind on first innings. Only 2 results can happen, Aussie win or draw. England need 400.

Just cannot see it. Just hope we don't fold today.

Crawley gone after just 5 balls.

Trapped in his crease like a rabbit in the headlights.

Obviously the Aussies should win from here but setting them 170 or more could be a tester for them if our bowlers actually stop spraying it around.

We have at least been competitive in this game but are still prone to the odd brain fade - Smith's two dismissals rather sum his series up and Jacks' holing out off his second ball was inexcusable.  Root in the first innings and now Bethell have shown how to play an innings in test cricket. If only their team mates would follow their example eh ?

As well as Bethell has played it has to be remembered this is largely an Aussie second string attack and it is a decent wicket for batting. That doesn't detract from his excellent effort in scoring his first ton but just puts it in to perspective, unlike the numpties on the BBC website who are now hailing him as the second coming after just one superb performance. Hopefully he will mature in to a mainstay in the side and we certainly need a reliable number 3, but let's not build him up too much only to knock him down again if things get tougher for him.

Correct. Bethell has to back it up in 2026 with several 50s and centuries to nail down the No 3 spot. I hope they don't rush him into opening although he might as well have opened yesterday. Plunkett, Crawley. Pope and Brook all have a few good innings behind them but they also have far too many single figures. As for bowling, only Tongue who did well and Potts who didn't were still fully fit on day 5. Stokes failed with the bat and his bowling had to be limited to avoid a total breakdown so is he really worth keeping on? Finally Joe Root is an adequate spin bowler but was hardly used. Why?

Tongue should really have been playing from the start of the series but they were hell bent on having sheer pace throughout. He has enhanced his reputation and is a shoo in for the team from now on. Root is more of a fill in spinner but could have done a job in tandem with Bashir had he played. It was a major error not to have a front line spinner in the side for this game, especially seeing some of the turn extracted by Webster and Jacks on days 4/5. I'm far from convinced that the lad is a bone fide test match spinner but as the management had put such faith in him then why the heck did he not play in a single test ?  Madness. Yet another bizarre decision by those in charge.

so it end up 4-1 and a total embarassment.

lets hope that is the end of bazball and mcullock who shd get theboot.

i think stokes shd go also great guy great cricketer but time for a change . his batting on this tour has been poor and once again injuries get in te way.

we need a total rethink at the top and fresh leadership from a team that understands and has played test cricket at the highest level

Just watching Anderson bowling out West Indies at Lords. Losing him and Broad is why England now look very poor. It will take many years to find anyone even close to them. It is easy to blame the batters and they were poor too but you can't win without accurate bowlers who hit the stumps.

have to agree the bowling is a much bigger concern than the batting. after all we have the number 1 and number 2 in the world rankings. says it all that stokes on one knee these days is the only bowler you can rely on to bowl a steady spell at the moment

really the first innings scores we posted in brisbane and sydney should have led to wins but for utterly hopeless displays with the ball