Cricket

[96tommy]

I wish our selectors could find a better spinner somewhere, We are missing a Lyon in our team massively.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

England all out at 491 with the first ball of the ay. A very solid score

I went and got a coffee from the Betty Cuthbert Lounge/bar and got back to my (very expensive) seat just in time for the ball to be bowled.

Tea Interval on Day 4

Australia 103-2

Then no play possible in the final session of the day.

Looked an interesting game until the rain came. Both Smith and Warner appeared to put a high price on for thier wickets. Spend most of the rain delay in the bar. I suspect bad light would of been an issue too given the lights were in full effect.

Cook's 244 not out is the highest ever Test score by any player carrying his bat. Just what the sdoctor ordered for him.

The Percy Beames Bar in the MCC stand has a bit of memorabilia on the the wall. The best bowling and batting by Australian and overseas players at the G. The Viv Richards "RICHARDS 208" sign has already come to be replaced.

Although Cricket Australia have ruffed a few feathers.
Day 5 of the previous 3 tests have been gold coin donation. This test however it's the 30 dollar entry fee with Cricket Australia donating 20,000 dollars to charity. Now given you're going to get more than 667 people to cover that 20k to the ground tommrow it's a bit greedy from CA.

 

[Busaholic]

Although some may see the rain as delaying, if not destroying, an England victory, an alternative view is that it may have deprived Australia of going 4-0 up, on the grounds that England didn't look as though they'd pick up more than the odd wicket and Warner and Smith, once set, could score quickly enough to declare around lunchtime of the fifth day and see if they could precipitate an England collapse in two sessions.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Tea Interval on Day 5

Australia 225-4......A lead of 61 runs

England have only taken two wickets in the first two sessions on the final day.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

4.50PM and Smith and Root come together and call it a day.
Australia finishing thier innings 4 declared for 262.
Steve Bradma.....Smith once again racks up a century. Mitch Marsh hung around for a well faught 29.
Spent most of it where I sat yesterday.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I noted two good personal achievement examples on the final day:-

Smith played a very sensible captain's innings scoring his 102 not out over 275 balls faced.

Anderson recorded a very good bowling return of 30 - 12 - 46 - 1

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

I noted two good personal achievement examples on the final day:-

Smith played a very sensible captain's innings scoring his 102 not out over 275 balls faced.

Anderson recorded a very good bowling return of 30 - 12 - 46 - 1

During the innings Smith brought up 3000 runs in Australia.

People are rightly criticizing the MCG for the pitch. It was simply rubbish. They may as well of had Vicroads prepare it.

 

[Busaholic]

If Warner had not holed out for 86 and gone on to a century it would have been the fifth time he'd scored two centuries in the same test match, which no-one has ever done.

For Smith it was his fourth successive century in the Boxing Day test, but only the third time out of 23 that his century was in the second innings.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Are we expecting the spin bowlers to do well on the ground where the fifth and final test match takes place?

 

[Busaholic]

Are we expecting the spin bowlers to do well on the ground where the fifth and final test match takes place?

I'll lay good odds that Mooen doesn't get a wicket.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I'll lay good odds that Mooen doesn't get a wicket.

I'm not going to take you on with that!

Sadly, I've never had a great deal of faith in Mooen. The problem is that I can't really think of too many alternatives and it doesn't sound as if many of the TMS pundits can, either.

 

[Busaholic]

I'm not going to take you on with that!

Sadly, I've never had a great deal of faith in Mooen. The problem is that I can't really think of too many alternatives and it doesn't sound as if many of the TMS pundits can, either.

I'm partly relying on the specialist cricket press, who are virtually as a man expecting Mason Crane the leggie to make his debut in Sydney. Mooen's only chance of survival then would be if England were to play two spinners. Incidentally, Australia have added Ashton Agar to their squad, he being the left arm spinner who made his debut at Trent Bridge and scored 98 on debut, batting no. 11! His reward has been never to play another test up to now!

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

The start of the final test would you believe has been delayed by rain. Every test of the Ashes has been delayed by rain!

 

[DarloRich]

The start of the final test would you believe has been delayed by rain. Every test of the Ashes has been delayed by rain!

it is ok. We wont delay your victory for long

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

Finally a toss has occurred and England have won it and have decided to bat first.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

England had only lost their first three in the batting order, then proceeded to lose both the wickets of Root and then Bairstow (who chose to bat rather then have a nightwatchman come in) in the final two overs of the day, finishing Day 1 on 233-5

Thought for the day.....
Careless talk costs lives
Careless batting costs matches.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

Root once again failed to convert a 50 into a 100. Playing a shot he really shouldn't of.

 

[Busaholic]

England pick two spinners, Australia one. After two days, one wicket has been taken by a spinner, and he was the Australian one! Trevor Bayliss is still getting a surprisingly easy time from the press, the sole exception seeming to be Michael Vaughan who felt him allowing Bairstow to come out to bat at the end of the first day was inexcusable.

 

[96tommy]

Ali gets a wicket, I repeat Ali gets a wicket

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

Getting out to Ali. Dear oh dear smith.

Crane gets a wicket.............sort of. Originally given not out and reviewed but was a no ball.

 

[96tommy]

Getting out to Ali. Dear oh dear smith.

Crane gets a wicket.............sort of. Originally given not out and reviewed but was a no ball.

But wasn't a no ball looking back at it. Australia get lucky

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Crane finally got his first wicket and an important one at that, having Khawaja stumped by Bairstow for 171.

However since that dismissal, the Marsh brothers carried on with an unbroken stand of 104 and by close of play, Australia are currently 479-4.

Good to see that Anderson still produced a bowling return of 30-11-52-1 among the runfest.

 

[Busaholic]

Crane finally got his first wicket and an important one at that, having Khawaja stumped by Bairstow for 171.

However since that dismissal, the Marsh brothers carried on with an unbroken stand of 104 and by close of play, Australia are currently 479-4.

Good to see that Anderson still produced a bowling return of 30-11-52-1 among the runfest.

I'd choose Anderson as England's man of the series, perhaps joint with Malan: there are, after all, no other contenders imo. Jimmy has, incidentally, just equalled 'Deadly' Derek Underwood's English test record of maidens bowled = 1239.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

England are right now roasting in the sun. It's 41 in the shade but out in the middle it's 57.5

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

England are right now roasting in the sun. It's 41 in the shade but out in the middle it's 57.5

Score update 0310 GMT

Australia have now declared with the score 649-7. Both Marsh brothers made their hundreds.

Interesting to note the bowling returns of the England spin/slow bowlers:-
Crane.......48-3-193-1
Moeen......48-10-170-2

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

Score update 0310 GMT

Australia have now declared with the score 649-7. Both Marsh brothers made their hundreds.

Interesting to note the bowling returns of the England spin bowlers:-
Crane.......48-3-193-1
Moeen......48-10-170-2

Crane seemed to have the yips. Few bad balls and pulled out of his runup often.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Score update 0430 GMT

In response to the Australian first innings lead of 303, after 14 overs of the England 2nd innings reply, they have lost both their opening batsmen in scoring 29-2:-
Cook b Lyon 10
Stoneman lbw Starc 0

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

Vince must be batting with a toothpick. Finds the edge that much.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

At close of play, England were 93-4, having since also lost Vince for 18 and Malan for 5, still 210 runs in arrears.

Note for spin/slow bowling comparison to the two England players I earlier referred to:-
Lyon....19-6-31-2

 

[Busaholic]

Crane seemed to have the yips. Few bad balls and pulled out of his runup often.

His mentor Stuart McGill apparently told him to do that if he wasn't happy about the runup. Warne on TV commentary, as reported in my newspaper, noted he was gripping the ball too hard, but otherwise thought he did OK. Similar figures to Shane's first outing in the test arena?