General Cricket Thread (It's Come Home)

By AoT you don't mean what I think you mean, do you?

I probably do. Just finished episode 13.

Ah, that's the last episode I got to before putting the show on hold waiting for the Australian stream to catch up.  On the risk of derailing the thread then, what did you think of the Trost arc?

Ah, England have passed the 100 mark now. And they've only lost three wickets to get there, I'm probably misremembering because of this damn headache but I don't recall Australia being in that good a position when they passed the 100 mark.

See the TV thread for some AoT thoughts.

Pietersen and Bell have done a decent job putting things back together for England: remember, they got 375 in the third innings of that test that's been very much like this one, although with the opening three out so cheaply that may not be feasible.

I see what you mean about those two clawing things back for England.  Pietersen's done a good deal of damage to Australia's effort before he clearly must have been given out and Bell's still there and looking on track to get a well earned century.

EDIT: Yay, light being called ending play again! I'm getting a wee bit tired of that now. Oh well, it was almost the end of the day anyway, but this could have a cumulative effect for the worse.

I don't think it'll matter much.  In other news, has Bairstow remembered how to bat?  This is starting to resemble England's first innings at Lord's (he says, hoping), when the two made a decent partnership and Bairstow eventually got out for 67.

EDIT: Ask not for whom the Bell tolls: it tolls for Oz.  Great work from Ian again.  He deserves Man of the Series by a fair margin, having shown one of the only reasonably consistent performances (for a batsman, anyway) on both teams.  England's day, by a margin the size of Ian Bell.

And with the new ball the pressure is once again on England with two wickets one after the other.  This match is now anybody's match.

EDIT: And the collapse of England is well and truly underway now!  

This seems less like the collapse of England and more the rise of Harris.  He sounds like he's been bowling excellently, and deserves his six-for.  Unlike Bird, whose balls are (ahem) flying to the boundaries.

EDIT: Boycott is having a field day at Bresnan's batting. Shame that Bird's retiring, really!

Impressive wagging from England's tail either way, they've put on a nice total for Australia to chase. This is going to be a fun night.

You were saying?  Jim Maxwell is advising Australians to get some rest and set their alarm for 1.

50 for zero and there's been a fair bit of action since play resumed from the rain.  Rogers showed great use of the drs too, maybe Australia is finally learning how to use it properly.

EDIT: On the risk of jinxing it Rogers and Warner are doing fantastically right now. It's too bad the rain looks set to disrupt play, this level of batting could well win us the match.

101-0.  Welp, it was fun while it lasted.  At the same time, maybe this will persuade Cook to start thinking outside the box a bit.  They've got quite a while before the fifth test for him to relax, and start pondering whether Onions might have been a sensible choice, and what to do about a couple of their batsmen (cough Bairstow cough).

In case it isn't obvious, I've given up hope of England winning this one.  Only an Australian collapse or some astonishing bowling could save things now, and I don't think that Australia are that bad or England that good at the moment.

You were saying?  

Well, on the bright side with the third man in that means it won't be long before Clarke is in. If you could call Rogers getting out as a bright side.

I'm still saying!  The still-in Warner, Clarke, Smith, Watson, Haddin, maybe Harris/Siddle: if the first five average 36 (more), you're home and dry.  Meanwhile, Anderson is continuing his current fall from grace by being utterly incompetent.

And while we're at it, let's not forget the Women's As-  On second thoughts, let's forget it as soon as possible.  Sigh.

Well Khawaja is gone, so I guess we'll see if your faith in Australia is justified soon enough.  I just can't muster it myself though.

EDIT: And now Warner's gone on 71.  Game is back on for England.

EDIT2: And so what will likely be a collapse begins...

Now things start to get interesting.  I didn't think Australia would collapse, but...

...but three for seven.

No, wait, four for eleven! :affraid: 

This is exactly why I wasn't getting hopeful.

And after that I'm going to just kiss this match goodbye.  

There's still Haddin and Harris.  I mean, I don't think Australia will win either, but... oh what the hell, test cricket is impossible to predict.  Could be a century from Haddin, could be all out tonight.

Still, at least you've got the Women's Ashes.  And if that sounds derogatory, it's only because it's one test, three fifties, and a bunch of piddly little things.

*Turns television off in disgust*

You had this in the bag Australia. In the bag. And you screwed it up somehow. This is just, ugh. Maybe in five or ten years we'll have some batsmen who can actually bat in the team again.

I don't think there's much in the batsmen.  Australia have Khawaja; England have Bairstow.  England have Root; Australia don't appear to have anyone as bad as that besides Khawaja.  Ian Bell is the only real difference-maker.  And Haddin's definitively better than Prior at the moment.  Maybe England have the edge in the bowling, but even then it's touch and go (especially with Harris, and Siddle on a good day.  Don't know what Bird's doing there though).  In fact, exactly half of my team of the tournament (so far) would be Australians.

They just didn't play well under pressure, is all: a role England have occupied for ages.  And had Australia won the toss, I'm not sure England's batsmen would have been able to do any better.

What's more, that makes it exactly 31 series each (5 tied), with Australia still far ahead on matches won (123-103, 88 drawn).  It was England's turn, so to quote Paul Chuckle: stop yer moanin'!

EDIT: Also, I suspect that Alastair Cook might secretly be a Titan. It's the mouth:

Such a shame being a Titan seems to have done nothing to boost Cook's performance this series.  

But jokes aside true enough, when it's time for a side to win in sport then it's simply their time, and even in a slump as the Australian's are in it doesn't make England's win any less worthy of congratulations. England have won the Ashes, and it's well deserved.

There's not been enough sunlight, natch.

Meanwhile, I am very impressed with how England's women have hung on. Facing down 331 from 113-6, they added 156 runs for the seventh wicket and should surely manage a draw from here.

It's a shame the woman's side of the sport isn't covered here, it sounds like it would be a good match to watch from the scorelines I keep hearing on the ABC news and just now.

Until the rain hit, yes!  We have it on the radio, but lack the live text commentary I love to follow so much.  Anyway, it's 331d&22 v 314 before the raaaaaaaiiiiiinnnnnn, with one centurion on either side.

Welp, looks like heads are about to roll after yesterdays ridiculous defeat.  http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-13/aussies-playing-for-careers-lehmann-says/4884906?section=sport

Clarke, Warner, and Rogers seem safe.  Anyone else batting has serious questions to answer it seems, so anyone who under-performed after the fifth Ashes test is likely going to get the chop.  

I don't personally have a problem with this way of thinking, but where the heck are they going to get the replacements?  Australia has no amazing batting players right now.  On the other hand at this point even a below average player who can score over twenty consistently would probably be better than what we've got.