Cricket: Industrial Action Edition

[williamjm]

Thinking about it more, maybe this is a Machiavellian piece of plotting by Bairstow - since everybody is talking about this rather than England's defeat it keeps the pressure off the other England players.

[Hereward]

I'm still not excited about this Ashes series, but the Australian approach is pissing me off, so I'll probably still watch just in case they get their comeuppance. It's bad and potentially dangerous to deliberately say things on stump mike to get the media involved. Yes, Bairstow's action was bizarre, but it wasn't malicious. I imagine that there are a  number of things Australian cricketers would rather not have in the public domain that England fielders could raise, if they were willing to stoop that low. My money is on Jimmy Anderson.

At least we have a better chance than back in the Old Days. I recently watched the 86/87 series, which we won, and they noted that we received not a single lbw decision in the entire series.

Another couple of examples that I saw that amused me:

"When in Rome, dear boy..."
England were battling to save the Sydney Test in 1990-91, when Mike Atherton declined to walk after an appeal for an edge behind. "You're a f****** cheat!" barked Ian Healy. Atherton, in typically phlegmatic fashion, carried on regardless.

Tufnell and the "impartial" Australian umpire:

Tufnell asked Peter McConnell how many balls were left to be bowled in the over, he received the reply: "Count 'em yourself, you Pommie c***."

[williamjm]

I was just reading Cricinfo's report on the NZ vs Windies Test match and they mentioned that one of the West Indian batsmen was out first ball hit wicket on debut, which I think much rank highly among the worst possible ways to start a Test career. Being run out without facing a ball is one of the few things I can think of that would be worse.

[Paxter]

Yeah I felt sorry for that debutant too. West Indies already looking in major strife in that series.

Meanwhile we are about to get underway in Adelaide. Personally I’d have batted first but perhaps Root has noticed that the side batting second won the other two day-night tests at this venue.

ETA: Hmmm England opening bowlers not looking happy. The pitch looks quite flat. I know it’s early but I don’t at all like the decision to field.

[Jeor]

I still think the jury's out on the decision. Take a wicket or two and the decision to bowl looks much better. It's overcast and there are some rain delays...which generally favour the bowling side rather than the batting. Given the England bowling attack is probably better and more experienced than its batting (at least with people of the calibre of Broad/Anderson) maybe Root was trying to play to the team's strengths.

[Paxter]

I dunno...when the bowlers have zero wickets between them after 30 overs I don’t really think it’s a great decision to bowl first. Still early days in the test match but I’m not hopeful for England.

[desire]

 Thx Poms 

[desire]

Whelp posted to soon............

[ljkeane]

Wahey, we got Smith out.

This isn't really a great result overall for inserting the Australians but how much weight do you give getting rid of Smith relatively cheaply? We'll have to see I suppose.

[williamjm]

5 hours ago, ljkeane said:

Wahey, we got Smith out.

This isn't really a great result overall for inserting the Australians but how much weight do you give getting rid of Smith relatively cheaply? We'll have to see I suppose.

I think after having putting Australia in first it's a bit disappointing, but not a disastrous scorecard for England, although if Smith had still been there I think it would have been. Maybe both teams will be a bit disappointed with that day's play, the Aussies will probably think they had a few batsmen get in but not go on to a big score.

[lmanion]

Typical of the day night tests that have come before really gets hard to bat in the second and third sessions and batsmen who get starts struggle to really go on with it as often as they should.

[Xray the Enforcer]

I missed the first day of this Test entirely, and I turn it on right now to see Jimmy Anderson miss getting Marsh out lbw. Goddamn that was a close one.

[Paxter]

I think England are miles behind in this one. Even if they manage to take the last five wickets for less than 100 runs, they’ll have to bat under lights fairly early in their innings.

[Impmk2]

Yeah. No one has made a hundred, but aside from that stupid run out, no one has gone really cheaply either. Bit of luck and could be looking at 350+ from here.

[desire]

Shaun who ?

[Paxter]

Australia cruising now. I wonder how England’s bowlers feel after 132 overs and six wickets. “Thanks Joe!”

[Jeor]

If I were Smith, I'd tell Hazlewood and Lyon not to worry about padding up. Tell them to shower and warm up and get ready, tell Marsh and Cummins to tonk it around a bit and once their wicket falls, declare and have them raring to go against the England top order. It's perfectly set up for Australia.

England will have to have a very good top order performance to stay in this game.

[Paxter]

England are toast in my books. I’ll probably tune out now unless England do something sensational with the bat. Kudos to S Marsh, surely he has now secured that number 6 spot for the next year or so barring injury.

[The Winged Shadow]

This is definitely Australia's day. England couldn't get the wickets they would've wanted after sending Aussies in first as well as getting Smith cheaply(ish!).

Marsh has exceeded my expectations. I didn't think he had it in him, but he has done well. Didn't look as nervy as his last few stints up the order. Agree with Pax that he has sealed his spot lower the order (unless he has some shockers next few matches).

I was enjoying the Lyon vs bouncer contest! Don't think it was as intimidating as England would've liked considering the pace (Broad's pace was up, but not Overtons). Crowd would've wanted a few more overs of that!

This is probably heading towards a draw unless Aussies can get England cheaply.

 

[Jeor]

They've barely had three innings (considering the second innings of the Gabba was only the openers) and already numbers 1-7 in the Australian batting lineup have all scored at least one half century each, except for Handscomb. That will settle the lineup a bit, considering that at the start of the series there were a number of question marks there.