The Ashes 2010/11

[ljkeane]

Well I was clearly right about Cook needing to be dropped for this tour. :leaving:

[Ser Camaris]

Much better day for England supporters! I have had a hectic weekend and issed most of the cricket, and only got to hear the end of day news, and Saturday was very depressing. But, today I am much more cheerful. I actually think this is a better effort than Hussey and Haddin, simply for the fact that they didn't start 220 runs behind the 8 ball.

If this is a draw, England will almost feel they had a win, and Australia a loss, and England have a chance to bat and bat and hopefully win the toss in Adelaide.

I hope he doesn't, but surely Bollinger must come in for Johnson unless he runs through England tomorrow?

[ljkeane]

I actually think this is a better effort than Hussey and Haddin, simply for the fact that they didn't start 220 runs behind the 8 ball.

I don't really agree with that, when Hussey and Haddin came in wickets were falling and, at least initially, England were bowling better than Australia did yesterday. Both partnerships were under serious pressure with the chance of their team losing the match if they didn't bat well.

[Ser Camaris]

I don't really agree with that, when Hussey and Haddin came in wickets were falling and, at least initially, England were bowling better than Australia did yesterday. Both partnerships were under serious pressure with the chance of their team losing the match if they didn't bat well.

But, how much pressure was Strauss under? A duck for a captain in hte first innings was unfortunate, a failure in the second would have been...well, it would have hd a huge bearing on the rest of the series. Australia are very proud of destroying visiting captains, but now Strauss is one up on Ponting.

[ljkeane]

But, how much pressure was Strauss under? A duck for a captain in hte first innings was unfortunate, a failure in the second would have been...well, it would have hd a huge bearing on the rest of the series. Australia are very proud of destroying visiting captains, but now Strauss is one up on Ponting.

True but on the other hand Hussey was probably a bad performance away from the end of his test career and even Haddin, while not under a lot of pressure for his place, doesn't want to play too badly with Paine waiting in the wings.

[Ser Camaris]

True but on the other hand Hussey was probably a bad performance away from the end of his test career and even Haddin, while not under a lot of pressure for his place, doesn't want to play too badly with Paine waiting in the wings.

Good points, though Paine is out for the rest of the series with a broken bone in his hand, but I do feel that England were really staring down the barrel of the gun in a way Australia weren't.

Doesn't really matter though, both were great performances under pressure.

[Daeric]

Well I was clearly right about Cook needing to be dropped for this tour. :leaving:

We all know hes going to fail when we really really need him.

[Stubby]

Cook and Trott are demoralising the Aussie bowlers here.

We all know hes going to fail when we really really need him.

He's answered that criticism with this very innings.

[williamjm]

Cook and Trott are demoralising the Aussie bowlers here.

It's been a magnificent innings from Cook, Strauss and Trott have also batted very well. Together with Bell being in excellent form, the English batting line-up looks in pretty good shape even if there are still some question marks about Pietersen's form. It's just a pity they couldn't have put in that performance in the first innings, that way they really would have had a chance of winning.

[ljkeane]

It's been a magnificent innings from Cook, Strauss and Trott have also batted very well. Together with Bell being in excellent form, the English batting line-up looks in pretty good shape even if there are still some question marks about Pietersen's form.

Even Pietersen has looked in reasonable shape so far on this tour, he hasn't translated some decent performances into a big score yet but he looks far better than he did over the Summer. The real concern for England would be Collingwood I think.

This innings is about as much fun as batting for a draw can get I think, great innings from Cook. :thumbsup:

[sh_wulff]

Talk about rubbing te Aussies nose in it.

It looks like a very bat - friendly wicket.

[Stubby]

Declared at 1/517. Target is 297. 7.2 per over if Australia go for it.

[Jeor]

Declared at 1/517. Target is 297. 7.2 per over if Australia go for it.

Well, that was all a little bit ridiculous, Australia finish at 1/107. Talk about a runfest - the last 7 wickets (ie since the Haddin/Hussey partnership) fell for collectively close to 1000 runs. I expect there will be some criticism of the pitch after this, but I just think the last couple of days no one really bowled all that well. The first couple of days saw some decent bowling (and particularly Anderson's spell on Day 3 as well).

Australia will be disappointed about this. They've wasted some good performances and a 221-run lead, although in a bizarre sort of way at least they were never close enough to victory that this would be heartbreak. Definitely need to do something about the bowling attack, although given that England had similar troubles on a last day pitch it may not be quite as bad as it seems.

They must put in Bollinger in this series at some point. He is a proven wicket-taker - 49 wickets in 11 matches, at a sparkling average of 23.79 and a phenomenal strike rate of 45.4. I didn't realise his Test figures were that good! Well, his reputation will only be further enhanced by not playing in this Test. When you think of the venue to come (Adelaide, the batting paradise), I'm not sure you can trust our attack (Hilfy/Siddle/Johnson/Doherty/Watson) to get 20 wickets.

Bollinger would probably have to be swapped in for Johnson though which causes problems with the batting. You can't drop Siddle after a hat-trick and 6-wicket haul. Hilfenhaus, while not getting wickets, did bowl with control and accuracy and caused problems for the openers with some great LBW shouts, while Johnson looked lacklustre. To put Bollinger in I'm afraid the selectors will think of dropping Doherty and strengthening the batting with Steve Smith. The lineup would have a bit more balance to it (Smith batting at 8 is stronger than Johnson at 8) and they'll rationalise that they still have North as a part-time spin option to compliment Smith, but I'm unsure of how that would improve our chances of taking 20 wickets. Bollinger would be an upgrade over Johnson but Smith would be a downgrade from Doherty.

[The Winged Shadow]

That sucked hardcore. I am all for big scores, but without any wickets falling, that was a complete fucking bore (even for a test match!). Australian bowlers failed big time. They need to redeem themselves at Adelaide.

p.s. Fuck Johnson.

[sh_wulff]

p.s. Fuck Johnson.

no thanks... xertainly don't want his babies!

[Daeric]

Cook and Trott are demoralising the Aussie bowlers here.

He's answered that criticism with this very innings.

Can't a Yorkshire man remain pessimistic about anything damn you, Cook failing is a corner stone of my doubts of the England team along with Pieterson getting out in the most stupid fashion cheaply :P

[Stubby]

Can't a Yorkshire man remain pessimistic about anything damn you, Cook failing is a corner stone of my doubts of the England team along with Pieterson getting out in the most stupid fashion cheaply :P

I'll concede the second one. :P

[williamjm]

Even Pietersen has looked in reasonable shape so far on this tour, he hasn't translated some decent performances into a big score yet but he looks far better than he did over the Summer. The real concern for England would be Collingwood I think.

I seem to remember Collingwood getting runs in the warm-up games so he should be in decent form as well, although the shot he played to get out in this Test was hideous.

Bollinger would probably have to be swapped in for Johnson though which causes problems with the batting. You can't drop Siddle after a hat-trick and 6-wicket haul. Hilfenhaus, while not getting wickets, did bowl with control and accuracy and caused problems for the openers with some great LBW shouts, while Johnson looked lacklustre. To put Bollinger in I'm afraid the selectors will think of dropping Doherty and strengthening the batting with Steve Smith. The lineup would have a bit more balance to it (Smith batting at 8 is stronger than Johnson at 8) and they'll rationalise that they still have North as a part-time spin option to compliment Smith, but I'm unsure of how that would improve our chances of taking 20 wickets. Bollinger would be an upgrade over Johnson but Smith would be a downgrade from Doherty.

Apparently the squad for the next Test has Bollinger and Ryan Harris in it, but no Smith so if there is a change it is probably likely to be Bollinger in for Johnson. I doubt they'd drop their specialist spinner, although I wouldn't have expected them to do it in the last Ashes either and they still did it.

[Ser_not_appearing_yet]

Yo Australia! Sort out your pitches guys!

Thought I could rely on you lot at least. Jeez.

[williamjm]

A friend of mine pointed out that having only scored 110 in the second innings, Andrew Strauss had the lowest score in both innings. He'll have to do something about that ;)

Another stat I saw was that Alastair Cook scored more runs in one innings than he did in the entire 2009 Ashes.