1st Ashes Test England v Australia June 16-20 1930hrs @ Edgbaston

[Peter Bixley]

I'm thinking AUS may have to just bat the game out.

Which, if we're being honest, won't be the worst outcome. Take a draw, learn some lessons, and move on unscathed. If we win or draw tomorrow, I back us to bring the urn back to Australia.

 

[DaRick]

I can remember 2009 at Edgbaston. The first two sessions of the first day were lost to rain. When play started, it was sunny but the ball did nothing. Watson, Katich and Ponting crashed a lot of runs.

Looking at some of the reports, it could take a couple of hours to dry given how heavy it will be for several hours in the morning.

Looks like rain will be a nuisance until at least lunch.

 

[MinerBoy]

I give us a chance at 300. I reckon we’ll be fairly determined and feel a little hard done by as well as disrespected, by crowd and opposition. Point to prove.

Marnus and Smith don’t miss out too often. Our top 7, Warner aside, are pretty solid these days.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Well Marnus and Smith did miss out again. Game so evenly poised.

Cmon lads, you've got this.

 

[Substance]

Still confident. They didn't get Uzzie, Head, Green, Carey, Cummins out cheaply in the first innings. Bat sensibly, ignore the inevitable bs they will try to do with the fields, punish the bad balls & force them to bowl jaffas to get us out. It's a pretty simple plan, we only need 1 big contributer. This pitch is still docile, plus we get to face moeen ali.

 

[Grockadoc]

Still confident. They didn't get Uzzie, Head, Green, Carey, Cummins out cheaply in the first innings. Bat sensibly, ignore the inevitable bs they will try to do with the fields, punish the bad balls & force them to bowl jaffas to get us out. It's a pretty simple plan, we only need 1 big contributer. This pitch is still docile, plus we get to face moeen ali.

This. Don't play at the balls that you don't need to. Make their bowlers actually work for reward. Punish the odd loose delivery (Unless Moeen is bowling as that is all he has bowled), and just work the ball around for singles as needed to keep the score ticking over. No need to stress.

 

[Sphynx]

Head and Ussie is clearly the key partnership.

Both have been our best batsmen the last 24 months.

Travis has had a nack of stepping up in the hardest conditions and moments.

Last Ashes, South Africa at the GABBA, India Away, India WTC…

If Head can peel off a 50 and Khawaja anchors it without getting out, the game is over.

Green will be shitting himself and I’m not counting on him much, he doesn’t play great under nerves.

Khawaja, Head, Carey now decide this.

We need a ton from Ussie (in which he goes down in Aussie folk lore) or a 50 from each of Head and Carey to win this imo.

 

[Moonwatcher]

We need a ton from Ussie (in which he goes down in Aussie folk lore) or a 50 from each of Head and Carey to win this imo.

Would like all 3.

 

[SSwans2011]

Unless they absolutely roll us when we do bat, I think this will be a draw looking at the forecast. Annoyingly it looks like it will rain enough to take an Australian win out of the equation. Hopefully I'm wrong, and a swashbuckling Head innings changes things.

However, would also take a draw every day of the week after losing the toss and not having the best luck with the conditions with respect to when they've predominantly batted compared to us. Winning is also more pressing for them when the urn is currently in our possession.

 

[Jack Lord]

Feels like England have been slightly ahead for most of the match. But we’ve always stayed in touch.

England still favorites but it only takes a good partnership or two and we win a cracker.

 

[OhhhhhCyril]

What is the forcast for the last day?
I wanna be confident, but the early wickets have put a dampen on my expectations, and my sleep pattern.

 

[Peter Bixley]

What is the forcast for the last day?
I wanna be confident, but the early wickets have put a dampen on my expectations, and my sleep pattern.

Guaranteed rain from about 4am until 11am. Probable rain from 11am until 1pm. Possibility of showers from 1pm until 2pm. Chance of a thunderstorm around 7pm.

If it's raining pretty much straight from 4am until 1pm, that will require a hell of a mop-up operation. I reckon we'll get at least four hours of play though.

 

[Burtonsgottago]

Wouldve been nice if Marnus and Smith contributed to the score this Test

 

[Peter Bixley]

Wouldve been nice if Marnus and Smith contributed to the score this Test

Just one of them would have been nice.

 

[Corkintheocean]

Guaranteed rain from about 4am until 11am. Probable rain from 11am until 1pm. Possibility of showers from 1pm until 2pm. Chance of a thunderstorm around 7pm.

If it's raining pretty much straight from 4am until 1pm, that will require a hell of a mop-up operation. I reckon we'll get at least four hours of play though.

Indications from the bookies are that the rain mustn't be too bad. The draw is paying $9 with largely similar odds ($2) for either side winning.

 

[swanssince2002]

Will be every bit as good as McGraths 8/38 at Lords if Ussie scores 100 again and leads us to victory. Will go down as an all time Australian performance.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Terrific match

 

[philreich]

This could be 2005 revisited - you can stick your T20 where the sun don't shine.

 

[DaRick]

Indications from the bookies are that the rain mustn't be too bad. The draw is paying $9 with largely similar odds ($2) for either side winning.

Those are unusually long odds considering the circumstances.

 

[serial_thrilla]

I can't wait to see Carey win this match with a reverse sweep!

 

[danielnajdek]

Marnus and Smith very disappointing in this test. Especially Marnus. Wafting twice outside off.

 

[Gough]

Terrific match

Phillip Lowe and his concerns about our productivity might be taking a bit of blow in the next six weeks.

 

[BG32]

Scotty Boland WTF

 

[Gavin Excell]

Marnus and Smith very disappointing in this test. Especially Marnus. Wafting twice outside off.

How did Marnus go last time in England?

 

[magpiemaniac44]

One big partnership will set us a long way forward in this game. If Khawaja can anchor and everyone else bat around him I'm confident. Would also be handy if Boland can peel off 10-20 more runs tomorrow

 

[CarnTheScray]

Wouldve been nice if Marnus and Smith contributed to the score this Test

It always feels like they shit themselves and get out from stupid shots they should never have played too frequently.