3rd Ashes Test England v Australia July 6-10 1930hrs @ Headingley

[Plugger35]

Never thought of it like that. He's conditioned to think he'll continuously get lives.

It comes with experience, Marnus has had a charmed run and hasn't been dropped like Steve Waugh, Boon, Martyn who all came back tougher batsmen

 

[deanc]

Takes the forecast into account maybe?

Looking really bad tomorrow, and iffy on Monday.

That said, England would back themselves to chase down anything short of 350 inside of 2 sessions.

While England may 'back themselves to chase down 350 runs', they did struggle to reach 200 in their first dig so I'm not so sure they'll do much better in their second, unless of course the pitch suddenly becomes a road offering an extra 150 runs...?

Accordingly I reckon anything around 250 runs will be a challenging target on a wearing pitch already showing signs of inconsistent bounce...

 

[Moonwatcher]

While England may 'back themselves to chase down 350 runs', they did struggle to reach 200 in their first dig so I'm not so sure they'll do much better in their second, unless of course the pitch suddenly becomes a road offering an extra 150 runs...?

More about their top 4 assing more runs than they did in the first.

 

[moogerfooger]

While England may 'back themselves to chase down 350 runs', they did struggle to reach 200 in their first dig so I'm not so sure they'll do much better in their second, unless of course the pitch suddenly becomes a road offering an extra 150 runs...?

Accordingly I reckon anything around 250 runs will be a challenging target on a wearing pitch already showing signs of inconsistent bounce...

Last time they chased down 350 after making 67 in the first. Anything is possible with Golden Bollocks in their side.

If we can get 250 ahead and the weather aids swing and seam, we're certainly in the game especially if they chase hard. Boland could come into his own.

 

[Kappa]

More about their top 4 assing more runs than they did in the first.

and what if Stokes gets out cheap this time? That kinda evens it out. For all their talk, England have a very fragile batting line up.

 

[frankrizzo]

Feels like its going to be more about overhead conditions, if we can get 250 ahead and the chase is mostly under cloudy skies we are in business we just need that 100+ runs and we cant expect tail to be making those vs wood woakes broad under dark skies day 3.

 

[Substance]

For the 3rd time in this test we were in control & now they are back in it. No killer instinct.

 

[The Passenger]

I was happy for them to knock it around but if they are going to throw it away to ali then yeah at least make it part of a plan to take him down, such casual dismissals from smith and marnus when ashes is there to be won was very disappointing longer we keep england in series more crowds gt behind them and they start to believe and we keep letting them back in time after time at some point its going to cost us test matches.

Smith and Labs were two of the weirdest dismissals I think you'll see at this level. For batsmen of that calibre, they were incredibly soft ways to get out. Absolute nothing deliveries dollied straight to a fielder. It happens though - as good as they are they can't actually be demigods every single time they come out to bat. I have a feeling those dismissals got inside the other batsmen's heads as much as anything and the end result was the match hitting a bit of a stalemate after a frenetic five sessions.

Anyway, we just gotta do whatever we can get to at least a 250 run lead and then go from there. If the runs aren't coming in style, then we just gotta scratch and fight for every single run that we can. It's going to be brutally tight and you feel it's going to be a case of every single run counting. If the chase is under 250 then I think England will have the upper hand. 250-300 is even Stevens. 300+ is almost certainly going to require some individual brilliance from England to chase down.

With the expected rain over the coming days that will of course bring cloud cover to make batting conditions tricky, but also if there are delays it will make it very hard for England to get momentum with the bat. This could end up being absolutely crucial because what an on-fire Stokes does as much as anything is he gets inside the opposition captain's head, forces them to make quick decisions and invariably they make poor ones (Paine's review the most infamous of them). So if he does start getting a bit of a run on, with a bit of luck some rain will follow and we'll get a chance to regroup. Obviously, that's not a tactic to rely on, but it's just something to consider with this upcoming rain chase.

As an aside, it's obviously the toughest period Labs has faced during his career to date so it will be very interesting to see if he comes out the other side or was he just having an extended purple patch up until this point... There was nothing in the lead-up to his test career to suggest he'd be averaging mid 50's 4 years and 40 tests into his career. I'm very intrigued to see how this plays over the next couple of years.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Hmmn .. irritated by our profligacy with ball and then bat.

Starc just ain't smart and Wood set the post lunch tone.

When Broad is fearfully backing to the square leg ump, most deliveries should be at the stumps. Kudos to Stokes for a good knock lengthened via successive dropped catches. Murphy will be cranky with himself but persisted and deserved his wicket.

Ignoring the inevitable Warner failure, Smith and Marnus showed no intelligence.

Ussie was again his reliable self and it took a good nut to knock him over.

The weather is the big question tomorrow. Cloud will help their bowlers tho the ball has some age on it. A wet outfield will soften the Duke and lead to English tears about the state of the ball.

Sunday should be clear enough and allow a result one way or another.

 

[frankrizzo]

While England may 'back themselves to chase down 350 runs', they did struggle to reach 200 in their first dig so I'm not so sure they'll do much better in their second, unless of course the pitch suddenly becomes a road offering an extra 150 runs...?

Accordingly I reckon anything around 250 runs will be a challenging target on a wearing pitch already showing signs of inconsistent bounce...

Don't know about a road but this does seem like it's easier to bat last than any other ground in england last 10 years 4th innings is easily best for batting by average and second best for scoring rate.

 

[Bob Neil]

I’m a pessimist when it comes to cricket watching but I do fear that if we let the Poms get some momentum with a win in this match that they’ll be hard to stop in the series. The opportunity was/is now to bat them out of the match which is what makes Labuschagne and Smith’s dismissals all the more inexplicable. Got the foot on their throat - don’t take it off. Would be a great time for Head to magically find his mojo.

 

[jmac70]

Backs well and truly against the wall.

Going to take a massive partnership to stand any hope.

Need a lead well above 300.

 

[damochandler]

Wtf was that marnus

 

[Brad Goodman]

If we’re defending anything under 400 I’d be calling it a 50/50 at best

 

[Portmagpies36]

Inexcusable for two world class batsman to lose their wickets to Moeen Ali the guy is absolute garbage.

 

[wce4premiership]

That was such a poor turnout after lunch. Fine if you have a plan for a particular batter that was uncomfortable with the short ball ala Woakes, but is that all you have for the entire tail? Pathetic.

Opened up the easiest avenue of scoring, released all the pressure, allowed Stokes to free his arms when he couldn't run properly, dropped him (surprise surprise) and allowed him to dictate play.

Just brain dead cricket when we really should have tightened the screws. We weren't playing with a huge lead so get rid of that short rubbish, make him find a way to score.

Then the same again with the batting, this team currently lacks the ability to be clinical, they're just doing enough at different times but they are off the boil massively, Labuschagne and Smith gift their wickets.

Neither has done much outside of Smith's century, both have looked in full control numerous times to throw it away.

Yes, we might still win, but it is pretty average cricket to get there, no closing out the game, always keeping the door ajar due to very poor decision making. It's not even the execution of it that is the problem, it's the decisions being made in the middle.

I guess now we need to hope that Head and Marsh can smash the ball around for a while, because the tail will fold with Wood bowling at their stumps (unlike the Aussies did to the English tail).

I think the two that are in now need to do the bulk of the work, so hopefully they get the same amount of luck that Stokes seems to be gifted with and can be on their way to a big partnership.

 

[aabp1978]

With given how our tail batted first innings, you would have to say advantage England? Predict we will be out for 180 and their injured captain will hit the winning runs…and thus the hero villian narrative will be complete for them

 

[damochandler]

Starc has the best Yorker in world cricket and doesn’t use it. It’s terrible

 

[RookiePick]

We just seem determined to keep the test and the series alive.

England will be pretty happy with yesterday's play. If we are to make a 250 lead, it's on the current partnership to drag us 95% of the way there.

Hopefully Warner's papers are stamped, we are playing with 9 wickets while he is getting selected.

Advantage England after 2 pathetic sessions by Australia. Really frustrating after doing such a good job in the first session.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Once again, the sheer stupidity of our top order comes to the fore.

Losing your wicket, or should I say, gifting your wicket to Moeen Ali should see you dropped from the side.

That 50 minutes after lunch has gone a long way to costing us a victory.

 

[Headless]

Once again, the sheer stupidity of our top order comes to the fore.

Losing your wicket, or should I say, gifting your wicket to Moeen Ali should see you dropped from the side.

That 50 minutes after lunch has gone a long way to costing us a victory.

We should drop Steve Smith.

 

[chickenonachain]

Turned it off just after the wood dismissal couldn’t watch anymore of the rubbish bowling and tactics we we dishing up .Whoever thought this is a good strategy should be sacked it was embarrassing don’t want to see this shit again.

 

[macdaddio]

If we don’t get 300 it’s over. Stokes is determined to win

 

[The King!]

250 may be enough you know

crucial partnership

 

[aabp1978]

Quick thought - would there be any world where we would drop Warner and open with Head..thus allowing us to play both Green and Marsh (feel dirty saying it, but he did bat well first dig). We are gifting them a wicket in the first few overs every innings atm..would also allow us to use Starc and Cummins in super short bursts…