4th Ashes Test England v Australia July 19-23 1930hrs @ Old Trafford

[010203]

All the panicking from people here during days 2&3 ended up being for nothing. This test ended with the result it was always likely to provided the weather forecast for at least one of the last two days proved to be accurate.

Once Australia's first innings score went beyond 275, England's hopes of winning the match batting once took a dive. Marnus and Mitch allowing Australia to see out day 3 with 6 wickets in hand was key, so too their ability to bat time for much of the one and only session that was possible on day 4.

Cricket is a team game, and England might regret giving Bairstow a shot at a ton ahead of their team's hopes of winning a match they simply had to win. Time was always their enemy and they needed to bat with more urgency on day 3.

 

[Substance]

The fightback partnership by Mitch & Marnus will not get the credit it deserves. They survived 280 balls, when if they lost their wickets after, say 50 balls, we could have easily collapsed.

 

[Mr Meow]

I'll be honest and say that under normal circumstances this isn't the way I'd like to see Australia retain the Ashes.

However considering;
1. England were kissed on the D by the weather conditions in the first 3 Tests (bar 30 minutes at Edgbaston)
2. The extraordinary run of luck Stokes enjoyed in winning the toss 4 out 4 times.
3. The rub of the green in DRS reviews.
4. The mouth breathing Robinson and his defence of the indefensible.
5. The mental gymnastics after Birmingham of claiming they were the better team after losing.
6. The breathtaking hypocrisy after the Bairstow stumping at Lords and the entitlement complex of the Lords members.
7. As ever the dear Barmy Army and their hordes of lager sodden morons in the cheap seats.

Shove it up your ginger Poms.

Sorry. Not sorry.

8. Lyon's second Test injury mid-match
9. "Cheat"-gate in the Lords long room
10. Crawley's arsey near-double ton
11. Stokes tactical errors around declarations or non-declarations

 

[moogerfooger]

Apparently if England won the match and the 5th test was a decider then it would have been broadcast on free to air TV for the first time since 2005.

Good thing it didn't happen. Cricket is for the refined gentry, not the unwashed masses.

#spiritofcricket

 

[beez]

I'm generally a Vaughan fan because he can distinguish between quality analysis of cricket and having a bit of banter/taking the piss.

But by his logic every Test series that had a match "ruined" by rain, the winning team shouldn't feel right.

You can argue about who's been the better side overall, and who's been the better team in individual matches, but Australia has absolutely earned the right to retain the Ashes. Australia performed when they needed to.

One of the great aspects of sport is that the best team doesn't always win. It's why, as supporters, we keep coming back.

Hope.

 

[moogerfooger]

Not sure if this is being broadcast in Australia but there's some sweet irony on Sky - a short package of England's highlights from this test backed by the Stone Roses' Fools Gold.

Fools gold indeed.

 

[Headless]

Good content.

 

[A Pom]

3. The rub of the green in DRS reviews.

Bizarre take. In general the on field umpires have heavily favoured Australia with their decisions this series. There have been 15 instances where a decision has been reviewed and had to be reversed because the original decision was clearly wrong, 11 of those decisions were originally made in Australias favour. For umpires call, each team has had 1 instance of a decision being given not out when appealing and failing to get it overturned as a result of umpires call.

 

[beez]

The fightback partnership by Mitch & Marnus will not get the credit it deserves. They survived 280 balls, when if they lost their wickets after, say 50 balls, we could have easily collapsed.

Performed when it mattered.

Australia hasn't done it as much as we should have this series. But we've done it more than England.

I definitely accept the argument that England have performed better for longer. But I don't accept that they've been the better team.

 

[theiaofseed]

Vaughan on the money and he is no England sycophant, he is just telling it like it is, Australia will take the result but it isn't a good result for test cricket.



Nobody won today, test cricket was the loser.

What will be the excuse when Australia wins 3-1?

 

[scottywiper]

If Poms were even mildly competitive in Australia they might have a case. Being insipid away from home is not a travesty.

 

[Plugger35]

I was going to watch some of the West Indies v India test but that match has been delayed by rain as well.

Not a great day for us genuine test cricket fans, a great day for all of the genuine rain fans here though.

Who wants to watch the cricket when you can watch the rain.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Should Crawley's century even be added to the record books? Seems like the English want to believe this match doesn't count, so maybe the runs scored and wickets taken need to be scrapped from each player's stats.

Obviously not such a big deal for Marnus who will go on to chalk up many more Test centuries, but Crawley certainly won't so it seems harsh to take it away from him.

 

[Rabish Binney]

"Ex Submarine Service, Spurs Fan, Straight Talker."

Spurs fan…

Enough said.

Apparently if England won the match and the 5th test was a decider then it would have been broadcast on free to air TV for the first time since 2005.

You mean the 2005 English side which used breath mints to help shine the ball (as admitted by Marcus Trescothick in his autobiography)?

Using breath mints to help in shining the ball is classed ball tampering under the ICC laws of cricket.

Yet the English media and fans conveniently overlook this…

Another case of astounding hypocrisy by the Poms…

 

[scottywiper]

So you're happy to buy tickets for a test match and see it rain all day with no cricket played? I guess when you support North you take any win you can.

I got money back so cost me nothing to see a historic moment as Australia retained Ashes. So I'd say yes, i am happy.
Unlike you, premiership and soap dodger.

 

[Mr Meow]

I was going to watch some of the West Indies v India test but that match has been delayed by rain as well.

Not a great day for us genuine test cricket fans, a great day for all of the genuine rain fans here though.

Who wants to watch the cricket when you can watch the rain.

Watch highlights of the first three Tests. You were awfully quiet about the spectacle at the conclusion of two of those.

 

[Brad Goodman]

How depressing that we’ve been reduced to praying for rain

On reflection I am ok with it. England can go **** themselves.

 

[The Casey Cat]

I was going to watch some of the West Indies v India test but that match has been delayed by rain as well.

Not a great day for us genuine test cricket fans, a great day for all of the genuine rain fans here though.

Who wants to watch the cricket when you can watch the rain.

Only thing genuine about it is you didn't get to see Australia lose like you wanted. Again don't pretend like you wouldn't have been leading the world's biggest rain dance if the situation was reversed you hypocritical dipsh!t.

 

[BStaff17]

Apparently, Baz has just said to the England team ''it feels like we won''.

Baz has had more feels like he has won games against Australia then actual wins.

What is he 2 wins from 22 tests as a player/coach against the Aussies.

Not including the WC final where he made a fool.of himself.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Has Cummins asked the umpires to reverse their decision to not play in pouring rain?

 

[Mr Meow]

Has Cummins asked the umpires to reverse their decision to not play in pouring rain?

I've adapted this from an amusing fantasy scenario I read on The Guardian's cricket blog by a deluded England fan.

Cummins' post-match speech:

“In this spirit – given rain has stopped the play... We feel that ‘winning through weather’ is not a really the way. Far better to show courage and simply acknowledge that this was Englands Test and despite the ‘rules’ ... give it to England and square the series.

This is the heroic thing to do and will change our sport for ever and take it to another level. This will also set up the most thrilling enthralling final Test match. What a history making cricket match this will be! True greatness for all, spectators included, regardless of result, what cricket we will witness then!! Our Australian team will go down in history as truly great sportsmen for this gesture, now that’s a stat to look back on and smile!”

I feel like if Plugger and Piers had a shared publicist, they would endorse this message too.

 

[scottywiper]

Poms may also have lost with more play .. They were beaten after enforcing follow on by NZ. Lol

 

[scottywiper]

Stokes : there are bigger things for us than winning the Ashes.
In all seriouslyness...

 

[Mr Meow]

Stokes : there are bigger things for us than winning the Ashes.
In all seriouslyness...

Saving Test cricket.

Why was everyone associated with England - fan, media, player, Plugger - so disappointed today? Of course winning The Ashes back is the Holy Grail for them. If it wasn't, the excuses and deflections after 3 of these 4 matches wouldn't exist.

 

[scottywiper]

What's Alistair Cook doing tonight? Lol