The Greenhouse

Umpires talk to Paine about only bowling spinners due to light. He agrees but then out comes a light meter and off go the players with the score of England 5-200. The forecast is apparently better for the final two days. So much time lost in this Test. End of Day 3 and only 1.5 Innings completed.

Lyon v Root was an absorbing battle. Almost had him 3 or 4 times and Root just wasn’t willing to take a risk for scores of balls at a time.

Looks set for another draw

Headingley will bite us hard

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I wouldn't bank on it. I think Australia could win this. England, other than a couple of flashes of brilliance, are pretty ordinary.

If we can knock them over before the follow on we're a huge chance. The only catch is fatigue will play a factor as we'll be in the field 3 days straight.

Should toss the ball to Labuschagne early on. Plenty of turn in the deck so if he lands them in right spot he can let the pitch to the rest. Poms traditionally struggle against leg spin. Also give the other bowlers more of a break. Alternatively Labuschagne might end up being our 2nd innings hero with the ball.

So we’re apparently not going to enforce the follow-on (if the option is there).

Don’t know how I feel about that.. we need to take wickets, we need plenty of time to do so. Happy to see us burn out our bowlers given the context of this game.

Matt Wade and Laboosh to roll the arm over if the big boys need a rest.

Given the lack of time in the game I'd have thought enforcing the follow on would be important. We will see.

Seed from Starc to knock over Bairstow

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That was a weapon delivery

And another, Ben Stokes on ya bike!!

Lunch on day 4. Poms 8 down and 20 short of the follow on. Even if we knock em over we'll have to bat again. Our bowlers already been going nearly day and a half. They'll need to time to recharge the batteries.

They're bowling pies atm

The follow on will be irrelevant

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It’s so **** obvious to bowl stumps at Broad.

God that was so plum - Starc.

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Embarrassing umpiring and the reviews have been so poorly managed

yeh raiders wrote:Embarrassing umpiring and the reviews have been so poorly managed

That’s a bit of a shocker. I don’t know what the umpire was thinking.

Warner should be forced to swim home

Just a waste having Warner open with Stuart Broad bowling.

That was sad to watch, that is Warner thinking.

You would almost have to bring usi back to open. Warner looks shot

Our opening combination is a joke

Why is Warner undropable???? I'm glad he finds his constant failures amusing

And Harris can **** off too

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After losing 4 wickets early on the Smith and Wade partnership going strong by the drinks break in the final session. Australia lead by 343 with Smith on 81 n.o. Had to laugh in the last Broad over. He bowls the ball a meter wide of leg stump which goes for 4 and asks the Umpire why it was a wide. Did he prefer it to be byes so that the keeper carries the poor stat. Smith is walking to off and leg and has tries tennis shots. The Poms are trying 6 on the leg side but still they go for 4 on that side. Smith skies one and is gone for 82.

Australia declare after both Smith and Wade go and we are 6 down. England need 383 to win.

Cummins first over and he's on a hat trick. Both Burns and Root gone for ducks. Yeeehaaaaaaaaaaa

Australia have given themselves a great opportunity to secure the Ashes. The weather will not play a role tomorrow according to the commentators. We have 8 wickets to take. They need to score 365 further runs. The ball is only 7 overs old so we can go full tilt again on the final day on a wearing wicket.

-PJ- wrote: ↑September 6, 2019, 8:41 am Just waiting for Warner to do something...

Still waiting for Warner to do something...

What's he's avg after 8 innings now ?

9.87

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Makaveli wrote: ↑September 8, 2019, 12:08 am Why is Warner undropable???? I'm glad he finds his constant failures amusing

And Harris can **** off too

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I wouldn't say he's undropable. He's just higher up the list of players that are safe.
Of the 2 openers it's Harris that will go first. Warner has proven himself a top class test bat while Harris hasn't.

Warner's confidence is shot and next game it might be a case of attack being the best form of defense for him. Go out and play his shots from the start to put the pressure back on the bowlers. Very little to lose as right now he's only poking and prodding till he gets out.

Northern Raider wrote: ↑September 8, 2019, 10:57 am

Makaveli wrote: ↑September 8, 2019, 12:08 am Why is Warner undropable???? I'm glad he finds his constant failures amusing

And Harris can **** off too

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I wouldn't say he's undropable. He's just higher up the list of players that are safe.
Of the 2 openers it's Harris that will go first. Warner has proven himself a top class test bat while Harris hasn't.

Warner's confidence is shot and next game it might be a case of attack being the best form of defense for him. Go out and play his shots from the start to put the pressure back on the bowlers. Very little to lose as right now he's only poking and prodding till he gets out.

TBF, we were chasing quick runs in that 2nd innings. I know he got a 2nd baller, but he should have been looking to punch down the ground ODI style, not blocking it.

Warner is walking out to the crease a defeated man.

He needs to be preserved. There’s no point putting him out there facing Broad with a new ball.

Let's look at the squad:

Tim Paine (c) - As a batsmen, a solitary 50 is it. Has a couple of starts, but not adding much value here. Keeping has been pretty good, but not perfect. Captaincy has been good, but not perfect.

Cameron Bancroft - a blinder at short leg, but no runs, despite earning first shot in the inter-squad game. Dropped.

Marcus Harris - With Bancroft out, got his chance, and made runs in the lead up game. Then has 4 failures. Could well lose his spot for the last test.

Usman Khawaja - Made several starts, then several failures. Runs in the lead up game to the 4th Test though. Proving the enigma he is. May well get recalled for the 5th Test.

Travis Head - started the Ashes pretty well, but has fallen away, just like Khawaja. Given he has a VC next to his name, I can't see him getting dropped, but you have to think he is on shakey ground.

Marnus Labuschagne - has proven plenty wrong this series. Is a better player than his 1st class avg suggests.

Matthew Wade - That 100 was a long long time ago. TBH, i feel like his lack of patience has been his issue, as he has got in most of his innings only to throw it away. Will that 34 in the 2nd dig save him?

David Warner - obviously used his English run quota in the WC. Cant buy a run. One 60 is all he has to show for the series. Broad has him totally bamboozled. Given our opening stocks ATM, not sure what to do about it. But he probably has enough career 'runs in the bank' to play in the 5th.

Steven Smith - Best since Bradman, moving on...

Mitchell Marsh - the only batsmen not to have played. Has runs in most of the lead up games, and a few wickets. As scary as it is, I feel he might get another Test sooner rather than later.


The bowling rotation has be canned, incl by me, but it's worked. Bowled tight early and tried to get ahead in the series, then brought in attacking bowlers later in the series to not only mix it up for the Poms, so they can't settle against an attack in the series, also not just to keep them fit and hungry, but to attack now that the series win is within grasp.

Pat Cummins - consistency personified

Josh Hazlewood - proved very quickly that he should have played over Siddle from day 1 as the steady line and length guy.

Nathan Lyon - GOAT. That missed run out is probably his only glitch.

James Pattinson - patchy in his return to Test cricket. Needs a few more miles in the legs for mine.

Peter Siddle - wasnt awful with the ball, but not exactly threatening either. His innings in the 1st Test shouldn't be forgotten.

Mitchell Starc - that ball to get Bairstow was why he should have bowled under the cloud cover of the 1st and 2nd Tests. A handy 50 helps too.

Michael Neser - glad he hasn't seen any action. Shouldn't have been there anyway.

Matt, I reckon Wade's 2nd innings should keep him in the side. He is also a good fielder close to the wicket. Smith simply needed someone to stay with him overnight and Wade did that after we lost 4 early wickets. He helped Smith set us up. Definitely keeper for mine especially with the remainder of 'talent' the selectors chose not going so well.

If you drop somebody you need to believe you have somebody better to fill the role. With the current squad it's hard to make a case for any of the others available.

How dreadful is this camera work.

Where’s Joe?