Cricket Thread

I’m about 50 miles south of Birmingham here. Suns now out and clouds going. Just want this on, to see how this ends. Like someone ripping out the last page of a book your reading lol.

 

Hopefully the Aussies get over the line here. The restart is crucial. Few wickets fall it’s England’s to lose I feel. On the flip side, if Australia get a good few early runs, it will be in their hands.

 

Well poised and set for a fitting finale to a quality 1st test of the series.

 

Aussies in bother now. That was a big wicket. Just when they were gaining momentum.

 

Khawaja got to start pushing it now.

 

Aye Khawaja is key to the game now. If he goes with them still chasing 80-100 runs I think England win.

 

Now the Aussies are in trouble

 

Aye the Aussies in massive bother here. Just seems a matter of time before England finish them off.

 

F*ck!

 

Aussies right back in it

 

Couple of 6's there, 30 to get, 2 wkts in hand...

But new ball available any time Stokes wants to take it.

Oh, and Lyon survives a drop. Both teams so many chances. Regardless whoever wins or loses this match, both teams will have some big internal questions about the decisions made, strategies used, chances missed etc, before the next Test.

 

And there's the new ball now...

 

What a game. What a win. Cummins and Lyon, absolutely superb. What a captains performance from Cummins.

 

What a tense and dramatic end to that! Australia win by 2 wkts.

 

What he said, * *…. Hope the next 4 games get somewhere close to any of that.

 

I’m not a big cricket fan by any stretch, but that was superb viewing. Aye if the next 4 are anywhere close to that it will be some series. Even though it was the first game, it had a feeling today that the winner of that game may well win the series.

 

Puts pressure on England now, if the series is drawn the Aussies retain it. If the next game is washed out and becomes a draw, then they only need to win one of the last 3 to retain it. Would love to see the Aussies go toe to toe playing bazball though, who knows if they have won it by the 5 test they might say * it and have a go lol.

 

Without reverting to full on Bazball, I would like to see the Aussies modify their strategy, especially in the field, where they went pretty much defensive, right from the get-go. The thing is, if you start by attacking when a batsman is new, hasn't got their eye in, you can then go defensive as they go on. But it's so much harder to go from defence to attack once the batsmen are set. Yes, the Aussies won, but really the Poms outplayed Australia in a lot of this game, but they dropped a lot of chances along the way, which, had they been taken, really should've gotten them over the line.

Has set the series up so well though. Can't wait for Lords, next week but before then the Women's Test begins on Thursday - and looking forward to that as well.

 

That English side has a small lifespan left with age and injuries, I’m just making the most of it for now. Odd day, not talked to anyone gutted, but just raving about the way the game played out. Can’t see this happening again after the captains gone, once stokes goes who’s going to carry on the baton?

 

You would have to expect Smith to play better next test. If Khawaja’s form continues and Smith plays how he can, I think it will be difficult for England.