1st Test England v Australia - Edgbaston

[Gary Baldi]

The lack of an extra bowler is starting to show for England. The pitch is slow and the attack looks rather toothless. England need to slow the run rate to a dribble and make the Aussies bat longer than they want to.

 

[Foley]

Oh dear.
England look in deep trouble. Lyon could win this for the Aussis.
Moeen totally our if sorts and David Lloyd is speculating that he hasn't recovered from a side strain.
With Anderson out and Moeen out of sorts ( and Broad/ Woakes not at their best on such a wicket) England look toothless

 

[Sir Winston]

From a selfish view point, I lumped on the draw Friday morning at 12/1, so that’s the target now for me ?££

 

[ZeroTheHero]

From a selfish view point, I lumped on the draw Friday morning at 12/1, so that’s the target now for me ?££

That's now the target for the England team as well...

 

[Sir Winston]

That's now the target for the England team as well...

Exactly

 

[Foley]

Well the pitch looks fine. Slow and not doing an awful lot especially for the seamers.
England will need to see off the new ball and then put something in Lyons tea ?

 

[Foley]

What has the groundsman done producing this pitch?
I thought he was going to try and help England?

 

[Sir Winston]

Well the pitch looks fine. Slow and not doing an awful lot especially for the seamers.
England will need to see off the new ball and then put something in Lyons tea ?

no pun intended I take it @Foley ?

 

[ZeroTheHero]

What has the groundsman done producing this pitch?
I thought he was going to try and help England?

I suppose it's difficult to prepare a ground that suits a team without any proper fast bowler (since Anderson dropped out) and a spinner who seems to have lost all confidence. England bowl at their best when they can get the ball moving in the air which is nothing to do with the groundsman. And as Australia have shown in this second innings there is little wrong with the pitch for batsmen who are prepared to be patient and play a proper test innings.

 

[yellowbow]

I suppose it's difficult to prepare a ground that suits a team without any proper fast bowler (since Anderson dropped out) and a spinner who seems to have lost all confidence. England bowl at their best when they can get the ball moving in the air which is nothing to do with the groundsman. And as Australia have shown in this second innings there is little wrong with the pitch for batsmen who are prepared to be patient and play a proper test innings.

That’s us screwed then with the likes of Roy, Bairstow, Buttler and Moeen in the team. I loved Vaughan’s analogy on the radio the other day about patient batting being like sucking a fruit pastel when all you want to do is chew it. With Lyons bowling they’re not going to be able to resist trying to hoick him out of the ground

 

[Oufcrealist]

Its embarrassing now. Some very tired and loose bowling. I think thats it for Mo now, just rubbish. Lyon will clean us out.
Some very poor decisions by management and Root.
Archer and Anderson not fit? Play Olly Stone on his home ground, he was there and fit to play! There must have been a huge doubt with Anderson only bowling four overs. Don't think we have the batsmen to see this out.

 

[RATC]

Jofra for Jimmy for next test if fit otherwise Stone. Moeen MUST be dropped for next test he has been shocking.

 

[Marked Ox]

Jofra for Jimmy for next test if fit otherwise Stone. Moeen MUST be dropped for next test he has been shocking.

Jack Leach should be given a chance, at least he has a chance with the bat.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Moeen's decline has been sad to see. At one point he was a stylish batsman and a wicket-taking (if slightly expensive at times) bowler. Now he is a shadow of his former self - and since I don't think it's his ability that has deserted him, it must be a confidence thing.

 

[Foley]

I suppose it's difficult to prepare a ground that suits a team without any proper fast bowler (since Anderson dropped out) and a spinner who seems to have lost all confidence. England bowl at their best when they can get the ball moving in the air which is nothing to do with the groundsman. And as Australia have shown in this second innings there is little wrong with the pitch for batsmen who are prepared to be patient and play a proper test innings.

They were suggesting on the radio that the pitch was more of an Indian pitch. Dry dusty and slow.
The last thing that England wanted!

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Good job we're not playing India then, or we might have made a complete horlicks of the game.

Oh.

 

[Gary Baldi]

Sky went through the type of bowers who Steve Smith has the lowest average against, and it's left arm spinners - Dean Elgar has him twice, cheaply. With Moeen's penchant for beamers today, I'd suggest another spinner will be sought. With Lords pitches being dust bowls nowadays, the brave move will be 2 spinners.

As for tomorrow, big day for England. Can't afford to go 1 down going into Lords where the Aussies do well. Time for the big boy pants to come out.

 

[Junior_1]

Few things.

The pitch is slow it’s more batsman error than good balls getting people out.

I believe it’s from crickets governing body these days who decides on what pitches should be prepped. Since the introduction of the icc cricket league.

The lack of red ball cricket our team has played is the main contributor. Only Broad and Burns have played much this summer. The others have been involved in one day s**t or rested.

 

[yellowbow]

Sky went through the type of bowers who Steve Smith has the lowest average against, and it's left arm spinners - Dean Elgar has him twice, cheaply. With Moeen's penchant for beamers today, I'd suggest another spinner will be sought. With Lords pitches being dust bowls nowadays, the brave move will be 2 spinners.

As for tomorrow, big day for England. Can't afford to go 1 down going into Lords where the Aussies do well. Time for the big boy pants to come out.

Unless my memory is playing tricks on me it seems that we hardly ever do well at Lords? I could be talking rubbish and stand to be corrected but the World Cup final win is the only memorable win that I can think of. And even that was painful to sit through and as for the Ireland game, that was a lot harder than it should’ve been.

 

[Big Ronaldo]

We will struggle tomorrow. Roy has to temper the urge to hit every ball for a four. We will need to frustrate them to a draw as a win is pretty unlikely now.
Can we do it? Yes, if we just forget the scoreboard and don’t waft a bat at anything wide of the mark.