The Ashes Thread.

[panama hat]

It's OK, Stokes and Leach will get the runs.

How's diarrhea going to help the Poms?

[baldrick]

Revenge...

seconds to take the money from his account and 10 days to repay the error - all the while he will be paying interest

not forgetting Starc has a point to prove

[Dasher]

What type of account is this? Story seems fake. Why would he be paying interest? Claims he has little money but has 55k in an avvount

[David48atTD]

Now, the English voices were so loud after the third test but are mostly AWOL now.

Pull up a seat on the couch for a fun filled night of the best of British Batting

[David48atTD]

Here's your Ashes weather forecast for today



Yep, it's raining in Manchester


RAIN, RAIN ...

[baldrick]

Yep, it's raining in Manchester

a few hours of it yet

The Met Office forecast indicates rain is more likely than not up to 2pm, after which dryness should prevail for the rest of the match.

[Dasher]

Should have indoor stadiums

[buriramboy]

Seems my weather forecasts which were sneered at are proving to be extremely accurate.

[baldrick]

^ pat yourself on your pussy and go and have a nice lie down

[Saint Willy]

England over 10% of the way

2/55

[harrybarracuda]

I hope rain doesn't deny England the chance for another famous victory.

[Saint Willy]

Now, the English voices were so loud after the third test but are mostly AWOL now.

Pull up a seat on the couch for a fun filled night of the best of British Batting

Very true. For the vocal majority but there are a couple of good eggs still posting.

[Troy]

England definitely struggling with Smith. He is quite excellent but not a joy to watch.

England soldiering on.

[harrybarracuda]

Sorry lads I think it's me. I turned on Sky Sports Cricket and Burns and Root went in quick succession.

I've switched back to F1 now, so we should be alright.

[hallelujah]

Very true. For the vocal majority but there are a couple of good eggs still posting.

I don't post much during the week, Willy, and I think if you read back through the posts after the 3rd test, you'll see that most of us were living in hope of an England win, rather than expecting to smash everything in sight, as is the wont of most Aussies.

Anyway, for all the mistakes that both teams have made, the difference between the teams is clear to see. I said before the series to a friend that they're two fairly average batting line ups, and that the difference would be which team could rise above the mediocrity.

I didn't expect one man to be so superior though.

Anyway, it's Holland v Germany on the telly in the Euro qualifiers now, so bollocks to cricket.

[David48atTD]

TEA: England is sitting pretty on 2-152 with Burns 62 and Root 47



Fancying a spot of tea, cucumber sandwiches, Harry tunes into the Cricket and ...

Sorry lads I think it's me. I turned on Sky Sports Cricket and Burns and Root went in quick succession.

I've switched back to F1 now, so we should be alright.

Burns is out for 81, bringing to an end a partnership of 141.

Root is Gone! Plumb LBW!!!

[David48atTD]

And stumps is called - England is 5-200 (trailing by 297)

So, day three. Joe Root and Rory Burns's partnership was exceptional but fell short. One of those guys, or more likely both, needed to go on to get a century. But Burns went and Root followed.



Now England has to score another 98 runs just to avoid the follow-on.

With the unsettlingly familiar pairing of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes at the crease, the smart money would be on that happening.
If Australia's bowlers can get on top of the back half of this batting line-up and get on a roll tomorrow, you never know.

[Saint Willy]

Sorry lads I think it's me. I turned on Sky Sports Cricket and Burns and Root went in quick succession.

I've switched back to F1 now, so we should be alright.

Please, feel free to keep watching...

[panama hat]

as is the wont of most Aussies

. . . and shagging one's mother is the wont of most Poms (while we're on the subject of making gross generalisations and sledging)

[hallelujah]

. . . and shagging one's mother is the wont of most Poms (while we're on the subject of making gross generalisations and sledging)

Germany 2-4 Holland.

It was a cracking game in Hamburg.

[Dasher]

Paine wont enforce the follow on without rain anyway. He will bat for 3 hours and smash out 140 runs.

[Dasher]

Pea brain Starc needs to get a yorker or bouncer on the money. Hazelwood cant do it all.

[David48atTD]

Pea brain Starc needs to get a yorker or bouncer on the money. Hazelwood cant do it all.

Yep, Starc was a disappointment ... a real dog's breakfast of deliveries.

Maybe a little less outright pace and more control.

[Dasher]

Starc can bat better than most of them though. That's why Id pick Marsh.

What does Head add to team? Scores 18 then gets out every match.

Open with Wade and Burns
Bat Warner at 5, Marsh at 6.

It's just a better side. The selectors have dropped the ball. No foresight.

Wade
Burns
Lab
Smith
Warner
Marsh
Paine
Starc
Cummins
Hazelwood
Lyon

That's a better line up.

Interchange Pattinson every 2nd match

[David48atTD]

The trouble with Burns is that he performs well with domestic cricket but fails to fire consistently at a Test level.

Warner needs to learn when to leave and when to defend and when to attack.

Your idea of dropping Warner down the order looks good, once the shine is off the ball.