Off Topic The Ashes

Well done Jonny at least someone is showing some fight.

 

Completely disagree with that personally. The point is to knock the stumps over the bail off them.

He didn't. It's not a wicket nor should it be.

 

Well done lads.

 

Its not often I am pleased with a draw.

Buttler and Stokes both injured?

 

Zak Crawleys knock was the best I've seen from one of our opening batsman since I can't remember when.

 

Nice to see a little bit of fight.

 

Shows we can fight, nice change to read this morning that we didn't just collapse in a heap

 

Maybe , by now, they are getting used to playing cricket again!

These tours are absurd now, no prep time at all hardly, and none whatsover for this one. England would have lost this series anyway, but they might have made more of a fist of it with a few games in prep.

In 1993, I watched the Australians play Durham at the Riverside ground. Good three day game with quite a few of their test team playing. In that summer, they played every single county, a number of them before the first test.

And the venal incompetents at the ECB agreed to this farce. Things have changed , but that should never have been agreed to. Pity these execs only managed to pocket £2m+ in bonuses last year.

 

Thought Crawley looked really good which was nice to see as he has been touted for stardom for a while now without ever living up to the hype. That innings will give him some much needed confidence ahead of the last Test but I think this should be the end of the road for Hameed, I'd bring Burns back in to open alongside Crawley.

Now that the whitewash has been avoided I'd also rest Stokes, Anderson and Bairstow who are all struggling with niggles. Keep them fresh for the tour of the West Indies in March.

 

Crawley looks like he has the right mix of technique and attacking without going mad at the top of the order. It won't always work af course but sometimes is better than what we've seen in recent years! I still prefer Hameed to Burns, think there could be a player in there and Burns technique just won't cut it quite often. Could be wrong, usually am but I'd persist a little longer with Hameed

 

I was at that game - was at the old Racecourse ground wasn't it? Pretty sure we made the Aussies follow on

 

Yep. Down by The river. Great place it was, before the Chester or Street ground opened.

And aye we made them follow on. Simon Brown took a load. Think Haden scored a big ton in their second knock.

In the last day I got talking to Michael Calvin who was chief sports correspondent for The Telegraph then. A lot of press were there, with Botham and Larkins in our side and so on. Sound bloke Calvin mind, I even had a pint with him at lunch in The Court Inn!

 

Was a "Junior Member" of DCCC back in those days - had the little blue book with match stubs in it. Went to loads of 3 days games in the summer holidays after my GCSEs. Loved the 40 over Sunday League back in those days too

 

England won the toss of the final test and bowl - doing to the Aussies what they've been doing to us all series. 2 down already for only 7 runs!!

Edit - Smith out for a duck! 3 wickets down for 12 runs

 

Aussies fight back!

 

And well

 

Some decent cricket in the South Africa v India test match. SA should wrap up what has been an excellent test series.

 

Might help if we could catch the ball. Labuschagne dropped on nought man. Really third grade fielding all winter. And Robinson injured already. That lad has talent, but seems to lack proper fitness.

 

Long way back for English test cricket I’m afraid.
This is what happens when sell the soul of the game a expense white ball stuff!

 

Just seen the run out Idiots.