It doesn’t. I think your point about back in the days counties had worlds best cricketers drives home succinctly.

Nowadays the worlds best cricketers play T20 and the one who come to play the counties are not really worlds best. This might have been a factor in reducing the standards of our county games and introducing 100 etc did not help.

I can’t see a short term solution unless they open up a commonwealth county championship, which could then completely ruin the domestic games (or could improve) but something needs to be done in grass-root Cricket to save test match cricket

It is worth saying, however, that NZ & India have possibly their strongest Test sides ever at the moment. Australia not far behind. Then Pakistan, South Africa & England all seem to be slipping, with WI & Sri Lanka the sick-men of the Test scene. Some of it is cyclical but some of it definitely feels difficult to reverse.

Glorious sunny morning in Brisbane

Surprise.

Did they not look at the forecast ffs? What a dumb call.

Oh well fingers crossed..

Australia will also get an extra half hour in it early

Quarter past 11 start I think today

To be fair to Joe, the Aussie captain has now said he would have batted first too, but is glad he didn’t win the toss

He said that at the toss interview. They don’t have a flakey as feck top order so I’m sure he would have batted, especially with no Broad.

Easy in hindsight though agreed and it was always a ‘good toss to lose’. If Burns hadn’t shat himself at the sight of the Aussie bowler running in, we might have at least amassed a massive 230 or so.

Here we go then.

Wickets needed in first 10 overs or it’s na nights

**** off Warnie you boring twat.

You spelt Workshop wrong….

:)

What we saying? I reckon over 500 for the Aussies then declaring.

Apparently England last won in an Ashes test after being bowled out in first innings for less than 150 in the 1890s. WG Grace was the man.

I think we’ll have them done for 300-350, weather dependent

But we need early wickets

Good to see you're still your miserable self Wolfie.:D

Another Australian upsetting you?
Maybe have a glass of half full instead of a glass of half empty. It might cheer you up.

Great start by OR.

Not so Woakes. Sluggish

Is the commentator calling Warne ‘King’?

Do the other commentators really call him “King” with a straight face?

King of spin

They’re embarrassingly sycophantic.

To be fair Warne is a bit of a wrongun. Around 50 and going with a teenager.