Ha! Now we’ll have them on the run. Our master plan now is to ‘eradicate basic mistakes’. Thank **** we have all the analysts over there else we’d be stumped.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/59778957

The only way Burns hasn’t got out?

I see what you did there…. :p

:D

Have a good Xmas

Pope and Burns out Crawley and Bairstow in. No real surprise but feel sorry for Pope who has very limited red ball practice this year. Hope he gets plenty for Surrey next year.

Not sure it shouldn't have been Hameed. He looks pretty awful

Yes I think they must have tossed a coin.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/59789912

Technically Burns is far worse. At least Hameed has a reasonably sound technique to work on, Burns' is simply awful and at this stage in his career will not be able to correct this.

He's been chewed up and spat out once, maybe they thought they'd give him a go this time.

Well he deserves a second chance. Burns had loads and so did others so yes Hameed deserves some chance and luck

Happy Christmas Stuart Broad!


(He must be spitting blood)

Changing > 1/3rd of the team also makes an absolute mockery of Silverwood saying he’d pick exactly the same teams as he did for the 1st 2 Tests. I can’t see how he can survive this tour. I wonder if Root will also step down as Captain

Need a new new coach desperately, and Root needs to be replaced as Captain without doubt.

I just hope they don’t replace him with Stokes. Maybe make Butterfingers as the captain

They did indeed. Butler dropped it

agreed. Poor though Pope has been, imo got to keep faith in someone whose technique is as good as his (well at least in comparison with others)

The only reason he didn't get more of a chance before is because he got injured. Once he recovered, it took him 3 years to return to the form that got him picked in the first place.

Yep, spot on. He’s one player that the ECB have actually handled well.

Cold and damp in Melbourne. Off to game in a minute. Hope Australia bat first. Going to be with my son and his mates.

The indigenous welcome before each Ashes test is so brilliant

Enjoy KM

Great to have David Gower back behind the microphone.

Lol. Same old script.

Hameed justifying his place.

Jeez, why do we bother :D

Agnew and McGrath on TMS - a match made in banter hell.

Why I'm watching this ? This is going to be painful:o

Get rid of Hameed. Useless.

He’s been taught to play on one leg this week, in front of the cameras.

Get rid of the coaches. They’re useless

Be great if BT could sync the commentary to the pictures. It's nice to head Gower on comms but it would be good if he wasn't telling us It's out while the ball is still on It's way into the slips.

Was expecting at least 5 down at lunch so I'll put that session down as a success.

With 5 wickets still remaining and 25 runs needed, though still tough reaching 150 looks doable.

England need another strongly worded meeting

Only a matter of time before the stubborn refusal to ignore giving your wicket away cheaply is going to work for England.

Wood was never going to get that review

“When the Poms are in bat, tell your taxi to wait” :D

Lol sounds about right

Hope you are not getting ribbed.

Well, we were hoping to see Aussies bat first…..I think we will now

185 ao.

Well done England, Australia may struggle to secure an innings victory now.

That’s 12 times this year that England have failed to make 200.

Thank **** we’ve eradicated those basic mistakes else we’d be in big trouble.

I wonder if the T20 team would play better, at least they will score more than 200

Trott is in the studio and I remembered the chap used to put bat on ball take a single and scoreboard was ticking, simple approach very effective.

Imagine my complete shock at waking up to discover have been skittled for less than 200. I am absolutely gobsmacked.

EFA

We currently lead by 170 runs so stop with your negativity

:D

That is actually very good.

Only need 10 wickets…

:)

:D

I didn’t feel the need to state the bloody obvious….

Oh wait..

And just to rub salt into wounds, I have to listen to David Gower waffle on about sod all. I thought he had been well and truly put out to grass.

No. The good news is I started feeling shit so never made it. Had a RAT, Which was negative ,twice. So had to get a proper one. Not feeling any better and was supposed to catch up with Ozzie Eagle and a few others . So laid out , not getting any better watching England , and figuring how long it will take to get back to Sydney with Mrs KM driving. And I bet Palace loose tonight. :(:(

Selfish bastard. It was your duty to turn up and meet as many Aussie players as you could.

Hope you feel better soon.

57-1.

England win is on.

Are you Harmison?

He’s just stated that if England could manage to get Lyon and Lagershandy out in the space of 5 balls, it would be, and I quote, ‘a great day for England’.

I don’t know what was more ridiculous, thinking we could get two wickets in an over or that even if we did it would be a great day for England.

When I heard him say that I thought 'random' drug test when he comes off air would be a good idea.

Well I think Gower is an excellent commentator - very knowledgeable. But then again we all know how opinionated you are. You've banged on about how dreadful Burns is, but Hamed has done well in his last 3 innings- 6 runs.

Good Lord, fancy having an opinion about a cricket commentator and a player on the cricket thread of a football fans forum. Whatever next eh.

Seems the selectors had the same opinion about Burns. Maybe we’re all wrong and he’s actually a fantastic opening batsman, we just can’t see it.

Oh and nothing to do with him being Surrey captain or owt eh? :D

There some real armchair experts on here. I said Hameed should be dropped and was accused of racism for suggesting it. This has to be his and a couple of others last test match.

Absolutely pathetic. I turned off after Crawley was out.

I see after Buttler’s ‘heroics’ in the last test normal service resumed for him.

Just seen the dismissal as well. Ball before tea and he is caught in the deep on 3. What a waste of space but he’s one of Joe boys best mates.

??? Yep, I'm a Surrey follower but that has nothing to do with my view. Burns did seem to find a bit of form in his last knock and is dropped.

IMO there was a good argument, for giving him one more opportunity.

Well, not an argument the selectors thought worthy. He’s had plenty of ‘one more opportunity’. Hopeless at this level and he’s proved it time and again. Hopefully it’s the last we’ll see of him. As for Hameed, he needs to improve and quickly but they will stick with him for the foreseeable. Crawley not up to it either.

It's not the selectors, it's the Coach and Root who basically made the decisions.

Good decisions like leaving out Broad for 2 tests out of 3, having the tail start at No 8, fecking about with the team, when they were actually doing well in SL and India, last winter and 'resting' players:rolleyes:

I/O of digging out the 2nd top England run scorer in 2021 (not saying a lot, I know) perhaps you should look at the role of Silverwood, in this shambles.

Nah, too busy :p

There are so many huge problems with the England team it’s impossible to even know where to start.

Absolutely

It’s a shambles and no mistake.

We lose this 4 or 5 zip, Silverwood will have to go and I wouldn’t be surprised to see JR step down from the captaincy.

Sorry to hear that old chap, enjoy the drive :)

Yup, I thought he has one too many magic mushrooms

The same selectors who omitted both Broad & Anderson for the 1st Test... :clown:

Perhaps you could suggest the XI that you would have picked for this Test....

I was just talking about Burns, as our friend Maiden brought him up.

The team selection has been utter dross from the first test. As has the team itself to be fair.

We’re just simply not good enough.

Bloody bowlers.

Same old story and sadly a familar response again from frustrated supporters.
Maybe we just need to accept we cant compete with India, NZ and the Aussie currently, accept that and start the rebuilding process starting with a new Coach and for me Gillispie would be a good option, but also importantly bring in players who have the mental strength/approach to go into the arena when the chips are down and able to put up a fight and not simply surrender.
Then importantly somehow we need to find an Opening Pair who are capable of providing a solid innings to build on, having relived him of the pressures of captaincy move the outstanding Joe Root up to 3 to provide solidity and giving the batsmen that follow a firm base to work from. That is just the start as the rebuilding continues to ensuring we find a Test quality Spinner who can actually spin it, finally thank Anderson and Broad for their incredible sterling work over many years and hopefully move forward and onwards and find replacements, which maybe is easier said than done replacing a pair that have taken over 1000 Test wickets.
It may take a Couple of years to rebuild the platform up again, but it is the only way we may succeed and regain much needed confidence and not feel that humilated feeling when touring Australia again, as currently we are a laughing stock and seen as the whipping boys when touring there.

Can you ever have too many magic mushrooms?

I suppose you can’t haha

The measure of ‘having too many Magic Mushies’ is answering yes to the following question.

‘Do you think Rory Burns is a test level batsman’….

So the team selection has been ‘utter dross’ apart from the dropping of Burns, which you are happy to champion? Gotcha.

Let's hope the selectors can spot all these new test players on an out-ground, in April, wearing two jumpers.
(Or October)

The series may be still be live in the next Test: England confined to quarters whilst a potential COVID outbreak is checked!

Ha, brilliant, the only thing that can save us :D

Squad has been given the all-clear after testing.

Unfortunately, they have passed the LFTs :(

Unsurprising. This lot couldn’t catch a cold.

Ashes 2021
 

No comments on the two wickets we’ve actually managed to take this morning? Chin up, lads!

Smith gone. An opening. Great bowling this morning.

Yes Jimmy! Been bowling really well this morning.

We’ll get another three quick wickets and then the there will be a century last wicket stand.

Not bad so far...innings defeat should surely be off the table now?

We only got 40 odd to chase now (thinking positive)

Leach strikes…..

How much will the next 3 wickets cost us

I think a 50-70 run lead would be too much we need this last 2 wickets

Aus are leading by 30 odd now with 2 wickets in hand can’t let this slip

With 8 down and the lead only 35 I am going to seize the opportunity to somewhat stupidly dream that England can win this. I am doing it because this maybe the only opportunity in this series to see a chink of light.

You are not the only one, this is one of the rare occasions where we have the upper hand

Carpe Diem and all that

It’s good to see some fight but a 50 lead will be handy in a game with so few runs.

With the lead now 44 do they take the new ball or not?

New ball taken... This could either see us stay in with a shout or totally take the game away from us. Personally I am leaning towards the latter

This could well turn into a 100 run lead or more, which effectively sees the contest ended.

9 down ..68 run lead

Disappointing to leach that much to the tail end. But a good day at last.

All out. 82 run deficit. Now for England to show they have the mentality and discipline to bat long and slowly build a competitive target. Recent history indicates this is highly unlikely :)

First target - Survive first two overs....been tricky so far