2015 Ashes

Warner gone for 83.

Now Smith and Clarke. If they stick around for another hour it could be the last partnership we see from us.

you could declare now and make plans for monday

you could declare now and make plans for monday

Probably. 500 seems the obvious marker Clarke will want to reach before declaring.

Smith is taking the piss out of the bowlers now. Brought up his 50, 100, 150 and 200 with boundaries in the first innings and now his 50 in the second innings with another boundary.

508.

Over to you, Poms.

Still think England have a good chance of avoiding defeat here. Surface is still good to bat on.

Still think England have a good chance of avoiding defeat here. Surface is still good to bat on.

So yeah, about that...

Score anyone?  I'm not following it, are we batting or are they still in?  What are we chasing if we are?

Score anyone?  I'm not following it, are we batting or are they still in?  What are we chasing if we are?

We're currently in bat but making a dog's dinner of it. The chase was approx. 505 and we're on 101-8 so ye, match over.

We're currently in bat but making a dog's dinner of it. The chase was approx. 505 and we're on 101-8 so ye, match over.

Oh dear.  Glad I'm watching the gold then mate.

Well played Australia, thoroughly deserved win, glad there's a weeks break, off to fortress edgbaston

Wow - dismal doesn't even cover it.

How clinical was that? Brilliant.

Fell asleep for couple hours after Cook got out and woke up to see we were in the tail already

1-1 and all the momentum.

Thankfully I've missed most of this Test with one thing or another. But having seen the result and watched the highlights I think it's safe to say we're in real trouble if Edgebaston is anything like Lord's.

Everybody is talking about changing the batting, and yeah we probably could do with that but our bowling in the second Test was a F***ing joke. Is this bowling attack gonna constantly get twenty wickets of top quality Aussie batsmen? I doubt it unless we get the right conditions. Anderson was useless, I've said it before about Stokes I just don't ever feel confident that he's gonna get a wicket, Ali looks like he'll get wickets but only if the batsman plays a bat shot, Broad has been our best bowler in the series but I always find he fires hot and cold, and Mark Wood is being asked to bowl too much meaning his pace is constantly dropping.

Hopefully just a bad Test and we can come back fighting in Birmingham. Unfortunately though, we've got a top order with no confidence and a below par bowling attack unless the conditions suit.

We'll still win the series 4-1 though.

We've dropped Ballance and replaced him with Bairstow ahead of the third Test. We've also confirmed Bell will move up the order to three.

I guess one fifty in his last ten innings just weren't good enough, yet one fifty in the last ten innings was enough for Bell to keep his place.

Ballance averaging 17.5 since the Bridgetown Test. In that time Bell is averaging 11.6.

Don't get me wrong, I love Bell. He's one of the best batsmen I've ever seen in an England shirt and Edgebaston is his home ground but if Bairstow deserves to be dropped (despite outscoring Bell during the Ashes) then Bell should be gone as well. Especially when we've got somebody as good James Taylor just waiting to come and cement his place in the middle order.

We'll still win the series 4-1 though.

 

Love the confidence Billy. Good Luck with that! 

We've dropped Ballance and replaced him with Bairstow ahead of the third Test. We've also confirmed Bell will move up the order to three.

I guess one fifty in his last ten innings just weren't good enough, yet one fifty in the last ten innings was enough for Bell to keep his place.

Ballance averaging 17.5 since the Bridgetown Test. In that time Bell is averaging 11.6.

Don't get me wrong, I love Bell. He's one of the best batsmen I've ever seen in an England shirt and Edgebaston is his home ground but if Bairstow deserves to be dropped (despite outscoring Bell during the Ashes) then Bell should be gone as well. Especially when we've got somebody as good James Taylor just waiting to come and cement his place in the middle order.

Does it matter?

Starc, Johnson, Marsh, Hazlewood and Lyon is too good for any of the English batters.

Does it matter?

Starc, Johnson, Marsh, Hazlewood and Lyon is too good for any of the English batters.

we will see won't we, Marsh is nothing special, Hazelwood is good but not great yet, Johnson record in england apart from Headingley in 09 and Lords this year is poor and starc is not consistent yet. Don't think your batting is fantastic, clarke and voges can't buy any runs at all

Hope Jonny Bairstow takes his chance in the coming weeks, after being found out at international level he's gone back to Yorkshire and really progressed.

Cook looking for inspiration from the team that won so famously at Edgbaston 10 years ago. No offence to the English lads but they don't have half the character or team spirit of that side 10 years ago. All this talk about channelling the spirit and energy of 10 years ago is bullshit when you consider that only a tenth of the TV audience from those days are watching it these days such is the extent that cricket and the Ashes has slid from being a mainstream sport to a English summer sideshow. Thanks Sky.

Cook looking for inspiration from the team that won so famously at Edgbaston 10 years ago. No offence to the English lads but they don't have half the character or team spirit of that side 10 years ago. All this talk about channelling the spirit and energy of 10 years ago is bullshit when you consider that only a tenth of the TV audience from those days are watching it these days such is the extent that cricket and the Ashes has slid from being a mainstream sport to a English summer sideshow. Thanks Sky.

you can't just point the finger at sky, look at the ecb and the terrestrial channels as well.

Cook looking for inspiration from the team that won so famously at Edgbaston 10 years ago. No offence to the English lads but they don't have half the character or team spirit of that side 10 years ago. All this talk about channelling the spirit and energy of 10 years ago is bullshit when you consider that only a tenth of the TV audience from those days are watching it these days such is the extent that cricket and the Ashes has slid from being a mainstream sport to a English summer sideshow. Thanks Sky.

It's thanks to Sky that any cricket gets shown at all.

Finn gets Smith out.

The end of the world is upon us.

What the F**k?

This is Steve Finn isn't it?

What the f**k?

This is Steve Finn isn't it?

the new bradman is human after all