Cricket

Was in the car so couldn't really hear Test Match Special over the force 9 air conditioning the wife had on.

Brilliant comeback though.  Fair play.  The question is - what the F**k where they playing at getting skittled out for such a low first innings score.

Maybe 3 or 4 mentality monsters but they need about 7 or 8 more.

Cricket such an unpredictable game, no one could have expected a finish like that !

Well done you cu*ts , although must admit, never saw this many posting after the 1st Test.   

Well done you cu*ts , although must admit, never saw this many posting after the 1st Test.   

A bit like when we won’t see you after the next game 

Well done you cu*ts , although must admit, never saw this many posting after the 1st Test.   

It took a KIWI to win the test for England Ian.

Well done you cu*ts , although must admit, never saw this many posting after the 1st Test.   

We smashed you Aussie tw*ts off the park. 

It took a KIWI to win the test for England Ian.

and it took a South African to replace Smith ;-)


What a fantastic game that was, THAT was Sports Entertainment, I was glued to the TV the whole innings whereas normally I drift in and out of a Test match.

I do feel a bit sorry for the Aussies with those fumbles at the end but if ever a team had earned some good luck then it was England after that heroic fight back.

Reading Ben Stokes' post match interviews and he said something which I thought at the time. Now England won the game and it's all academic so he has no reason to make this up and being a cricket tragic I've watched the highlights and slowed this moment down to the slowest speed my TV will allow.

The DRS would have given Stokes out LBW with England 2 runs behind had the Aussies had a review. The hawkeye showed a good amount of turn on the ball from Lyon.

If anyone can be bothered then you can see for yourself that, that ball from Lyon flicks Stokes' front pad then deviates on to his back pad, changing the flight of the ball a big amount in cricket terms. If you follow the angle, the lack of spin then the impact on Stokes' pad the ball is sliding well down the leg side. Hawkeye totally disregards the fact that the ball struck him on the front pad and as such the path it shows is totally different to the reality of that delivery.

Put simply that was never out and the umpire who had had a poor test match yet again, actually got the decision spot on. (By luck or judgement who can tell.)

After the game Stokes said the DRS 'got that totally wrong' and again with England winning he has no reason to say it.

The truth is it was wrong, and now I'm left wondering having never questioned the technology before, just how much we can trust the ball tracker.

It really was sliding down.

Reading Ben Stokes' post match interviews and he said something which I thought at the time. Now England won the game and it's all academic so he has no reason to make this up and being a cricket tragic I've watched the highlights and slowed this moment down to the slowest speed my TV will allow.

The DRS would have given Stokes out LBW with England 2 runs behind had the Aussies had a review. The hawkeye showed a good amount of turn on the ball from Lyon.

If anyone can be bothered then you can see for yourself that, that ball from Lyon flicks Stokes' front pad then deviates on to his back pad, changing the flight of the ball a big amount in cricket terms. If you follow the angle, the lack of spin then the impact on Stokes' pad the ball is sliding well down the leg side. Hawkeye totally disregards the fact that the ball struck him on the front pad and as such the path it shows is totally different to the reality of that delivery.

Put simply that was never out and the umpire who had had a poor test match yet again, actually got the decision spot on. (By luck or judgement who can tell.)

After the game Stokes said the DRS 'got that totally wrong' and again with England winning he has no reason to say it.

The truth is it was wrong, and now I'm left wondering having never questioned the technology before, just how much we can trust the ball tracker.

It really was sliding down.

As soon as i saw it i thought not out and like you i have done the same analysis.
Mind goes back to the lbw that chris woakes had in sri lanka in the winter. Frankly the ball tracker defied belief when it clearly looked like it was missing woakes leg stump

A bit like when we won’t see you after the next game 

I'll be here mate, question is will you still be around? 

We smashed you Aussie tw*ts off the park. 

You call that a smashing? Must have been like the smashing Crystal Palace gave you cu*ts! 

Overton in for Woakes who was tiring. You would think the England team would look to protect the batting a little and add a little more variety with the left hander in Curran.

His omission means 2 things for me perhaps even 3.

1 I'm not sure they are sure what Sam Curran is yet and what his strong suit is, 2 they could be worried about creating even more rough patches for Lyon and 3 and I think the most important aspect, I think Old Trafford usually has a bit of bounce and that will suit Overton more.

I would like to see a way of getting Curran in this team though, the lad is a real fighting cricketer in a similar mould to Stokes.

Note to the organisers though, August up here is really pushing it! Expect bits of rain around this week and Friday looks like a washout.

Not only that it's getting dark at this time, so expecting play to be extended to 7.30 to make up time is not likely, unless the umpires use their brains and understand the country they are officiating in, and the knock on effect the world cup has had on the schedule.

Basically in any other Sunmer, test cricket would be finished for England.

Yep. Dont play cricket in Manchester in September. That being said with Australias best 2 batsman at the crease and looking set England might want the rain in this match!

England need to sharpen up a bit. Hands out of pockets and show some enthusiasm

Both opening bowlers sulking, the pitch that has been prepared is for some reason a batsman's paradise and the fielders look cold. Good toss to win this one. Need a burst from Stokes once more.

Sad not to see Jimmy this summer at Old Trafford

Cricket up north in septemper though 🤣. Everything blowing around and the bails falling off.

Broad about to do a Mane 😁

That nipped back for Overtan. Great delivery and an end to attack.

Anyone else think Overton looks like Michael Phelps

Great wicket to take and break the partnership with Smith.

Stokes got Head in knots here. Just need him out now.

No way his knock so far deserves 18 but our bowlers have lost patience and given him so many leg side half volleys. Keep it on and around off. He has no answer to it.

Need Archer to crank it up after tea. We have enough 84 mph bowlers, we dont need another.

Suns out. Get out and play.

No further play and the sun is out. Silly to go off for tea when everybody knows the evening session was never going to go on past 6.

F***ing rain!

That was a matter of time for Travis Head. One of the worst knocks of 19 you will see. About 18 too many for England who gave him 4 boundaries to leg side half volleys yesterday.

Broad by the way deserves huge credit for this series. At the start of the Summer he was vulnerable to losing his place to Archer.

Both countries must be worried about the lack of quality batsman. For England its openers and mentality. For Australia its everyone except Smith and the new lad they found by accident, Laubashagne.

89mph edge at Old Trafford not carrying to slip.

Shocker of a pitch this one.

That was a matter of time for Travis Head. One of the worst knocks of 19 you will see. About 18 too many for England who gave him 4 boundaries to leg side half volleys yesterday.

Broad by the way deserves huge credit for this series. At the start of the Summer he was vulnerable to losing his place to Archer.

Both countries must be worried about the lack of quality batsman. For England its openers and mentality. For Australia its everyone except Smith and the new lad they found by accident, Laubashagne.

Isn't going to change with the ecb's obsession with the white ball. The way the county championship has been marginilsed is scandalous