• NEXT GAME: Itswich Town (as my mate also says) F.C
    Friday 29th March 2024
    Kick off 17.30
    Ewood Park
    Championship

Howzat

Wilpshire Blue

Senior Member
Tell you what OOT, whatever time I go to bed tonight, I already know the possible feelings tomorrow morning when I get up and risk one eye to look at the score...

Either elation or despair and then I'm glued to the screen either way :)
 

davebirch

Senior Member
No matter how I try, I just can't get into cricket anymore.
Turned the tv on this morning, watched about a minute before doing something else, leaving the tv on. It got switched off a bit later.
I'll put it down to a huge dose of manflu, which is really peeing me off cause it's the first flu I've had in the best part of 10-15 years.
 

Drog

Administrator
Staff member
Here you are dave. A potted review.
England won the toss and finished 194 for 4 at close of play with a short break for rain. Cooke went early, superb run out of Vince who was just short of his century and a doozy of a delivery that caught Joe Root lbw. Finely balanced.
 
A

ABBEY

Guest
Battering my noggin working days and not being able to listen or watch. I would of at one time but need the zzzzz these days
 

OnlyOneTugay

Prediction Champion 2019 & 2020
Tell you what OOT, whatever time I go to bed tonight, I already know the possible feelings tomorrow morning when I get up and risk one eye to look at the score...

Either elation or despair and then I'm glued to the screen either way :)
I went to bed after the second over Wilpshire. Can't stand the tension at the beginning of an Ashes series. Glad I did ,as I probably wouldn't have been able to sleep at 2 for 1 ! Woke up in a state of trepidation but was pleasantly surprised England had passed 150 with just 3 down. Sods law that as soon as I started watching it ,Root got out . Good stand by Malan and Ali late in the day . Probably even stephen at the finish. First hour tomorrow will be a match defining 60 minutes . If England can survive that and the new ball , I'll back them to score 300 plus which won't be a bad effort . Pitch already starting to take spin , hopefully Moeen will turn it like Lyon.
 

Wilpshire Blue

Senior Member
Yep, first session tomorrow is important OOT.
We still have quite a few good batsmen to come in so see off that new ball and try to play through the day.
 

OnlyOneTugay

Prediction Champion 2019 & 2020
Almost a good day for England . Smith showing why he's rated in the top three in the world . We need to get him early tomorrow morning.

England slightly in front if you use the Geoff Boycott rule of looking at the score and adding two wickets . First hour will be crucial - twas ever thus !
 
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Wilpshire Blue

Senior Member
At 264-4 I had dreams of 400, so feel slightly deflated with 302.
Close of play came at a good time for us. Start afresh in the morning and see if we can get a first innings lead. Get the current two out and there's a good chance.
At least motor mouth Warner didn't get many :)
 

OnlyOneTugay

Prediction Champion 2019 & 2020
England battling hard .Root needs to show Smith anything he can do Joe can do better in the battle of the captains . Stoneman has been really impressive, I like his style and the fact that he won't let them bully him . England probably should have got 50 more and Aussies 50 less in the first innings. . If that had been the case England would be well set . Being brutally honest I think their faster bowlers might be the difference in this series . The first hour is crucial tomorrow :)

Come on England !
 
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Drog

Administrator
Staff member
One top performance by any single bowler or batsman can swing this. One by Smith has already kept Oz in the match. It's even and it's s scrap and one of our strongest characers is clicking his heels over here. I can imagine the outcry in Australia should the situation have been in reverse with example Smith being left out.
I wonder if should Stokes be found to have been acting in self defence or similar whether his lawyers might have a case to sue the TCCB for negatively pre judging their client and damaging his reputation and earning potential?
 

davebirch

Senior Member
"If only", those two words would change the world......
One thing for certain, this pitch will get quicker, only rain will slow it down....
Smith would not have been left out, he wouldn't have got himself into a situation like that.
Remember Warner got a two test suspension for laying one on Root a few years back.
 

Drog

Administrator
Staff member
"If only", those two words would change the world......
One thing for certain, this pitch will get quicker, only rain will slow it down....
Smith would not have been left out, he wouldn't have got himself into a situation like that.
Remember Warner got a two test suspension for laying one on Root a few years back.
Didn't Stokes claim that he was preventing a homophobic attack on two homosexuals? If that is proven to be the case then what you are effectively suggesting is that Smith would have walked away and let it happen.
 

davebirch

Senior Member
From what I have read, it was some third party who has said that he was trying to prevent an homophobic attack.
What I am saying is that Smith would not have been out at, what was it, 2am and pissed up. He's not that kind of bloke.
There's obviously a lot more to this case than what has come out, otherwise it would have been resolved a lot earlier.

Anyways, a couple of early wickets tomorrow makes for an interesting test, given that rain is supposedly on the way.
 

OnlyOneTugay

Prediction Champion 2019 & 2020
Once he’d been filmed punching the guy over & over again and that got out into social media , the ECB were between a rock & a hard place . Let him go on the tour and they’re condoning our vice captain’s questionable behaviour & the standards of English cricket come under the spotlight . Leave him at home and let the justice system run its course , but meanwhile lose a world class all rounder and our must able character to front up to the Aussies since Botham . Hence weakening the side considerably .

In my opinion I think the Aussies would have dealt with a similar situation in exactly the same way . As I said in an earlier thread , the justice system should have fast tracked this on the grounds of national interest :) and Plod should have get their act together . If the witness is reliable and Stokes was defending the two guys from homophobic abusers he should now be in Australia with his pads on

A couple of early wickets in the morning Dave & I think England will be one down with four to play , unless it rains for 2 days solid .
 

Alan

Administrator
Staff member
Well let them condone it. There are very few saints in sport and we are shooting ourselves in the foot yet again. Christ Almighty he thumped somebody, didn't commit murder. How may of us have got involved in fisticuffs on a Saturday night after a skinfull. Quite a few I'll warrant.
 

Drog

Administrator
Staff member
Can't imagine the likes of Lillee, Marsh and Hughes would ever have backed out of a rucus. As I said earlier the basic premise of our law is innocent until proven guilty. The TCCB are imo guilty of pre judging and therefore influencing the eventual judgement. Give a dog a bad name and all that.
 

Wilpshire Blue

Senior Member
Well, that’s the first test lost :confused:
The only consolation is that we rarely win at the Gabba, so the better opportunities for victory have still to come.
Can’t afford to lose the next one though.
 
A

ABBEY

Guest
what a woeful batting performance ...too many don't give a shit on protecting there wickets.
 
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