*Official* First Test at Trent Bridge

[Furball]

Yeah, Australia's tail is seriously strong. There's not a man there who can't bat.

Debatable seeing as none of them get a gig in Australia's top 6.

 

[sphynx]

I'm not sure I'd call it England's day.

Australia still have three recognized batsmen to get and they have one of the best tails in world cricket. Starc averages over 30 so far at test level, almost made his maiden ton on a bunsen in India getting out on 99, Pattinson is every bit the batsmen Swann is, Siddle is no mug averaging high teens and Agar batted #6 in most of Australia's underage sides and will probably finish his career with a FC average of 35- 40, he's a bowling all-rounder.

They only need 140 odd to get, if the suns shining, I think we will see an Australian first innings lead....

 

[Adders]

I'm not sure I'd call it England's day.

Australia still have three recognized batsmen to get and they have one of the best tails in world cricket. Starc averages over 30 so far at test level, almost made his maiden ton on a bunsen in India getting out on 99, Pattinson is every bit the batsmen Swann is, Siddle is no mug averaging high teens and Agar batted #6 in most of Australia's underage sides and will probably finish his career with a FC average of 35- 40, he's a bowling all-rounder.

They only need 140 odd to get, if the suns shining, I think we will see an Australian first innings lead....

Agree with that, but even though It's hard to claim it as Englands day I'd still rather be in our shoes than theirs right now.

England have only done half the job so far and need to finish the innings off with no fuss or tail end heroics........looking at the Aussie batting to come we've got to be realistic and realise the next 6 Aussie wickets are going to be every bit as hard to dislodge as the 4 we've already got. If the suns out in the morning and Broad is no good, it's gonna be tough, very tough.

 

[Handsome Harry]

Cracker jack day of Test cricket!

 

[Burgey]

Has there been any meaningful update on Broad's injury? I always want to see Australia do well, but it blows when any player gets an injury which might rule them out of a match, particularly part way through.

 

[adub]

Done the thread review after deciding a quick **** and snuggle with the missus was the better option at the tea break.

Missed some excitement.

My prematch fears:
Agar to get slapped about - thankfully wasn't needed to do too much. Good that he has got through day one unscathed and will feel more comfortable.
Starc being a pretender - Fears realised. It is worst that the **** took a couple of late poles rather than missing out altogether. He'll keep his place because of those but what we need is Harris or Bird who will threaten from the get go, rather than after 50 overs. We might as well play with 2 quicks until the opposition scores 200 with Starc in the side.
Siddle to be innocuous - Thinking I had that one right too until Clarke swapped him to the other end. Did good. Back to the full length he has been missing since he carved up India at home. Keep that **** up ****.
Watson as an opener - won't be having to listen to ****s saying 'but he averages 50, 45, 40 as an opener' for much longer I suspect.
Clark at 5 - it's the most ridiculous thing but Clarke is a god at 5 and completely loltastic any higher. Put the Prince or the People's Princess at 4 if you must. But leave Clarke at 5.

 

[Top_Cat]

Was wrong about Siddle. *raises hand*

you'll be one the the very few.

 

[Furball]

Has there been any meaningful update on Broad's injury? I always want to see Australia do well, but it blows when any player gets an injury which might rule them out of a match, particularly part way through.

I'm hoping that the just decided that there were enough overs for Jimmeh and Finn to bowl and rest Broad until tomorrow.

 

[hendrix]

Done the thread review after deciding a quick **** and snuggle with the missus was the better option at the tea break.

Missed some excitement.

My prematch fears:

Starc being a pretender - Fears realised. It is worst that the **** took a couple of late poles rather than missing out altogether. He'll keep his place because of those but what we need is Harris or Bird who will threaten from the get go, rather than after 50 overs. We might as well play with 2 quicks until the opposition scores 200 with Starc in the side.

Yeah, was just thinking this.

He's just not the finished product and he won't take top order wickets consistently without that...consistency.

Although Pattinson was also a touch wayward as well, the difference was that he got more balls in the right place. It doesn't seem like a big difference but in terms of test wickets it's massive. Players like Root, Cook, Trott aren't going to go after those good balls if they're only happening once an over. It's when they're there 4 balls an over that you've got a chance.

 

[Furball]

See when it comes to Starc, people are seriously under-estimating how useful a tail basher is in your bowling attack.

 

[adub]

Even when Patto is a bit off he can get the opposition's gun bats early. Starc - not so much

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Debut test for a young man, bowls a better good ball IMO than what I've seen from Lyon. However, for a finger spinner to bowl as loosely as he did was unacceptable. Early days though, and I hope he changes my mind before too long.

 

[adub]

See when it comes to Starc, people are seriously under-estimating how useful a tail basher is in your bowling attack.

That assumes the replacements can't take tail end wickets, which is rubbish. It also assumes that you're not looking for tail end wickets when you've been bowling for 5 sessions and they're 6/450. Opening bowlers who can't get top order poles are useless.

A dedicated tail end basher would be fine as your 4th bowler, but Starc is in the side to bowl with the new pill and get wickets early as well as late in the innings. Harris and Bird have both demonstrated they can do this, Starc hasn't. He should be carrying the drinks not wasting the new ball.

 

[Adders]

you'll be one the the very few.

Well I'll stick my hand up too, I'm on record as saying Siddle was the least likely to rip through us of all your bowlers........<facepalm> NUFAN must be very happy with his lad this morning.

But.......

Lets not get too carried away either.....he bowled excellently yesterday no doubt about it. But that is the first innings of a 5 test series, he followed up his Michelle in Brisbane with 0/90 in the second innings and 0/121 in Adelaide, although I do think he is a much improved bowler since then.

Haven't read all the pages since tea last night so not sure if this has been mentioned. Patto and Starc were getting incredible amounts of swing especially early but were struggling to control it, I was very surprised to see Jimmy and Finn bowling a shorter length than the Aussies. Not complaining because what they were doing clearly worked, but we certainly weren't getting the ball to hoop like they were........deliberate plan you reckon??

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Starc was always a danger' His incumbency was a worry for me right from the start when he was getting picked on one-day stats over other guys who's FC bowling was better, Ben Cutting off the top of my head. But even amongst Bird and Harris he doesn't deserve to be bowling for Australia in tests...abi yet

 

[adub]

Debut test for a young man, bowls a better good ball IMO than what I've seen from Lyon. However, for a finger spinner to bowl as loosely as he did was unacceptable. Early days though, and I hope he changes my mind before too long.

Yeah, you can't read too much into his effort yet, but England's bats won't be giving him any leeway. I hope he's up to it, but I fear we've thrown a kid to the wolves and could be damaging a guy who could have been a huge prospect for us if we'd shown some patience and let him develop for a while. We've also given Lyon a huge kick in the nuts as well.

 

[hendrix]

See when it comes to Starc, people are seriously under-estimating how useful a tail basher is in your bowling attack.

so pick Nathan Lyon...

 

[Cooky Monster]

Just on the subject of Ian Bell, what a great chance he had today to prove the doubters wrong and score some high pressure runs when it was really needed.

He could/should be under some real pressure for his place at the end of this summer if he continues to **** it up, hes a very lucky boy that England have had enough disruptions in the batting order recently and that there looks to be no real outstanding candidates to take his place.

If he sh*ts right out this series il'd be tempted to ditch him for the Oz tour, he was good last time out there but it was all pressure free batting pretty much with the top order going crazy and doing the job, i know its jumping the gun slightly and he could end up having a good series but its hard not to get pissed off with him, he really is lucky we don't have any genuine batting depth.

 

[Prince EWS]

See when it comes to Starc, people are seriously under-estimating how useful a tail basher is in your bowling attack.

It's also worth considering that while he did get Bairstow out late in the game, he's certainly not part of the tail, nor would he have played that any differently if England were only 4 down. It does suggest to me that it's partly coincidence or a mental issue.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Just on the subject of Ian Bell, what a great chance he had today to prove the doubters wrong and score some high pressure runs when it was really needed.

He could/should be under some real pressure for his place at the end of this summer if he continues to **** it up, hes a very lucky boy that England have had enough disruptions in the batting order recently and that there looks to be no real outstanding candidates to take his place.

If he sh*ts right out this series il'd be tempted to ditch him for the Oz tour, he was good last time out there but it was all pressure free batting pretty much with the top order going crazy and doing the job, i know its jumping the gun slightly and he could end up having a good series but its hard not to get pissed off with him, he really is lucky we don't have any genuine batting depth.

I'd have to say I was more impressed with Bairstow, but although its a bit of a theme for Bell over the past year, he wasn't the only to not go with a start. I'd also say that Trott, who played the best, missed out on the big score as well.