*Official* Fourth Test at Chester-le-Street

[GotSpin]

Onya Lyon. Making me look stupid but I'll take it

[Top_Cat]

How are you doing this?

Inadvertent Ghambiring but, in reality, just so so very wrong.

[Burgey]

Not sure about a hammering, but at this stage I cannot see Eng winning in Oz with the form our batsmen are in.

Trott and Cook, I mean wtf has happened to them?? When they scored 50 you used to lock them in for 150.

But having said all that.....as we all know, we won't know how good/bad Eng score is here until the Aussies have had a bat.

Trott still looks a million bucks though. He's approaching Watson standards with the well compiled start then out in the same way thing. Cook just looks horribly out of sorts, but he's still grinding at least. They're two big wickets, and unlike last time our blokes are executing their plans really well to them.

[Ruckus]

So do people think the right attack was chosen? I gotta say, I personally love it when we have an attack with no real pressure valves in it. Despite the fact none of the quicks looks particularly threatening, they worked well as a unit - and it shows in how everyone has picked up a wicket.

[hendrix]

Yeah, with that tight bowling collapses are far more imminent. There's just no release of pressure. Lyon benefited from that.

[benchmark00]

So do people think the right attack was chosen? I gotta say, I personally love it when we have an attack with no real pressure valves in it. Despite the fact none of the quicks looks particularly threatening, they worked well as a unit - and it shows in how everyone has picked up a wicket.

you couldn't make this up. Imagine if it was Starc.

[Ruckus]

If you think Starc would have got a bagful here I think you are kidding yourself. This is very flat wicket with little movement in the air either. Time and time again it has been shown that to have success on wickets like these you just need discipline and patience as a bowling group, and the results will come. If you think Starc could have played that role to a greater ability than any of the others, well that's your opinion, but I think you're wrong.

[benchmark00]

Your opinion is that Starc releases pressure and is basically just rubbish, you've then referenced that its actually the bowling unit as a whole that gets results and you can tell that because everyone chipped in and got a wicket.

Well hate to tell you there, buddy, but Starc's economy rate for the series is lower than what Bird's (for example) has been this innings. Furthermore, the only innings that he has played that he hasn't taken MULTIPLE wickets was the innings where he only bowled four overs.

Your hypocrisy if ****ing rife. If it was Starc with 1/60 you'd be saying he's failed again.

Of course Bird has not failed here, he's bowled decently enough. The point is that three/four bowlers who roughly do the same thing is fine, but having a genuine swing bowler, who also happens to be left arm, is the variety needed.

But nah, Starc releases pressure wayyyyyy too much!!!!!!!! MAKE THEM PLAY STARC!!!!!! **** ME STOP BOWLING HALF VOLLEYS STARC!!!

[benchmark00]

And I can only assume that you didn't actually watch last night if you think there was only 'little movement in the air'.

[Spikey]

Bird's performance was pretty Starc-like. Picked based on conditions and often didn't justify that but he did bowl one magic ball.

[Spikey]

except starc wouldnt bowl the rubbish bird bowled to anderson

[Ruckus]

An economy reading tells you nothing per se. It's about how they have bowled to get that economy. Hilfenhaus often had an excellent economy despite not really building any pressure whatsoever. Starc doesn't make the batsmen play nearly enough at this stage. I have been pretty happy with Starc's improvement in the consistency aspect of his game this series - he has bowled less rubbish than he previously has in his other tests, but he still has some way to go.

[Maximas]

except starc wouldnt bowl the rubbish bird bowled to anderson

would bowl more rubbish early on, but then goes into god mode late in the day

[Ruckus]

Bird's performance was pretty Starc-like. Picked based on conditions and often didn't justify that but he did bowl one magic ball.

I don't think Bird was stellar by any means, and he did get smashed around a bit at the end, but overall how hasn't he justified his selection? I assume they picked these bowlers because they saw the wicket looked flat and wanted exactly this kind of pressure-building, economical approach.

[Spikey]

I mean, cause he barely moved a ball off the pitch all day