**Official** Ireland in England 2019

[King Pietersen]

This is all part of an elaborate plan to lull the Austrailan's into a false sense of security. We're still winning 5-0.

 

[Pup Clarke]

I've been watching for 15 minutes and Michael Holding has mentioned four times about the bowlers lack of pace. We get it ok?

 

[_Ed_]

Ooh, if there's no edge there, that's bloody close.

 

[Cabinet96]

Looked dead without an inside edge.

Edit: Very dead.

 

[_Ed_]

Brilliant!

 

[Groundking]

The fact that so many people refer to his recent runs as "good form" rather than "improvement" says a lot IMO.

**** players who are in good form are still ****. And "**** but in good form" is precisely what he looked like. A few of those earlier boundaries would've been edged on a less decisive day for him without doubt IMO; in fact one of them was and went through fourth slip. His defensive technique is miles better than Roy's but you can't be that loose on the drive against the new ball on Day 1.

No I agree, he reminds me of Vince with how far away from his body he plays his drives, always a candidate for an early nick off to slips. Also Roy's never going to make it as a test opener playing the ball so far ahead of his body. There's a disgusting lack of discipline with our batsmen at the moment, none of them are happy to graft it out and see out rough times and too many play the ball miles away from their body.

Oh dear at that Root.

 

[Flem274*]

rip poms

 

[morgieb]

4/42!!!!

And now we're into the bowlers.

 

[Prince EWS]

Worryingly, the real batting also arguably ends once these two are out.

I am looking forward to the Woakes and Curran tons though.

 

[social]

Been having a chat with a mate in Isle of Man

Ashes is going to be a great batsman/lunatic/promising youngsters with weakness v potentially great batsman/ potentially great all rounder/bunch of number 8s

 

[mr_mister]

Into the tail

 

[wpdavid]

All out for less than 100? Always a possibility against Australia, but I thought we'd avoid that in this test.

 

[Groundking]

We should have sent Woakes out first imo.

 

[NUFAN]

Thats just nice bowling and pretty uncovincing from Root.

The steady Moeen out to bat now. TBH, I can see a Woakes masterclass.

 

[morgieb]

Moeen batting 6 is silly in this situation. Should've been Woakes.

 

[Bahnz]

All hail the world champions

 

[wpdavid]

How on earth did the umpire give Root not out btw?

And what's the umpire's problem with Bairstow batting out of his crease?

 

[Jarquis]

So this was going pretty much as expected.... now slightly worse than expeted but not entirely unexpected

 

[MW1304]

Haha.

 

[Flem274*]

im so glad i remembered this is on