The Ashes and other cricket 2017/18.

[AndyP]

Good strike rotation so far.

[Yossarian]

Good strike rotation so far.

No coincidence Lawry is in the box.

[Toxic]

If Jackson Bird is our next best bowler then Aussie cricket is in the shit

[3oneday]

If Jackson Bird is our next best bowler then Aussie cricket is in the shit

yep, whilst they got Marsh right, they got this one wrong. Can't bat nor bowl.

[jimandr]

If Jackson Bird is our next best bowler then Aussie cricket is in the shit

The sad truth is that of the bowlers who are fit, he might be next best. All the 132kph plodders seem to be able to stay fit, while anybody quicker than that can't stay on the field.

Bird is doing his best to bowl himself back into the Big Bash though. He doesn't seem to have anything to offer. Is Sayers a better option? If Starc is still out we might find out in Sydney.

I realise this comparison is apples and oranges, but I was watching Philander bowling at 125kph against Zimbabwe last night, and they couldn't play him at all. So it isn't all pace. But to be fair, Philander somehow gets it to bounce at his reduced pace.

It has been a strange game though. All our bats get out by playing on, Cummins seems to be under instructions to bowl nothing but short stuff, and the Poms don't review LBW's when they hit the ball. Vince I could understand, but Malan obviously got bat on his, but he didn't feel anything.

And as I type, we can't get Stuart Broad out. Geez!

[coalesce]

Genuinely quick fast bowlers don’t grow on trees and modern coaching can tend to favour accuracy over pace as well as encourage building too much muscle over general fitness

I saw a rumour that Cummins might be rested for a spinner at the SCG with an eye on the South Africa series. If that happens, I’d back our 130k plodders against yours

That said I can’t do a cricket post without venting about Ali. I would have dropped him for this test so this is not hindsight, but that innings today was dispicable. He’s supposed to know how to bat, but that was just slogging - with Cook 150* at the other end it’s a spectacular misread of the game situation

[LarryLong]

If Jackson Bird is our next best bowler then Aussie cricket is in the shit

I don't think that pitch was really what Bird was looking for if he was only going to get one test to show his wares this year. At 31 years of age it's probably close to his last go anyway.

That said, I would have given anything to be a journeyman seamer with 34 test wickets at 27 from 8 tests, even if it included getting carted by Cook and Broad on a bad day in Melbourne.

[oldracer]

Thought Australia bowled shite in this test, half n three qtr trackers were never going to cause any issues to the Poms

[jimandr]

It's a bit quiet in here.

Maybe everyone watched the play today and fell asleep, because it wasn't very exciting. Or maybe viewers got tired of the endless plugs for the McGrath Foundation. It's a worthy cause, but I'm tired of it already.

Despite all the promises of a different pitch, this one played almost exactly the same as Melbourne today, and we were lucky some of the Poms threw their wickets away.

South Africa v India also starts tomorrow. That may be quite interesting to see how India go away from home.

[Hatchman]

So they should call it a draw now and save some time?

[AndyP]

Highly intelligent bowling from Australia here. Continually bowling short to Broad and Curran and watching the ball go to the fence.

Any chance of mixing it up?

[LarryLong]

Highly intelligent bowling from Australia here. Continually bowling short to Broad and Curran and watching the ball go to the fence.

Any chance of mixing it up?

Have they engaged Brett Lee's services as a fast bowling coach?

[TheNuclearOne]

Time to get McDermott back i think tho the series has certainly been a success. Bancroft back to Shield to work on his game after the Poms found some deficiencies pretty quickly. When do they name the squad? If it's prior to any more shield you'd think Burns might get the spot or otherwise Renshaw might have some time to win it back. Kwaka would love some runs too i reckon.

[oldracer]

Not sure I’m up with cricket these days, latest review by the poms would have had Kwaka out but for the no ball.... but bowling around the wicket, the ball didn’t pitch in line and assuming turn????? Got me furked

[TheNuclearOne]

Pitching outside off is fine, can't be outside leg. Kwaka is a lefty.

[coalesce]

Ball doesn’t have to pitch in line but the impact has to be in line (unless the batsman is struck outside off and not playing a shot)

[TheNuclearOne]

Ball doesn’t have to pitch in line but the impact has to be in line (unless the batsman is struck outside off and not playing a shot)

The ball can'rt pitch outside leg stump tho.

[coalesce]

The ball can'rt pitch outside leg stump tho.

Yeah my comment was meant to add to yours, not contradict it

[TheNuclearOne]

Yeah my comment was meant to add to yours, not contradict it

Good addition

[LarryLong]

I'm feeling a bit sorry for Crane. He's bowled a bit better than his figures suggest.

[BUSHY]

I'm feeling a bit sorry for Crane. He's bowled a bit better than his figures suggest.

What’s with these rookies bowling no-balls for their maiden Test wicket?? Curran and now Crane.

[coalesce]

Watching Crane bowl, I can’t help wonder what Adil Rashid did wrong to not get picked for this tour. I can’t see England picking Crane again until we tour somewhere this time next year. Seems a bit of a hiding to nothing for Crane whereas Rashid is familiar with the setup and can bat - and could have been swapped in for Moeen much earlier in the tour...

[jimandr]

Not sure I’m up with cricket these days, latest review by the poms would have had Kwaka out but for the no ball.... but bowling around the wicket, the ball didn’t pitch in line and assuming turn????? Got me furked

I might be understanding OR's post a bit differently to you guys.

The question should be how Hawkeye could possibly give that as definitely hitting the stumps. He was a mile down and a long way outside off. Predicting that one as hitting was drawing a long bow. In my opinion it was yet another in a long line of incorrect Hawkeye predictions, and justice was done.

On that subject, I hope none of the Pom players become umpires when they retire. They seem to have no idea of the difference in sound between bat hitting ball and bat hitting something else. There were two terrible caught behind (or at slip in the Crane/Marsh case) reviews. Neither were close. Edit - the M Marsh one was actually a terrible decision by the umpire, not by the English.

As for Crane, he has potential, and might become a good limited overs bowler one day. Khawaja, who is a poor player of spin, had no trouble with him, but M Marsh is currently making him look good. Maybe he just bowls better at righties.

[Yossarian]

My word.

[LarryLong]

Crane is certainly pulling out quite a lot. Is he catholic?