https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/cricket/47325095 This is the biggest cricket test shock to me and this Ashes match win comes on the back of the World Cup 20-20 win against New Zealand
Been watching cricket since 89 Ashes thrashing. That was incredible. Most jaw-dropping performance I've ever seen. However, it's a missed opportunity. Stokes got them out of jail (a year ago, he nearly was in it...). Roy is not Test level. He is a walking wicket. Butler can't buy a run. Bairstow is in a protracted slump. Root is not adjusting to 3. Burns has been found out against the short ball. Denly is not looking test class. Putting him as an opener, well...at least he has a gritty yet lucky 50 behind him. Yet... Its a bowler who makes way, the fairly impressive yet curiously used Woakes for the 76mph Craig Overton. What gives? It's of course not the selectors fault that the red ball cricket is so badly scheduled and the cupboard is pretty empty for batting replacements. After the 67 shambles the exasperated Graham Thorpe admitted that they must work with this group because there isn't a crop to choose from. If Ireland can bowl you out for under a hundred, even on a wicket doing plenty, you know you've got serious problems. Glamorgan's Labuschagne (a lucky break for Australia, gritty to the core and more dog in him than Battersea) and the batting cyborg Steve Smith will show the way again. Can England do likewise? Not sure.
And so he should as a cricket ball can kill and we know far more about concussion than we used to. Botham did have teeth knocked out in a very early innings in pro cricket and did use a helmet later in his career. I think the bats are a bigger factor. Before Stokes teed off his bat broke, splice I think. He then replaced it with a bat used at the World Cup, it seemed to the commentators. Give Stokes the DF bat of 81 that Botham had. Let's see how that would go!
Lest it be forgotten, after Archer hilariously shuffled off the pitch with cramp (already over bowled), Stokes bowled 24.? overs unchanged, never giving up. Without his effort when everyone else was down, the lead would have been 400 plus and curtains. So for me the perfect display of never-say-die bowling, defensive batting then calculated crash bang wallop. No Willis required.
It's almost time for battle to commence once again. Looks like lots of rain, sadly this is why September tests are not a great idea in my book.
Everything I said panning out so far. Smith and Labuschagne making hay on a decent track. People wondering where Woakes is.
40mph winds and squally rain...why you don't have Test Matches in Manchester in September! A beachball was blown onto the pitch, all the way from across the ground...and Smith hits it for four. Predictable. Smith is looking good for yet another Ton.
It's predictably 245-5, predictably Smith has reached a century and approaches his nervous 140s. Predictably, Wade didn't realise that all he had to do was bat around Smith and produces hari-kari. I reckon 320 plus will be a challenging score. Unless England batsmen bring their brains. Which, if this predictability thing lasts, won't happen. Smart money is England being 30-3 yet again, all out 180-ish. Apparently there's been a few strong chats about attitude in the EW dressing room, so let's actually see if they prove me wrong and get the finger out.
Well what's to say. Australia racked them up, thanks to Smith and some tired bowling. England would have made 180 odd, but Burns batted with guts and Root played well. Sadly it couldn't be backed up, Australia pushed the target up to near 400, and two wickets in two balls mean lightning pretty much has to strike twice for England if they are to draw another test. Miracles can happen.
But they didn't today. Well done England and Wales for getting into the last hour, lots of fight today - but not quite good enough. So that's it. Australia take the Ashes back (well, a replica of them) and hopefully, they'll be some changes to the batting order in the next match, although the cupboard is somewhat bare. I hope EWCB have a proper look at scheduling of red ball cricket.
