creeeeeeeekeeeeeet

[Prufrock]

Yeah I'm all for Bazball but it can't be just whack anything you see. If it was that easy everyone would have been doing it for years. What I think it is about is saying look we have these batsmen who play a lot of white ball cricket where their inclination is to attack, and where they have all these shots to score and rotate that your Boycotts never had. Let's tap into that. Back them to use that to up the run rate and put pressure on.

Pope though, there were three man out there. That's a T20 shot when there's 5 overs left and plenty in the hutch. You're 100odd for 1, just let it go.

Especially when they're down to 4 quicks, one of who they're protecting.

Duckett I have a bit of sympathy for, he was trying to keep that down and put it in an area with not a lot of cover. He got a top edge and it flew down his throat.

One of the things Stokes has talked about is doing what the oppo don't want you to. Pope did exactly what they wanted him to. Even if he middles that into Hertfordshire, they only need to get lucky once.

[BWFC_Insane]

Oh dear. Can see where this is headed.

[BWFC_Insane]

Yeah let’s just throw the ashes away with absolute nonsense.

All Australia need do for this series is bowl short.

We are so behind this game now. Way way behind.

We are 150 runs short of even having a chance.

Mind our bowlers were dreadful and now the batsmen following suit. Can’t say we deserve anything out of this.

[Worthy4England]

Stokes ball looked decent, not seen Brooks yet, but I think we saw last night he don't like good short stuff. And he's nearly trod on the square leg umpire a few times. He needs to have a bit of a rethink, because out of all our top order, I think he'll be getting a lot more short balls...I mean all the others I've actually seen deal with a short ball well (even if they got out though poor execution yesterday) - Brooks actually looks like he doesn't know how to deal with it.

[BWFC_Insane]

Stokes ball looked decent, not seen Brooks yet, but I think we saw last night he don't like good short stuff. And he's nearly trod on the square leg umpire a few times. He needs to have a bit of a rethink, because out of all our top order, I think he'll be getting a lot more short balls...I mean all the others I've actually seen deal with a short ball well (even if they got out though poor execution yesterday) - Brooks actually looks like he doesn't know how to deal with it.

He stepped away to leg stump and lobbed one up nicely to cover.

It really was awful. I’m all for Bazball but this is just mindless doing exactly what the Aussies want us to do. They now know this series if they bowl short we are walking wickets.

[TANGODANCER]

The hour came but the man didn't..unfortunately. Okay, still doable, get stuck in lads...

[BWFC_Insane]

This is just humiliating now. Not like Bairstow even hit a ball in anger.

We are being absolutely battered this series.

[Worthy4England]

Stokes ball looked decent, not seen Brooks yet, but I think we saw last night he don't like good short stuff. And he's nearly trod on the square leg umpire a few times. He needs to have a bit of a rethink, because out of all our top order, I think he'll be getting a lot more short balls...I mean all the others I've actually seen deal with a short ball well (even if they got out though poor execution yesterday) - Brooks actually looks like he doesn't know how to deal with it.

He stepped away to leg stump and lobbed one up nicely to cover.

It really was awful. I’m all for Bazball but this is just mindless doing exactly what the Aussies want us to do. They now know this series if they bowl short we are walking wickets.

Look on the bright side - 2 years ago we'd have been at Winviz's 158-6 last night!

[BWFC_Insane]

Stokes ball looked decent, not seen Brooks yet, but I think we saw last night he don't like good short stuff. And he's nearly trod on the square leg umpire a few times. He needs to have a bit of a rethink, because out of all our top order, I think he'll be getting a lot more short balls...I mean all the others I've actually seen deal with a short ball well (even if they got out though poor execution yesterday) - Brooks actually looks like he doesn't know how to deal with it.

He stepped away to leg stump and lobbed one up nicely to cover.

It really was awful. I’m all for Bazball but this is just mindless doing exactly what the Aussies want us to do. They now know this series if they bowl short we are walking wickets.

Look on the bright side - 2 years ago we'd have been at Winviz's 158-6 last night!

Yeah I mean it’s nothing to do with the approach in my view. It’s down to not reading the situation and probably that we get away with this against everyone else but the Aussies are just very very good so any wicket given away means they pounce and grind you right down.

[Worthy4England]

Yeah - I'm not in the "we've been battered" camp right now. We could've got a different outcome in the 1st test.

This one, despite our frustrations, we're 92 behind currently - which isn't insignificant, but we know we've bowled fairly inauspiciously day 1 and had wobble moments with the bat day 2 (and now 3 ).

Another "charge" not executed well....

[BWFC_Insane]

Yeah - I'm not in the "we've been battered" camp right now. We could've got a different outcome in the 1st test.

This one, despite our frustrations, we're 92 behind currently - which isn't insignificant, but we know we've bowled fairly inauspiciously day 1 and had wobble moments with the bat day 2 (and now 3 ).

Another "charge" not executed well....

It’s heading towards absolute battering stage for me. That’s the point. Up till now we’ve been in it but feels like the failure to maximise our chances is psychologically boasting the Aussies and leaving us on the floor.

[TANGODANCER]

Cant really blame the tail enders. The damage has ben done already at the top and middle end, Bowlers are our only hope now.

[BWFC_Insane]

I don’t think England can chase much more over 320 and that might be an ask.

So have to bowl them out now for under 230 for any chance. If Australia get 250 plus this is done.

[boltonboris]

Good to have them in all afternoon though right? An early wicket and game on?

[Worthy4England]

^^ You had us in the absolute battering stage after about 30 minutes on Day 1...

I deffo agree that the "can't play pace" card is completely out of the bottle. I think they'd have been there with it last game, but a much tamer pitch...So we're going to have to determine what to do in the next few innings...

Anyhow - skittle them for 150 and we're in a go get 'em position....

[Prufrock]

Would be a good time for Jimmy to turn up

[Worthy4England]

Ohhh - the hover cover has been mentioned. And it's pi$$ing down here. All is not yet lost.

[BWFC_Insane]

Its the pace that's the difference isn't it? All our bowlers bar Tongue have maybe lost a few MPH of pace in the last year or two and that's just the difference. Australia's pace means any movement is harder to play and the short stuff more effective. We are probably a inch from actually competing but I think its the quality of their bowling attack vs ours that is the difference.

[Prufrock]

Why is Pope fielding here?!

[Worthy4England]

Its the pace that's the difference isn't it? All our bowlers bar Tongue have maybe lost a few MPH of pace in the last year or two and that's just the difference. Australia's pace means any movement is harder to play and the short stuff more effective. We are probably a inch from actually competing but I think its the quality of their bowling attack vs ours that is the difference.

Yes. If we look at the series we've not lost, last time we had Jofra and Woody, a bit quicker Broad and a fit Stokes. 15 everyone was 8 years younger, we added Finn to Jimmy, Broady and Stokes, etc. etc.

The bottom line for me against the Aussies is they play tougher cricket mentally that's at all levels, the Aussie pros I used to play against hated not winning with a passion probably more so against England than anyone, I think Tubs and Hayden hit about 1500 when they played for Greenmount. They're much more used to short attacking bowling, because they see more of it, on quicker wickets, so without much of it in the ranks we rely on seam/swing (we can't really put a Rahman/Moeen spinning track out there, coz Lyon is probably better)

It's always a bit easier to adapt to seam and spin, in the sense you feel less threatened mentally and physically.