creeeeeeeekeeeeeet

[BWFC_Insane]

Ok I think now we can say officially this is a humiliating battering.

Worst case, we lose a test match. Three to go. What's humiliating about losing to a good side?

Because we were meant to be competing in this series. To go 2-0 down and lose by a lot of runs here would be bad. I don’t think anyone seriously believes England can win the last three tests from this point.

[Prufrock]

Fair feck*. Too too good.

[TANGODANCER]

From the B.B.C SITE...

A Lord’s member in front of me has just popped his umbrella into his bag, placed his straw hat on top of his head and walked out.

Obviously the chairman of the Divine Rights Society...

[Worthy4England]

Fair feck*. Too too good.

We're fcuking excellent at flat track shit bullying. That's not pejorative. It's something worth being good at. But my "tests" of "the new style of cricket" are now being challenged, in the way I thought they might. I'd rather be bad at Bazball than MCC coaching manual. But technique (which isn't necessarily defensive) will over the longer term beat situational attacking...

In summary a good big 'un will beat a good little 'un.

[Prufrock]

Yeah. But just in the context of this innings that's three belters and then Crawley chasing one. Got to told your hands up there I think.

[BWFC_Insane]

Fair feck*. Too too good.

We're fcuking excellent at flat track shit bullying. That's not pejorative. It's something worth being good at. But my "tests" of "the new style of cricket" are now being challenged, in the way I thought they might. I'd rather be bad at Bazball than MCC coaching manual. But technique (which isn't necessarily defensive) will over the longer term beat situational attacking...

In summary a good big 'un will beat a good little 'un.

We beat NZ and India. They aren’t rubbish are they?

We are as I worried about suffering with bowlers just being slightly off where they were last summer due to injuries and lack of match practice and one or two batters being in the same boat.

We needed to be absolutely 100% here and circumstances mean we are just off that. And sadly Australia are too good.

[Worthy4England]

We did. Neither of whom are currently world champs...

Either way it's not important, the challenge in front of us, is not yesterday's. It's the one that's right here. 2001? Was the last time we lost on home soil?

[Prufrock]

Oof. Why's he done that

[TANGODANCER]

Wow, fireworks...If I didn't realise we are up against it, that if the game is lost it was so in the early stages, and that the Oz are a class side and out high end batsmen are flaky then you can call me a cock-eyed optimist if I see a glimmer of light.

[BWFC_Insane]

We did. Neither of whom are currently world champs...

Either way it's not important, the challenge in front of us, is not yesterday's. It's the one that's right here. 2001? Was the last time we lost on home soil?

They aren’t though India are runners up.

New Zealand were world champs the year before - when we beat them.

Like I say I think we’d have beaten the Aussies last summer or come a lot closer. Our issue is and I felt this as we went in and said it too we just weren’t 100% and firing on all cylinders due to injuries and that is how it’s playing out.

Jimmy and Robinson on their form last summer, Bairstow too - I think we’d probably win. But it’s just slightly off the boil having to bring Moeen in from the cold…it’s tough to beat a side as good as Australia and I felt there were too many little things against us to do that. It’s panning out that way too.

[BWFC_Insane]

On another subject no idea why the Aussies are up in arms about the drop.

1) You’ve won anyway.
2) It was the clearest and most obvious non catch I’ve ever seen. You cannot slide the ball along the ground.

[TANGODANCER]

The catch. Hate to admit it, but "Out" all day long playing strict rules of cricket. Ducket knew it and walked. Playing elastic nit-pick, rules, not out. Starc was hero and villain in a minute and should have at least have thrown the ball in the air and re-caught it. Control of your body, what's that? He caught the ball in the field of play and we got away with murder. Erasmus and Michael Gough are the best in the game and know the rules inside out (very fortunately for us) and rarely make mistakes. Erasmus was on it in a flash. "Great escape? It ain't in it.

[BWFC_Insane]

The catch. Hate to admit it, but "Out" all day long playing strict rules of cricket. Ducket knew it and walked. Playing elastic nit-pick, rules, not out. Starc was hero and villain in a minute and should have at least have thrown the ball in the air and re-caught it. Control of your body, what's that? He caught the ball in the field of play and we got away with murder. Erasmus and Michael Gough are the best in the game and know the rules inside out (very fortunately for us) and rarely make mistakes. Erasmus was on it in a flash. "Great escape? It ain't in it.

It’s not a pedantic rule. He grounded the ball. Not out. Any day of any week. I can’t even see what the controversy is. If the ball is caught and bounces out and hits the ground it’s not out. He took the catch then grounded the ball for balance. That’s the clearest and most obvious not outs.

Aussies have got away with a few dubious ‘fingers under the ball or not’ calls already. But that one was clear cut.

[TANGODANCER]

The catch. Hate to admit it, but "Out" all day long playing strict rules of cricket. Ducket knew it and walked. Playing elastic nit-pick, rules, not out. Starc was hero and villain in a minute and should have at least have thrown the ball in the air and re-caught it. Control of your body, what's that? He caught the ball in the field of play and we got away with murder. Erasmus and Michael Gough are the best in the game and know the rules inside out (very fortunately for us) and rarely make mistakes. Erasmus was on it in a flash. "Great escape? It ain't in it.

It’s not a pedantic rule. He grounded the ball. Not out. Any day of any week. I can’t even see what the controversy is. If the ball is caught and bounces out and hits the ground it’s not out. He took the catch then grounded the ball for balance. That’s the clearest and most obvious not outs.

Aussies have got away with a few dubious ‘fingers under the ball or not’ calls already. But that one was clear cut.

Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree, not that that will change anything. . The ball was in Starc's hands from the hit and it didn't bounce out. He caught it, both hands. If the vid picture had been stopped there no one would have argued including Ducklley but, as it stands, opinions don't matter. The rules say not out so, we got lucky.

[Worthy4England]

Yeah. But just in the context of this innings that's three belters and then Crawley chasing one. Got to told your hands up there I think.

Only just seen 'em. Yeah, great bowling. Harry and Ollie still trying to find what line it's on.

[BWFC_Insane]

Yeah. But just in the context of this innings that's three belters and then Crawley chasing one. Got to told your hands up there I think.

Only just seen 'em. Yeah, great bowling. Harry and Ollie still trying to find what line it's on.

It was outstanding. The pace the Aussies have is the difference here. They get the ball talking at pace and the extra few mph means it’s much harder to deal with.

Starc had been pretty rubbish like till that spell.

[Prufrock]

Yeah their bowling has been the difference, twice.

Would be very funny if the Starc drop (I guess that's what we'll have to call it ) made the difference here but realistically isn't going to happen. Even beyond Ben I fear.

[Worthy4England]

A good first hour.

[Prufrock]

Nice one, worthy

[Worthy4England]

Yeah. I'll take the hit for that one.