2015 Ashes

[KeyserSoze]

Did you see Australia's batting in the first innings?!

I don't remember the last time I looked forward to watching the highlights of a day's play quite so much.

If you can't wait, they have highlights of the wickets on the side-video here: http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2 ... 43969.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; obviously not ideal as there's no flow, but still good to see them wickets rather than read them.

Really good bowling, but no footwork to be seen. Clarke's slash at a wide one was absolutely criminal as well.

[Bruce Rioja]

Cheers, Kinty. That is seriously, seriously tempting. However, the allure of my sofa with a monolithic G&T and my feet on the coffee table whilst wearing a massive feck-off, shit-eating grin is proving greater.

19:00 on Chanel 5, Bish.

[thebish]

Cheers, Kinty. That is seriously, seriously tempting. However, the allure of my sofa with a monolithic G&T and my feet on the coffee table whilst wearing a massive feck, shit-eating grin is proving greater.

19:00 on Chanel 5, Bish.

bash bosh!

[TANGODANCER]

Is little Joe Root the best thing that's happened to English cricket for a fair old while?

" Root brings up his half century with yet another glorious stroke – a luxury, full-fat, triple chocolate cover drive smothered in caramel and deep fried until golden. Four runs."

[Bruce Rioja]

Is little Joe Root the best thing that's happened to English cricket for a fair old while?

52 N/O. 40 of them in boundaries. Cannot fecking wait to get home. Come on, final half hour, pass swiftly!

[thebish]

Is little Joe Root the best thing that's happened to English cricket for a fair old while?

" Root brings up his half century with yet another glorious stroke – a luxury, full-fat, triple chocolate cover drive smothered in caramel and deep fried until golden. Four runs."

yes (swallow hard cos he's from Yorkshire and Boycott looks so smug) he is!

[Prufrock]

He's a cracker isn't he?

I have high hopes for Bairstow too (though his footwork needs sorting - and he's still nowhere near Root's league, but not many are).

Also, just think of it this way, when Root's playing for England, he's not playing for Yorkshire!

[TANGODANCER]

" Oof! Root unfurls a cover drive so majestic it should really have its own throne and sceptre. Or wine shop."

[thebish]

we should be thinking about batting right through tomorrow and bludgeoning them senseless...

these two plus stokes and butler to come - potentially runs to add... especially if stokes and butler are playing freely with no pressure and the Oz are two bowlers short...

going with 4 bowlers when one of them (Johnson) can only bowl 4 5-over spells a day at best - and Stark - who can't bowl that many - that's a LOT of work for the other two... and one of them a fairly tame off-spinner getting smacked into the stands every other ball!

[Prufrock]

I'm pretty sure Lyon is limited to short spells too.

Maybe it will mean we'll get to give Shane Watson's front pad a proper send off next week.

[Prufrock]

Do we think Root enjoyed spanking Warner off for 4 to bring up his ton?

[thebish]

nice to have succeeded so well without Pietersen.. any chance this will shut the fecker up?

[thebish]

a century in the second innings on day one of a test match? has that happened before?

[KeyserSoze]

twas asked pm TMS, apparently so. Record is 131 i think Samson said.

[bobo the clown]

nice to have succeeded so well without Pietersen.. any chance this will shut the fecker up?

something about cats and hell is in my mind right now.

[thebish]

nice to have succeeded so well without Pietersen.. any chance this will shut the fecker up?

something about cats and hell is in my mind right now.

aye - I reckon you're right!

[Bruce Rioja]

these two plus stokes and butler to come - potentially runs to add... especially if stokes and butler are playing freely with no pressure and the Oz are two bowlers short...

One thing that always impressed me about the 'classic' Aussie side was that they could bat right down the order. Shane Warne and Bret Lee coming in at 10 and 11 still needed shifting and if you didn't then they were good for 100 more runs. Currently we can bat down to Moeen Ali at 8. I honestly can't recall a time when England could bat this far down the order. The sad thing is though, we never seem to be able to bring it all together. Joe Root's currently enjoying a lovely knock, but Bell got 1.

[TANGODANCER]

Little Joe in Bonanza....

[Bruce Rioja]

And another thing - Root's attitude and discipline. He's on 114 and playing some utterly gorgeous strokes. He's just hit a square cut straight to Point and was fecking blazing with himself. feck off Pietersen.

[thebish]

these two plus stokes and butler to come - potentially runs to add... especially if stokes and butler are playing freely with no pressure and the Oz are two bowlers short...

One thing that always impressed me about the 'classic' Aussie side was that they could bat right down the order. Shane Warne and Bret Lee coming in at 10 and 11 still needed shifting and if you didn't then they were good for 100 more runs. Currently we can bat down to Moeen Ali at 8. I honestly can't recall a time when England could bat this far down the order. The sad thing is though, we never seem to be able to bring it all together. Joe Root's currently enjoying a lovely knock, but Bell got 1.

Broad is also very capable with the bat and seems to be gaining some confidence again...