Aussies v England - 4th test

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Wed Dec 27, 2017 10:50 am

Sorry if there is a thread, but I couldn't find one.

But what's going on, two days gone and we are probably in the stronger position? Cook & Root going well.

Saw one report this morning commenting on James Vince. Jonathan Liew wrote: "James Vince offered his customary James Vince contribution, an innings composed entirely of adjectives: a couple of exceptional cover drives and then the familiar misjudgement, an absence of footwork, LBW this time, 17 runs scored, another hour of everyone's time wasted."

Anderson's wickets have now taken him past Courtney Walsh too into fifth place. Glenn McGrath now remains the only other bowler he can catch.

tybfc · Post by **tybfc** » Wed Dec 27, 2017 10:56 am

Vince is akin to a tin of paint drying out.

Foulthrow · Post by **Foulthrow** » Wed Dec 27, 2017 10:58 am

I'm sure there will be the usual collapse. Whenever someone gets a ton for England and is not out overnight they always seem to get out early the next day rather than making the big score we really need.

DAVETHEVICAR · Post by **DAVETHEVICAR** » Wed Dec 27, 2017 11:02 am

If James Vince had reviewed his LBW decision he might have still been batting at close of play

CleggHall · Post by **CleggHall** » Wed Dec 27, 2017 11:02 am

If Vince had reviewed he would have been given not out, snicko showed a slight edge.
Nice to wake up to an improved performance all round by England.

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Wed Dec 27, 2017 11:03 am

Shame Cook couldn’t bat like that when it really mattered.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Wed Dec 27, 2017 11:56 am

Steve-Harpers-perm wrote:Shame Cook couldn’t bat like that when it really mattered.

A bit harsh, for an opening batsman to last as long as he has is exceptional.

Scoring a ton on every Ashes ground in Australia would suggest he has scored runs when it mattered.

!aiboforceN · Post by **!aiboforceN** » Wed Dec 27, 2017 1:58 pm

ClaretTony wrote:Anderson's wickets have now taken him past Courtney Walsh too into fifth place. Glenn McGrath now remains the only other bowler he can catch.

... which would be an incredible achievement on (at least) 2 levels. Firstly, the only others ahead of him would then be 3 spinners. Secondly, flatter pitches in recent years have made runs easier and wickets harder to come by, yet Jimmy's average continues to fall - now down to very respectable 27s.

!aiboforceN · Post by **!aiboforceN** » Wed Dec 27, 2017 2:00 pm

CleggHall wrote:If Vince had reviewed he would have been given not out, snicko showed a slight edge.
Nice to wake up to an improved performance all round by England.

I haven't seen the highlights - but the "experts" and commentators are forever telling us that a batsman knows when he's hit it. Makes you wonder...

LordBob · Post by **LordBob** » Wed Dec 27, 2017 2:03 pm

What odds on getting up in the morning to 250 all out?

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Wed Dec 27, 2017 2:54 pm

Quickenthetempo wrote:A bit harsh, for an opening batsman to last as long as he has is exceptional.

Scoring a ton on every Ashes ground in Australia would suggest he has scored runs when it mattered.

I'm guessing he meant when it mattered in this series.

Steve-Harpers-perm · Post by **Steve-Harpers-perm** » Wed Dec 27, 2017 2:56 pm

Quickenthetempo wrote:A bit harsh, for an opening batsman to last as long as he has is exceptional.

Scoring a ton on every Ashes ground in Australia would suggest he has scored runs when it mattered.

Good batter very poor in this series when it mattered. A lot easier to score runs with no pressure on.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Wed Dec 27, 2017 3:14 pm

Steve-Harpers-perm wrote:Good batter very poor in this series when it mattered. A lot easier to score runs with no pressure on.

I wouldn't say there's no pressure on. Playing for your country with every game televised and in front of 95k people? With a media that specialises in building players up to knock them down without mercy. Opening the batting when the ball is the hardest and moving about, facing the best bowling attack in their own conditions.

The lad deserves praise.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Wed Dec 27, 2017 10:40 pm

Cookie and Joe played well but it does help they were facing the Aussies reserve attack.The first two days of this test shows once again how ordinary this Australian team really are that is the major frustration of the series.

LordBob · Post by **LordBob** » Wed Dec 27, 2017 10:51 pm

Radio on, the Chef has done a boundary interview it's gonna be a long and lovely night, c'mon let's show some pride.

Buxtonclaret · Post by **Buxtonclaret** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:11 am

Malan gone LBW
Looks like he'd an edge too.

Bertiebeehead · Post by **Bertiebeehead** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:14 am

Can’t believe he didn’t review that.

Buxtonclaret · Post by **Buxtonclaret** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:15 am

Looked a big edge too.

bfccrazy · Post by **bfccrazy** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:22 am

Buxtonclaret wrote:Looked a big edge too.

Stupid shot from Root.

HUGE edge from Malan.

Bed time for me.

Bertiebeehead · Post by **Bertiebeehead** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:25 am

Cook must have over ruled Malan on that review decision.

tybfc · Post by **tybfc** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:27 am

A few big hours coming up.

Cook has to stay in and either Bairstow or Ali with him and build a big lead and then have a go at bowling them out.

What am I saying?

Buxtonclaret · Post by **Buxtonclaret** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:28 am

Looking at it again, as theyve said on the coms, hard to believe he didn't know himself he'd nicked it!

Buxtonclaret · Post by **Buxtonclaret** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:30 am

Ha
Barirstow's going to have to wind his neck in a bit then, Ty.

Buxtonclaret · Post by **Buxtonclaret** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:33 am

264 /4
Lunch.

tybfc · Post by **tybfc** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:41 am

Yes but he probably won't.

Him and Buttler are so alike and have been grown up on one day / t20 cricket they don't know any different. They can win a game for you in a session. That is why I would have taken Buttler from his success in the IPL. They didn't know what to make of him and he is a tremendous fielder.

Buxtonclaret · Post by **Buxtonclaret** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 2:00 am

Some great old footage from the MCG.

Gawd, watching some of those later b/w film made me feel creaky.

mdd2 · Post by **mdd2** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:37 am

Well done Cooky and Broad, 100 for their partnership England 473-9 just Sir James left to help Cook so should be at the Aussies soon

mdd2 · Post by **mdd2** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:38 am

One run partnership so far.

mdd2 · Post by **mdd2** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 7:06 am

COP 491-9 Anderson n/o 0 Cooky n/o 244

RVclaret · Post by **RVclaret** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 7:14 am

Set up nicely for tomorrow. Watch out for a Burnley shirt sat within the Barmy Army.

GordonvaleClaret · Post by **GordonvaleClaret** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 7:51 am

If Cook carries his bat:
he'll be the first to do it at the MCG;
he'll be the highest individual innings score to do it anywhere;
it will be the highest team innings score to do it anywhere.
Who wants Jimmy out?
Who wants an overnight declaration?

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 10:04 am

We'd lost a few wickets when I went to bed last night and didn't think we were going to get very far past Australia if at all. Brilliant effort to get to this total and brilliant to see Cook back in form.

Clarinetclaret · Post by **Clarinetclaret** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 10:16 am

What an achievement! We might actually win a dead rubber match. They can't do it when it matters.

nil_desperandum · Post by **nil_desperandum** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 10:42 am

Steve-Harpers-perm wrote:Good batter very poor in this series when it mattered. A lot easier to score runs with no pressure on.

I would say that he was under intense pressure.
2 more failures in this test, and another England defeat, and the argument to try someone else in the final "dead" test would have been a strong one.
This would almost certainly have precipitated his retirement from test cricket. (He's been having a miserable time, and even he must have been questioning his future career).

Shore claret · Post by **Shore claret** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 11:12 am

nil_desperandum wrote:I would say that he was under intense pressure.
2 more failures in this test, and another England defeat, and the argument to try someone else in the final "dead" test would have been a strong one.
This would almost certainly have precipitated his retirement from test cricket. (He's been having a miserable time, and even he must have been questioning his future career).

Spot on, a failure in this test would probably seen the end of his England career.

Cubanclaret · Post by **Cubanclaret** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 11:14 am

I’ve been to two McG test matches between Australia and England - both with the series score at 0-3. Trust me, it doesn’t feel like a ‘dead rubber’ when you’re there, especially among thousands of English fans, many of whom will have invested a significant portion of their savings to get there.
You’d give anything to regain a bit of pride in this position and avoiding humiliation is serious motivation.
I figure English cricket fans would reflect on a 3-2 series defeat as an acceptable defeat- still a long way to go to achieve that mind.
As for Cook, I think this innings could go a long way to sparking a decent swan song to his career, judging from his interview he was clearly in the mire mentally, to go from that to batting for 10 hours in the cauldron of the MCG is a sporting feat worthy of great respect in my view. The Aussies suffering from a vomiting bug is a help too.

LeadBelly · Post by **LeadBelly** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 12:37 pm

I agree with nil desperandum. Cook felt as much (if not more) under pressure this game than the previous few.
He's a very proud and conscientious England player. He's very success-driven (how else do you accumulate that many runs in all sorts of conditions & places).

I've seen a few quotes from him today (about how much he wanted a score) that confirm that's the case but it's deducible from the character he's shown over many years now.
I'm really pleased for him & hope to see him make some inroads towards catching up with Sangakkara in tests v Pakistan and India in 2018. It's not as if we've got people breaking the door down to displace him.

FCBurnley · Post by **FCBurnley** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:38 pm

Nothing personally against Bird but at 0-108 he hardly stuck it up England as Starc begged him to do. Looks like Jimmy was right that Aussie bowling is weak after top two or three. Oh and dont let Smith hold any babies........hes a great batter but suggest he gets a sub fielder on to replace himself.

BFCeltic1978 · Post by **BFCeltic1978** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:54 pm

Are you at the Game RV Claret?
The first three days have been excellent, Jimmy for 50 this morning?
Will be amongst the crowd today, still awaiting my case to turn up so no Burnley top for me.
I'm surprised the shops in Melbourne have not already started to stock the Burnley kit alongside Man U, Chelsea and Liverpool in advance of next season.
Let's see how the Aussies deal this morning with a deficit and looking out, cloudy conditions !!
Up the Clarets

BFCeltic1978 · Post by **BFCeltic1978** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:58 pm

Fair play to Bird yesterday, came in for some real stick but won the Barmy Army over, watching the crowd swing to the left, then right was rib tickling

Commy · Post by **Commy** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 7:19 pm

BFCeltic1978 wrote:Fair play to Bird yesterday, came in for some real stick but won the Barmy Army over, watching the crowd swing to the left, then right was rib tickling

That was funny. Give him his due, he acknowledged them with a smile and wave.

BFCeltic1978 · Post by **BFCeltic1978** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 11:22 pm

Not the same place at the MCG when so few attend. Looks as though Bird and his Teamates are in for a long day !

tybfc · Post by **tybfc** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 11:32 pm

BFCeltic1978 wrote:Not the same place at the MCG when so few attend. Looks as though Bird and his Teamates are in for a long day !

Are the England players not likely to be in for a long day?

Juan Tanamera · Post by **Juan Tanamera** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 11:54 pm

I'm not well clued on cricket so what is meant by Cook 'carrying' his bat?

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 11:56 pm

Juan Tanamera wrote:I'm not well clued on cricket so what is meant by Cook 'carrying' his bat?

An opener batting all the way through and not getting out.

Juan Tanamera · Post by **Juan Tanamera** » Thu Dec 28, 2017 11:59 pm

Thanks for that QTT.

Buxtonclaret · Post by **Buxtonclaret** » Fri Dec 29, 2017 12:54 am

Bancroft gone!
Woakes.

51/1

Bertiebeehead · Post by **Bertiebeehead** » Fri Dec 29, 2017 1:09 am

This BT commentary is painful.

Buxtonclaret · Post by **Buxtonclaret** » Fri Dec 29, 2017 1:16 am

Jimmy!!!

65/2

bfccrazy · Post by **bfccrazy** » Fri Dec 29, 2017 1:16 am

Khawaja gone - 65-2