What a great innings from Agar, I know it's not football but what a sporting moment for a 19yo (for anyone really). Well done kid you just might have turned the Ashes series on it's head. Let's hope so.

...wonder if he can play midfield.

And that's tea on Day 2.

England 1st Innings 215

J. Trott 48

J. Bairstow 37

P. Siddle 5/50 (14)

J. Pattinson 3/69 (17)

Australia 1st Innings 280

A. Agar 98

P. Hughes 81*

J. Anderson 5/85 (24)

G. Swann 2/60 (19)

England 2nd Innings 2/11

J. Root 5

A. Cook 4*

M. Starc 2/2 (3.4)

J. Pattinson 0/8 (4)

Starc going for the hatrick straight up after tea. Trott may have inside edged the last one but there was nothing on hot spot and snicko didn't react until the ball hit the pad. We saw the dismisal before that it does pick up the faintest of edges. So I reckon the right decision was made.

Amazing how this game has turned on it's head since drinks in the 1st session.

  On 11/07/2013 at 14:49, Tall Defence said:

And that's tea on Day 2.

England 1st Innings 215

J. Trott 48

J. Bairstow 37

P. Siddle 5/50 (14)

J. Pattinson 3/69 (17)

Australia 1st Innings 280

A. Agar 98

P. Hughes 81*

J. Anderson 5/85 (24)

G. Swann 2/60 (19)

England 2nd Innings 2/11

J. Root 5

A. Cook 4*

M. Starc 2/2 (3.4)

J. Pattinson 0/8 (4)

Starc going for the hatrick straight up after tea. Trott may have inside edged the last one but there was nothing on hot spot and snicko didn't react until the ball hit the pad. We saw the dismisal before that it does pick up the faintest of edges. So I reckon the right decision was made.

Amazing how this game has turned on it's head since drinks in the 1st session.

Good work on those summary's TD.

For those who haven't come across this article by Ashley Mallett, it's quite a good read ...

... Agar a natural born predator

Starc is bowling nicely. Could be set for a good haul.

I was thinking assistant coach

amazing..

the kid defiantly has talent, and doesn't seem to think he is king s**t like some other blokes that come in (Johnson)

hughes' role will be grossly overlooked, played a very mature, sensible knock, that partnership singlehandedly got us back in this game.

and now Clarke can set aggressive fields, and the reward for starc 2 wickets.. pressure does amazing things.. cmon boys 6-7 down tonight!

  On 11/07/2013 at 14:05, Satan said:

Ashton is no circus

wait a minute!!!

He's barely started bowling just Yet?

Nasser Hussein is incredibly enjoyable to listen to in a position of English adversity. He's such a massive whinger and sore loser and it makes you realise why England were so bad when he was captain. Such a victim.

  On 11/07/2013 at 14:49, Tall Defence said:

And that's tea on Day 2.

England 1st Innings 215

J. Trott 48

J. Bairstow 37

P. Siddle 5/50 (14)

J. Pattinson 3/69 (17)

Australia 1st Innings 280

A. Agar 98

P. Hughes 81*

J. Anderson 5/85 (24)

G. Swann 2/60 (19)

England 2nd Innings 2/11

J. Root 5

A. Cook 4*

M. Starc 2/2 (3.4)

J. Pattinson 0/8 (4)

Starc going for the hatrick straight up after tea. Trott may have inside edged the last one but there was nothing on hot spot and snicko didn't react until the ball hit the pad. We saw the dismisal before that it does pick up the faintest of edges. So I reckon the right decision was made.

Amazing how this game has turned on it's head since drinks in the 1st session.

Have you heard what they nicknamed root?

  On 11/07/2013 at 15:05, deanox said:

I was thinking assistant coach

draft him?

  On 11/07/2013 at 15:13, dee-luded said:

draft him?

Judging by the build on him, he'd be a monty to be picked up by the MFC.

Rumor he's a dees fan.

I'm voting him in for president.

Bowled a handy over before. He's going to have some ups and downs but lets stick by him

Come on Aussie! Come on !!

What a partnership. Shall remember that one forever!!

Kid had some sweet timing on those shots. Top order should take note.

He played beautifully all day. He didn't once go into his shell, even when Broad tried to bounce him out continuously. It was a touch of bodyline.

The shot he got out on was perfectly hit, probably too perfect and just happened to pick out Swann.

It truly was an unbelievable innings. Certainly the best I have seen from a debutante for a very long time.

I am calling him "The Microbiologist".......for all the other science nerds out there

Edited July 11, 201311 yr by Rocknroll

  On 11/07/2013 at 16:26, ThreeOneSix said:

Judging by the build on him, he'd be a monty to be picked up by the MFC.

Maybe the MCC should pick him up [i.e. poach him from Richmond]? After all, we are both sporting divisions of the MCC now that we have re-aligned.

Nearly broke the plasma when he got caught on 98.

I think even the Poms were disappointed he didn't make the tonne.

  On 11/07/2013 at 14:59, Macca said:

Good work on those summary's TD.

For those who haven't come across this article by Ashley Mallett, it's quite a good read ...

... Agar a natural born predator

Starc is bowling nicely. Could be set for a good haul.

Cheers Macca,

A good read, I enjoy Ashley Mallett's stuff and he knows spin bowling. Was mentored by the great Clarrie Grimmett, after Warne you could mount a case Grimmet was at least equal, if not better then the likes of O'Reilly and Benaud. And he also backed up my claim in that there's a bit of Daniel Vettori about Agar.

Doesn't hold back on Lyon does he Mallett, makes you think that his international career could be over and that after Agar, Fawad Ahmed's our next best spinner out there. Throw in the likes of Adam Zampa and James Muirhead who are both raw but have shown some talent, maybe we do have some spin bowlers coming through after all?

Reckon Agar could play a big role on Day 3. Really hope we can knock them over for around the 250 mark. But what a day of cricket, I'll remember that partnership between Agar & Hughes for a long, long time. Up there with Mark & Steve Waugh's 231 run partnership against the Windies at Kingston in the deciding test in 1995 in the series that got us to number 1. Both just critical partnerships at the time.

  On 11/07/2013 at 15:13, dee-luded said:

Have you heard what they nicknamed root?

Can't say I have dee-luded...

And well, at stumps on Day 2.

England 1st Innings 215

J. Trott 48

J. Bairstow 37

P. Siddle 5/50 (14)

J. Pattinson 3/69 (17)

Australia 1st Innings 280

A. Agar 98

P. Hughes 81*

J. Anderson 5/85 (24)

G. Swann 2/60 (19)

England 2nd Innings 2/80

A. Cook 37*

K. Pietersen 35*

M. Starc 2/15 (13)

S. Watson 0/0 (3)

Edited July 11, 201311 yr by Tall Defence

Gutted he didn't make 100, but still an amazing effort. The way he handled himself was brilliant.

Out of my own curiosity I did some research into highest succesful run chases at Trent Bridge to get an indication of a good score to try and restrict England to and turns out the highest succesful run chase at Trent Bridge is 6/284 achieved by England v New Zealand in 2004.

So from our point of view, obviously the cheaper we can get them out the better, but to try and avoid needing a record chase for victory, especially with our fragile batting line up, we need to make sure we restrict England to a score under 348.

I'm still hoping we can keep them to under 250 so our chase is under 200, but as long as we can keep them to under that 348 mark I'll consider us more then in this game, and at this stage you'd have to say it's advantage Australia, but that can change within a session.

Big Day 3 to come, I'll be watching this one at the pub and enjoying a few!

  On 11/07/2013 at 21:10, Rocknroll said:

I am calling him "The Microbiologist".......for all the other science nerds out there

I prefer "Corporal"...for all the F-Troop nerds out there.

Mind you, if you can find some link between him and Drew Petrie, I'll swing back to "The Microbiologist".

Good stuff TD, will be very interesting the start of the days play today (tonight). We really need to get the big SAFO pelican out as quick as possible. He can turn the match on it's head again very quickly and as you metnioned it is not a pitch would be wanting to chase over 200 I'd think with our fragile line up and Swan and Jimmy A bowling so bloody well.

I switched the telly off at 9/117. Checked the scores at lunch, and aborted plans for going to sleep (which I really, really needed to do!) and switched it back on. So glad I did. Such an amazing innings. Phil Hughes I thought was Mike Hussey-esque - Hussey was a specialist for playing near-flawless innings while in the shadow of someone else.

Fair to say Agar won't ever bat at 11 again. All the quicks failed with the bat yesterday, but on paper they are all decent, and we'd have an embarrassment of riches having James Pattinson bat at 11.

  On 11/07/2013 at 08:03, Macca said:

So you're there for the 3rd Test yeah? Technically, the Ashes won't be decided before then

Ha yes, although confidence though is everything and Australia just got a huge dose of it last night.

They are in the game with Poms at 2/15 effectively. They need to take advantage of this position with a few early wickets in the first session tonight. Hopefully there is a bit of cloud cover early on