7 minutes ago, Macca said:

Not quite Nostrodamus but damn close (383 & 7 overs) 

Might start up a horoscopes thread.  Bit of money to be made apparently.  Just tell people what they want to hear. 

"You'll be coming into a bit of money soon" 

"How soon?"

"Soon"

Yes Macca your cricket predictions are pretty good indeed.

I got one for ya. Steve Smith Hi Bat, just put a few bob on and roll it over into the next 10 tests !

1 minute ago, Wadda We Sing said:

Ah, the old audio only status. Good idea ! I listened to my first Ashes with the crystal radio under my pillow hearing Bob Massie take the Poms apart with16 wickets over in England together with the old pencil into the desk special effects trick to recreate the ball hitting the bat !

Ye indeed it was a glorious late evening session and the bowling by our boys certainly went up a notch. I cant see them holding out all day to be honest. They know theyre beaten now. Root was the one who had to hang around for a few sessions and the look on his face after his second first ball duck for the series, said it all. With Stokes carrying a shoulder, he didnt bowl all innings, it would be a mammoth effort. Once, but not twice.

Still one thing you cant do in this series is predict anything. Weather can change quickly in this global warming era and their computer models arent 100%. Tonight will tell.

Yeah same here Wadda but I vaguely remember listening to the cricket from England in 1968 though.  Definitely 1972 like your good self.  The Bob Massie 16 wickets was great to listen too as a lad.  Those were the days!

I'm a real audio person - I can easily paint the picture no matter what the sport. And with tunein radio now available,  all sports are available to listen to.  Bliss.

The BBC are great.  Their cricket coverage is superb.  They give credit where credit is due and aren't bad losers (although I love listening to Boycott & Vaughan get stuck into England when they stumble)

18 minutes ago, Macca said:

Yeah same here Wadda but I vaguely remember listening to the cricket from England in 1968 though.  Definitely 1972 like your good self.  The Bob Massie 16 wickets was great to listen too as a lad.  Those were the days!

I'm a real audio person - I can easily paint the picture no matter what the sport. And with tunein radio now available,  all sports are available to listen to.  Bliss.

The BBC are great.  Their cricket coverage is superb.  They give credit where credit is due and aren't bad losers (although I love listening to Boycott & Vaughan get stuck into England when they stumble)

I've always enjoyed the BBC commentators, but these days, when we're losing, they really get on my goat. So biased - they're the officers gloating at the convicts. Best commentator I ever heard - Lindsay Hassett - always seemed like such a decent feller. I even met him once - bought a bat off him when I was a kid (although I didn't realize who he was until my dad told me after we left the store).  

14 minutes ago, Jara said:

I've always enjoyed the BBC commentators, but these days, when we're losing, they really get on my goat. So biased - they're the officers gloating at the convicts. Best commentator I ever heard - Lindsay Hassett - always seemed like such a decent feller. I even met him once - bought a bat off him when I was a kid (although I didn't realize who he was until my dad told me after we left the store).  

Maybe I'm just listening at a time when that biased commentary isn't happening.  There's probably a few moments but I find the commentary to be fine. 

And if we're struggling at times we deserve to be called out on that.  Our batting for instance has been generally poor apart from Smith & Labuschagne so critical analysis should therefore be forthcoming.  From any source.

But there again,  I'm not so biased where I can't see the realities of where our team sits.  As an example ... we may well retain the Ashes but our team is not a great team.  And neither are England.  The top order with both teams is the worst I've seen (as a collective of both) 

Root should be batting at no.4 too.  He's better suited there but at no.3 he's a lot more vulnerable.  Helps us of course.

It's been a great contest though ... a bit like 2 average but evenly matched boxers going at each other.  With Smith being the major difference.  The difference-maker.

Edited September 8, 20196 yr by Macca

Funny - when I sit up late reading this site to get some enlightening commentary on the cricket I get ads for weak urine flow and Czech brides. Do they know something I don't?  

4 hours ago, Macca said:

Maybe I'm just listening at a time when that biased commentary isn't happening.  There's probably a few moments but I find the commentary to be fine. 

And if we're struggling at times we deserve to be called out on that.  Our batting for instance has been generally poor apart from Smith & Labuschagne so critical analysis should therefore be forthcoming.  From any source.

But there again,  I'm not so biased where I can't see the realities of where our team sits.  As an example ... we may well retain the Ashes but our team is not a great team.  And neither are England.  The top order with both teams is the worst I've seen (as a collective of both) 

Root should be batting at no.4 too.  He's better suited there but at no.3 he's a lot more vulnerable.  Helps us of course.

It's been a great contest though ... a bit like 2 average but evenly matched boxers going at each other.  With Smith being the major difference.  The difference-maker.

Thats it Macca. Funny we were around 200 in front of the Poms after the 1st innings....now let me see who made 200....?

Blue skies in Manchester. Not long now. Who will be the hero of the day i wonder...

I think the pitch will play up a lot more in Old Trafford than at Headingly. We should win this quite easily but I suppose the New Zealander will try to wreck everything. Just got to bowl a good length and the wickets will fall.

9 minutes ago, dl4e said:

I think the pitch will play up a lot more in Old Trafford than at Headingly. We should win this quite easily but I suppose the New Zealander will try to wreck everything. Just got to bowl a good length and the wickets will fall.

Think your right re pitch....lets hope Lyon can up the ante.

The kiwi is injured, didnt bowl remember. He might make a few runs, but thats it.

Edited September 8, 20196 yr by Wadda We Sing

You would think Roy would take his vest to the dry cleaners once in a while? Thats a huge red wine stain......does explain his scores though i guess.....

Not having much luck this session

1 minute ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Not having much luck this session

There's the wicket ... now we can get on a roll.

Was just about to suggest that we give Labuschagne a couple of overs.  Scrub that and I'm not in communication with Paine anyway.

10 minutes ago, Macca said:

There's the wicket ... now we can get on a roll.

Was just about to suggest that we give Labuschagne a couple of overs.  Scrub that and I'm not in communication with Paine anyway.

Yep 66 run partnership broken and Cummings with all 3, bowling exceptionally well from his first over.

Stokes out. I will give him credit for is honesty. These umps have been terrible for us.

Wow 4/74 Cummings 4/20!

5 minutes ago, Wadda We Sing said:

Yep 66 run partnership broken and Cummings with all 3, bowling exceptionally well from his first over.

His ability to overcome all those injuries from a young age tells us about his character.

Many were writing him off but Cummins had other ideas. 

There's another one ... the no.1 bowler in the world strikes again.  He's the other success story of these Ashes.  24 wickets @ 16.45.  Hazlewood has 17 wickets @ 17.37

21 minutes ago, dl4e said:

Stokes out. I will give him credit for is honesty.

Could be that he didn't want to be shown up for being dishonest.  If he knew he definitely hit it and that ultra-edge was going to confirm that,  you're better off getting out of there.

I've seen any number of batsman walk under similar circumstances with the new technology.  Should be looked on as a positive too.

Looked noble but was it?  Ultra-edge is being trusted by the players by the looks of it.  That's my take.

Everyone talking about Stokes walking..(and good on him)...but... would he have walked if Australia were out of reviews, i wonder?

The umpires haven't been the best but it should be noted that the captains are only getting their reviews right about 30% of the time. 

That effectively means that the captains are getting it wrong and wasting reviews 7 out of 10 times.  And unlike the umpires,  the captains have any number of sets of eyes to help out and don't have to make split second decisions as the umpires do.

So if we're going to get stuck into the umpires,  the captains should be copping it something fierce.  But that won't happen. 

27 minutes ago, Wadda We Sing said:

Everyone talking about Stokes walking..(and good on him)...but... would he have walked if Australia were out of reviews, i wonder?

Good point ... we can sometimes judge the whole walking bit by old standards.  Gilchrist was the last true walker. 

But he effectively went outside the team rules by doing so.  Of course,  he was an all-time great and we didn't lose too many tests when he played.  So he was 'allowed' to walk per se.

Might have been a different story these days!

Edited September 8, 20196 yr by Macca

Well well.......how many overs left? How many reviews do we have left? Suddenly the questions arise. When Stokes went out, i didnt think theyd make it to tea. Lyon is obviously playing well below his best, with the sore and cut finger giving us a clue as to why. 4 wickets left, they could get through here but so could we.

BIG session coming up.

Edit Min 36 overs remain. 216 balls to be exact. If each batsman could face 50 balls each then.....

Edited September 8, 20196 yr by Wadda We Sing

8 -173 Fat Lady has entered the building...

A hard day at the office but the win was thoroughly deserved.

Wicket didn't deteriorate ...perhaps because it was so cold on the first three days.

A very good crowd for a fifth day.

I also think a big shout out for Joffra Archer is in order.

Joff was the one who felled Steve Smith and Poked the Bear. If not for Joff, we may not have selected Kid Charlemagne, discovering a new No 3 batsman in the process. The Kid went on to help steady the ship in Smiths absence, forcing his selection to be retained, eventually leading to the hand-grenade delivery that sent Leech on his way and thus handing us the Ashes.

Good on ya Joffra, thanks.

Edited September 9, 20196 yr by Wadda We Sing

38 minutes ago, Wadda We Sing said:

I also think a big shout out for Joffra Archer is in order.

Joff was the one who felled Steve Smith and Poked the Bear. If not for Joff, we may not have selected Kid Charlemagne, discovering a new No 3 batsman in the process. The Kid went on to help steady the ship in Smiths absence, forcing his selection to be retained, eventually leading to the hand-grenade delivery that sent Leech on his way and thus handing us the Ashes.

Good on ya Joffra, thanks.

In all seriousness I'd be batting Labuschagne at no.5 for the foreseeable future

Renshaw & maybe Burns can slot into the top along with a rejuvinated Warner as well as a possible Harris

I just like the idea of Smith at no.4 & Labuschagne at no.5.  We've got a chance at a soft intro for a possible 10 year batsman.  It's a throwback method but it works.  Ponting played nearly every one of his first 20 tests batting at no.6.

Labuschagne can work his way up the order.  I also believe that opener types can bat at no.3.  Maybe Warner at no.3?