CRICKET

[JBR]

well, England have started like an express train, but have just lost a second wicket - so both openers gone with a lead of 128 runs - time for Root, with some failures behind him, to come to the aid of the party - ditto Stokes - good leadership decision to come at three in the absence of Ali - but he has to make it work

I haven't been watching the Oval test, as I know we've no chance of regaining the Ashes.
On the other hand, a draw would be better than losing 3 - 1.

[Michael Rolls]

quite agree - and we have a good chance - 377 ahead and two days left - haven't checked the forecast but surely we can't get a repetition of Manchester. With Broad and Anderson at the wicket I would declare rather than risk injury to either - we are already a bowler down with Ali injured

[Michael Rolls]

Well, thankfully Ali is able to bowl BUT unless the weather has the last say, this is reminding me horribly of Lords June/July 1984. Gower declared on 300/9, leaving the West Indies all day to score 342 runs. Giving that they had been bowled out in their first innings for 245, everyone anticipated an England victory – but nobody seems to have told the Windies. They knocked off the runs for the loss of just one wicket – and that was to a runout!

[JBR]

Well, thankfully Ali is able to bowl BUT unless the weather has the last say, this is reminding me horribly of Lords June/July 1984. Gower declared on 300/9, leaving the West Indies all day to score 342 runs. Giving that they had been bowled out in their first innings for 245, everyone anticipated an England victory – but nobody seems to have told the Windies. They knocked off the runs for the loss of just one wicket – and that was to a runout!

Similar to the big mistake at Edgbaston earlier, on the first day, when our captain decided to declare earlier than he should.
That opened the way for Australia to take advantage and build up more than enough runs to win the match.
What a mistake-a-to-make.

[Michael Rolls]

England, despite the best efforts of the weather, win by 49 runs to square the series 2-2 and Broad takes the final two wickets - so his final flourish with the bat was a six, and his final flourish with the ball was to take the final two wickets and win the match for England - Fairy tale!

[1955vintage]

Sadly it will be a justification of the madness of bazball or 20/20 over five days.

I loved the game more when skills were more important, watching Gary Sobers , Barry Richards and Basil D'Olivera .

[JBR]

England, despite the best efforts of the weather, win by 49 runs to square the series 2-2 and Broad takes the final two wickets - so his final flourish with the bat was a six, and his final flourish with the ball was to take the final two wickets and win the match for England - Fairy tale!

Well, I suppose that as we have finally won another match I should encourage Marge to watch it this evening.

The rather annoying thing is that, had it not been for the rain, we could also have beaten them at Old Trafford and taken the Ashes.

[Michael Rolls]

Yeah - talk about we wuz robbed! It would have been only the second time in the history of the Ashes that a side lost the first two games and won the remaining three - the other occasion was 1936/7 when Australia had Bradman in the side.
Awestruck by Wood's dismissal of Labuschagne- effectively an 88 mph legbreak!

[JBR]

Yeah - talk about we wuz robbed! It would have been only the second time in the history of the Ashes that a side lost the first two games and won the remaining three - the other occasion was 1936/7 when Australia had Bradman in the side.
Awestruck by Wood's dismissal of Labuschagne- effectively an 88 mph legbreak!

Yes.  Just watched it.  Marge thought that we'd win by the Aussies running out of overs, but we actually got them all out by a comfortable margin.

[Michael Rolls]

still euphoric - and frustrated by the Manchester weather - if ever there was an 'if only'!

[Michael Rolls]

We know that Stuart Broad has now retired, but I wonder if we will see Jimmy Anderson again? This must surely be his least successful series. He played in four matches and his figures are pretty dire:-
154 overs, of which 37 were maidens, in the course of which he took just 4 wickets at an eye-watering 85.4. He was pretty economic, conceding just 2.77 runs an over in a series were runs flowed pretty consistently – other than Australia's batting on their first innings at the Oval.
I wrote off Jimmy a couple of years ago – and he promptly took a fifer in the very next innings – but at 41 years of age, perhaps the curtain is coming down

[Michael Rolls]

Oh, and Jimmy's strike rate (compared to a career average of 56.8) was 184.5 - the sort of return one might expect from a part-timer called upon now and then to give a tiring attack a few overs of rest. I do hope that I am wrong - he has been one of England's greatest stalwarts with the ball for an incredibly long time - but none of us can overcome anno domini

[Michael Rolls]

just realised that my figures for Jimmy for average, etc., were correct but contained a typo which I missed - 5 wickets, not 4.

[Cassandra]

Oh, and Jimmy's strike rate (compared to a career average of 56.8) was 184.5 - the sort of return one might expect from a part-timer called upon now and then to give a tiring attack a few overs of rest. I do hope that I am wrong - he has been one of England's greatest stalwarts with the ball for an incredibly long time - but none of us can overcome anno domini

We think his groin strain has prevented him swinging the ball Mike, the one he straightens back in wasn't there at all this series. He might get it back, there's a long break now till India in January. I hope he recovers, but at 41 it's really time to depart I think. Tongue, Wood Woakes and Saqib Mahmood would be a good choice. The latter has a slingy rapid arm action, hits the bat hard and reverse swings with the older ball. Jamie Overton too, up to 90mph, tremendous sustainability and don't forget he averages 73 in tests with the bat! Stress injury ruled mim out this season, but he's recovered well apparently.

[Michael Rolls]

yes - we do have alternatives - and in India higher pace would be helpful(although in his two Tests there, Waqar Younis only took 2 wickets!)