Ashes 5th Test

[Weybridge]

England win the toss and field. A slightly odd decision for The Oval. It smacks of England going for the jugular though.

Seems the Aussies aren't falling for it and are batting 'sensibly'. Arguably as slow as I've seen them do in years.

44-0 from 18.

[Number 1 Jasper]

147-1 off 42 .

[Number 1 Jasper]

Hmm wonder why no recent posts, except this one.......

[Earl Grey]

Well, we're being well and truly stuffed this time.

Clarke's thanking the coin Gods for him losing the toss although you wonder if the England batters wouldn't have made a mess of it even had they gone first.

Suicidal shots when you're facing a total at the thick end of 500 is unforgivable.

No wonder no one's contributing to this thread. To say we're disappointed is an understatement.

It's time for a change in personnel at the top end of the batting - fresh blood.

[Lost in Transportation]

If they can't be @rsed then why should we?

[Number 1 Jasper]

If they can't be @rsed then why should we?

Fair Comment

[pompeygunner]

From England's p.o.v. this is very much the case of after the lord mayor's show. They simply haven't turned up for this one. Number 1 objective achieved but there are deep rooted problems within the batting unit. Firstly there isn't as yet a partner for Cook to open with. 2ndly we haven't as yet identified a steady reliable number 3. Go back 3 or 4 yrs & Trott was as reliable as they came & it took pressure off the following batsman with usually a big score already on the board. Those 2 positions are key & haven't been addressed. Then we come to the spinner, we haven't got one as yet. They seem reluctant to try Rashid, I see that Steve Harmison is bigging up the Hants spinner Mason Crane whose only 18 & barely bowled any 1st class overs. That tends to suggest to me just hpw desperate the search has become.
For the UAE I'd include Rashid & Treadwell, the latter I dont really rate apart from being able to hold & end up. But needs must.
Back to the batting, its been far too gung ho & if Baylis is as good as suggested then hopefully we'll see a more measured approach.

[Number 1 Jasper]

From England's p.o.v. this is very much the case of after the lord mayor's show. They simply haven't turned up for this one. Number 1 objective achieved but there are deep rooted problems within the batting unit. Firstly there isn't as yet a partner for Cook to open with. 2ndly we haven't as yet identified a steady reliable number 3. Go back 3 or 4 yrs & Trott was as reliable as they came & it took pressure off the following batsman with usually a big score already on the board. Those 2 positions are key & haven't been addressed. Then we come to the spinner, we haven't got one as yet. They seem reluctant to try Rashid, I see that Steve Harmison is bigging up the Hants spinner Mason Crane whose only 18 & barely bowled any 1st class overs. That tends to suggest to me just hpw desperate the search has become.
For the UAE I'd include Rashid & Treadwell, the latter I dont really rate apart from being able to hold & end up. But needs must.
Back to the batting, its been far too gung ho & if Baylis is as good as suggested then hopefully we'll see a more measured approach.

I agree PG . The other thing to remember IMHP is that is still pretty much the squad that Bayliss / Struass inherited . Desperately need a front line spinner .

On another note , do you listen to TMS ? did your hear Andrew the South African Stat man emntion his Daughter swallowing a tooth aged 7 , and Tuffnell's response ?

[pompeygunner]

I listened on the way to the match but obviously missed that if it was after 1.15. What did Tuffers say?

[Number 1 Jasper]

I listened on the way to the match but obviously missed that if it was after 1.15. What did Tuffers say?

Well Andrew was saying how they wrote a nice letter to the tooth fairy explaining that the girl had lost a tooth but swallowed it , so they had no evidence . Tuffnell said " Well you could have looked for it "

[pompeygunner]

[Number 1 Jasper]

I laughed as well , MRS J almost chocked on her food !