Australia V England 3rd Test MCG

[pirateglenn]

As i type, England are 2 wickets down for a mere 24 runs with Pat Cummins the chief destroyer and back at the helm to lead a very good Australian side.

The game is at the Melbourne Cricket Ground which is my favourite ground in the world ( Yes even more than Lords) and with overcast skies to start the game - Australia won the toss that every team would want and elected to bowl first.

England are 0-2 down in the five test series and are going to have to fight every inch to get to a respectable score as the pitch is expected to improve as the game progresses, right now its green and offering true bounce to the Aussies who have also given a fantastic debut to Scott Boland - the second indigenous player after Jason Gillespie to represent the baggy greens!

 

[Zorba]

I hope England don't fight too hard, my bets are paying off well.

:top:

 

[Zorba]

England all out on day one for 185, Aussies 1/61 at end of day 1.

Boxing Day beatdown: England’s Ashes hits rock bottom despite late Aussie blow.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricke...s/news-story/f9c4b1fe2d37681eaa2585c3a752da68

:top:

 

[pirateglenn]

Late wickets put Australia on the brink of Ashes Win.

Another superb bowling display by Australia seems them on the cusp of winning the third test and with it - the Ashes.
England are currently 34 for 4, still 51 runs behind and unlikely to pull it back from here, all credit to Australia who have once again shown their class at home.

 

[Zorba]

Late wickets put Australia on the brink of Ashes Win.

Another superb bowling display by Australia seems them on the cusp of winning the third test and with it - the Ashes.
England are currently 34 for 4, still 51 runs behind and unlikely to pull it back from here, all credit to Australia who have once again shown their class at home.

England showed what they can be capable of when bowling in the 2nd innings, it didn't take Australia much to get to the required target this morning.

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[pirateglenn]

Australia V England 4th Ashes Test 5.1.22 at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG)

Now the question on everyones lips is - can England avoid the embarassment of a 5-0 whitewash as we head into the 4th Test.
Credit again goes to Australia who have out played England in every department to date with only a flicker of resistance with the ball in the 3rd test which came to no avail.
With no Travis Head for Australia, it will be interesting to see who they draft in as they are in a luxurious position of having already wrapped up the Ashes but all poms know - nothing gets the aussies juices flowing more than a whitewash ( just ask Glenn McGrath).
Serious questions will be asked of Englands lack of preparation for this series, to me, it seems England have been undercooked in terms of quality game time and Australia have licked their lips and duly roasted the english bird
Chris Silverwood the England coach is missing due to Covid ( and i for one wont miss him) as changes will need to be made after this series.
No expectations other than another struggle as England aside from Root dont look like they could buy a run.

 

[pirateglenn]

Live update - Australia win toss and elect to bat at the SCG which looks flat and green in patches offering some hope to the England bowlers but my gut feeling is that this pitch is only going to get better for batting - any total by Australia that is 300 plus is going to be challenging as England try to salvage some pride against a very good Aussie Team.
Latest scores as rain has stopped play - Australia are 8 for 0.

 

[pirateglenn]

Ashes 4th Test Latest - Day 2

Latest scores following several rain interruptions at the SCG - Australia in total command at 392 for 7 with a very good late order partnership from Mitchell Starc and the superb Usman Khawaja who is unbeaten on 133.

Khawaja dropped by England Captain Joe Root whilst on 28 has gone on to punish England.

No chance of an England Win now and the best they can hope for is a draw and some more rain lol.

Australia again showing how to grind out a score after an earlier impressive bowling performance by England.

 

[pirateglenn]

4th Ashes Test 7.1.22

A case of little too late for England? Finally we see some Brit Grit with a dazzling 103 not overnight by Jonny Bairstow ably supported by Ben Stokes carrying a side injury and Mark Wood flailing the bat about to get some comical sixes and lets not forget a superb bowling effort by Stuart Broad taking 5-101.

This however follows a heavy 1st Innings declaration by Australia scoring 416-8 with a superb comeback century for Usman Khawaja (137) England were in serious trouble at 36-4 but managed to fightback to reach 258-7 at stumps still 158 runs behind going into day 4.

So what are realistically the options here? Well it depends on 2 factors for me - the weather (if it rains more and it is expected then the odds for a draw will move up) but i still feel Australia will pile on some more pain and England will have to bat all Day on Day 5 to either salvage that draw or avoid defeat, with cracks in the pitch emerging, Nathan Lyon will come into his own on the final day methinks!

I will take the current situation as things looked really desperate at 36-4 at one point.

Can Jonny Bairstow and Jack Leach add another 50-100 runs tomorrow - unlikely but you never know...

 

[pirateglenn]

After some amazing performances on both sides - the game ends in a draw despite Australia narrowly missing out on taking the final wicket of Stuart Broad or James Anderson - a better fight by England but a case of oh so nearly again for Australia.
Fantastic performances in this test by Usman Khawaja who made back to back Centuries and a solid century By Jonny Bairstow and a much needed 77 by Zak Crawley got England crawling to a draw...a much needed draw too!

Final Test is at Hobart which starts on 14th Jan.