Well as I type i'm eating lunch, listening to TMS and Headingly is serving up yet another fine ashes match.
Usually on a Sunday afternoon the kids are packed off to the in-laws and I get some modelling time in. This afternoon, I'm glued to the radio (or whatever satellite channel number it is these days).
And England just lose a wicket to a run out. That it I reckon.

Hi all,

England still have a chance with Stokes in, as long as he has someone at the other end.  Archer makes me nervous when he swings and misses at those ones down the leg side..

But those two boundaries...!  Nail-biting stuff!

cheers

Ben A.

Wow!

Unbelievable!

What a fightback stokes and j leach proved he can bat. Now for old trafford

I didn't think I'd ever see anything as incredible and unbelievable as the World Cup Final again, but I just did 

Ben Stokes was phenomenal, and Jack Leach, 1 not out in a partnership of 76....WOW

 

Yay

And there was me thinking I had kiss of deathed it.

Yay again   Cheers weave 

A true team effort with  bat 2nd time around. Do nt forget thn bowling of joffra archer, the spirit of 81 and 2005

Quote from: crewearpley40 on August 25, 2019, 05:37:07 PM
A true team effort with  bat 2nd time around. Do nt forget thn bowling of joffra archer, the spirit of 81 and 2005

Hopefully they can put past glories to bed now and play for the future 

Quote from: class37025 on August 25, 2019, 12:38:03 PM
when I were a lad and played the game ......

we wore WHITES, not some technicolour mish mash

we didn't have numbers on our backs

and a good stroke was greeted with cries of 'well played', not a deafening blast of some pop song.

but then, I'm getting old and grumpy.

I know they have names and numbers on their backs now but everything else you've cited is not in the test matches but the one day/limited over stuff.

I freely admit to getting somewhat excited about the victory today but still have no confidence the team will have learned from it and some will still wave their bat at wide balls they could leave alone. Far too may wickets given away easily. I just love the way Geoff Boycott tells it as it should be told.

Stunned silence from the antipodes 

Whilst not in any way wishing to detract from England's win and Ben Stokes' superb innings, I tend to agree with Nobby on this one. The reasons that we had to undertake such a run chase were firstly, the disastrous first innings of 67 and secondly, the total contribution of 33 runs made by the so-called openers over the two innings. Neither of the Australian totals was particularly overwhelming and it was the England batsmen's inability to get in and stay in that led to the 359 deficit in the fourth innings and the subsequent need for Stokes to produce the magnificent rescue job that he did. The fault in my view lies with the amount of limited over cricket being played at the expense of the longer game. We all know the reason for this and the ECB and Sky must take an equal share of the blame for a situation that can only get worse when The Hundred starts next year.In the meantime the counties are deprived of their star players for the four day games and respond by hiring overseas players in their stead. These overseas players then return to their National sides to give England a hard time on winter tours.

A final point on the 359 run chase - the total may have been a record one but the time available postulated an over rate of, I think, less that two per over and again it was the lack of "stickability" that produced the pressure on Ben Stokes. I started following cricket in the days of Hutton, Compton May et al when an over rate of anything over three was racing along and  although I enjoy watching a fast moving game and wouldn't want to return to the days of Boycott being 25 not out at lunch and 35 not out at tea there is on occasions the need to play in this manner and the players should be capable of it. It would be interesting to know what percentage of Tests in the last, say, five years have gone to a fifth day.

Well, that's it I've had my rant and feel better for it. I've now got to wait for Old Trafford to see what happens next. At least I've got the Vuelta to keep me going until then.

It will be interesting to see who makes way for the returning Anderson...Woakes or Broad? I'd like to see Sam Curran back in the team but not sure how or where tbh.

Burns, Roy, Denly and Buttler are huge question marks but who replaces them? On their day they are world beaters. Hopefully after a few days off they can find their red ball form. Management need to drill into them the fact they are playing a test match and the need to apply themselves accordingly.

The long range weather forecast for Manchester isn't too good, I can see the 4th test being a draw and it all going down to the wire at the Oval

None of the media have complimented Stokes on getting the job done on the 4th day, thus allowing fans to avoid paying for entry on a 5th day to see not a lot of cricket
I know much depends on the state of the pitch and ball, and how tired bowlers become as the game goes on but Stokes, Buttler, Bairstow and Root are all capable of the type of innings played by Ben yesterday and have shown this in the past although maybe not in the test match arena. I noted Mr. Boycott made no suggestion of his fellow Yorkshireman being relieved of the captaincy but, and it's purely my opinion, Root is still not experienced in the role and makes dubious decisions.