Usman would be quite used to shocking abuse - after all he is from NSW originally and the SCG has some of the worst records for it
Sledging or on-field chatter has been in the game since WG Grace was doing it way back then and that is why it has always been tolerated and loosely policed - and it is still rare for penalty to this day
Even umpires like David Shepherd & Dickie Bird partook of chatter onfield
Don’t worry there are three Australian states where it is part of their setup always has been - it is used to deliberately unsettle the opposition or distract it and that is part of the furniture in Australian cricket
Just watched a replay of the last session of the test. Missed some points when I watched it live because I was so involved in it but in my view, despite all they have said since, England lost their nerve during the Cummins/Lyon stand. They resorted to the old tactic of giving Cummins singles and putting guys on the boundary to prevent boundaries. They also delayed taking the new ball until the number 9 and 10 had wiped 25 off the target for fear that it would go off the bat faster whereas if they had taken in when Australia had needed 50 instead of waiting till Cummins and Lyon had got their eyes in, it may well have led to a victory for England.
They should have wrapped this game up once they removed Carey and no matter what McCullum is saying about “It felt like a win” it would still be burning them that they lost a game they should have won.
Really important now that Australia go for the jugular at Lords
I felt that comment from the English camp “It felt like we won even though we didn’t” was interesting.
To me it sounds like they are trying to convince themselves they were the better team, and are worried about this “BazBall” style really holding up against strong teams.
I agree with Southerner - the poms made some key Blews
at times - especially when the game was up for grabs, and as the Aussies showed in Pakistan earlier this year - they are prepared to play the long game to win tests.
Jimmy Anderson has been making some statements, in the British press.
He has threatened to retire.If he has to bowl on another flat track, like Edgebaston.
English captain Ben Stokes.Has made no secret of the fact.That Bazball works better on flat tracks.We will see what Lords is like.
What a fantastic test. The poms got their balloon pricked for once. It will be interesting to see how they respond at Lords.
Since the vein popping tyrant Langer got turfed and bag carrier Ronald McDonald got installed the players have taken back running the team and some are playing better for it. Like Warnie said, the coach is something you travel in to get to the game.
Great victory by the women, they were challenged at various stages by a very good English team but they held their nerve and came out on top.
Hopefully the guys can now come out and make it 2- 0 at Lords
Honestly - how good has it been watching test match cricket most nights after work the past few weeks. Seems the AFL with all their bye rounds has almost given up and has fallen behind cricket and state of origin the past few weeks
Hopefully the ladies can get more tests now after that recent 5 day show case. Both sides provide a great spectacle…not too many times does a side with one batter scores a double ton and a bowler takes a 10 for, end up on a losing side.
Kudos to to Healy for playing through the pain barrier with two broken fingers to end her run of ducks and score an important 50, plus take 6 catches and a stumping. Gardener and her 12 for also outstanding. Definitely think the gap is closing between the 2 sides, which I think will be shown in the ODI and T20 games even more…but geez that Aust ladies team can win from any where.
As for the men, more of the same please. Can see Starc maybe coming in for Boland…still think our batting lacks depth despite the efforts of Cummins especially with the bat in the 1st test. Starc just needs to be bowled in 3-4 spurts…unless he is causing chaos with his swing. Need some runs from Labuschagne and Smith…be great if Green gets a Lord’s 5 for or a ton…preferably both.
The Womens Test was a great game of Test Cricket I really enjoyed it.
This Australian womens cricket side must be the best ever womens sporting side in history let alone from Australia?
Names like Perry, Healy, Mooney, Gardener, McGrath, Jonassen (and those not playing Lanning, Haynes etc) have been great players for years whilst some of the young ones coming through Sutherland, Litchfield, Brown et al hopefully continue on their legacy long in to the future.
Freezing I hope we go in unchanged - this wicket and the slope at lords is exactly why Boland was picked to play in the UK.
While batting first on that wicket will be hard - if the forecast is to be expected day two looks to be wet and overcast. That means the ball will likely move more on day 2 making that the hardest day to bat on.
Be Brave Pat, bat first and continue to play the long game - I’m not sure how Broad or Anderson will feel if they have to contribute to another 100+ overs 3 innings in a row, especially with a three day break between games and Wood not playing due to lack of cricket…
Did i hear right - word on the streets is the poms prepared for this series by playing golf for two or three days while in a camp rather than having hard practice?
Correct. They skipped some county cricket practice in favour of a golf team building session. All the bowlers apart from Broad had not bowled in a red ball game for a month whereas Australias “warm up” was the WTC final.
I guess from an English perspective they will be better for that run and will be more potent in the 2nd test.
I think that Boland will play at Lords given the conditions and Starc will come in for Hazlewood if there is a change. The 3rd test starts only 4 days after this one so there is going to be rotation of bowlers, maybe Boland will be given the game off at Trent Bridge. Neser may also be considered at some stage.
dropped Boland for Starc - geez massive call
A bit risky, you know what you are getting with Boland but Starc could win the game for Australia or go for 100 in 20 overs. Who knows?
After losing the toss with all that cloud on a greenish pitch, 5/339 would of been taken in a heartbeat by Aust. Two brain fades at the end, definitely keep Eng dangling..
I guess with Head you take the rough with the smooth, though for a first class skipper with years of experience, he does implode some what. As for Green, not sure what the young fella was thinking there, so unlike him to play a shot like that so early in his innings.
The lack of speed in Eng bowling attack may make Starc’s selection on that pitch, in those conditions, a good one. Definitely a pitch with plenty in it for the bowlers, Aust extra zip may be more help then hindrance, time will tell i guess. A 400 + total will definitely give Aust some leeway when bowling…500 would of killed off Eng chances completely TBH.
Up to Smith to go big and Carey et al to support him for that 500 to happen. Be interesting if Eng up their bowling speed on day 2 with another new ball…though looks like some rain is coming.
if they don’t win back the ashes England would have to look at this first day here - they totally wasted perfect home conditions
they’re not out of it because Australia have got 340 on day 1 and I expect an especially aggressive innings in reply
Travis Head tore them a fifth new arsehole going right after them so that’s what McCullum will order
Day 2 might tell it all
I was a bit concerned that Australia could have been skittled given the conditions so that opening partnership was gold. I have been very critical of Warner but on this occasion he did his job as an opener perfectly, making things easier for the middle order. He was unfortunate that his innings was cut short by the ball of the day.
Bar the new guy England’s pace bowlers seemed a bit off and Trav really laid into them in the last session. Smith was just being Smith after a poor first test
If Carey and Smith can see off the new ball on day 2 and put a partnership together, we should be in a position to dictate terms. On the other hand if England can get their act together and bowl the Aussies out for less than 400, they will feel that they are very much in the game.
The clocks ticking for the Poms.If they don’t bowl us out before lunch.Unlickley they can win.With there strike bowler’s not taking wickets.
The Aussies would want to bat to at least tea.And challenge the Bazball game,chasing 500+
Whatever we score I hope the poms try to chase it down quickly. I posted after the last test, England bowled 60 odd overs more than Australia in the first test and their bowlers looked flat and jaded. if they have to get back in the field without a decent rest and we make them bowl 100+ overs a second time they will be cooked and forced to make mass changes for the third test.
Not sure why Wood didnt play, think he might have ruled himself out? My feeling is that he would have been a handful on that pitch given that Tongue who was bowling around late 80Mph was their most dangerous bowler. Wood can bowl at 90+ so he would have made things very uncomfortable for the batsmen IMO. Will be fascinating to see how England go about their first innings and how much Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood and Green can extract from the pitch. There seemed to be quite steep bounce at times and the pitch may get quicker on day 2
Yes I was thinking the same thing Mike when I saw the track at the start of play. Wood is a very honest bowler and would indeed have been a handful but thought I heard he wasn’t available due to some sort of niggle but should be good to go next test.
The other interesting thing is that the Poms will be batting last so reckon Lyon might be a big threat around day 4 or 5.