Cricket

[Tigers of Old]

Even though leysy would have also picked the No-Show ahead of Marsh you cannot possibly knock the selection now.

The selectors are sitting back smoking cigars ATM.

Renshaw has been hopeless all Shield season before the first test, has got even worse since. Would not have scored a run.

Marsh now has two critical innings when his team has been under pressure. Justified.

The uninformed nelly knockers were out in force after an early tough dropped catch but Tassie Tim Paine also has been his usual smooth self behind the stumps and played a wonderful counter attacking innings that pretty much turned this Test.

Looking right at home as our Test Keeper batsman.

Resident King Nuffy showed his usual knowledge though bahahahaha!

Bancroft is only averaging 33 for the series so wouldn't call that a win for the selectors just yet. Still think Renshaw was harshly done by.
Marsh too failed in the 2nd innings when runs were required but can't argue that his first inning knock was a ripper to set the game up..still I'm far from convinced.
Payne has been the best selection so far.

 

[Tigertool]

Some poor captaincy decisions aside, what a cracker game this has been so far. 5th day might even be the best day of the lot.

 

[toby64]

Poor captaincy from Smith after he dropped that catch and before Cummins took the wicket, he completely went to water, you could see the fear in his eyes.

Would be a terrible poker player Steve Smith.

Body language is very poor when things aren't going right.

These are two mediocre, evenly matched teams.

 

[tigersnake]

Bancroft is only averaging 33 for the series so wouldn't call that a win for the selectors just yet. Still think Renshaw was harshly done by.
Marsh too failed in the 2nd innings when runs were required but can't argue that his first inning knock was a ripper to set the game up..still I'm far from convinced.
Payne has been the best selection so far.

When I first saw the selections I was surprised like most, but I hadn't been following the shield, I'd just been watching us win finals on DVD 8-. Upon reflection all make sense and have been vindicated. Paine good, Marsh more than solid, as he was in India. Bancroft doing the job well and unlucky being runout. On Renshaw, living up here, Queenslanders are super parochial, in the past they have gone on for months, years about a Queenslander being hard done by, Hayden, Law, relentless. When he was dropped I thought here we go, queue outrage, But they were OK with it. Also as others have said I think its healthy to drop young promising batsman, M. Clarke and S Waugh being good examples.

 

[tigertim]

Granted its only a 3 (or 4) innings sample but here's the batting scores and averages for the top 7:

Warner: 26, 87no, 47, 14 ave 58
Bancroft: 5, 82no, 10, 4 ave 33.6
Khawaja: 11, 53, 20 ave 28
Smith: 141no, 40, 6 ave 93.5
Handscomb; 14, 36, 12 ave 20.66
Marsh: 51, 126no, 19 ave 98
Paine: 13, 57, 11 ave 27

 

[tigertim]

England 5/176, Root 67 and Ali on 0.

 

[year of the tiger]

England 5/176, Root 67 and Ali on 0.

3 overs all over red rover - hazelwood has taken 2 wits in 2 overs - Root gone

 

[Tigers of Old]

Seeya Root. Looks like Smith's bad day is behind him.

 

[tigersnake]

3 overs all over red rover - hazelwood has taken 2 wits in 2 overs - Root gone

love Josh. big heart.

I really hate how Lyon gets called gary. It should be the other way around, Gary Lyon should be called Nathan.

 

[IanG]

Seeya Root. Looks like Smith's bad day is behind him.

Bowlers have saved him.

In some respects its a pity though because the ashes will peter out now.

 

[Mr Brightside]

I think it was skull I caught on the radio saying that Calcutta changed the way captains think about following on.

 

[tigersnake]

all done, 120 run win

 

[tigertim]

All over, Australia win by 120 runs.

We almost didn't need that 2nd innings of 138......

 

[bigwow]

Australia's bowlers the difference, Starc & Lyon as good as any going around. Hazelwood and Cummins good support.

 

[23.21.159]

I really hate how Lyon gets called gary. It should be the other way around, Gary Lyon should be called Nathan.

Agree.
Had we enforced the follow-on, we'd have needed, what, 19?
Fair to say the bowlers wouldn't have had to bat and would have rested more .

 

[Tigers of Old]

Bowlers have saved him.

Saved him?? The bowlers did their job. It was a 350 run lead heading into the last innings. Heaps.
As snake said a 120 run win. Hardly close.

 

[Brodders17]

Agree.
Had we enforced the follow-on, we'd have needed, what, 19?
Fair to say the bowlers wouldn't have had to bat and would have rested more .

History shows batting 3rd in a test is a lot easier than batting 4th. England may well have scored another hundred on a 4th day wicket, then the Aussies would have been chasing 120 to win.

history will show Smith made the right call.

 

[jb03]

History shows batting 3rd in a test is a lot easier than batting 4th. England may well have scored another hundred on a 4th day wicket, then the Aussies would have been chasing 120 to win.

history will show Smith made the right call.

Yep, Smith vindicated. Too many too quick to criticise.

 

[Midsy]

Cummins getting Malan late on day 4 was the key. That wicket essentially won us the test.

 

[tigersnake]

Cummins getting Malan late on day 4 was the key. That wicket essentially won us the test.

It was a superb piece of bowling. Had everything. Pace, smarts, loved it.