The Ashes: Brisbane.

[Dr Cricket]

No wonder england were hated so much by other teams.
Swann been dreadful on bt sports just feel like punching him whenever he speaks.

[budgetmeansbudget]

I'd like to see you try...

[Dr Cricket]

might just tell stokes to do it for me.

BT Coverage been dreadful, been a mix of Channel 9 level bantz and trying to be professional like sky just doesn't work.
Can't believe they couldn't get anyone better than Swann on.
English commentators are poor for BT Sports only really Vaughan is any good and he generally one of the weak links for TMS.
Boycott is like marmite people either like him or really hate him.

[Dr Cricket]

probably a 50-50 day.

[sussexpob]

Was there rain? Why the hell has only 80 overs been bowled?

[Gingerfinch]

Was there rain? Why the hell has only 80 overs been bowled?

About an hour lost I think?

[Dr Cricket]

Was there rain? Why the hell has only 80 overs been bowled?

Rain just after lunch.
was raining when I woke up.

[budgetmeansbudget]

What do you expect it is Australia!

[sussexpob]

Weird, I went to bed in bright sunshine at lunch, didnt mention rain possibility.

192-4 seems really poor unless the rain/cloud brought something different to the pitch. It was all very easy

[bigfluffylemon]

Weird, I went to bed in bright sunshine at lunch, didnt mention rain possibility.

192-4 seems really poor unless the rain/cloud brought something different to the pitch. It was all very easy

And Moeen and Malan hold it together until the close, and I can breathe again.

The batting did seem to get tougher in the final session, not sure if it was the cloud. Lyon bowled well and got a fair amount of turn. But about 10 overs were lost, so the low score isn't as bad as it seems. It was certainly a slow outfield after the rain - not many shots made it to the boundary, lots of 2s and 3s run.

I'd say Australia just about shade it, but it's a reasonably even day.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Looks like the Aussies' day (even if you allow and extra 30 runs for the slow outfield) . But there's time for England to turn it around. And I suppose given ENgland's weak top order, there might be some relief from the tourists.

[Arthur Crabtree]

No Gabbattoir though.

[mikesiva]

I am watching the highlights now and as a neutral I don't have a problem with the commentary. Swann and co might be a touch patriotic but to me that's just Ashes banter. Bhaveshgor life is too short to spend hating cricket commentators. If they annoy you so much then turn down the volume.

Slow attritional going. Congratulations to James Vince on his valuable knock. His off side play was a joy to watch.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Good post Mike.

So the coverage is on BT sport not Sky this time?

[sussexpob]

The commentary was pretty abysmal. Not sure its an adequate response for people paying to view it to say "well turn down the commentary if you dont like it". This was a unified, low brow effort from BT Sports. The presenter clearly doesnt know about cricket, and at the end of play was asking the most moronic questions to a panel of ex-players who tried their best to enthusiastically get into such mundane questions being provided.

Alison Mitchell doesnt seem to know fielding place names, and at one point described a ball whizzing through the covers as "going through the gap where no Australian fielders are standing", after seeming to stutter looking for the technical name. Boycott as he gets older is just a bitter, anti-Aussie moaner who tires your will to stay up after one minute. Swanny comes across as a charmless ***** with a smuggness and arrogance that ooses from everything, and his constant attempts to be humorous when he clearly the least funny man in the world is also tiresome. Vaughan is ok, but he can let himself down with some comments. Even the usual interesting Ponting was a bit more concerned with painting all the action in the most positive light for the Aussies.

And thats before we get to the analysis at the end. Hearing Kevin Pietersen saying it was better for England had Lyon ended the day 4/90 instead of 0/40 off 25 overs, because you have to slog him out the series at all costs, and Swanny nodding in agreement..... really? Pietersen was a fabulous player, but hes rubbish in the box, and has a voice and charm level that makes you creep.

No wonder Jonathan Trott lost his marbles.... could you imagine being in a room with these two for three months? Swanny comes across as a real idiot.