Ashes 2021-22.

[bigfluffylemon]

I hope Joe's ok. The jokes are already starting on Twitter.

Guy named Root performs cock-block.
Starc in another ball tampering incident

Etc

[Durhamfootman]

never mind rubbing 'em

count 'em

I wasn't aware of this until a few minutes ago.... such is my interest in this ashes series.... well done boys, you've even managed to turn off a cricket fan

still..... there's always the Hundred

[alfie]

No rain around , in case anyone was wondering

Pope lasted about eight balls... Starc didn't even have the decency to leave him for Lyon...

Won't be long.

[alfie]

Wonder what Ben Stokes is thinking. Played two maidens from Lyon : not much he can do that will help so arguably he should treat this as a net for the next game.

Buttler by contrast might be playing for his place - except that there seems to be a clause in his contract that says he can never be dropped. Not at all sure about his state of mind in this match - looked very down at times - so how he plays here might be instructive.

And as I type Jos gets an edge that Carey inexplicably lets go straight by him to the boundary !

Maybe they'd prefer to keep Jos in the team

[bigfluffylemon]

Pope's average is now under 30.

How is it that someone with a first class average of over 50, who averaged over 70 in his last two county seasons (when runs have not been that easy to come by) looks so at sea in test cricket? Even on fairly flat decks? He's likely to be batting with England's two best bats in Root and Stokes, so can't blame flakey partners.

What is going on? Is the standard in the CC now so poor that batsmen who do well there are still sh1te? I don't see any other explanation...

[alfie]

Pope's average is now under 30.

How is it that someone with a first class average of over 50, who averaged over 70 in his last two county seasons (when runs have not been that easy to come by) looks so at sea in test cricket? Even on fairly flat decks? He's likely to be batting with England's two best bats in Root and Stokes, so can't blame flakey partners.

What is going on? Is the standard in the CC now so poor that batsmen who do well there are still sh1te? I don't see any other explanation...

Can only assume he's faced some pretty ordinary attacks in the CC. He has played a couple of highly promising innings in Tests ; but no consistent performance - and currently he looks like a walking wicket.

I think he has to go for a spell. May come again ; but going through the mincer here in Australia is doing him no favours...

[Arthur Crabtree]

I thought that Pope is so obviously the stand out bat in CC that he has to keep on in the side. There's only Bairstow to come in anyway.

Surprised Lyon hasn't finished this off yet. Good resistance from JB2 and Woakes.

[Durhamfootman]

England survive for one more session than I gave them credit for, but the writing is on the wall

Good over rate from Australia, but then I suppose that's easy with 39 overs of 2 pace run up/delivery/block/repeat

[sussexpob]

I guess Buttler kicking down his own wicket after 200 balls rather sums up England atm. Even when they do something well, it ends in stupidity.

[Durhamfootman]

couldn't make it up

at least Warne will understand

[Arthur Crabtree]

Lyon must have been going for about ten years now. Amazing career for someone who arrived without much expectation. Thought he would skewer England's batting today.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Credit to JB2 for not throwing his wicket away in a stupid attempt to get the runs.

[Arthur Crabtree]

A&B must have found themselves batting pointlessly together at the end of a big defeat many times over the years.

[sussexpob]

Credit to JB2 for not throwing his wicket away in a stupid attempt to get the runs.

Instead, he just threw it away not scoring runs

[Arthur Crabtree]

Five for Richo, well done lad.