The Ashes: Adelaide.

[meninblue]

A bit of a recovery late on. Sadly I have no expectation of England knocking Aus over cheaply in the second innings. England will end up having to bat for 4 sessions at least to save this test.... and we all know how good they are at that.

Still one partnership is all what Aussies need to take game further away from England. Still lot of batting left to knock that partnership. Peter, Marsh, Paine can play significant innings on their own. StarCraft, Lyon, Cummins can bat well enough for good partnership.

[backfootpunch]

A bit of a recovery late on. Sadly I have no expectation of England knocking Aus over cheaply in the second innings. England will end up having to bat for 4 sessions at least to save this test.... and we all know how good they are at that.

Still one partnership is all what Aussies need to take game further away from England. Still lot of batting left to knock that partnership. Peter, Marsh, Paine can play significant innings on their own. StarCraft, Lyon, Cummins can bat well enough for good partnership.

And most importantly they will be batting during the day not under the lights

We have to take 6 wickets in the morning session really to have any chance

[meninblue]

A bit of a recovery late on. Sadly I have no expectation of England knocking Aus over cheaply in the second innings. England will end up having to bat for 4 sessions at least to save this test.... and we all know how good they are at that.

Still one partnership is all what Aussies need to take game further away from England. Still lot of batting left to knock that partnership. Peter, Marsh, Paine can play significant innings on their own. StarCraft, Lyon, Cummins can bat well enough for good partnership.

And most importantly they will be batting during the day not under the lights

We have to take 6 wickets in the morning session really to have any chance

Yes, good point regarding first session of day light. The situation is such that every run will hurt.

[yuppie]

A bit of a recovery late on. Sadly I have no expectation of England knocking Aus over cheaply in the second innings. England will end up having to bat for 4 sessions at least to save this test.... and we all know how good they are at that.

Still one partnership is all what Aussies need to take game further away from England. Still lot of batting left to knock that partnership. Peter, Marsh, Paine can play significant innings on their own. StarCraft, Lyon, Cummins can bat well enough for good partnership.

And most importantly they will be batting during the day not under the lights

We have to take 6 wickets in the morning session really to have any chance

England can take heart in the fact they have given themselves a chance. England have also got the big 2 wickets and the fact that Handscomb is a walking LBW at present means that Aus will need another 75 runs from the lower order.

I would not be surprised if Aus struggle to make much more than 100.

[andy]

Even if they only make 100, they probably still have too many runs, and will probably wrap it up by close of play tomorrow....if our batsmen can just take note of Woakes's and overton's knock, and actually apply themselves they might actually score some runs!

[yuppie]

Even if they only make 100, they probably still have too many runs, and will probably wrap it up by close of play tomorrow....if our batsmen can just take note of Woakes's and overton's knock, and actually apply themselves they might actually score some runs!

Yep they are a long way behind and even if they can limit the lead to only 300, going to be tough to get those runs.

Feels like everything will hinge on tomorrow evenings play.

[KipperJohn]

I think the highest run chase in the 4th innings by England in Oz was 322/7 back in 1928. I’ll let the expert statisticians check that, but it gives some idea of the mountain they have to climb already. Not very optimistic to say the least.

[GarlicJam]

also are you seriously telling me you never heard anyone not say ashes is the only thing that matter and any other result in cricket is irrelevant compared to what happens in the ashes.

You don't get it because you don't get it.

and you won't get it because you don't get it.

[bigfluffylemon]

I think the highest run chase in the 4th innings by England in Oz was 322/7 back in 1928. I’ll let the expert statisticians check that, but it gives some idea of the mountain they have to climb already. Not very optimistic to say the least.

332/7 according to cricinfo is the highest successful run chase (in 1928, you are correct), but England have scored 350 or more 7 times in the fourth innings in Australia (and lost every single one). Even four years ago they scored 312 in the second dig at Adelaide, one of their only two 300+ scores of the series.

If England can bowl Australia out in the morning session and be chasing 330 or less, they will be in with a chance. A pretty minuscule chance, but a chance. But more likely, this is just the brief flicker of resistance that gets our hopes unreasonably up, only to be brutally dashed by cold, hard reality.

Did I mention I'm an optimist (seriously, it's not much fun being a Pom in Oz when this is going on - yesterday workmates were gleefully coming up to me to rub it in while we collapsed).

[yuppie]

England were 7 down for 140, so to find themselves with a slight chance to win this game by the end of the day is a huge positive.

Australia are still overwhelming favorites, but a couple of quick wickets tomorrow, then they might suddenly have the momentum.

Australia will be thinking, 40 overs, bat 40 more overs.

[KipperJohn]

I think the highest run chase in the 4th innings by England in Oz was 322/7 back in 1928. I’ll let the expert statisticians check that, but it gives some idea of the mountain they have to climb already. Not very optimistic to say the least.

332/7 according to cricinfo is the highest successful run chase (in 1928, you are correct), but England have scored 350 or more 7 times in the fourth innings in Australia (and lost every single one). Even four years ago they scored 312 in the second dig at Adelaide, one of their only two 300+ scores of the series.

If England can bowl Australia out in the morning session and be chasing 330 or less, they will be in with a chance. A pretty minuscule chance, but a chance. But more likely, this is just the brief flicker of resistance that gets our hopes unreasonably up, only to be brutally dashed by cold, hard reality.

Did I mention I'm an optimist (seriously, it's not much fun being a Pom in Oz when this is going on - yesterday workmates were gleefully coming up to me to rub it in while we collapsed).

I know what you mean bfl. Our youngest has lived and worked in Melbourne since 2004, has an Aussie family and now has dual citizenship. Fortunately he’s far too busy to get involved in any cricket debates!

At least the banter is friendly when I go out there.

[GarlicJam]

I was surprised with my brother in law - still got a fairly thick Wiltshire farmer accent - becoming an Aus supporter not too long after getting his Aus citizenship. I didn't believe him, and put it to the test each time the Ashes are on, but he is genuine with wanting Aus to beat England.

In '06, when we went to the Melbourne test with him, he was a England supporter, so it wasn't a matter of him wanting to be on the winning side or anything.

Same with father in law, but he has been out here for decades.

[sussexpob]

I know what you mean bfl. Our youngest has lived and worked in Melbourne since 2004

What did he do? Steal Trevelyan's corn too?

[GarlicJam]

What did he do? Steal Trevelyan's corn too?

Australians are allowed - nay, expected - to bag Melbourne, but that doesn't mean that you are allowed to.


Actually Melbourne is a great city, I will happily admit to that - and that is a big thing for a native Sydneysider to say - I love visiting there. And I am sure that KJ will have good things to say about it as well.

No doubt, you have your criticisms, Sussex, I am interested in reading them. (not getting narky, genuinely interested hearing a differing viewpoint)

[bigfluffylemon]

So do I. Melbourne's a great place. I love visiting.