Ashes 2021-22.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Starts 4am here. Looks like Bairstow and Stokes are carrying injuries. Presume Billings will make his debut.

[bigfluffylemon]

Starts 4am here. Looks like Bairstow and Stokes are carrying injuries. Presume Billings will make his debut.

Billings seems certain to debut, although Pope was an acceptable substitute keeper (kept better than Buttlerfingers, actually, not that that would be difficult).

Stokes might play as a specialist batsman. Rumours are Woakes might come back, for some reason (WHY??)

[bigfluffylemon]

Seriously, while most players have better home than away records, there can't be many where it is so pronounced as for Woakes:

Home: Batting average 35, 1 century, 5 50s from 37 innings, bowling average 22.6, SR 44, 4 5w hauls from 48 innings

Away: Batting average 20, 1 50 from 29 innings, bowling average 54, SR 106, 0 5w hauls from 29 innings

[bigfluffylemon]

Five changes. Hameed, Bairstow, Buttler, Leach, Anderson out, Burns, Pope, Billings, Woakes, Robinson in.

Bairstow is injured, so fair enough, as is Buttler, and Stokes can't bowl, so it seems Leach missed out so England could ensure they had a four man pace attack for a pink-ball test in overcast conditions. But seems odd Anderson isn't there.

England win the toss. And bowl.

[bigfluffylemon]

Or not...

Warner and Smith ducks

[Arthur Crabtree]

Harmison did better at home, but probably not to that extent, and he had that tour of WI.

Great start, but not sustained by the support bowlers. Still got twilight zone to come so could be a great day for England. Odd that Anderson isn't there.

[Durhamfootman]

Aussie middle order taking the England bowling apart

152-4.... add another 100 and Australia might not need to bat again

[sussexpob]

A great start meets the wall of Travis Head again. Considering the debate was about whether he or Khawaja would play a game in this series, both have snatched their opportunities and plundered England

[sussexpob]

The more annoying thing is England have contained Marnus and Smith to way below their magnificent par excellence (and Warner on paper, but he did score two key 90s with the series live).

Australia's 2*6s and their 8 averaging the highest..

[sussexpob]

Root came out to say he wants Silverwood to keep his job, but England seem once again to be paying the price of his idiocy.

They rested Jimmy Anderson at the start to keep him fit for the pink ball tests, but here we are in a pink ball test and Anderson is .... er.... rested. Makes total sense doesnt it. Especially when they pulled Mahmood out the Big Bash early into the squad, then sent him home.

[sussexpob]

Head reaches 100...

And then gets out

[GarlicJam]

The more annoying thing is England have contained Marnus and Smith to way below their magnificent par excellence (and Warner on paper, but he did score two key 90s with the series live).

Australia's 2*6s and their 8 averaging the highest..

Harris gets dropped for not enough runs - he is averaging higher than any England batter aside from Root, I think.

(maybe not Mulan)

[Arthur Crabtree]

Six down. Add a hundred for the tail now.

340 all out.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Welcome wicket for Wood after a nightmare day/(night).

[sussexpob]

Welcome wicket for Wood after a nightmare day/(night).

When you put Wood's career into context, he's the second worst seamer of his career span to take 50 wickets in test cricket, second only to Kamara who was about 17-18 and hadnt played a single second of FC domestic cricket when he debuted (and who has had to play the majority of his cricket on pitches where most teams poney up three front line spinners).... and considering the other spinners are all billed as all-rounders, save for Bishoo and Mehedy, the latter of which was also about 17-18 on debut, he's arguably the worst bowler consistently picked in test cricket when you think he plays most of his games on pitches highly favourable, and in matches where totals are becoming historically low.

Average of just under 45 in this series. He's just turned 32 and is unreliable when it comes to long term availabilty.

Backing him to clean up the tail for nowt tomorrow, and guaranteeing himself another 7 years of instant selection when fit, and the mediocre performance along with it.

Seriously though, how is Wood always in the team when available? Hes been constantly rubbish