Ashes 2025-26.

[sussexpob]

Apparently Sean Abbott is ruled out of the Perth Test with an injury.

Hazlewood too apparently is struggling with a niggle.

[andy]

All of a sudden that Aussie depth needs testing.....Brendan doggett next one in I would have thought

[Arthur Crabtree]

Doubts over Green's bowling fitness too...

[Durhamfootman]

All of a sudden that Aussie depth needs testing.....Brendan doggett next one in I would have thought

he was toothless for us in the early part of the county season

different ball and different conditions of course, but he wouldn't scare me

[Durhamfootman]

which means I've probably just handed him a 10fer on a plate

[Arthur Crabtree]

Looks like Hazlewood will play anyway.

[andy]

Mark wood has gone off with a hamstring strain in the 'warm up'

Who could have seen that coming....Ben stokes seemingly the only bowler in the wickets...runs for mckinney and Cox....and in the most obvious sign yet that England won't play a spinner in the first test, bashir hasn't been selected for either side in this game

[Durhamfootman]

Thank goodness Mark Wood didn't have to go off with his hamstring after 8 overs of his first bit of bowling for 9 months........ because that would have been disastrous for England's think tank and player management team, especially given how unexpected it would have been

what's that you say? It did happen

golly...... who could have possibly predicted that?

[Durhamfootman]

The express pace battery of Archer, Wood, Atkinson and Tongue managed 1 wicket between them and it was left to Stokes, as usual, to take the wickets.... 4 of them

[Arthur Crabtree]

Don't think Wood is much of a loss.

And I'm not expecting Bashir to play. He's been added to the Lions 13 though.

[Arthur Crabtree]

And even got a bat! Though Jacks, his possible replacement, made runs. Root's part time alternative not having a good day.

Two for Bethell came at a bad time for him. 382 all out.

No bowling dry this time.

[Durhamfootman]

I find it worrying that Stokes had to take 6 wickets and that only Gus had to bowl as many overs as him

I've said it many times before, if Stokes has to bowl as many overs as everyone else, then they aren't bowling well. If the bowling of Stokes has to be more than just the icing on the cake, then he won't make it to the end of the series...... again!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Only 80 overs in the day. That's problem.

[Durhamfootman]

and I further note that 10 overs were left unbowled in the day...... or perhaps more accurately 16 overs if we consider this to be the equivalent of a FC game

in any other FC game, England should have been able to come out and bat for an hour before close

[Durhamfootman]

looks as though Matty Potts had a bit of fun at the end