Ashes 4th Test | Aug 6 | England thrash Australia by an innings and 78 runs

[Sakss]

England Squad
AN Cook*, MM Ali, JM Bairstow, IR Bell, SCJ Broad, JC Buttler†, ST Finn, MHA Footitt, A Lyth, LE Plunkett, AU Rashid, JE Root, BA Stokes, MA Wood


Australia Squad
MJ Clarke*, SPD Smith, PJ Cummins, Fawad Ahmed, BJ Haddin†, JR Hazlewood, MG Johnson, NM Lyon, MR Marsh, SE Marsh, PM Nevill†, CJL Rogers, PM Siddle, MA Starc, AC Voges, DA Warner, SR Watson

 

[MarkCooper]

Sometimes in life when you make a big mistake you counter it with an equally big mistake. I hope the groundsman hasn't reacted to last years disaster of a pitch with one which is a total nightmare to bat on.

 

[Robert]

Sometimes in life when you make a big mistake you counter it with an equally big mistake. I hope the groundsman hasn't reacted to last years disaster of a pitch with one which is a total nightmare to bat on.

Yep, Notts were castigated by the ICC for dishing up that rubbish.

I'd be happy with another Edgbaston 2014 type wicket. Good bowlers will have a chance, and good batsmen prepared to graft will get runs.

The recent rain we have had seems to have put an end to those awful seamless bounceless spinless wonders we saw at Southampton and Lord's and the last two years.

 

[MarkCooper]

Vaughan says there are large cracks down the middle which might open up so batting last might be a pain

 

[Robert]

Oh Gawd, it could be a minefield!

 

[MarkCooper]

Goege Dobell says the pitch is "soft". Whatever that means.

 

[Convict]

I'll believe it's a minefield when I see a minefield.

That would be against England's interests.

A wicket which favours the bowlers (especially swing) helps England. A wicket that goes over the top in favouring the bowlers drags England's batting down to Australia's level of having no chance of defending

 

[Logical]

Minefield really? Was the curator high

 

[MarkCooper]

Lose the toss and pray!

 

[MarkCooper]

England win the toss and elect to bowl first and panic since our best bowler is injured!

 

[MarkCooper]

Clarke is tense at the toss. Very tetchy with Atherton

 

[MarkCooper]

Clarke confirms he has moved down to 5 instead of facing the music like Bell did.

 

[Logical]

Congratulations England and good night.

 

[delpiero10]

Only one change for Aus - Shaun Marsh in for younger brother Mitch.

Voges and Starc retain their spots.

 

[Ottoman]

England made one forced change. Woods in place of injured Anderson.

England Team
AN Cook*, A Lyth, IR Bell, JE Root, JM Bairstow, BA Stokes, JC Buttler†, MM Ali, SCJ Broad, MA Wood, ST Finn

 

[Robert]

A wicket which favours the bowlers (especially swing) helps England. A wicket that goes over the top in favouring the bowlers drags England's batting down to Australia's level of having no chance of defending

No such thing as a swing wicket mate, though there are swing grounds to some extent due to microclimate effects.

Anyway, our swing bowler is out of the game and they picked a couple of quicks as reserves, not swinger Woakes.

 

[Ottoman]

Australia also made one change Shaun Marsh replaced Mitchell Marsh & Clarke will bat at No. 5.

Australia Team
CJL Rogers, DA Warner, SPD Smith, SE Marsh, MJ Clarke*, AC Voges, PM Nevill†, MG Johnson, MA Starc, JR Hazlewood, NM Lyon

 

[MarkCooper]

It is raining!

 

[Markhor]

Australia looking to firm up the batting with Shaun replacing Mitchell.

Does weaken their bowling a bit.

 

[Random Aussie]

Goege Dobell says the pitch is "soft". Whatever that means.

Means it's English

 

[MarkCooper]

There will be a minute of applause before the game for Clive Rice

 

[Robert]

It is raining!

It could chuck for three days and these two batting lines could still get a result.

 

[MarkCooper]

These bonkers teams will be going at 4 an over on this wicket I promise!

 

[Amjid Javed]

No change to bowling line up for Aussies... big surprised that i would have brought siddle in for starc or hazelweood, also picking only 4 bowlers instead of 5 is a risk as well, could be the end of captaincy for clarke if this goes wrong here..

 

[MarkCooper]

The rain has stopped! No delay!

 

[Amjid Javed]

only a 5 minute delay to the start which is not bad. Aussies need to bat a lot better than they did on day 1 in birmingham.

 

[Junaids]

I stand by what I keep writing about Steve Smith.

He's a FTB who goes walkies to the off-side so on a green wicket he gets caught fencing at balls that he should have left outside off-stump. How did he get squared up outside off?

 

[delpiero10]

Australia in trouble after just one over.

 

[Big Mac]

Goege Dobell says the pitch is "soft". Whatever that means.

Not much pace but the ball will stick/grip into the surface and move around

Means it's English

 

[Markhor]

What a first over that is.

Australia 10-2

 

[delpiero10]

Wow - 10/3

 

[Ottoman]

Oh my!. Whats going on out there.

Time for Clarke to show how good test player he is.

 

[trogger]

Ashes gone half way through the second over, there is losing and then there is this.

 

[silentkiller187]

there goes the ashes..

 

[Pete Rose]

requires a captain's innings, one for the ages

 

[Enforcer]

Why Australia is in such hurry? Either they will smash or simply gift their wickets. Nothing in between.

 

[Robert]

BOOM!

Tear 'em apart lads.

 

[delpiero10]

One consolation for Australia - at least they're rattling along at 7 runs per over!

 

[silentkiller187]

clarke lucky to still be there

 

[Amjid Javed]

What a pathetic start by the Aussies... 15/3

 

[silentkiller187]

who needs jimmy anderson

 

[Amjid Javed]

Congrats to broad on 300 test wickets...

 

[delpiero10]

Aussies would have been 5 down by now if Jimmy was playing!

 

[Stallion__]

One hand on the urn........

 

[silentkiller187]

what is the quickest five for in test history?

 

[Amjid Javed]

Another wicket down! 15/4! Marsh gone as well!

 

[delpiero10]

Omg, 15/4!!

 

[Junaids]

All these shots being played outside off-stump!

Do the Aussies think they can win a Test on run-rate?

 

[Amjid Javed]

extras the Top scorer with 9 at the moment.

 

[Markhor]

Jimmy who ?

Sensational start, they're falling like dominos.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Shortest ever test team inns 75 balls by South Africa v england at birmingham in 1924.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Two day test coming up? or maybe one day?

 

[Stallion__]

Two more wickets and declare fast. Let England face these conditions as well

No point hanging around.

 

[angrypathan]

tfw Australia forgets how to bat

 

[Robert]

Broad is on fire!

Wickets 300, 301 and 302 in two overs!

 

[silentkiller187]

woww what a catch

 

[Stallion__]

Thats was some ball.

Swinging in, pitched and seamed away. Voges was helpless.

 

[silentkiller187]

Broad is on fire!

Wickets 300, 301 and 302 in two overs!

make that 303

 

[Junaids]

If I were Pup I'd actually declare now, at 5-21, and try to bowl out England before the green grass dies.

The risk is that if they make 47 all out like in South Africa the opposition then gets to bat after the grass has died.

 

[adarsh_bang]

Ya Allah, i came to PP only to comment on the carnage that is happening at Nottingham MINUS Anderson. 21 for 5! Unreal stuff. Australia .. can they fight back from here?

 

[Strike Rate]

Mr Clarke are you finally going to do something today? but wait even if you try today there will be no partner at other end

 

[adarsh_bang]

If I were Pup I'd actually declare now, at 5-21, and try to bowl out England before the green grass dies.

The risk is that if they make 47 all out like in South Africa the opposition then gets to bat after the grass has died.

Unbelievable but i almost was about to say the same, but at this rate they will probably use the grass before long. England will have to be really reckless to lose from here. 3-1 on the cards? Or it might be too early to say.
Mitches + Hazlewood will come back with vengeance.

 

[Big Mac]

Holy crap, that catch

 

[Strike Rate]

Ya Allah, i came to PP only to comment on the carnage that is happening at Nottingham MINUS Anderson. 21 for 5! Unreal stuff. Australia .. can they fight back from here?

Let them take these Ranking points from Aussies so they can give it to us when they tour UAE 2 months later

 

[Markhor]

For heaven's sake don't make these pitches next summer.

Incredible start. Where's Kamran Akmal when you need him #Karachi2006alloveragain

 

[the Great Khan]

aus should send a time machine to 2006 and get kami to come and bat for them..what a sorry bunch this aussie team are!!

 

[Strike Rate]

For heaven's sake don't make these pitches next summer.

Incredible start. Where's Kamran Akmal when you need him #Karachi2006alloveragain

I don't mind these pitches next summer only if we win the toss and bowl first to trap England

 

[silentkiller187]

For heaven's sake don't make these pitches next summer.

Incredible start. Where's Kamran Akmal when you need him #Karachi2006alloveragain

god forbid watching our batsmen on these pitches

 

[Robert]

What the heck is going on?

I'm not seeing it but the Beeb feed says the ball is not even moving about that much.

 

[Strike Rate]

Justice noticed Clarke average is under 50 now so it looks like his career can end with an average of late 40s instead of 50 if they don't prepare those phattas at home like they did against India.

 

[adarsh_bang]

Let them take these Ranking points from Aussies so they can give it to us when they tour UAE 2 months later

Aussies are no good in UAE anyways. They might get a hiding in Bangladesh too, who knows?
But let us first see what Starc can do on this track> I have hopes, still

 

[Markhor]

god forbid watching our batsmen on these pitches

Ahmed Shehzad are you watching

 

[Convict]

What the heck is going on?

I'm not seeing it but the Beeb feed says the ball is not even moving about that much.

The Strayan Special

 

[silentkiller187]

no wicket in 12 balls, test match cricket is boring

 

[mnt1]

Boycott just called Steve Smith a flat track bully

 

[Pantani]

I just plugged in and it's 5/29!

Imagine if England had Anderson as well. This is an embarrassing capitulation.

 

[Stallion__]

Thats the way to go.

Hit out or get out. The more they bat, the more they are shielding English batting from the conditions.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Broad 5 wickets for 6 runs! what a performance!

 

[Markhor]

Last time England had a team 21-5 on the first morning was Pakistan in Dubai, Feb 2012. And of course they lost that match.

So there's still hope for the Aussies...

 

[adarsh_bang]

Broad is on 5 for 6. This is some cricket history in the making that we are watching folks.