It's The Ashes (again)

[Tom Joad]

The boy Brooks has been found out lost his confidence needs to be sent back to his county & find some form!!..

May come good. Bazball only however, who is now facing the realities of test cricket. Bar one innings he flopped in the IPL too.
False dawn?

He needs to go back to selecting his shots. Duckett does what Duckett does but Brook really has no need to attempt the same. Just bloody leave it alone. 
3 wickets down, swings it back to them. 
Oh, just seen Smiths dismissal! How can he review that!

[Pragmatist]

Not sure dropping Tongue was wise. We seem to be relying on geriatric bowlers.

Picking Anderson for the first two Tests looks like a bad idea now. Woakes is never fashionable, but he offers more than Jimmy these days. I don't think the "geriatric" bowlers have let us down at all. Wood's pace was electric, his fifer fully deserved.

Robinson is a serious concern. He is only 28, rarely bowls above 80mph and is prone to minor injuries. The selectors love him, but I really don't see him as the new Stuart Broad. He's no quicker that Broad even now and will never play the number of matches. I'd rather see the likes of Potts and Tongue being given game time, and Mahmood when he's fit.

Robinson has 11 wickets at 22 after the first two Tests - the best stats on either team!

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Classic Duckett dismissal - cutting one way too close to his body.

Yes but it scored him a 90 and an 80 at Lords.  It’s the way he plays and so far he’s played it well

[AnelkasBeard]

Not sure dropping Tongue was wise. We seem to be relying on geriatric bowlers.

Picking Anderson for the first two Tests looks like a bad idea now. Woakes is never fashionable, but he offers more than Jimmy these days. I don't think the "geriatric" bowlers have let us down at all. Wood's pace was electric, his fifer fully deserved.

Robinson is a serious concern. He is only 28, rarely bowls above 80mph and is prone to minor injuries. The selectors love him, but I really don't see him as the new Stuart Broad. He's no quicker that Broad even now and will never play the number of matches. I'd rather see the likes of Potts and Tongue being given game time, and Mahmood when he's fit.

Robinson has 11 wickets at 22 after the first two Tests - the best stats on either team!

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Classic Duckett dismissal - cutting one way too close to his body.

Yes but it scored him a 90 and an 80 at Lords.  It’s the way he plays and so far he’s played it well

Yes, completely agree. But it's the one glaring weakness in his batting currently, he gets out doing that shot when it's too close to his body quite often.

Also agree re: Robinson. He clearly hasn't been fit, that's why he's been bowling under 80mph. But he's so skilled. He needs to lose a few pounds to put less stress on his joints, hopefully means fewer injuries. He has a fantastic average, even in this series.

[Cheshire East Baggie]

That's my concern about Robinson. He has repeatedly failed to get in shape and stay in shape. They want him to be the next Stuart Broad. While they persevere with him and his inadequate fitness regime, other bowlers such as Potts and Tongue are missing the chance to develop at Test level. 'Twill be interesting to see if this is just a minor niggle or a series-ending problem.

[AnelkasBeard]

That's my concern about Robinson. He has repeatedly failed to get in shape and stay in shape. They want him to be the next Stuart Broad. While they persevere with him and his inadequate fitness regime, other bowlers such as Potts and Tongue are missing the chance to develop at Test level. 'Twill be interesting to see if this is just a minor niggle or a series-ending problem.

Yeah, I would agree with you there. Apparently it was back spasms for Robinson, at least that's what I heard on the comms yesterday from Sky.

I've always seen Robinson as more of the Jimmy replacement, rather than Broad.

[Pragmatist]

That's my concern about Robinson. He has repeatedly failed to get in shape and stay in shape. They want him to be the next Stuart Broad. While they persevere with him and his inadequate fitness regime, other bowlers such as Potts and Tongue are missing the chance to develop at Test level. 'Twill be interesting to see if this is just a minor niggle or a series-ending problem.

I know from my connections at Sussex that Ollie has never been fitter.  He’s really knuckled down to his fitness regime over the past 2 years. If you’d seen the match at Worcester in May when he took 14 wickets in around 60 overs he couldn’t have done that 2 years ago.

Bowling at 80mph did Anderson no harm, or McGrath for that matter.

[AnelkasBeard]

Great start to the morning - Root out needlesly playing to one.

[strawman]

Great start to the morning - Root out needlesly playing to one.

This lot just never learn

[AnelkasBeard]

And Bairstow now. Awful, awful shot.

If the Aussies had beaten us by just being better, then fine. Can live with that.

But we have thrown away all of these matches so far. It's just very poor.

[SausEggBaton]

87 for 5, crikey we're proper carp. If we get all out under 200 I don't think I'll bother with the rest of this test.