The Ashes

[Jacko]

Starc wins Australia the first session. Pitch flattening out now though. Need to avoid losing another wicket in the next hour of play.

[Josh1873]

I'm pleased I didn't strop off after the Root wicket 

I was pleasantly surprised to see Pope dig in, with Brook being Brook, and building a solid partnership that has given us a platform to get a competitive total. All too often we've collapsed and handed the game to the opponent in that situation. That's really encouraging. 

Brook, btw, I really like him, and I understand it's his game, but it can be infuriating seeing him dance down the wicket one minute, but then play a sumptuous traditional low risk cricket shot, the next. I know I'm against the aggressive style, but I understand it with Brook. It's not a criticism in this instance, just an observation! He could easily bat England into a dominant position here, he looks in good nick. But could also fall to the first ball after lunch, after being stumped while he's half way down the track trying to swot Starc for 6 

[Ted Maul]

If we can find a partnership here all is not lost. Pitch gets better for batting at Perth as the game goes on.

24 overs in a session is a disgrace by the way, I look forward to the Australian points deduction or does that only happen to England?

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Maybe not then.

[Josh1873]

Oh, how frustratingly predictable from Brook. 

Very reminiscent of his awful dismissal in the last India Test in terms of playing well, being our main hope, but deciding to chuck his wicket away, rather than play sensibly for the benefit of the team. 

It's really, really, REALLY, frustrating.

This is not a 200AO wicket, FFS.

[Loanee]

At least Bazza & Stokesy can arrange a four ball & a few beers with the lads on Sunday with a few days off

[Josh1873]

Australia, already without Hazelwood and Cummings, and look likely to lose Boland too in the immediate future. So what do England do? Oh yeah, let's give wickets away. 

See off Starc (OK, easier said than done, but don't give your wicket away!) and play sensible. Wear them down, especially now they're a bowler short, and then attack the tired bowlers. Why, oh why, do we make it so, so difficult for ourselves with brain-dead cricket? 

How often do we let teams off the hook because we just can't help but play aggressively? It's very tedious.

We're now in a position where it's difficult to see us win, because we can't see off a couple of post lunch overs. It really is pathetic.

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8 down, what a wonderful shot by Carse in the circumstances. 

Bazball, eh. Wonderful, innit.

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It's not even been a brilliant Australian bowling display, has it?

Granted, Starc has had a really good spell, but it's not been fierce, or unplayable, has it? 

It's poor batting (to be expected, in fairness) from England. Pope, and to some extent Brook, aside, it's been pathetic. 

The thing that really pisses me off is the predictability of it all. Oh well, at least I won't feel inclined to get up at stupid o'clock for the rest of the series as we succumb, without much fight, to another 3 or 4-0 series defeat.

[Logic1]

Outfield massive and slow. You can't hit 6's on this. Our scoring rate is insane. Bat properly and we might have less wickets but have 100 runs less. Will be interesting to see us bowl on this.

[Jacko]

Now that afternoon session was grim.

[Fido]

Fuck me. I got up 5 mins ago, put on the telly and I’ve seen two balls of our innings. Two, FFS sake!

[Josh1873]

172 ao from 32.5 overs is a fucking shambles. I hope no one comes on here and tries to defend that. 

What a lackluster, pathetic, spineless, effort.

Basically bowled out in one session, on a flat wicket, against a depleted bowling attack, that has bowled OK but not brilliantly.

It's indefensible, but oh so predictable.