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[uknsaunders]

Don't know why everybody is so upset about the pitch. Try sitting through this snorefest:-

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63899.html

Thorpe got 1 boundary before his ton.

[Cover_Drive]

Funny how people ridicule flat pitches yet not many have achieved what Aliastar Cook has, he now has eight centuries in Asia and most likely will score more in following innings.

Certainly not an easy feat considering all the great player(s) of preceding era weren't able to score such!

Everyone is better in their home conditions, what Cook has achieved in England is not what Sachin Tendulkar has achieved in England and vice versa!

Kudos to Cook, as someone said a century is century. Leading the team when you are one of the two batsman who have played in this country/conditions/opponent is never easy.

[ProCricketer1982]

I find it funny how people seem to want ashes style wham bang thank you mam wickets. This last ashes was one of the worst series I've seen due to low skills and batsmen who clearly only play one day wham bang style innings. Warner, Dahwan etc are classic examples of modern hitter players who simply get away with it in tests due to low skills bowling and flat tracks

[smilley792]

3 days in. 10 wickets have fallen(one of which was a nights watchmen) and the team batting are still 200 plus behind.


If you turn off your "I don't like boundaries" blinkers, do you honestly think this is a results wicket?
And by that I mean one of these side has to take 20 wickets! Which I doubt is gonna happen in ten days, never mind five.

[ProCricketer1982]

3 days in. 10 wickets have fallen(one of which was a nights watchmen) and the team batting are still 200 plus behind.


If you turn off your "I don't like boundaries" blinkers, do you honestly think this is a results wicket?
And by that I mean one of these side has to take 20 wickets! Which I doubt is gonna happen in ten days, never mind five.

I actually agree with you that 500 plays 500 is Boring.l 400 in tests should be rare, let alone 500 but..  But, if either side had a decent spinner it would be interesting to see how many more wickets would have fallen. Simple fact is, both sides bowling isn't great and neither side has a spinner of any note.

It's better bowlers are found out when they aren't good enough rather than given easy wickets which mask their skill. Ali simply isn't good enough but has been masked by wickets and poor batting.

I love boundaries btw, just not all the time because that shows its too easy. This wicket isn't a good wicket but it's no worse to me than the wickets we had this summer which promoted wham bang test cricket. Keep those players in pyjamas not proper stuff

[brokenbat]

Agree...neither side has good spinner. Also, these kind of matches can suddenly come alive on day 4 and 5. Combo of reverse swing and good spin can create funny scorecards

[edge]

In fairness to the spinners of both teams, I think the historic average of spinners at this ground is around 118! So no surprises really, clearly the track is even flatter than is usual there.

I personally thought the pitches for the Ashes were mostly excellent this summer and a good standard for English test pitches. Unfortunately pitches over the last 10-15 years have been so flat that techniques have changed and batsman are going to have to relearn how to play long test innings if pitches like them keep being produced (which they should be!). It's certainly possible, Root was making good tons on them after all. Standard of bowling from England in particular was very high too, and modern Aus teams can't play swing at all.

[smilley792]

That stumping was never out! Poor poor decision! (For those watching sky may understand)

[rickjames]

That stumping was never out! Poor poor decision! (For those watching sky may understand)

Will always do that myself instead of just trying to get my foot back, haha

[smilley792]

Will always do that myself instead of just trying to get my foot back, haha

Think umpire gave it merely for the awful awful moo.





And

England avoid the follow on!!

[smilley792]

Rooooooooooooottttttt

50 up with a reverse sweep.

[rickjames]

REVERSE SWEEP ROOTY

[Neon Cricket]

Could watch that last shot from Root to third man all day - doesn't take his eyes off the ball all the way to blade, thing of beauty!

[ppccopener]

anyone else noticed the guests on the verdict have nothing to talk about 

apart from the spat between Sohail and Butch on whether Cook is 'wristy' or not?

[smilley792]

anyone else noticed the guests on the verdict have nothing to talk about 

apart from the spat between Sohail and Butch on whether Cook is 'wristy' or not?

Haven't watched a verdict yet, but yesterday dinner they showed England vs India replay as "there isn't much to discuss so far today" wee the words out off the sky team.