England v Australia - Test 1, Cardiff 8th - 12th July

England

Lyth
Cook
Ballance
Bell
Root
Stokes
Buttler
Ali
Broad
Wood
Anderson


Australia

Warner
Rogers
Smith
Clarke
Voges
Watson
Haddin
Johnson
Starc
Lyon
Hazlewood



Officials

Umpires - HDPK Dharmasena and M Erasmus
TV umpire - CB Gaffaney
Match referee - RS Madugalle
Reserve umpire - NGB Cook



Toss

Won by England who choose to bat.

Thought the match could do with it's own dedicated thread

Blimey, August already?

Think England will win this one, particularly if they bowl first.

Absolutely right, Tiger. Thanks.

What a fantastic gig Nick Cook's got as reserve umpire. Scoff as much free food as you want, sit back and watch the cricket and collect a cheque at the end!

You have to be paid to eat Laver Bread. would love to be in the TMS box, waffling on while eating cake.

This series could go either way. Key for England is how well Wood does and Broad plus Ali has to stand up and be counted. Australia have lost Harris which is a blow but their seamers maybe just have the edge but Lyon has toiled on this tour. I will opt for England to win the series 2-1.

So what's the route map from here then, Craig?

Covers on as light rain starts to fall.


Only a brief shower, toss still due imminently

First task accomplished by Cook - win the toss and bat.

Please bat at least the first hour, skipper, pleaseeeee?

England cannot win under Cook as a captain.
And here I don't mean the series.
But even a single test match in this series.

Nevertheless may Eng compete and we see a good series

I think playing over here is the leveller.......

Your team couldn't win down under but I think with English conditions.....

You have every chance..

I'm reading the feed..............Start has been delayed because of rain......Now it's stopped..some stupid ceremony crap is taking place...

Just play the game.....geez..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:I think playing over here is the leveller.......

Your team couldn't win down under but I think with English conditions.....

You have every chance..

England couldn't win over there for one simple reason, and it had very little to do with the conditions. It was because nobody had the bottle to play Mitchell Johnson properly.

I think I would even like David Warner a little bit if he shaved that rat on his upper lip.

I see the traditional British weather is operating as expected for the (delayed) start

Batting first despite overcast conditions ? Well it will give us an early idea of how England's top order cope with the Australian quicks - which I do think will be key to the series. For all the agonising over spinners and balance of attack I reckon England will be able to bowl Australia out often enough to win matches , provided they can put some respectable scores on the board.
In Australia , the batting was regularly blown away. They have to do better on home ground.

Oh yes :and they also have to hold their catches.

Just about ready to go...

Gulp

Looks like a dreadfully slow pitch.

Damn, leading edge from Lyth, well taken by Warner.

No footwork from Ballance.

Starc was poor and whipped of to be replaced by t'other Mitch.

Not too terrifyingly bad a start for England - 34 for 1.

This pitch is absolutely rancid

Bad ball to try and cut by Cook.

LondonTiger wrote:Bad ball to try and cut by Cook.

A typical after drinks break shot I reckon.

Now time for Bell to stand up and be counted for the first time in a while. 43 for 2.

England trying to take Lyon on for the sake of it, rather than assessing the current state of the match.

Pitch is sloooow, bounce quite uneven. 400 a decent target, particularly batting first?

Oh dear another Bell failure.

Bell standing up as always...

Still think we should have bat first Olly?

Good ball to get rid of Bell there.

Trouble!

Oh well 5-0 to the Aussies coming up

Gregers wrote:Bell standing up as always...

Still think we should have bat first Olly?

Yes the pitch is horrifically dead, as is our batting!

I can't understand the decision to bat first to be honest, with the recent weather the ball was always going to do a bit.

Not looking so good now

Bit of a surprise to see Cook falling to Lyon like that - he'll be annoyed with himself , as he'd looked pretty good against the pace bowlers.
And Bell's horror run continues...

Clarke has used his bowlers well this morning.

Root probably destined to make a double ton after surviving those first three balls! Little nick to deny lbw; Haddin dropped him; then he was nearly strangled down the leg side.

I think England should have bowled first as well, but never mind. Australia batting last could still be a significant factor.

As horrendous as expected so far! Time to turn off cricinfo I think and check how bad it all was later

Hard chance dropped by Haddin, should have got it though

Ballance looks uncomfortable

I do greatly enjoy this time, though, because all the knee-jerking begins on the BBC; its fast becoming the national sport of England!

Ballance's footwork looking a little awkward, but he's ever-so-watchful and mindful of his off stump.

This pair really have to see this through to lunch. 55 for 3. Another wicket before lunch and it will be a calamitous morning for England (if it hasn't already been that).

Haddin may have dropped this match with root

I wouldnt go that far yet Olly, even if Root is our one world class player

alfie wrote:Not looking so good now

Bit of a surprise to see Cook falling to Lyon like that - he'll be annoyed with himself , as he'd looked pretty good against the pace bowlers.
And Bell's horror run continues...

Clarke has used his bowlers well this morning.

Alfie - Lyon's a smart operator though and so is Clarke in his use of him as you suggest. Yes, Cook's dismissal was something of a stolen wicket but good cricket from Australia.

Lovely to watch Root bat when he plays like this.

Wow! What a fantastic start by England...just what they would have been hoping for to stamp their authority on this series...


*wakes up*


*cries*

Duty281 wrote:Root probably destined to make a double ton after surviving those first three balls!

might need to do just that if England are to even scramble to 250 here

guildfordbat wrote:

alfie wrote:Not looking so good now

Bit of a surprise to see Cook falling to Lyon like that - he'll be annoyed with himself , as he'd looked pretty good against the pace bowlers.
And Bell's horror run continues...

Clarke has used his bowlers well this morning.

Alfie - Lyon's a smart operator though and so is Clarke in his use of him as you suggest. Yes, Cook's dismissal was something of a stolen wicket but good cricket from Australia.

Yes. Cook clearly wanted to get after Lyon - even to the point of a couple of uncharacteristic sallies down the pitch : perhaps a bit of overeagerness on that cut shot ; which looked a bit close to play to my eyes. Still he puts a lot of those away... we cant ask them to play positively and moan about the occasional mishap.
Unfortunate that Bell came and went so quickly afterwards...he did get a good ball. Which you do when you're out of form...

Root playing some nice shots after that early escape.

Apparently it's the usual stinker pitch..Glamorgan is famous for...

I wouldn't let them bid for test matches..They are only interested in five days of takings..

English batsman getting into their stride now. Aussies need a wicket soon to try and stop the bowling rot that is setting in

Clearly Australia's session, but a good, spirited counter-attack towards the end.

Lyth was guilty of playing across the line - a criminal act at so early in the Test, even more so given how he nearly perished a few balls previous to that in the same manner - and Bell was the victim of a good ball.

Cook played with a silly, pre-meditated ideal of attacking Lyon from the start, even though the match situation demanded something more sensible. His timing was off, and so was he.

Ballance has been watchful, and has started to settle. Root looking in good touch, but Australia are at fault, partially, for bowling much too short to him.

400+ has to be the aim.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:I wouldn't let them bid for test matches..They are only interested in five days of takings..

In a fairness Truss Glamorgan were quite happy to screw Cardiff Council over for 4 and half million so I guess they got no problems in trying to make a few quid off their masters in London

88 for 3 at lunch. England would have expected better but the way it went it could have been a lot worse. My first road map of the series and England must look to get to tea for no worse than around 175 for 5. And look to get to close of play around 250 for 8 at worst.