Ashes 2021-22.

[sussexpob]

It's salt in the wounds too that it's Travis Head, the man who couldn't score a single 50 for Sussex last season in the CC (and who decided not to bother turning up for several games) who did the damage.

In fact, he might have scored more today then he did for us in 7 matches. I guess he can use a bat after all

[alfie]

Have to hand it to the Aussies : they were challenged today by some very good pace bowling from England - particularly from Robinson and Wood , but Woakes , after an indifferent start , bowled some testing stuff and even Stokes looked dangerous (in his initial spell) apart from the fact that he was consistently bowling no balls...

But Warner and Labuschagne got through the tough bits (albeit with a fair bit of good fortune for Wee Davey) and cashed in against the hapless Leach. And then Head combined with a mounting injury list to snuff out a spirited England resurgence . Right on top at 343/7 and set to go one up over the next couple of days barring a Strauss Cook Trott second innings (unlikely) or a great deal of bad weather.

Enjoyed today despite my team's suffering as it was for the most part a proper contest between bat and ball and never less than absorbing. Just hope the presumably crushing win coming up for the home team doesn't serve to suck all the life out of the later matches. Going to need to bounce back in Adelaide ; so hopefully they are due a bit of good luck as they're likely to need it...

[yuppie]

Nice toss to loose it looks like.

Interesting view here on the no ball situation. Stokes having probably bowled 18 of them but only called on 1

[from_the_stands]

G'day chaps, greetings from the land down under. Well what a start to the Ashes this is. And that first ball is up there with the Harmlesson delivery back in 2006/7. Not a great start for the Old Enemy, who look badly under done. The Gabbattoir seems to be living up to its reputation. Keen to see how Cummins handles being captain. Stoked to see Alex Carey given a gig; it was really cool having Gilly present him with his baggygreen. As for the tourists, they're in more trouble than the early settlers. Stokes looks stuffed, and Leach has been taken to the cleaners. I thought that Wood, Robinson and Woakes all bowled pretty well, and must all be cream crackered after having to pick up the slack created by Stokes and Leach. I was a bit surprised the Poms left out the tall blonde haired English medium pacer. Chuffed by Travis Head, who simply had to make runs in order to keep his position in the Australian team.

I hope everyone is well. I'll try and be a bit more present this summer, especially with a whitewash on the cards. I'm over this bloody pandemic, but I am enjoying the Red dawn that has been unfolding at Anfield.



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[Durhamfootman]

good to see you back on, old buddy

[Arthur Crabtree]

Hello Stands.

No reason to presume the Baggies won't wrap this up tonight, unless there's rain. England batting under the pressure of a deficit when they flopped having won the toss... I suppose Aussie pitches often flatten out considerably afer a couple of days, but I'm not convinced England can make many more than 300 even on a good pitch. They'll do well to take this to day four.

[bigfluffylemon]

Welcome back fts.

The injury list is most frustrating. Why can't England keep bowlers fit for more than half a game? It's not as if they are overworked.

Meanwhile you just know Australia will play the same bowlers five games in a row with no problems.

[yuppie]

Nice to hear from you FTS

Australia not changing their bowlers backfired last summer when only Pat seemed to carry a threat through out the series.

I think Jhye will get a game and that we will see some bowler rotation. If they learnt anything from last summer of course

[GarlicJam]

Meanwhile you just know Australia will play the same bowlers five games in a row with no problems.

The Aus bowlers certainly have had their injury history though. Look at the captain, how many years did he miss after his first test? Starc too, Pattinson probably the worse off.

None worse than Simon Jones though.

[Arthur Crabtree]

This has kicked off early.

[bigfluffylemon]

Lot of talk about Leach and how he may have been hit out of the series yesterday. I think that's an overreaction. He was put in an impossible situation - a second day Gabba wicket (Lyon averages 38 in the first innings at the Gabba, for comparison), a green pitch, batsmen with their eye in and out to get him, and no cushion of runs to bowl against. It doesn't get much worse than that.

Leaving him out for the whole series on the back of one bad day would be a mistake, IMO. He's demonstrated his value to the side.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Fifty partnership. Maybe you can bat on this.

Press saying this is now a flat track.

[bigfluffylemon]

Meanwhile you just know Australia will play the same bowlers five games in a row with no problems.

The Aus bowlers certainly have had their injury history though. Look at the captain, how many years did he miss after his first test? Starc too, Pattinson probably the worse off.

None worse than Simon Jones though.

Since 2017, I think Cummins has missed two games due to injury. He's played every test of the last four Australian summers.

Not exactly an injury problem any more.

[mikesiva]

Starc out for 35.

Australian lead grows while Head continues to score freely.

[mikesiva]

G'day chaps, greetings from the land down under. Well what a start to the Ashes this is. And that first ball is up there with the Harmlesson delivery back in 2006/7. Not a great start for the Old Enemy, who look badly under done. The Gabbattoir seems to be living up to its reputation. Keen to see how Cummins handles being captain. Stoked to see Alex Carey given a gig; it was really cool having Gilly present him with his baggygreen. As for the tourists, they're in more trouble than the early settlers. Stokes looks stuffed, and Leach has been taken to the cleaners. I thought that Wood, Robinson and Woakes all bowled pretty well, and must all be cream crackered after having to pick up the slack created by Stokes and Leach. I was a bit surprised the Poms left out the tall blonde haired English medium pacer. Chuffed by Travis Head, who simply had to make runs in order to keep his position in the Australian team.

I hope everyone is well. I'll try and be a bit more present this summer, especially with a whitewash on the cards. I'm over this bloody pandemic, but I am enjoying the Red dawn that has been unfolding at Anfield.



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Welcome back, mate!