Ashes 2025-26.

[sussexpob]

Honestly cannot suss the deck out all, and I think this is fairly common considering the press have covered the entire spectrum of opinions on who is ahead after Day 1. The pitch at points looked pretty docile and the wickets don't make good viewing for the Aussies, but there was a consistency in the false shots and errors across the day that opens up the possibility that the pitch might have some subtle variations in bounce in it.

Take Weatherall for instance. He played 3-4 cut shots early in the innings all to essentially the same length/width ball, and despite being lined up perfectly in position to get over the ball and hit it into the offside, each time he ends up playing the shot early anticipating the ball coming through quicker. In between that Carse got a straighter short ball past his pull shot onto the helmet, again Weatherall was through the shot early. With each passing shot, Weatherall became more tentative, and by the 3rd cut shot he was trying to account for the lack of timing by rolling his wrists to put the ball over the slips in the air and not trying to time the shot down into the ground. He ended getting out to a ball that he seemed paranoid to play with natural timing, and attempted to hang on the back foot and flick it with no backlift at the very latest point, and ends up late on it that time and skied it.

The same problem was evident for the other Aussie bats. Head was too early onto the drive and puts it in the air despite being well set to hit the shot. The ball was there for Labu to pull into the leg side, but he again seems to misjudge the timing off the pitch. Green again is early on the shot and begins to roll his wrists to attempt to check the shot. As I said, maybe you can't discredit this being bad batting, but when all the batsman seem to be struggling to time the ball when in generally good positions to play through strokes, it does usually indicate a two-paced nature in the surface.

The curator was quoted as saying the pitch would be a 10 wickets for 300 runs per day sort of pitch, so his own prediction is pretty close to reality.

[sussexpob]

Either way, whether or not the par score is 350 or 550, the fact is England have played themselves today into the game. Tomorrow is the "now or never" moment, they have to bat well enough to get passed Australia and set a total that takes out the toss from the equation - batting on day 4-5 can change here if spin comes into the game, so the par score does drop here a lot. I expect with the heat and conditions, the pitch will dust up quicker than normal too, so we might even see spin factor earlier than normal.

Lyon will be key for the Aussies. Jacks did get some balls to turn sharply in the middle of the day., especially in the rare occasion he got his length right.. maybe too sharply for England to be comfortable batting last. Score 500-550 and that might be academic. In Australia, you have to take the opportunities when they come. Well, today an opportunity arrived.... a lot of people's jobs depend on England seizing that.

England didn't bowl particularly well, especially Jacks who ended up having to bowl a lot of overs as predicted.... they have to take the gift offered to them.

[mikesiva]

Steve Smith is missing. Good stuff.

England have been handed a few advantages with pre-test injuries and illnesses. They haven't seized them yet, will Smith's absence make a change?

The Usman Khawaja: Meandering to the Finish Line story has some more chapters left. He definitely has a point or two to prove - and in the eyes of a large section of the Australian public, he is on a hiding to nothing, unless he has a stupendous innings/test.

With that 82, Khawaja has created a nice problem for Australia selectors.

[backfootpunch]

Just seen the carey snicko clip

What a farce

Hes smashed it and been given not out because it didnt sync. Which is a clear error with the version of snicko they are using.

In the first game jamie smith was given out despite it not syncing up. Its BS inconsistency.

[sussexpob]

Just seen the carey snicko clip. What a farce

Carey has since come out to say he hit it, and Snicko have apologised for a technical error.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Wonder if Stuart Broad has commented!

[Durhamfootman]

Lyon will be key for the Aussies.

I'm going to hazard a guess that England's top order will gift their wickets away and then Lyon will rip out the tail because England can't play spin. 250 tops

[backfootpunch]

Lyon will be key for the Aussies.

I'm going to hazard a guess that England's top order will gift their wickets away and then Lyon will rip out the tail because England can't play spin. 250 tops

A few drives to back of a length against the new ball no doubt

Lyon will trap stokes LBW is my NAP

[GarlicJam]

Just seen the carey snicko clip. What a farce

Carey has since come out to say he hit it, and Snicko have apologised for a technical error.

In the interview I saw, he said that he may have feathered it - and went on to say that if he HAD been given out onfield, he would have reviewed it, but not with full confidence.

So, it is nowhere as near cut and dried as being reported.

[Durhamfootman]

Just seen the carey snicko clip. What a farce

Carey has since come out to say he hit it, and Snicko have apologised for a technical error.

In the interview I saw, he said that he may have feathered it - and went on to say that if he HAD been given out onfield, he would have reviewed it, but not with full confidence.

So, it is nowhere as near cut and dried as being reported.

I'm not sure that fits the 'same old Aussies, always cheating' agenda, so it can't be true.... and this is important, because that mantra will form a large part of the 'we wuz robbed' fiction that will surely follow or precede the UK tabloid ritual evisceration of the England players

[GarlicJam]

it is one of the great things about the Ashes, Durham.

What's the use of watching test cricket without a post-match evisceration?

[Durhamfootman]

indeed

[Durhamfootman]

250

tops

[Durhamfootman]

I fully expect Australia to be batting again by the end of day 2

The England bowlers will have had no rest.... again..... and Australia will use the resulting lack of energy to rack up a big 3rd innings score, to which England will reply by falling in a heap in less than 40 overs

apologies for stating the bleeding obvious

[backfootpunch]

I fully expect Australia to be batting again by the end of day 2

The England bowlers will have had no rest.... again..... and Australia will use the resulting lack of energy to rack up a big 3rd innings score, to which England will reply by falling in a heap in less than 40 overs

apologies for stating the bleeding obvious

You dont think Will Jackalitharan will spin us to victory then?