I don't even follow cricket but Alastair Cook sure does make the news here a lot for all the wrong reasons.

Bring back Kevin Pietersen. He made cricket mildly entertaining to read about.

@_HR..what ? Unlike the former ? punchy Vice Captain ? Cook will come good, he's a talented batsman.
Kevin Pieterson is commentating for TV. Vince & Stoneman have taken their first innings on to 1 out for 107 as I post.. Steady progress.

Stoneman out for 53 ( I think) blamed by Cummins, score 2 out for 127 Vince has 72 runs. In comes Joe Root with 4 balls left until afternoon tea break

Bloody self correcting script s/w..Stoneman Bowled by Cummins

Pretty much honours even after day one, so far as you can tell before you've seen both sides bat. Maybe a slight edge to Australia, but no killer blows yet.

I missed the last session, was having a nap...still recovering from the exertions of the previous evening.

You're right Octavious, England 4 out for 196 runs at the end of day one..."evens" another 50 odd runs would have given England the advantage, another wicket for 196 would have given Australia the advantage.
Day 2 a bit warmer, bit more humid. Even though there was no early breakthrough by the Australian bowlers, the two English batsmen were not looking comfortable and only scoring slowly.. Then two quick wickets & England were 6 for 249 runs, and now Lyon has knocked over Woakes for a duck & England are 7 for 250 runs. Lyon has played well, Bowled 24 overs on day one conceding only 44 approx runs, effected a brilliant run out. Now with two wickets on day two and looking like he could get more..he's been a key player in Australia starting to get a definite advantage.
Can England get to 300 runs with only 3 wickets left ?

Ho ho, great Cricket. From 4 for 196, England added 50 runs to get to 4 for 246 runs, then the wickets started falling to be 4 for 286, then in the last over before lunch the ninth wicket cell, which delays lunch by up to half an hour.. A chance for a catch to dismiss Broad was dropped with the score at ( I think ) 296. Broad got them past 300....just...All out for 302 runs & Lunch.
Which is nicely timed for the opening batsmen for Australia.. They get plenty of time to prepare, time for a shower, change, spot of lunch & prepare to bat..Better than coming off hot & sweaty & only having ten minutes.
302 runs for the first innings is no disgrace. It's about "par". But England would be disappointed not to have got closer to 350 runs. The Australian bowlers did well, got the last six wickets for 56 runs, and got them by lunch time. So you would probably rate today's "morning sessions" as a win for Australia.

Oh what an error in the first part of that post.. 4 for 196 overnight to 4 for 246, to lose four wickets to be 8 for 286 runs is correct ( Not 4 for 286 )

England's bowlers have started well, Broad & Ali each getting an early wicket to have Australia 2 out for 30 runs...the partnership of Steve Smith & Warner, now batting is going to be crucial.. If England can get another wicket soon then they will be encouraged. Smith & Warner probably need to stay in and score 150-180 + runs / get Australia close to/past 200 runs for Australia to have any chance of setting up a lead on first innings

Huge wicket for England..Warner out ..3 for 59

Crikey, I went to the library to collect two books that I had requested a week back..get home and those wascally Poms have taken another wicket..now it's 4 out for 84... Great comeback by the English team. Test Cricket at it's best.

Enter the captain to steady the ship, and once again the day ends honours even.

Tomorrow we see if the famed Australian tail is as robust as we're led to believe. I have a feeling we'll end the first innings with an Australian lead of around a quarter century. Down to wire? Looks like it might be :)

I missed the last hour & half.

Well after a late night working a 7 pm to 3 am shift & then sleeping in to 2 pm I've been watching the cricket..great batting by Steve Smith & Pat Cummings & as I post Australia are 9 out for 306 runs..a lead of four runs so far..now I had better start to get ready for another shift chasing fence jumpers etc.

Australia, all out 328, Steve Smith 141 not out. Excellent Ashes Test Cricket.

Why do I never bet on these things? :(

Cricket is such a fasinating tactical brilliant if slow game full iof sudden excitments and slowly builing prssure......

Ohhh no thats Diplomacy...Test cricket Sux bring back the Matlidas, Hawthorn ..thank god for the A-League.

20/20 is ok.

and just too really get you going I'm a Yorkshireman. No not a pom . I'm from where real cricketers come form ..The ones that make the Aussia cry like little babies .

Larwood v Aussie ....gotta love bodyline..

OK Smokey Gem, I'll let the Hawthorn bit slide because S Burgoyne is a champion & I have met one of Yorkshire's great cricketers..Bumbles Boycott.
About four years ago, during the Adelaide Test Cricket match, I meet "Sir" G. Boycott & we are chatting & my all-time favourite memory of Boycott playing cricket is when Dennis Lillee bowled him out at the WACA with a cracker of a delivery, that is pitched at off stump, swings away in the air, then cuts back off the pitch to hit middle & off stumps, going inside Boycott's defensive stroke..so I tell Boycott this & he remembered the whole thing and is still cranky about it...years afterwards. But I apologise for finding Joy in that dismissal and explained it as, well I am an Australian & he was the opposition..so he accepted that & gave me his autograph. Then a day or two later I meet Ian Chappell, who makes it clear that he wants to remain anonymous, so I just call him sir as in yes sir, no sir & pretend that I don't know who he is, but I decide to rattle his chain a bit, so I tell him that I've met this absolute cricketing legend..Bumbles Boycott and wax lyrically about how Bumbles is a really superb gentleman, affable, easy to get along with etc etc and what a champion cricketer he is etc etc..And all through this Chappell is getting crankier and crankier..so I keep winding up Chappell more and more by chatting about Boycott. Glorious fun. Unsurprisingly, I don't have Ian Chappell's autograph.

Annoying GC sounds like a very underhand tactic :-)

Bumbles has/had one of the fastest test centuries despite his slow rep.

The game has changed to favour batsmen too much..

Use a Log in 20/20 and one dayers .

But get a thin edge bat for tests and let bouncers go...the batsmen have enough protection..unless very very unlucky.

@_Smokey Gem...It was Ian Chappell, not Greg, but I understand your quip referencing an infamous underarm bowling incident.
Blimey, I wake up today & England are five out for 151 runs. Cook out yesterday playing a rash hook shot, top edge & caught I think at fine leg. In the short time I've been watching England have lost another wicket, a stumping off Lyon's bowling & a bit after that it's 6 for 158 now... a lead of 132

Highest successful run chase in a Gabba Test match.. 7 for 236.. So if England can set a 220-230 run lead...

England.. All out for 195 runs..lead 169 runs. Target for Australia to win ...170 runs

The word "bugger" springs to mind. Any chance of rain on the horizon? :p

Not unless that horizon extends to the Papua New Guinea Highlands. Too late, Australia has won by ten wickets. I missed the morning's play today. Now that it's done & dusted I can comment in a limited way in a form of Internet chat room, the Forum.. I've had three late night shifts over the past three nights "chasing fence jumpers" or simply deterring them at the major event site for our local "Schoolies"..8,000-10,000 young blighters "invaded" the district this year...so I am rather fatigued. got to bed at 6 am, to be lovingly awoken by the dulcet tones of Her Imperiousness,The Fire Breathing MemSahib at 11:15 am. Had a few absolutely Golden moments with various young miscreants whilst enduring hours of "doof doof" music(?)..and fortunately I avoid the front of stage crush and intense noise these days and operate in the rear areas. It's going to take a few more good night's sleeps for the aging body to recover.. Feet, legs, hamstrings & lower back are definitely creaking.

More importantly, how does England's Test Cricket team get back on the front foot and win the next test ? Cook failed twice in the openers batting spot..do they keep him in the team, and as an opener, or drop him down the batting order ? How do they improve their bowling attack ?
Australia seem to have the bowling attack performing well. Batting..first innings was shaky apart from Steve Smith. The openers & No 3 seem to have done much better in the second innings.

schoolies are cool as
idols
nah they are bad
but ashes is good
go aus

I am suspiciuosly quiet after that debacle.

Be quiet MM or I may have to give you the english wicket keeper kiss. Like wot B got.