Adelaide Test next

Out of curiosity, Major, aside from Smithy who of both current squads do you reckon would be good enough to make the 2005 teams?

I'll have to think about that...because it's not only a question of who might make it in, but who do you take out

Yay West Aust won a thriller a couple of days ago..

@ OCT...LOL..

The light in the darnkess is an on coming train...

As to take out put in ...none out both taems were better then...

PS I can spell I just cant type o r be bothered checking ..

Yay Adleaide stats tomorrow. or as us poms and expats say....OMG not again....

I can’t watch the tests as I don’t have satellite tv but who would you say has the upper hand at 187/4

Well I thought about it, the only player in this Australian Test Cricket team I'd consider is Steve Smith.. But then who do you take out ? A team is exactly that.it's the combination of players and those 2005 teams were great teams.
Hoorah !!! Adelaide Oval..one of the great Test Cricket venues..despite it's modernisation it still retains some of it's former glory.
England won the coin toss..and decided to bowl ??? After some hot weather a cold change blew into SA late Thursday so today, Saturday it's only 18°C with intermittent light showers of rain.
There were a few rain delays in the first session.. This is a "Day/Night" game. Scoring has been slow. England did not bowl well in the first session.. too short..you have to pitch it up at Adelaide. They've improved in the afternoon and evening sessions.
As I watch now the score is 4 out for 190 runs.
If Australia can get through to the close of play tonight without losing another wicket, then I think they could be regarded as taking the points for today.
One more wicket and it'd probably be "evens", although the low score might count against Australia
Two more wickets, or more and England take the points

At the end of play on day/night one, the score is Australia.. Four out for 209 runs..so whilst England did well to restrict the runs scored, they just didn't take enough wickets imho

I make that assessment of the first day on the basis that when you win the coin toss and decide to bowl, and then only take four wickets, then I think your strategy has failed.

@ BV 17..you do know that the Australian Test Cricket team and Australian Cricket fans have certain superstitious beliefs ? And that the number of runs you mentioned is significant ? Being 13 runs less than 200..like other numbers, 13 less than 100, 13 less than 300 etc.

Adelaide day 2. The first session.. Yet again England's bowlers Bowled too many balls short..in Adelaide you HAVE TO PITCH IT UP, get the batsmen trying to drive..get the edge & take the catches. So although Broad took an early wicket, Australia scored comfortably, if a little slowly and moved their first inninings score along to six out for 306 runs at the afternoon tea break. As I watch now in the second session of today's play the score is now 7 out for 324 runs.
So you would think Australia could get to 350 runs, and that would be an excellent first innings score. I think England's strategy of choosing to bowl first has failed..Australia have batted for four sessions & are into the fifth, made over 300 runs & could get to 350.

7 out for 355 & Marsh on 82...is 400 runs possible ? Plus the probability that England will have to start batting later today/tonight. There's starting to be some speculation on a declaration later on by Australia

Yes..Hoorah.. 7 out for 402 runs Marsh scores a Test Century.. Will there be a declaration ?

Yes, Australia declare ( their first innings finished ) at 8 out for 442 runs of 149 overs with Marsh top scoring with 126 runs not out. In the last over ( Broad bowling ) Marsh hit two fours then hit a 95 metre six run shot straight back over Broad's head & down the ground.
Now if Australia can take two wickets tonight...the pressure on Cook to score runs is immense.

We’re going to get whitewashed again :(

Bit early for that, BV. Australia took two days to get 442. It's a good total, but too slow. England will bat for a day and a half and get around 300 or so. There will be a decent Australian lead, but not enough time to do anything about it. The way Australia can win is a particularly bad England batting collapse (possible, but not likely) or if Australia decide to tempt England with a gettable target to win the game in the last day.

Well a few spots of rain and tonight's session finished early..10 overs plus five balls avoided..a bit of luck for England.

Shouldn't make any difference, though. They can make that up over the next couple of days easily enough. Unless there's more rain in the forecast?

Just looked... It's around 20 degrees with sunny spells. Looks like a good English summer.

Yes Octavious.. Time is the key..if Australia bowl superbly and England bat badly then an Australian win is possible..( I cannot see how England might win )... Would Australia enforce the follow on if given the chance ? That would depend on how quickly they can dismiss the English in their first innings..and you'd think a follow on unlikely.. The opportunity to give the bowlers a rest rather than work them too hard in the second test of a series has gone considered.
Given that Australia won the first test, their priority is probably to deny England a win and a draw might be acceptable.. But the opportunity to get a second win and go two - nil up would also have huge appeal.so I expect the Australians to go hard for that second win. England are one wicket down for twenty nine runs..so still over 400 behind... A few quick wickets in the first session tomorrow and a collapse is quite possible

The Australia of old would never have considered accepting the draw regardless of the score in the series. This lot... who knows?

Oh I think they will go for the win to go two nil up in the series.
It's just that I think a draw is a possibility. So Australia have a good chance to win, or draw..I think it's unlikely that England can win from here. So England's only really got draw or lose...so that I think makes it even more likely that they might lose.

Two wickets early in the first session of day three..England 3 out for 50 runs when Root was dismissed... A long way to go..can Cook put together a big, long innings ? This is the time when he needs to perform.

I feel like the bowl of flowers in Hitch Hikers Guide.

Well, that's a shame. Australia can now have a bit of fun for a session or so a target of 350+. A day and a half of defensive cricket to look forward to. Might as well stare at a poster of Mike Atherton for a day.

I'm surprised they've got quite so relaxed an attitude though. I know it doesn't matter whether they're 150 all out or 150-for 1 declared, but it does erode the aura of indestructiblity they've been building up.