[Cricket] England vs Australia Third Ashes Test - Leeds 22nd-26th August 2019

[SweatyMexican]

Next time someone tells you cricket is boring you can either smile knowingly because you clearly know something they don't.
Or you could waste your breath trying to explain

People say football’s boring, but when you’re invested in it, you can’t live without it.

...I think my signature sums it up.

 

[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

Brilliant as today was, Smith was not playing. If he was Australia would win this game easily.

Maybe, maybe not, but today is all about stokes, probably greatest ever innings by an Englishman

 

[Hampster Gull]

I think Stokes has moved into the realm of Botham. Yes he is a fantastic cricketer but he is more than that. The opposition see him as iconic just as we did Botham.
Shane Warne had the same affect on the opposition.
Botham won so many series from shear personality as did Warne.
Don’t make him Captain. It didn’t work with Botham and Warne.
We have waited for a long time for the new Botham. Just enjoy him/

Spot on

 

[Badger]

Brilliant as today was, Smith was not playing. If he was Australia would win this game easily.

I get what you're saying, but he would have played instead of Labuschagne, who was the only Aussie to score runs in both innings. I don't think it would have been much different.

 

[Hampster Gull]

Brilliant as today was, Smith was not playing. If he was Australia would win this game easily.

If Smiths aunt had balls she’d be his uncle

 

[jimhigham]

Further to SweatyMexican's post, I was chatting about this with a colleague at work after Stokes smashed the winning runs...

England's cricket World Cup final win.
Manchester United's Champions' League victory over Bayern Munich.
Michael Thomas's title winning goal at Anfield.
Aguerrrrrrrrrrroooooooo!
Reinelt.

And that's just two sports in our little corner of the world. Sport's ability to create the most astonishing drama is remarkable. It does it time and again. It's utterly meaningless in the grand scheme of things yet, sometimes, it means absolutely everything.

 

[zefarelly]

Brilliant as today was, Smith was not playing. If he was Australia would win this game easily.

Possibly. . . . Unless Archer got him. . . .or Anderson . . . .its all Looking so juicy!

 

[dangull]

I get what you're saying, but he would have played instead of Labuschagne, who was the only Aussie to score runs in both innings. I don't think it would have been much different.

Its amazing Labuschagne was not in Australia's squad with hind sight. He's performed better than most of their established batsmen.

 

[SweatyMexican]

Its amazing Labuschagne was not in Australia's squad with hind sight. He's performed better than most of their established batsmen.

Sometimes a bit of hunger and desire from fresh faces spurs them on. Established batsmen (or footballers for that matter) can grow sloppy with no competition behind them. If their place in the team is up for grabs, they’ll be desperate to show they deserve a spot.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

I am of the mind we did the groundwork yesterday, I know we're all chewing our nails off, but if one partnership could reel off a quick hundred the Aussies will start doubting themselves.

Thanks for liking this. By the way I was going out, mate turned up, two pints later, going out!

 

[Triggaaar]

Wow. Astonashing.

 

[Triggaaar]

Brilliant as today was, Smith was not playing. If he was Australia would win this game easily.

If Anderson hadn't got injured, we'd probably have won the first test. If it hadn't rained, we'd have won the second. Today we saw the greatest ever test innings by an Englishman, and you want to hypothesise about if the opponents were different?

 

[zefarelly]

Ifs buts and maybes. . . . .cant wait for the next test, and I sincerely hope both camps make changes to up the Game!

 

[dangull]

If Anderson hadn't got injured, we'd probably have won the first test. If it hadn't rained, we'd have won the second. Today we saw the greatest ever test innings by an Englishman, and you want to hypothesise about if the opponents were different?

Fair point.

 

[vegster]

Think it was Paul Parker in the covers for Sussex. Barclay was a slip fielder.

Indeed, Paul Parker was an exceptional fielder at Cover/Cover Point , the Jonty Rhodes of his day.

 

[BensGrandad]

10 days before the next test will any of our batsmen go back to their counties and play a game.

 

[sagaman]

Ben Stokes, under pressure, simply fantastic!

 

[East Staffs Gull]

10 days before the next test will any of our batsmen go back to their counties and play a game.

Not sure that playing a couple of T20 or second XI games would help them much.

 

[saafend_seagull]

Brilliant as today was, Smith was not playing. If he was Australia would win this game easily.

Erm his replacement was just as good, if not better. How would they have done if we had Anderson in attack ? And if they didn’t have rain on their side? Ashes would now be almost over.


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[BensGrandad]

Not sure that playing a couple of T20 or second XI games would help them much.

I was thinking more of a championship 4 day game starting Wed or Thursday.