[Cricket] The Ashes- England v Australia- 1st Test, Birmingham, June 16 - 20, 2023

[Bold Seagull]

And here's to you, Ollie Robinson
England loves you more than you will know
Woah woah woah

God bless you please, Ollie Robinson
Middle stumps is cartwheeling away
Hey hey hey, hey hey hey

 

[Seat Stealer]

At what point will the Aussies start to play for a draw.? Slow scoring rate at the moment and only need to lose a couple more wickets, should Khawaja stay at the crease, they may just dig in!

 

[Titanic]

MO!!!!

143-5

Head's gone.

 

[dazzer6666]

Geddin !

 

[The Wizard]

4-2-4-W

 

[Pevenseagull]

f*** off Travis Head.

 

[Bedsex]

How am I supposed to get any work done this afternoon?

 

[Pevenseagull]

Moeen Ali

All that pressure built up and he goes for 10 from his first 3

 

[pasty]

COME ON ENGLAND
COME ON ENGLAND

This is going to be a tense afternoon

 

[Machiavelli]

4-2-4-0-W

Amended slightly for accuracy

 

[Ethelwulf]

Target under 100 now

 

[pasty]

Think the Aussies have got this now

 

[Audax]

Think the Aussies have got this now

Aussies have a very long tail. England need 2 wickets (Green or Khawaja, Carey) and suddenly the Aussie situation will look dire.

 

[Ethelwulf]

Aussies have a very long tail. England need 2 wickets (Green or Khawaja, Carey) and suddenly the Aussie situation will look dire.

Boland is their worst batsman and he got 20 on this pitch !!!

 

[The Wizard]

England in trouble now I think, nothing much happening

 

[Ethelwulf]

Stokes unfit and not being able to bowl has not helped

 

[Triggaaar]

Aussie's to lose.

The conditions we had to bat in on Sunday might be the difference.

 

[Audax]

Boland is their worst batsman and he got 20 on this pitch !!!

And? It's still a long tail, and Boland got 20 because England forgot how they got him in the first innings. Aussies lost their last 4 for not much in the first innings, having looked like dead-certs to take a decent first innings lead. IMO, if the bowlers get 2 they'll have the next 3 not long after. Only way I see the Aussie tail seeing it out is if Khawaja bats through and does a very good job of farming the strike.

Right now, I think it's 50-50.

 

[Simster]

I should have put money on this. This was always Australia's to lose as we just didn't score enough. Even after those late Broad wickets it wasn't a situation that couldn't be resolved with a bit of application from just one batsman.

As it is, the pitch is still pretty good, Jimmy is not in a rhythm (although has bowled a couple of class overs), Broad bowled loads first up, Stokes is clearly not right, Moeen is struggling with his hand, and Robinson looks a bit off the pace. Oh and Khawaja is well set now.

 

[The Wizard]

Khawaja just looks like a man absolutely determined not to get out, impeccable batting it must be said.

Just can’t see England skittling the last 5 wickets for less than the required amount, not with how this pitch is playing, lack of crowd involvement also plays a part, very quiet today.