theunderstudy

Also a tremendous implosion from England. Bowling absolute shit to Head and Marsh who look like they're having the time of their lives. Robinson going off mid-over too. No idea why Robinson wasn't rested here and Tongue left in the side if they were that obsessed with resting and rotating the fast bowlers

Fair play to Scotland that is an ugly choke job in the Super Six. Netherlands (ugh) going to the CWC. Spared Scotland getting eviscerated by every other team there but would have been a great achievement for them.

Beating ourselves is the right phrase. We've done more damage to our Ashes hopes than Australia have 

Another drop. I'd love to know how many runs England have haemorrhaged this series from catches. Seems to have not even been worked on 

Also on the Foakes for Bairstow shouts: completely correct and justified. Foakes is better with the bat than Bairstow is with the gloves. Bairstow has cost us potentially two wins already with slipshod keeping

Much better recovery from England. Wood bowling howitzers. How long it lasts we don't know. Getting Smith and Khawaja and Labuschagne gone was good. 

Gareth Southgate on TMS now though in the lunch break. Bring back Glenn McGrath over this ffs

Need to get these two out ASAP. Can't have two "win the toss and field" scenarios in a row and let the opposition bat into a lead 

Recently replayed Stick of Truth and about to finish replaying Fractured But Whole. Enjoyable but the games breeze by so quickly 

Thought I'd posted in here the other day but I've just skimmed the topic and appears I didn't.

Watched Big Trouble In Little China last week when ill. Bizarre, fun, Kurt Russell, all over the place, Carpenter. Not much more you can say other than just a good ride 

Yesterday's takeaways - not a thrilling race as you'd expect. Qualifying and sprint was decent.

1) The McLaren looks faster. Not top 3 fast but at least (can make some dogfights with Ferrari and Mercedes and Aston Martin a little better)

2) That Red Bull is a monster. Nothing is touching it this season

3) Drivers reporting track limit exceeded violations constantly on the radio is very **** grating and it seemed they were all at it yesterday. I'd like to see 5 second penalties handed out for constant bitching at other drivers for allegedly going off the track. Let race control deal with it.

4) I really miss refuelling. Adds a lot more jeopardy to the pitstops and to the speed of the vehicles.

5) Some nice midfield battling going on. There was a point in the sprint where it was Albon-Ocon-Leclerc-Norris, 4 cars with 4 different builds going at it, we know we're not getting a dramatic battle at the front as Verstappen and the RB are too dominant so let's have more fracas in midfield 

I've also seen lots of Aussies saying "we'll withdraw our appeal when Duckett walks for a fair catch being taken".

Two things wrong with that. 

1) Starc catch was not completed as he grounded the ball in the process of halting his movement. If he'd taken that catch then slid over the ropes then it's a boundary (six I'd assume unless he did his little grounding slide over the rope in which case it's four) but for some reason this non-catch is controversial?

2. Duckett DID walk, both innings and was in fact called back by the umpires as he wasn't out. Not that I always agree with walking. Skying it to cover? Run out well out of your ground? Sure, walk. Possibly nicked behind? Low grassed catch? Don't walk. Umpires and DRS are there as it could have come off the forearm or the thigh pad.

Bairstow was sloppy and should have stayed in his ground. Sums up his keeping in general which is why we should have picked Foakes anyway. Australia should have withdrawn the review but didn't legally have to... but it nearly lost them an unloseable game by galvanising Stokes who had prior to this been an empty shirt in the team, and fired up the crowd. A shame that it will now be nigh on impossible to even draw the series let alone win it.

Won't last but it's brutal stuff

Survives thanks to Starc dragging it along the floor. The catch rule needs to be no contact with the floor at all or the catch is grounded. This whole "fingers partially under the ball" is nonsense

Another brain dead sky to a boundary fielder. Duckett realises he can hit the ball along the ground right?

Just another poor shot at a telegraphed short ball. Sigh.

Pope has looked awful in this series so far. Under obvious regimes he'd be under real pressure for his place

Crawley of course can't resist chasing one flying down and edges behind. Moron

1 minute ago, PaulC said:

I didn't understand why they didn't just bowl Lyon a yorker. 

Because that's a sensible option and not outlandish funky cricket. It's **** bizarre how their brains work. He can barely move his back leg which is in front of leg stump either. Thankfully we don't have to watch England bowl for a while. We do unfortunately have to watch them bat 

Australia gifted another 20 runs because England seem to think they need the extra challenge to chase about 400 runs to save an Ashes series. Jesus christ. 

Lyon can't move, Starc can't run because Lyon can't, what do england do? Pitch it consistently short so both batters have an opportunity to hit a boundary. This England side has zero **** common sense 

All Australia can do is heave it away so **** try and bowl some yorkers!! Tongue and Broad throwing pies to be clouted away instead 

Australia paying England back with some awful flapping at the short ball

I'd like to see some direct questioning of Stokes in the media about his team and their reckless approach and why they haven't tackled this like they did India, South Africa and New Zealand, all of whom have good attacks that were played aggressively but not stupidly 

Just as well Woakes and Foakes weren't picked.

We **** did wear them out yesterday!! We were like 188-1 and knocking them around the park at nearly 6 an over. Australia have gone from way behind in the game to firmly in control merely by bowling short and hoping each England batter in succession is smooth-brained enough to keep flogging it to the fielder. And they've obliged.