Cricket thread

[one-eyed]

https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1667872810121715713

[Diocletian]

More Pakistanis celebrating in the replies than Aussies....

[WilliamPowell]

Nice to won it, glad we did

But the real tests start their week

THE ASHES 

[Diocletian]

Surely Starc comes out for Hazlewood or Neser. Poms will slaughter him.

[WilliamPowell]

Surely Starc comes out for Hazlewood or Neser. Poms will slaughter him.

Would hope not

Starc may leak runs but he certainly helps Lyon by creating rough.

And I simply wouldn't risk Hazlewood. Dare I say it...injury prone these days

[Diocletian]

How often does it actually work though? He's a momentum killer. Poms will just hit him out of the attack before he bowls enough overs anyway. Conditions just don't suit him over there. Same as they didn't suit Johnson. Can't just play him to rough up the pitch and clean up the tail who smash him as well half the time these days.

[WilliamPowell]

I agree that Starc is an "all duck no dinner" bowler

When he is on, he is brilliant when he isn't he well sulks

But I am not sure having 3 pacemen of which 2 basically bowl the same (Boland and Hazlewood) is the way to go either. Right now Bolamd is a much better option than Hazlewood so to me he plays it is a no brainer.

I just think Hazlewood is a huge risk, he simply can't stay fit. I think it's 2 test in over 18 months now.

Certainly will be interesting to see what the selectors do.

TBH I am more worried about our openers 

[one-eyed]

Shubman Gill fined for getting on twitter and still sooking about being given out  .

https://twitter.com/ShubmanGill/status/1667581278365929472

---------------------------------------------

"India’s Shubman Gill will also face a sanction for appearing to criticise the decision to give him out on the fourth day of the Test, breaching article 2.7 which relates to public criticism or inappropriate comment in relation to an incident occurring in an international match. The young opener has been fined 15 percent of his match fee. In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to Gill’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period," an ICC statement read.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/cricket/wtc-final-2023-shubman-gill-fined-for-his-social-media-post-india-penalised-for-slow-over-rate/ar-AA1csEhu

[one-eyed]

One change: Hazlewood in for Starc.

Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood

England XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad, James Anderson

Aussies lost the toss and will bowl first.

https://twitter.com/cricketcomau

[mightytiges]

Despite a flat wicket under sunny skies and our defensive field placings leaking singles, it's somehow ended up a reasonable session from the Aussies on that pitch. Boland getting Crawley out with the last ball before Lunch was crucial.

Eng 3/124

Wickets to Hazlewood, Lyon and Boland.

[WilliamPowell]

England 3/124 at lunch

Starc left out for Hazlewood

Crawley out right on lunch for 61 off 73 balls

Awful pitch, a road

But having said that Australia were very poor. Defensive field placings, poor bowling and very predictable

Starc gets dropped because they were scared he'd leak too many runs. 

Poms going at 4.65 runs per over

[one-eyed]

Eng 5/240 at Tea.

Hazlewood and Lyon with the wickets that session. We got two quick wickets including Stokes not long after Lunch but the Poms have steadied with Root & Bairstow.

Lyon getting Brook out was one of the most bizarre dismissals you'll ever see  .
https://twitter.com/WisdenCricket/status/1669702501753397249

[one-eyed]

England declared to bowl and try to get a breakthrough before stumps but it didn't work.

Eng 8/393 declared ..... Lyon 4/149, Hazlewood 2/61, Green 1/32, Boland 1/86, Cummins 0/59.

Aus  0/14 .... Warner 8*, Khawaja 4*

[Andyy]

Flat as a tack.

Subcontinents would be proud.

Barring any stuff ups/collapses this is a draw already.

[WilliamPowell]

Poms went after Boland

Smart move

Aust 1st innings will decide this test.

Bat well it will be draw, collapse and the Poms will win

The useless ICC need to do something about these pathetic test pitches.

Day 1 wicket playing like a day 2 or 3 deck is laughable