The Ashes 2017/18

[wolf359]

Sun is beating down this morning and the pitch is drying out by the second. 3 boundaries already from us. We need to make this count, the Aussies might have the best of the conditions today,

[bonzosbeard]

over 50 each from debutantes, not bad, 238 for 4

[bonzosbeard]

Then lose 3 for 4 runs, hard work undone.

[WestHamByTheSea]

Annoying quick double wicket loss, which perhaps leaves us more or less where we were an hour ago; ie. we could still go for less than 300 or with a good partnership still go around 400. It's hard to gauge how good this hyped Aussie pace attack is given the slight lack of pace in this pitch, but I'm still not convinced by them overall. Lyons seems more dangerous in his own quiet way.

7th wicket just down, and no word of a lie it's that scrawny twat Lyons. Bah.

300, let's just get beyond that.

Then maybe...just maybe, our bowlers can use their slightly superior craft (on paper) on this placid Brisbane pitch even better than the quicker Aussie attack.

[aaronhammer]

With a slow scoring rate this was always a potential problem. 245/4 is ok, but then suddenly 250/7 doesn’t look good.

Need Bairstow to score quickly and try to get us to 300 whilst the tail is there.

[Slacking student]

Bairstow with a weakness against the short ball shocker

A good old fashioned batting collapse, haven't seen one of these for a while

[aaronhammer]

Good from Broad and Ball (and Jimmy) to get us to 302, especially after the mini collapse.

Doesn’t look like an easy pitch to bat on, so hopefully we make it tough for the Aussies, but until they’ve batted on it it will be hard to say whether this is below par or not.

The big positive is that Stoneman, Vince, and Malan all got 50s, hopefully the old guard (Cook, Root, Bairstow) can get runs too in the 2nd innings!

Anyway, it’s lunch and time for me to go to bed!

[westham,eggyandchips]

Doesn’t look like an easy pitch to bat on, so hopefully we make it tough for the Aussies, but until they’ve batted on it it will be hard to say whether this is below par or not.

I think we made it look more tricky than it actually is tbh.

[Bend it like Repka]

8 minutes of highlights available on BT Sport. Absolutely disgraceful that even the highlights are behind a paywall

This by the way. 8 minutes with annoying music behind.

I can accept that live test cricket will never be on mainstream free TV, but the ECB need to think of the long term impact. How can I watch the Ashes with my kid to inspire them for the future? 8 mins on a laptop screen?

We often watch the Channel 5 highlights, but this is ****.

[Bend it like Repka]

Woke up at 3.30 for a wee and checked the score. I knew it was too much to hope for us not to mess it up.

Disappointing, we are a 100 short.

The worry now is Smith. If we can't remove him we are in trouble

[steps]

Typical England, get the Aussies on the rack then let them off the hook.

Saying that Smith is a bugger when he gets in, he’s fighting which is exactly what our senior batsmen should be doing.

Need to break this partnership, one or two wickets in the morning session and we’ll be into their tail and back on top.

[aaronhammer]

The game is still very much in the balance with Aussie’s in a very similar position to what we were yesterday. Smith is the key but equally we need to break this partnership quickly as we can target the next 4 batsmen due in.

The 2nd innings for both are going to be key in this match as I don’t think either team will have a big lead from the 1st innings.

[smuts]

This by the way. 8 minutes with annoying music behind.

I can accept that live test cricket will never be on mainstream free TV, but the ECB need to think of the long term impact. How can I watch the Ashes with my kid to inspire them for the future? 8 mins on a laptop screen?

We often watch the Channel 5 highlights, but this is ****.

Short sighted money grabbers.

[Centre Half]

This by the way. 8 minutes with annoying music behind.

I can accept that live test cricket will never be on mainstream free TV, but the ECB need to think of the long term impact. How can I watch the Ashes with my kid to inspire them for the future? 8 mins on a laptop screen?

We often watch the Channel 5 highlights, but this is ****.

BT Sport coverage has been a bit average but it's cricket australia which sent them the rights not the ecb

[LincolnshireHammer]

I can accept that live test cricket will never be on mainstream free TV, but the ECB need to think of the long term impact.

Why can't it be? I get that overseas tours may not be, but the England home test matches should be on terrestrial at the very least.

What is stopping the BBC rivalling a bid from BT or Sky?

[steps]

[

BT Sport coverage has been a bit average but it's cricket australia which sent them the rights not the ecb

Correct.

Cricket Australia done a deal with BT Sport so they have the rights to show all the Aussie games for a few years to come. Obviously BT did it with this series in mind, the BT coverage pretty much tallies up with any Aussie coverage, wooden and tacky. They haven’t even got their own studio out there.

Don’t get me started on the personel.

[Crouching Peeky]

What is stopping the BBC rivalling a bid from BT or Sky?

and go back to the days of interrupting the cricket for a horse race or the news? No thanks. Cricket coverage has come on so much since moving to Sky, moving back to terrestrial TV would be a backward step financially for the ECB and in viewing experience.

[sendô]

Sky's coverage is streets ahead of the days of channel 4 with ad breaks and cutting out for the news etc. Their analysis, personnel and general coverage is excellent. I've not had the chance to watch BT yet, but given the standard of their football coverage I'm not expecting much.

As to the match, well we feared the inevitable batting collapse in the morning session, but England are still very much in the game. Smith is the key wicket, as he is an excellent batsman (sadly, the weaselly little shithead) - get him early tomorrow and we can have hopes of a narrow first innings lead.

This test is not looking like the high scoring slug fest that Brisbane tests often become. I can't see there being a lot of runs in it either way at the moment.

[Loftyhammer]

This is sooo finely balanced! Maybe Oz ahead a touch? Say this all the time but the first hour is key tomorrow....could be 250 or 450 depending on what we do first up.

Whatever happens we need to be brave in 3rd innings and not roll over - even if we end up losing. It will send a good message for the rest of the series and we need to put as many miles as possible into the fragile Aussie quicks!

[LincolnshireHammer]

I was only a nipper when C4 had their coverage, but for the continuation and survival of test cricket, its best place would be terrestrial TV.

I have grown up with Sky's coverage and commentary from Gower, Bumble, Botham etc, they really do have a classy, talented line up. Matt Smith hosting for BT doesn't sit well for me. Love Mark Nicholas too on Channel 9.

BT Sport getting home coverage of test cricket would be a nail in the coffin I feel.