The pendulum swung England‘s way in the third Ashes Test and it leaves Australia with a lot to do when the two sides meet again at Trent Bridge from Thursday. You can follow live scores and a blog of the first day of this fourth Ashes Test from 8:00pm (AEST).
LOOKING FOR DAY 2? DAY 2 LIVE SCORES HERE.
Fluctuating fortunes have defined the manner in which this Ashes has gone so far. The games, by themselves have been one-sided and despite being action-packed, have set the marker quite early in the piece. However, predictions at the start of the games have generally gone haywire.
Like Australia began as favourites coming into the series but were easily beaten at Cardiff.
Down and looking like they needed answers aplenty, Australia turned things around with a solid performance at Lord’s. The point to note here is that the ball didn’t swing as much as it had at Cardiff and on what looked a dead pitch, the Aussie bowlers ruled the roost, registering a crushing 405-run win.
And then, just when it looked like those answers had been found and swagger had returned, lateral movement caused Australia’s downfall yet again. They went down by eight wickets at Edgbaston in a game where they only briefly looked competitive.
James Anderson broke their backs in the first innings while Steven Finn re-announced himself at the international stage two years after having played his last Test.
Australia could well be counting their blessings at the absence of Anderson, out injured for this game, but they still to have contend with an in-form Stuart Broad and Finn. And if the Trent Bridge pitch jags around as much as it has shown in the past, the English bowling could be quite handy yet again.
The visitors’ improvement areas include captain Michael Clarke’s batting form, and the consistency of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. There were many occasions during the previous game when the duo left their captain looking silly with their inability to hold their lines and lengths as consistently as he would have liked.
England would also like Adam Lyth to get a few. Despite his poor form, they have continued to back him and it’s probably just the time for him to come good.
Ian Bell showed signs of returning back to his best last game while a strong lower-order performance bailed England out last game. Time also for Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler to collectively thwart the Aussie bowling.
Mark Wood will replace Anderson in the England squad while Australia could look to go into the fourth Test with the same XI that had struggled at Edgbaston unless hit by any last-minute fitness woes.
Follow the live scores and blog of this opening day of the fourth Ashes 2015 Test between England and Australia from 8:00pm (AEST) on Thursday and post your comments in the section below.
Nick
Guest
Apparently, they've been fined four bottles of champagne.
Nick
Guest
Although, Anderson has tended to be more effective on unresponsive sub-continental pitches than Broad, so I think your comments re unhelpful pitches are a bit too broad brush.........no pun intended.
Nick
Guest
Stuart Root has been disappointing but Joe is having a great series!
Nick
Guest
Well if the plan was for Aus to score quickly with a view to getting Eng out to bat while the conditions are still helpful then it has to be Oz.
Emmy
Guest
Can someone please explain to Shane Warne that commentating doesn't equate to talking non-stop? If he didn't repeat everything he says at least once it would help. The English commentators have the ability to make succinct and entertaining comments without feeling they have to fill every moment with chatter - wish Warne would follow their example. I usually mute the sound now when he is on.
Arthur Pagonis
Roar Guru
Points to note about the Australian/England First Innings….. • England have 4 bowlers who can swing and seam the ball, both ways, and magnificently in English conditions. They are experts in their trade in England. • The overhead conditions are cloudy, moist and conducive to movement thru the air and off the pitch. • Australian batsmen are used to hard pitches, far less swing and seam…and they do not have to face the Duke Ball, which is known to swing and seam for 70 overs. • Commentators may well condemn Australia’s batting…but we have not seen what the conditions will be when England bats yet. Perhaps England are counting their chickens before they hatch. • These conditions are reminiscent of Edgbaston, where the Australians only totalled 136. This is a significantly better set of conditions in which to bowl. On this occasion Australia lost the toss…and were forced to bat. It is worth noting that in both of these Tests that England has BOWLED FIRST, Australia has been destroyed. • These conditions are very different from the last Ashes tour of England. The wickets then were lower and slowish…but the atmospheric conditions and the Duke Ball led to Australian losing 3 very close Tests 0-3. • The one aspect which troubles me about the selection of this Australian team is the lack of Pat Cummins/Peter Siddle in the team for Mitchell Marsh, and the selection of only 3 front line fast bowlers. If one was bold one would have gone for fighting fire with fire in these conditions. Rod Marsh and Darren Lehmann have put themselves in a very difficult position with the selection of this Australian team. • I believe that had Australia won the toss they might have picked Pat Cummins/Mitch Marsh/Pete Siddle and put Shaun Marsh in for Voges. In other words, they had contingencies in mind for if they batted or bowled. They would have come to the ground and made a decision to pick an extra batter when they saw the overhead conditions of rain and cloud. But I think they made a huge mistake by not having a 4th quick. They did not prepare to fight fire with fire. They took a defensive stand and now Australia is deep in the mire. • Please do not condemn Warner, Rogers, Smith because they do not see these conditions anywhere else but England. The balls that got them were almost impossible to defend. Michael Clarke quickly figured that batting was a nightmare and tried to hit the loose ball…and holed out to a great catch by Cook. Voges and Shaun Marsh pushed hard at the ball to try and score and went to lovely catches from balls that swung, pitched and seamed and were very difficult to play. The ball that got Pete Nevill swung out and nipped back between bat and pad….impossible for Peter to defend. Mitch Johnson was the best of the batters because his fast bowling knowledge enabled him to pick the swing, and the bounce and the line. But even he had to eventually edge to slips like Starc did. • England had to bat. The weather had fined up when England started to bat and the pitch had been rolled, just as it was at Edgbaston. English batsmen are used to the swing and seam and it took 3 great balls to claim Australia’s pre-tea wickets, while England got 10 before lunch in completely different conditions. That Stu Broad can take 8/15 indicates that he is amongst the greatest seam bowlers in cricket history…and that the wicket suited England and Broad wonderfully. He has never had figures like this before in a Test! • 60 runs might look terrible…but just pay tribute to the bowling on that wicket. It was very full, very accurate, swung both ways, seamed both ways, bounced over stump height…and the catching was very, very good due to the adrenalin rush England were in. Glenn McGrath summed it up brilliantly. “Every Australian top order batsmen was good enough to get an edge to some great balls. You can’t do anything about that!” • At lunch England were 0/13 and it was already evident that Starc and Hazelwood did not have the ability to move the ball in and out thru the air and off the wicket, and that the English quicks know this is the key to their trade. Simply put, England bowlers and batters are better in these conditions than Australia…but not as much as the score of 60 would indicate. Already the sun was out and the wicket was playing beautifully. It was almost as if God is an Englishman and Australia is the Devil. • So the procession continues after lunch as Australia’s bowlers, all 4 of them, quickly begin to wilt. Starc strikes a purple patch under semi-cloudy skies to have Lyth caught behind and Bell LBW, but then he looked like he might throw in the towel once Root and Cook had got on top. Yet his last spell before tea claimed Cook LBW for another fighting 43. • Part of Australia’s problems of course was the non-selection of a 4th quick. Starc, Johnson and Hazelwood were used in short bursts by Clarke in an effort to not tire them out, but there was evidence that they were already tired and sore. Had Pat Cummins been there the Oz would have had some real hurry up, but the Gods of Sun, Rain and Cloud and the Toss of the Coin were all agin us again. 4 quicks on that track at the opening bell would have had England all over the shop had we bowled first. Who said Cricket can sometimes be a raffle? • The ultimate agony for Australia was that the sun shone on England after tea. Root and Bairstow took their partnership beyond the hundred mark and their team’s total beyond 200 despite some of Clarke’s best efforts to prevent them. This of course was just 2 of the players who had been to Australia 2-3 years ago and been assaulted 5 nil by the Oz, so there was not likely to be any sympathy. Nor will the Australian players think that their selectors have done them any favours…it’s just the way cricket goes some days. ARTHUR PAGONIS MANAGING DIRECTOR AUSTRALIA GLOBAL TRADING PTY LTD 10 HERTZ WAY, MORLEY, W.A. 6062 AUSTRALIA PH. 61.8.9377 3833, FAX 61.8.93773877, MOBILE 61. 409918874 SKYPE: apagonis2 WEB: www.ausglobaltrading.com
Midfielder
Guest
About time we burnt some stumps at the SCG and created our own little urn...
AlanKC
Guest
Ouch, that smarts.
colvin
Guest
Well, luckily we have the rugby this weekend.
ColinP
Guest
I think kohli had more of a James Anderson problem than an England issue. I guess the argument against smith is that he is so unorthodox, as I said about his second innings dismissal last week...both feet pointing down the ground. The delivery he got today was ok, but he was looking to work it to leg, and almost got a leading edge...he has technical fallacies to overcome, as kohli had but specifically outside off stump. I think smith has more, I still maintain Kane is technically the best player, with root not far behind
ColinP
Guest
Just enjoy the ride mate, you have to learn to take the rough with the smooth
ColinP
Guest
I think the ashes have gone to england after today
JVGO
Guest
Well that could not have conceivably gone any worse for Australia. You do have to ask some questions about the quality of the leadership and mental preparation after that. The decision to stick with Voges and drop Marsh was pretty incomprehensible.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Clarke's having a chat with the Sky Sports guys and no mention of anything ground-breaking. Just the usual, good bowling from Stuart Broad, good batting by Joe Root, one of those bad days, can fight back, we got to fight, don't give up, etc.
Brains of a bimbo (Atgm)
Guest
Yup colin!just like smith but with an orthodox technique
NickBrisbane
Guest
Maybe time to clean out and start again - bring in some youngsters and rebuild. They would struggle do any worse.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Thanks mate, have a good night.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Yep, the fielders have been looking downcast since the fourth wicket stand began to flourish. Needed to run through the side and restrict the lead to around 150 to have a semblance of a chance, instead they leaked a lot of runs. Looking forward to the press conference later tonight; although not sure if questions around Clarke will be raised with another guy.
Brains of a bimbo (Atgm)
Guest
You can foxtrot oscar!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
End of a day Australia would love to forget in a hurry. Getting bowled out for 60 is bad enough but to then concede 4/274 from 65 at a run-rate of 4.21 says volumes about the discrepancy in the swing-playing pedigree of the two sides. Frankly I am not sure how Australia can get back into this one. Rain. Miracle of gargantuan proportions. Or an exceptional second dig batting effort thanks to a once-in-a-lifetime showing. All of which looks a distant dream for now. Joe Root's still at the crease with 124 to his name and barely looks threatened. England have a longish batting line-up too, what with Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali still to come. A lead of at least 300, if not more, looks quite possible. Australia are already playing catch-up and questions around Michael Clarke will only grow after today's effort. Be back tomorrow for the second day's play in the fourth Ashes 2015 Test as England take that one step closer to regain the Ashes. Ciao.