The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Golden Moments: How Roarers saw the Second Ashes Test as told through their comments

6th December, 2017
Advertisement
Alastair Cook. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
6th December, 2017
14
2074 Reads

We have a bit of a break before we head to Perth for the third Test and England will be ruing a missed opportunity after having a chance to win on the last day in Adelaide.

England were well and truly out of the game after two days of play, but they fought their way back with a barrage of good bowling and some impressive lower order batting.

In the end, it counted for nothing as Australia’s bowling attack ran through them on the fifth day.

The conversation on The Roar‘s live blogs indicates Australia dominated most of the match, which they indeed did.

Here’s a summary of the Test as told by the comments of Roarers in real time.

Day 1 – Australia 4/209

Joe Root elects to bowl first
Jameswm – Panicked decision showing a lack of confidence in their batsmen

Rellum – If we see off this opening spell the decision to bowl first will be a bad one. The best time to bowl with a pink ball is the first our of the night session.

Advertisement

Ryan H – Makes some sense; England clearly wanting to make use of their strengths first up; but it’s undoubtedly a bold call. Must take probably two minimum in the first session.

England’s slow start
Danwain – Don’t want to jinx it but England look incredibly unhappy here, Australia with a chance to really cash in.

Ronan O’Connell – Good rain break for England – they look flat as a tack after their bizarre decision to bowl first.

Cameron Bancroft gets run out
Mattw – Warner sold Bancroft down the river there, said no, then started off on the miss field only then did Bancroft take off to run.

Tully 101 – Broad letting Warner know about it as well. Interesting reaction after only one wicket and after also losing the firt Test by 10-wickets

On Peter Handscomb
Rellum – Handscomb is giving me palpitations every ball.

Another first day of slow scoring
Basil – Tough cricket. This would have to be the slowest scoring Ashes series I’ve seen in a long time. Two teams terrified of losing and therefore not willing to take risks.

Advertisement
Dawid Malan bats in the Ashes

(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Day 2 – Australia 8d/442, England 1/29

England’s better start
Ryan H – Exactly what Eng needed to do, that was as plumb as can get. You could tell from the first couple of balls that there would be a little bit on offer for Broad

Jameswm – Perfect start for England, but our unwanted pair are fighting back. An hour of these two would put Australia well on top.

Ronan O’Connell – England have bowled really well today, Australia have done well to only lose one wicket.

Joe Root’s defensive captaincy
Jarryd – Root has the mindset of an U12’s captain. Oh a pull shot, better put someone out there. Didn’t think we’d see a more defensive captain than Cook.

Rock – Root is such a reactive defensive captain.

Advertisement

Anderson bowls a short ball and gets pulled for 4 so Root drops the mid-wicket back, why for one bad ball.

Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine and the DRS
Jameswm – A few fist pumps there. Hope he makes the best of it.

Gilly used to get out soon after being dropped, almost like he didn’t think he should be there any more.

Pat Cummins in no rush
Doug Graves – So Cummins is 0 after 34 balls, does anybody know what’s the record for balls faced to get off the mark?

Marsh hits a century
Damo – Full credit to Marsh. We’ve needed a 6 that can stand up and stop middle order collapses. He’s 2 from 2 now despite his checkered history.

World’s Biggest – Great knock Marsh, what a vital innings that was. Once again he keeps the doubters quiet including myself. Should be an interesting session tonight.

Australia bowling too short
Damo – That’s why you bowl full. You might go for more but more chance to take wickets.

Advertisement
James Anderson drops a catch

(Photo by Philip Brown/Getty Images)

Day 3 – Australia 8d/442 and 4/53, England 10/227

Joe Root gets out
Ouch – Bye Joe

Ryan H – Oh dear…it might completely unravel from here

Alastair Cook disappears
Damo – The way Cook was lunging, that was nothing else but inevitable.

‘The GOAT’ takes a screamer

JD St George – What a catch! Nathan Lyon was flying.

Advertisement

Jamesb – Lyon must love bowling to left-handers like Cook, Stoneman, Malan and Ali

England fighting back before tea
Edward L’Orange – Good time for the break I think. England just getting nudging a nose back in front, despite excellent bowling.

Overton and Woakes partnership gets dangerous
XI – The Aussies seem to have lost focus and discipline during this partnership. Too confident the wicket would just come rather than trying to bring it about.

England bowling too short
Rellum – The English bowlers have been so poor tonight. Anderson is way too short.

Not enforcing the follow-on
Basil – The fear of enforcing the follow on could give England a sniff.

Reullum – We could have had Starc steaming in tonight bowling his yorkers. We really missed a opportunity to kill them off.

Geoff from Bruce Stadium – If there was ever a time to enforce a follow on this was it. Australia had the chance of taking 4 or 5 top order English wickets in conditions that suited the quicks but were too timid to take it. But with a lead of 268 and 6 wickets still in hand I think I know whose side I’d rather be on. Interesting situation. By taking the conservative option of batting again the Aussies have given the Poms a sniff. But you would think it will be a more even contest tomorrow afternoon. If Australia can get to a lead of between 350 and 400 it should be enough.

Advertisement
Nathan Lyon takes a classic catch

(WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images)

Day 4 – Australia 8d/442 and 138, England 10/227 and 4/176

Another soft Peter Handscomb dismissal
Edward L’Orange – He’s in real trouble now. He did not look good, and with Maxwell getting 96, he’s under pressure.

And it’s just annoying, we needed him here.

Brian – Handscomb looks like going the way of Gary Ballance.
The selectors may yet achieve their dream of Marsh at No 5 and Marsh at No 6

The need to bowl under lights
Rock86 – It’s not even about the runs here, as we probably already have enough, but it’s about batting time so we get a crack at the English batsmen at the right time for best wicket taking period.

England weren’t out of it
Ryan H – Lucky Aus have so much on the board. Do they have enough? They probably do, but England could go close if they actually apply themselves at the crease which they haven’t really shown they can do that.

Advertisement

Cook and Root the key
Swannies – This will be a phenomenal run chase for England to haul in 350 but Cooky and Root are capable of anything. Let’s hope they make a decent start.

The best since Warne
Simon – I think it was exactly two years ago in the first D/N Test we were talking about how much Lyon had improved a lot.
But now he’s really improved, like out of sight. Can’t remember enjoying watching a spin bowler bowl so much other than SK Warne

England are a chance
Geoff from Bruce Stadium – Wow. What a scenario. You’d have to think England are a real chance tomorrow with Root batting so well and Bairstow and Ali still in the sheds. I give them a real chance. And Smith only has himself to blame with his negative captaincy allowing England back in to the match. Smith will be having a sleepless night tonight and will be praying his bowlers get the job done for him tomorrow.

Steve Smith reacts sad Ashes 2nd Test.

(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Day 5 – Australia 8/442 and 138 defeat England 10/227 and 10/233

The importance of early wickets
Scott Pryde – Here we go. Gotta get Root early.

Tom M – Joe Root the Key. Him, Bairstow and Ali need to hang around

Advertisement

Controversy surrounds the wicket of Woakes
Ben Conkey – So if that was given not out by Aleem Dar, would snicko have been enough to overturn the decision? Hot Spot seems to be so inconclusive.

Ronan O’Connell – Not sure how that Woakes decision could be controversial – clear nick sound, bat was miles from anything else it could have clipped, and there was a result on the snicko as the ball was passing the bat. Good decision.

Root’s wicket signals the end
Pedro the Maroon – That’s it. Unless someone does a Faf du Plessis.

Ryan H – England’s 2nd innings batting capitulation has ruined their chances two tests in a row.

Joe Root dismissed during second Ashes Test

(Photo by Mark Brake – CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images)

You and your mates can celebrate XXXX GOLD’s partnership with Australian cricket by donning your very own XXXX GOLDIE cap this summer. The more times you catch up, the more chances to win a share in $350,000 in prizes. Full details here.

close