The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

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

Joe Root, captain of England, celebrates during a Test match against Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
1st January, 2018
3

The fourth Test of the Ashes ended in a lifeless draw, a pitch which still would have been good for batting if the Test had of gone ten days being rolled out at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the Boxing day match.

With the Ashes already gone for England, they set about trying to avoid a series sweep and made a decent fist of it, but the match was always heading one way, with neither team able to force a result.

In total, there were just 24 wickets taken in five days.

On Day 5, England took just two wickets in 80 overs. While full credit had to go to Steve Smith, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh for holding them at bay, it wasn’t good cricket by any stretch of the imagination.

That came after England took a big first innings win on the back of an Alastair Cook double century.

Here is how Roarers saw the match with their real-time comments published on our live blogs.

Day 1 – Australia 3/244

Steve Smith wins his first toss of the series
Scott Pryde – Steve Smith finally won a toss. This is a weird feeling. Hopefully Warner has a huge day.

Advertisement

Worlds Biggest – Great to see Smith finally win a toss, that’s his first in 6 games. Big opportunity for the openers to put on a good stand.

The opening partnership builds
Ouch – Warner looking good here.

Ronan O’Connell – Gee this looks grim for England – pitch is flat, as usual, and with the new ball gone they have no weapons left. This looks like carnage coming up.

Is Cameron Bancroft’s spot in some bother?
Geoff from Bruce Stadium – Unconvincing innings from Bancroft. The other opener position appears still up for grabs.

Basil – He does look suprizingly scratchy. Renshaw was out of sorts and I can see why he was dropped, especially with Bancroft in red hot form, but now Bancroft looks like his confidence has left him.

Broad’s over of wides
Jameswm – Ridiculously negative from Broad and Root. Two of them should have been called wide. Umps have to have more match awareness than that.

Warner gets a life on 99, then makes a century
Matthew Pearce – Ah, poor Curran lol. Not really though. Just keep your foot behind the line, no excuse for a no-ball.

Advertisement
David Warner

(Photo by Morgan Hancock/Action Plus via Getty Images)

The game turns after lunch
Boonie – Good fight back by England but what did Australia eat at lunch? Very negative after lunch on what is being called a perfect pitch for batting. Turning over the strike just isn’t happening. Australia unlikely to post 60 runs in a session on this pitch?

Geoff – Jeez Bancroft and Khawaja have been awful today on a belter of a pitch – a combined 53 runs off 160 balls. Is there more in the pitch than we think?

Ronan O’Connell – Khawaja’s very scratchy innings is over – he just hasn’t looked the same batsman this summer, really struggling for any fluency, or to even rotate the strike.

He’s scored at a strike rate of just 40 this series, compared to 54 across the rest of his career.

Australia ahead or behind at stumps?
Fadida – 3/244 – Australia ahead by a mile in my opinion.

Worlds Biggest – Good days play, Aussies are ahead but have had to work very hard for there runs. Bancroft and Usie never looked particularly comfortable out there. Great knock Warner and used his luck to get another ton. Hopefully Smith and Marsh will continue long into tomorrow, it’s going to be a hot day so we need to occupy the crease for most of the day.

Advertisement

Day 2 – Australia 10/327, England 2/192

Australia’s lack of intent and need of a bigger score
Scott Pryde – Australia need to pick up the pace and show a bit of intent here. This match is just sort of spluttering along without much happening on a road.

Ryan H – Halted Aus’ momentum a bit this morning with two strange shots. Partnership here required as 400 should still be in the plans

Boonie – Australia have been very flat since lunch time yesterday. To score 40 runs in a session (on day 1 as well!) is unheard of for an Australian Test team. England have fought back well. Will be interesting to see if Englands batsmen struggle with this pitch

Cook and Root build for England
Ronan O’Connell – This is good stuff from Cook and Root, really frustrating the Aussies, who look a bit flat.

But England have been in decent positions previously in this series and failed to kick on, that’s the real challenge.

Worlds Biggest – Great knock Cook, a long overdue ton down under, batted very well.

Advertisement

Australia’s poor Day 2 effort –
JGK – What a dreadful days work from Australia. Lazy and disinterested for the most part.

Great stuff from England though.

Cook gets a century
Swannies – Great to see Cooky get the ton. He’s had a rough series but is a world class player. Let’s hope for England’s sake he can get his head down and grind out another. Root also needs to go on for a century too.

If England can score 400+ they should go on to win this and restore some pride. Been too one-sided this series and we all want a closer contest. Well bowled and batted England and about time!

Day 3 – Australia 10/327, England 9/491

Root throws it away
Stuart Thomas – Irresponsible shot from the captain and he knows it. Still in front England. Good to see Cummins looking a lot better after his illness yesterday.

England’s dreadful use of DRS
Freofan – They are in a strong position to take a lead now but imagine if they had referred those two LBW decisins. Could have made it a lot harder for Australia.

Advertisement

Damo – Has Cook talked both Vince and Malan out of referring? Surely he would have seen both, or definitely that one?

Cook gets 200
Ronan O’Connell – Fantastic knock by Cook

Alan – Well played sir, great knock

Dingogray – Well played Cook. Outstanding innings.

Alastair Cook

(Photo by Morgan Hancock/Action Plus via Getty Images)

England should have declared
Bill – The way this pitch is playing, England needed to declare before stumps – probably when Broad got out – and have a crack at the Aussies. They have been in the field for more than 130 overs. Would have been a tough period for Warner and Bancroft.

Day 4 – Australia 10/327 and 2/103, England 10/491

Advertisement

Australia make a positive start
Cantab – Long way to go, but a positive start for Australia.

Bancroft departs after a start
Worlds Biggest – Another start for Bancroft but can’t go on with it, frustrating. Usie needs a big one here.

Khawaja joins Bancroft in the sheds
Ronan O’Connell – Gee that is poor technique from Khawaja, squared up completely.

He’s had an awful series – just 162 runs from 4 Tests at an average of 27.

Ryan H – Really thought Khawaja was primed for a dominant series because of his form leading in and outstanding performances at home in the previous two summers.

162 @ 27 has been extremely disappointing, and he’s been dismissed caught behind the wicket on multiple occassions pushing and prodding at the ball outside off.

The pitch. Oh the pitch.
Anon – Curator needs to be changed for next year. Or new drop in pitches from a difference source are used.

Advertisement

Day 5 – Australia 10/327 and 4/263, England 10/491

Australia surprise trying for a draw
Cantab – I’m fine with the way Australia is batting. Grinding out a hard fought draw. Really impressed (and surprised) with Warner.

Matthew Pearce – It’s exactly what we want Australia to do on these situations, rather than just wildly slog and lose the match unnecessarily. Some people are just going to criticise no matter what happens.

Warner and Marsh open the door
Jamesb – Warner throws it away.

Matthew Pearce – 86 from 227 is still excellent, regardless of the dismissal.

He’s been batting for over a day, a rash shot was going to sneak in at some point.

Joe Root

(Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Advertisement

Mitchell Marsh digs in
Rasty – Really impressed with Mitch here at the moment. Looks solid and in control, when his captain needs him. Great stuff.

Jamesb – I think this innings from M.Marsh is more impressive than his century last test. At least he is prepared to dig in.

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