50 and out for Tector. Another one for Tongue.

And Root gets one.

Stokes took the straightforward catch, then his hand went to his knee...

comment by Blue Heaven (U20912)
posted 27 minutes ago
Stokes took the straightforward catch, then his hand went to his knee...
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He's facked very much doubt he'll see out the full series.

Ashes squad named:

Ben Stokes (Durham, captain), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Matthew Potts (Durham), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Josh Tongue (Worcestershire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham).

Leach getting hammered it's only Ireland

Need a wicket ffs

Adair gone for 88, Potts the bowler. Good innings but he got one wrong eventually.

5 wickets for Tongue. England need one more.

Very comfortable win for England. Next match is liable to be a wee bit tougher.

What a pointlessly uncompetitive test

Was a good work out. Now the real stuff begins" bring on Sand paper Smith and the rest

At least they made it a loss by 10 wickets rather than an innings which considering how far behind they were and with a retired injured bat, was a decent effort. Obviously England probably could have batted on and scored another 500 runs but it was a dead pitch.

I know Leach has been given more belief by Stokes but sadly he's a very average spinner. I love him and he's the best we've got but he's poor against left handers. Thankfully the Aussies best 2 players are both right handed. Root is usually pretty handy but he got some tap today.

Oh and big up Crawley with that match winning 12*

In all seriousness, it wouldn't have surprised me if he nicked off first ball so at least he knocked the runs off with ease albeit only 11 needed. He's now scored 471 runs this summer at just over 39 so if he can maintain that this summer then it means he's had a good series.

A final thought on the Irish, they've some talented players, especially in the batting department. How they can be supported is the main thing.

There are some good ideas but putting them into practice like getting players into the county game or putting Ireland into the county championship don't really support them building a bigger network of players so they need a FC championship of some kind with maybe the 4 provinces and Northern Ireland. How that works practically I don't know but its mental they have test status given they don't play FC cricket

comment by Emile Death Rowe (TCM) (U8959)
posted 16 hours, 4 minutes ago
Oh and big up Crawley with that match winning 12*

In all seriousness, it wouldn't have surprised me if he nicked off first ball so at least he knocked the runs off with ease albeit only 11 needed. He's now scored 471 runs this summer at just over 39 so if he can maintain that this summer then it means he's had a good series.
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MaTcH dEfInInG iNnInGs

Jack Leach out of the Ashes with a lower back stress fracture.

I mean he's the best we got....but this is turning into a bit of disaster

He is a very unlucky cricketer, isn't he

Let’s be honest here, we were not going to beat the Aussies even with Jack Leach.

They will rip through our top order and we won’t be able to get Smith and Labuschagne out.

Ahmed looked decent in Pakistan.. so hes a good replacement and not bad at batting either

comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 43 minutes ago
Let’s be honest here, we were not going to beat the Aussies even with Jack Leach.

They will rip through our top order and we won’t be able to get Smith and Labuschagne out.
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This feels like a very pre Stokes as captain defeatist attitude to be honest.

comment by Emile Death Rowe (TCM) (U8959)
posted 1 hour, 1 minute ago
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 43 minutes ago
Let’s be honest here, we were not going to beat the Aussies even with Jack Leach.

They will rip through our top order and we won’t be able to get Smith and Labuschagne out.
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This feels like a very pre Stokes as captain defeatist attitude to be honest.
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It is a bit. But I just think the Aussies are too good for the way England play.

I liken it this way. If we had gone out all attack against City yesterday we would have got hammered.

Now, if what the commentators said during the Ireland match is true and that Stokes has asked for flat pitches like Lords then we might be able to draw a couple of games

The way England play has been overstated as reckless when in reality its just an a positive approach that works for the group of players selected. Bar Stokes' charge down and hacks across the line, the rest of them are playing just good cricket shots. It's fairly similar to the Bayliss approach but they are now in an environment where the messaging is crystal clear.

The level the Aussies are at has also been overstated as well. They're not like the 05 team where they were pretty much man for man better than us.

I don't see many draws unless the weather impacts the game.

Does feel like it's all going a bit Pete Tong.

Stokes doesn't look like he'll be able to bowl and they won't drop the obvious batsman to enable another all rounder to get in. Now Leach is gone who would have been the one to bowl the long spells so the others can rest.

Can definitely see there being at least one Test where the bowlers get absolutely cooked.