Great stuff. Usually at this stage you would wait until you're all out or declare sometime tomorrow afternoon if you reach that stage. To declare with less than 400 on the board, day 1, and with a RR of 5 is unheard of. I fancy us to get two wickets before close of play....
If we do get 2 wickets in around 4 overs it will have been worthwile but I dont expect any more likely Australia will finish on around 15 for 0 . Personally I think its a bit too risky.
Drat I was out by one run So Australia start tomorrow effectively starting their First innings 379 behind - I think we should have batted on and tried to get 400 maybe 420 which was definitely possible with Root still there, but I still think we needed at least 450 as a first innings
I think part of the plan was to keep Anderson totally fresh for his 3 over attack but then, he didn’t open ! My theory was blown
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricke...f-heavyweight-ashes-bout-20230616-p5dhae.html Good piece that and very fair. You can't beat the Sydney Morning Herald for Australian Cricket coverage.
I think the timing of the declaration was brilliant but after three days of Labuschagne and Smith taking Australia to nearly 700 on a batsman friendly pitch they won't need to bat again.
If England had been 3 or 4 down and not gifted their wickets away we'd still be batting tomorrow morning. All Stokes had left was the element of surprise. Good declaration but his hand was forced by inept batting.
Two horrible looking shots there. Not get labuschagne like that very often. Probably made Smith more focused, if that's possible.
Marnus won't have seen many golden ducks in his entire professional career of international, Sheffield Shield, Big Bash, and anything else.
Brought on the all rounder for a bowl, who already has the great Kane Willamson down as one of his victims.
He got a golden duck in SA a few years ago. He’s got relatives in that country and they all turned out to watch him play for Aus. Apparently there was a lot of ‘em as well