2017/2018 Ashes Series: 4th Test

Tends to show they are playing early and the wicket is not as fast as usual.

Wonder if Hohns will replace Bancroft and Khawaja? For mine Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscomb both got the rough end of the pineapple.

Not much point in making changes imo, May as well let them see out the series and see of they can redeem themselves

Khawaja still has a test average of 44.33 and has 10 half centuries and 5 centuries in his 27 tests

Bancroft is an up and coming talent who averages 40 in shield cricket and has 11 centuries and 18 half centuries at 25 years old

That being said their numbers in this series aren't where they need to be especially for a top order batsman

Usman Khawaja in the 2017/2018 Ashes

Games - 4
Innings - 6
Not Out - 0
Runs - 162
50s - 2
100s - 0
Average - 27.00

Cameron Bancroft in the 2017/2018 Ashes

Games - 4
Innings - 7
Not Out - 1
Runs - 179
50s - 1
100s - 0
Average - 29.83
 
There’s nobody knocking down the door to get selected anyway. Renshaw was in terrible nick during the first part of the Shield season and there’s no the obvious replacement anywhere else either.
 
I missed the first session pretty much so didn't see this but apparently there are allegations of ball tampering by England ??

According to Fox Sports James Anderson was accused of using his fingernails to dig into the side of ball

Heres the article anyway, Along with a photo

England accused of ball-tampering as umpires step in to question skipper Joe Root


December 29, 2017 12:57pm
By STAFF WRITERS
Source: FOX SPORTS


ENGLAND have found themselves at the centre of a ball-tampering incident as they push to secure their first success on this Ashes tour.


For the first time this series, England are on top — having posted a monster first-innings lead in the Boxing Day Test.

But it was some suspicious activity with their treatment of the ball on Thursday morning as they zeroed in on the Australian batting line-up, with Australian champions Shane Warne, Mitchell Johnson and Michael Slater surprised by England’s actions - and the early appearance of reverse swing.

Captain Joe Root was spoken to by the umpires on multiple occasions after it was noted England players were deliberately throwing the ball into the wicket on its return to the keep in a bid to scuff the ball up.

But eyebrows were seriously raised when Channel Nine broadcast footage of England swing king Jimmy Anderson appearing to dig his fingernail into the side of the ball.

“That’s interesting, you can't get your nail into the ball. That’s a no-no,” said former Australian opener Michael Slater in commentary, before adding that the purpose was to encourage reverse swing.

Fellow Australian legend Shane Warne agreed, pointing to the actions of England paceman Stuart Broad - who instead showed the ball to the umpires.

“I’m not sure you are allowed to use your fingernail there,” Warne told Channel Nine.

“You do what Stuart Broad has just done here, you show the umpire.

“If you are going to touch the ball at all, it’s not just shining it, you want to do it right in front of the umpire so they know there is nothing untoward going on.

“But I’m not sure that Jimmy Anderson — this might get some people talking.”

Former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson noted that England had managed to get the ball to reverse swing — normally a dark art of the game which doesn’t emerge until the ball is much older — in the very early stages.

When challenged by a fan, who argued Australia had also used the tactic of throwing the ball into the turf to scuff it up, Johnson fired up.

“No problem with the ball being thrown at the stumps by both teams as long as that’s all it is! Wouldn’t have thought the ball could reverse so quickly. Oh well,” he replied.

“Are you saying it’s okay to tamper with the ball? I can tell you buddy, I never tampered with the ball no matter what the situation.”


MjkxMjIwMTczfGN4by5jfGh0dHBzOi8vY2RuLm5ld3NhcGkuY29tLmF1L2ltYWdlL3YxLzljYzBjZjYyMGUyM2E4YzYwY2Y2MmVjOGUzYmYyOWEyfDI5MTIyMDE3Mw==



https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricke...t/news-story/9ac61337ead669b85ee57349fd747d91
 
Not looking good on the radar, Lot's of rain around VIC and SA

The rain from SA seems to be tracking over Victoria as well

We have already had 1 rain delay, Hopefully it stays away

bomvic.png
 
They are going off again, Latest Radar images (One at 512km and one at 128km)

More rain coming in from SA later I think

bomvic1.png

bomvic2.png
 
STUMPS - DAY 4

Australia - 327 from 119 overs (RR 2.74)


Cameron Bancroft - 26 (95)
David Warner - 103 (151)
Usman Khawaja - 17 (65)
Steve Smith - 76 (156)
Shaun Marsh - 61 (148)
Mitch Marsh - 9 (8)
Tim Paine - 24 (36)
Pat Cummins - 4 (30)
Jackson Bird - 4 (6)
Josh Hazlewood - 1* (24)
Nathan Lyon - 0 (17)

James Anderson - 3/61 (29 overs)
Stuart Broad - 4/51 (28 overs)
Chris Woakes - 2/72 (22 overs)
Moeen Ali - 0/57 (12 overs)
Tom Curran - 1/65 (21 overs)
Dawid Malan - 0/20 (7 overs)

England - 491 from 144.1 overs (RR 3.40)

Alastair Cook - 244* (409)
Mark Stoneman - 15 (37)
James Vince - 17 (37)
Joe Root - 61 (133)
Dawid Malan - 14 (43)
Jonny Bairstow - 22 (39)
Moeen Ali - 20 (14)
Chris Woakes - 26 (62)
Tom Curran - 4 (15)
Stuart Broad - 56 (63)
James Anderson - 0 (16)

Josh Hazlewood - 3/95 (30 overs)
Jackson Bird - 0/108 (30 overs)
Nathan Lyon - 3/109 (42 overs)
Pat Cummins - 4/117 (29.1 overs)
Mitch Marsh - 0/42 (12 overs)
Steve Smith - 0/11 (1 over)

Australia - 2/103 from 43.5 overs (RR 2.34)

Cameron Bancroft - 27 (42)
David Warner - 40* (104)
Usman Khawaja - 11 (14)
Steve Smith - 25* (67)

James Anderson - 1/20 (11 overs)
Stuart Broad - 0/18 (7 overs)
Chris Woakes - 1/24 (11.5 overs)
Tom Curran - 0/26 (11 overs)
Moeen Ali - 0/15 (3 overs)

**Play abandoned due to rain**

Australia trail by 61 runs with 8 wickets in hand
 
STUMPS - DAY 4

Australia - 327 from 119 overs (RR 2.74)


Cameron Bancroft - 26 (95)
David Warner - 103 (151)
Usman Khawaja - 17 (65)
Steve Smith - 76 (156)
Shaun Marsh - 61 (148)
Mitch Marsh - 9 (8)
Tim Paine - 24 (36)
Pat Cummins - 4 (30)
Jackson Bird - 4 (6)
Josh Hazlewood - 1* (24)
Nathan Lyon - 0 (17)

James Anderson - 3/61 (29 overs)
Stuart Broad - 4/51 (28 overs)
Chris Woakes - 2/72 (22 overs)
Moeen Ali - 0/57 (12 overs)
Tom Curran - 1/65 (21 overs)
Dawid Malan - 0/20 (7 overs)

England - 491 from 144.1 overs (RR 3.40)

Alastair Cook - 244* (409)
Mark Stoneman - 15 (37)
James Vince - 17 (37)
Joe Root - 61 (133)
Dawid Malan - 14 (43)
Jonny Bairstow - 22 (39)
Moeen Ali - 20 (14)
Chris Woakes - 26 (62)
Tom Curran - 4 (15)
Stuart Broad - 56 (63)
James Anderson - 0 (16)

Josh Hazlewood - 3/95 (30 overs)
Jackson Bird - 0/108 (30 overs)
Nathan Lyon - 3/109 (42 overs)
Pat Cummins - 4/117 (29.1 overs)
Mitch Marsh - 0/42 (12 overs)
Steve Smith - 0/11 (1 over)

Australia - 2/103 from 43.5 overs (RR 2.34)

Cameron Bancroft - 27 (42)
David Warner - 40* (104)
Usman Khawaja - 11 (14)
Steve Smith - 25* (67)

James Anderson - 1/20 (11 overs)
Stuart Broad - 0/18 (7 overs)
Chris Woakes - 1/24 (11.5 overs)
Tom Curran - 0/26 (11 overs)
Moeen Ali - 0/15 (3 overs)

**Play abandoned due to rain**

Australia trail by 61 runs with 8 wickets in hand
The rain helps England. Now, they are playing a match they can't lose.

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The rain helps England. Now, they are playing a match they can't lose.

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There is more rain tomorrow, I doubt they will get the full 98 overs which are scheduled

All 3 results are still in play for me but the most likely is a draw and the chance of an Australian victory is about 5%

The options below obviously change due to weather and how many overs there are

Option 1

Smith decides to go for a win, For this to happen they would need to knock over the deficit (61 runs) and have a lead of about 50-60 at lunch

To do that they would need to score at around 3.5 an over

Bat for another 30 overs trying to score at least 3 an over which would give the Aussies a lead of about 140-180 leaving England 30 overs to get 140-180

Option 2

Smith settles for a draw, This one is easy enough....Bat as long as you can and give England no chance of getting the total required

Option 3

England bowl us out for less than say 250 and they they chase a small target to win

Option 4

Noah's Ark is spotted in the middle of the MCG and the game is a draw
 
There is more rain tomorrow, I doubt they will get the full 98 overs which are scheduled

All 3 results are still in play for me but the most likely is a draw and the chance of an Australian victory is about 5%

The options below obviously change due to weather and how many overs there are

Option 1

Smith decides to go for a win, For this to happen they would need to knock over the deficit (61 runs) and have a lead of about 50-60 at lunch

To do that they would need to score at around 3.5 an over

Bat for another 30 overs trying to score at least 3 an over which would give the Aussies a lead of about 140-180 leaving England 30 overs to get 140-180

Option 2

Smith settles for a draw, This one is easy enough....Bat as long as you can and give England no chance of getting the total required

Option 3

England bowl us out for less than say 250 and they they chase a small target to win

Option 4

Noah's Ark is spotted in the middle of the MCG and the game is a draw
I don't think Aussies can get England all out in 30 overs. Off course, miracles do happen. So, in my opinion, an England win or a draw are the only realistically possible outcomes.

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I don't think Aussies can get England all out in 30 overs. Off course, miracles do happen. So, in my opinion, an England win or a draw are the only realistically possible outcomes.

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It would depend on how aggressive England wants to be

If they have to go at 5 or 6 an over will they have a crack or play it safe ??

With aggression comes risk which means the chances of Australia bowling them out increase

Like I said though I give the Aussies a 5% chance of winning, I'd probably say the Poms have a 40% chance and the draw at 55%

One things for sure, If we get minimal interruption it will be a fascinating final day with alot of scenarios to play out and the tactics from Smith and Root will be interesting as well
 
Trevor Bayliss slams Aussie greats, defends Jimmy Anderson in ball-tampering row


RUSSELL GOULD, Herald Sun
December 29, 2017 6:20pm



ENGLAND coach Trevor Bayliss launched a broadside at a bunch of former Australian Test greats after TV cameras caught seamer Jimmy Anderson taking his thumb to the ball on a day of drama at the MCG.

The umpires were forced to intervene in the opening session after the English players continually threw the ball in to the pitch from the outfield in a bid to rough it up and reverse swing their way to victory.

Umpires Sundaram Ravi and Kumar Dharmasena spoke to England skipper Joe Root after a throw from Stuart Broad bounced short of wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow proved one time too many, and there was another conversation during the drinks break.

Anderson was also filmed by TV cameras using his thumbnail on the ball in a way which Aussie legend Shane Warne said was a “no, no”.

“You don’t want to see nails going through the ball,” Warne said during the broadcast.

“It’s just one of those things, they’ve got it to go reverse pretty quickly out there and when they do it’s difficult to play.”

Former test quick Mitchell Johnson also weighed in on Twitter, surprised the tourists were getting the ball reverse swinging inside the opening 10 overs of the Aussies second innings, after which Cameron Bancroft and Usman Khawaja were both dismissed.

Former Aussie batsmen Mike Hussey also said the images of Anderson using his thumb were “not a good look”.

“I know there’s a lot of tactics, but there’s a bit of a line there that you shouldn’t cross in picking the seam of the ball and things like that,” Hussey told cricket.com.au.

Match officials confirmed, after rain ended play early, that both teams had been warned by the umpires for trying to scuff up the ball while fielding.

But they made no issue of Anderson’s work.

Bayliss, who went straight to the umpires after the game when he saw allegations aired on TV, declared his veteran quick was simply “cleaning” the ball and gave the commentators a clip for good measure.

“I didn’t hear what they said. They were players once too. That’s all I’ll say,” Bayliss said.

“You are allowed to clean the ball. And Kumar (umpire Kumar Dharmasena) did say to our guys, he’d like to see them doing it in front of him, so he could see there was nothing untoward going on.

“There was a bit of dirt and mud on the outfield and it does get on the ball, and in some of the seams, and you are allowed to clean it off.

“Watching the footage (of Anderson) and I did see it, if he was scratching it he was scratching the wrong side to go reverse. I’m quite sure that wasn’t the case.”

Bayliss said “every team in world cricket” used the tactic of throwing the ball in to the pitch, and its surrounding areas, to try and rough it up and get the ball reverse-swinging on lifeless wickets like the MCG.

“The umpires spoke to both captains during this game about throwing the ball in to the rough areas,” Bayliss said.

“The umpires don’t want it to go overboard and both teams have taken that on board.”

Aussie all-rounder Mitch Marsh said he had seen nothing “inappropriate” from either team through the first four days of the match.

Anderson is the man in charge of ball maintenance for England, a role once held by former international Ravi Bopara who was twice accused of altering the ball.

Once, while playing domestic cricket in New Zealand in 2009, an opposing coach said he saw Bopara scratching the ball.

A similar allegation was levelled at Bopara during the 2013 Champions Trophy one-day tournament by former England captain Bob Willis.

But no action was taken in either incident.

After England’s victory in the 2005 Ashes in England, former opener Marcus Trescothick revealed that he purposely sucked a certain type of breath mint to help keep the ball shine, and swing, for longer.

“It had been common knowledge in county cricket for some time that certain sweets produced saliva which, when applied to the ball for cleaning purposes, enabled it to keep its shine for longer and therefore its swing,” Trescothick wrote in his autobiography.

And last summer South African captain Faf Du Plessis was found guilty of ball tampering by the International Cricket Council for using mints to alter the condition of the ball in a match against Australia in Hobart, and was fined 100 per cent of his match fee.


https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...w/news-story/7cc014462eaf24be4a3ee09869806bb1
 
Trevor Bayliss slams Aussie greats, defends Jimmy Anderson in ball-tampering row


RUSSELL GOULD, Herald Sun
December 29, 2017 6:20pm



ENGLAND coach Trevor Bayliss launched a broadside at a bunch of former Australian Test greats after TV cameras caught seamer Jimmy Anderson taking his thumb to the ball on a day of drama at the MCG.

The umpires were forced to intervene in the opening session after the English players continually threw the ball in to the pitch from the outfield in a bid to rough it up and reverse swing their way to victory.

Umpires Sundaram Ravi and Kumar Dharmasena spoke to England skipper Joe Root after a throw from Stuart Broad bounced short of wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow proved one time too many, and there was another conversation during the drinks break.

Anderson was also filmed by TV cameras using his thumbnail on the ball in a way which Aussie legend Shane Warne said was a “no, no”.

“You don’t want to see nails going through the ball,” Warne said during the broadcast.

“It’s just one of those things, they’ve got it to go reverse pretty quickly out there and when they do it’s difficult to play.”

Former test quick Mitchell Johnson also weighed in on Twitter, surprised the tourists were getting the ball reverse swinging inside the opening 10 overs of the Aussies second innings, after which Cameron Bancroft and Usman Khawaja were both dismissed.

Former Aussie batsmen Mike Hussey also said the images of Anderson using his thumb were “not a good look”.

“I know there’s a lot of tactics, but there’s a bit of a line there that you shouldn’t cross in picking the seam of the ball and things like that,” Hussey told cricket.com.au.

Match officials confirmed, after rain ended play early, that both teams had been warned by the umpires for trying to scuff up the ball while fielding.

But they made no issue of Anderson’s work.

Bayliss, who went straight to the umpires after the game when he saw allegations aired on TV, declared his veteran quick was simply “cleaning” the ball and gave the commentators a clip for good measure.

“I didn’t hear what they said. They were players once too. That’s all I’ll say,” Bayliss said.

“You are allowed to clean the ball. And Kumar (umpire Kumar Dharmasena) did say to our guys, he’d like to see them doing it in front of him, so he could see there was nothing untoward going on.

“There was a bit of dirt and mud on the outfield and it does get on the ball, and in some of the seams, and you are allowed to clean it off.

“Watching the footage (of Anderson) and I did see it, if he was scratching it he was scratching the wrong side to go reverse. I’m quite sure that wasn’t the case.”

Bayliss said “every team in world cricket” used the tactic of throwing the ball in to the pitch, and its surrounding areas, to try and rough it up and get the ball reverse-swinging on lifeless wickets like the MCG.

“The umpires spoke to both captains during this game about throwing the ball in to the rough areas,” Bayliss said.

“The umpires don’t want it to go overboard and both teams have taken that on board.”

Aussie all-rounder Mitch Marsh said he had seen nothing “inappropriate” from either team through the first four days of the match.

Anderson is the man in charge of ball maintenance for England, a role once held by former international Ravi Bopara who was twice accused of altering the ball.

Once, while playing domestic cricket in New Zealand in 2009, an opposing coach said he saw Bopara scratching the ball.

A similar allegation was levelled at Bopara during the 2013 Champions Trophy one-day tournament by former England captain Bob Willis.

But no action was taken in either incident.

After England’s victory in the 2005 Ashes in England, former opener Marcus Trescothick revealed that he purposely sucked a certain type of breath mint to help keep the ball shine, and swing, for longer.

“It had been common knowledge in county cricket for some time that certain sweets produced saliva which, when applied to the ball for cleaning purposes, enabled it to keep its shine for longer and therefore its swing,” Trescothick wrote in his autobiography.

And last summer South African captain Faf Du Plessis was found guilty of ball tampering by the International Cricket Council for using mints to alter the condition of the ball in a match against Australia in Hobart, and was fined 100 per cent of his match fee.


https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...w/news-story/7cc014462eaf24be4a3ee09869806bb1
Ball tampering should be made legal. Batsmen are enjoying too much these days.

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We are the ones who need the rain.

Warner gone, Sean Marsh his usual reliable one after the ole left hand trait poking the bat at the ball moving across his body.
 
LUNCH - DAY 5

Australia - 327 from 119 overs (RR 2.74)


Cameron Bancroft - 26 (95)
David Warner - 103 (151)
Usman Khawaja - 17 (65)
Steve Smith - 76 (156)
Shaun Marsh - 61 (148)
Mitch Marsh - 9 (8)
Tim Paine - 24 (36)
Pat Cummins - 4 (30)
Jackson Bird - 4 (6)
Josh Hazlewood - 1* (24)
Nathan Lyon - 0 (17)

James Anderson - 3/61 (29 overs)
Stuart Broad - 4/51 (28 overs)
Chris Woakes - 2/72 (22 overs)
Moeen Ali - 0/57 (12 overs)
Tom Curran - 1/65 (21 overs)
Dawid Malan - 0/20 (7 overs)

England - 491 from 144.1 overs (RR 3.40)

Alastair Cook - 244* (409)
Mark Stoneman - 15 (37)
James Vince - 17 (37)
Joe Root - 61 (133)
Dawid Malan - 14 (43)
Jonny Bairstow - 22 (39)
Moeen Ali - 20 (14)
Chris Woakes - 26 (62)
Tom Curran - 4 (15)
Stuart Broad - 56 (63)
James Anderson - 0 (16)

Josh Hazlewood - 3/95 (30 overs)
Jackson Bird - 0/108 (30 overs)
Nathan Lyon - 3/109 (42 overs)
Pat Cummins - 4/117 (29.1 overs)
Mitch Marsh - 0/42 (12 overs)
Steve Smith - 0/11 (1 over)

Australia - 4/178 from 76 overs (RR 2.34)

Cameron Bancroft - 27 (42)
David Warner - 86 (227)
Usman Khawaja - 11 (14)
Steve Smith - 50* (151)
Shaun Marsh - 4 (22)

James Anderson - 1/33 (19 overs)
Stuart Broad - 1/23 (13 overs)
Chris Woakes - 1/39 (17 overs)
Tom Curran - 0/42 (14 overs)
Moeen Ali - 0/28 (8 overs)
Dawid Malan - 0/12 (3 overs)
Joe Root - 1/1 (2 overs)


Australia lead by 14 runs with 6 wickets in hand
 
Forget numbers and equations, Bottom line is we need to bat until after tea at a minimum
 
Literally 4/14 is not good. Someone has to stay with Smith. Can't understand Warner being restrained all morning lashing out a T20 shot just before lunch exposing Sean Marsh who promptly snicked one.
 
TEA - DAY 5

Australia - 327 from 119 overs (RR 2.74)


Cameron Bancroft - 26 (95)
David Warner - 103 (151)
Usman Khawaja - 17 (65)
Steve Smith - 76 (156)
Shaun Marsh - 61 (148)
Mitch Marsh - 9 (8)
Tim Paine - 24 (36)
Pat Cummins - 4 (30)
Jackson Bird - 4 (6)
Josh Hazlewood - 1* (24)
Nathan Lyon - 0 (17)

James Anderson - 3/61 (29 overs)
Stuart Broad - 4/51 (28 overs)
Chris Woakes - 2/72 (22 overs)
Moeen Ali - 0/57 (12 overs)
Tom Curran - 1/65 (21 overs)
Dawid Malan - 0/20 (7 overs)

England - 491 from 144.1 overs (RR 3.40)

Alastair Cook - 244* (409)
Mark Stoneman - 15 (37)
James Vince - 17 (37)
Joe Root - 61 (133)
Dawid Malan - 14 (43)
Jonny Bairstow - 22 (39)
Moeen Ali - 20 (14)
Chris Woakes - 26 (62)
Tom Curran - 4 (15)
Stuart Broad - 56 (63)
James Anderson - 0 (16)

Josh Hazlewood - 3/95 (30 overs)
Jackson Bird - 0/108 (30 overs)
Nathan Lyon - 3/109 (42 overs)
Pat Cummins - 4/117 (29.1 overs)
Mitch Marsh - 0/42 (12 overs)
Steve Smith - 0/11 (1 over)

Australia - 4/225 from 105 overs (RR 2.14)

Cameron Bancroft - 27 (42)
David Warner - 86 (227)
Usman Khawaja - 11 (14)
Steve Smith - 87* (228)
Shaun Marsh - 4 (22)
Mitch Marsh - 10* (97)

James Anderson - 1/40 (27 overs)
Stuart Broad - 1/30 (19 overs)
Chris Woakes - 1/60 (23 overs)
Tom Curran - 0/47 (18 overs)
Moeen Ali - 0/30 (10 overs)
Dawid Malan - 0/17 (6 overs)
Joe Root - 1/1 (2 overs)


Australia lead by 61 runs with 6 wickets in hand
 
Smithy closing in on a century here, With 32 overs remaining and 6 wickets still to get I can't see England winning
 
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