The Ashes First Test Lords Thursday 21st July..Day 3.

[ozzpower]

Originally Posted by Occasional Fan

Glad to hear it. I am not joining the rain-dancers. To me, there are few things more frustrating than watching or listening to rainfall when there is a cricket game to be won. England can't win this by sitting in the pavilion. Let's get out there and play for it.

ahh a voice of reason cmon aussies

[John]

Four miles from Lords light drizzle. Cheer up England.
1030 start unlikely.

[John]

No start before Lunch rain is heavy.
Dickie Bird says Australians were awesome.

[Occasional Fan]

Aw, bugger it! Guess I'm just going to have to read some Harry Potter then.

There is a thread open now for discussion of the Day 4 events - "Sticky" at the top of the International Test Cricket forum.

[Paoli]

Originally Posted by Beny

Dont think he was any worse than other English Batsmen... In the heat of the momment, whilst Tresco and Strauss we're getting runs, I was going to kill Alim Dar. That one against Strauss was plumb.

That'll be two death threats against Alim Dar this year

Unfortunately due to the Tour de France on SBS i could only watch until it was 30-0, despite the fact that SBS cut back whenever there was a wicket for some brief analysis and a quick replay. As for Ian Bell, how can I judge him on one test? The fact that a bloke named Graham Thorpe was dropped and has subsequently retired. Pietersen has shown his worth so far and really has the chance to go on and make a massive score. Has been one of the few to play Warne with moderate success, although a few balls have plain boggled him.

Dean Jones: "Trescothick should never play for England again". I'm amazed at how little cricket him and Advanced Hair watch. They have no idea that he has improved a heap since the last Ashes Series and definitely the one before that. He goes that because he's had eleven tests and averages 26 they should pull the plug. I've got my doubts, as I wrote, but I think England supporters should say that this is Tresco's first test against Australia because he has come on in absolute leaps and bounds since 02-03.

[Trescothick]

How does the critiscm for Tresco still continue after the innings he just played?? The whole point is we shouldn't be getting ourselves out but only get out to brilliant balls... He waited so patiently and played Mcgrath and Lee brilliantly and that is not arguable.
He looked a bit shaky to Warne's spin but then again SO DOES EVERYONE, even Pietersen, his team-mate looked nowhere near comfortable. He infact started to get the hand of Warne smashing him for two boundarys til the unfortunate brilliant ball got him out.

I think on the performance of today, we can say hes a class opener and if he can now just continue that hard work and come through Warne we have ourselves a succesful opening partnership. Strauss was brilliant but got himself out.

Stop criticising the openers after that partnership but look at Vaughan who can't even protect his stumps, Bell and Flintoff, who i feel they can all come good in this series but haven't looked it at all so far!

[Beny]

How does the critiscm for Tresco still continue after the innings he just played??

He was getting slaughtered! He was lucky twice and Lee, Warne and McGrath were all over him. He got a few lucky fours and one or two decent shots and pre-meditated sweeps.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Beny

He was getting slaughtered! He was lucky twice and Lee, Warne and McGrath were all over him.

There's nothing wrong with looking a mess and needing a bit of luck if you are still there after the 1st change bowlers have started tiring and are able to see the danger period off without the middle order being exposed... and by making a huge effort to move his feet... and by doing what Nasser did and just playing the line of off-stump rather than playing the line of the ball.... Tresco did at least half a job - great.

The question with Tresco is this: are England taking maximum advatage of his strengths.

Most folk seem agreed that Tresco's at his best when he can start putting bat to ball. In REAL Test cricket (like this Test, and unlike the pathetic excuse for Test cricket we've had too much of lately) that means AFTER the shine has gone on the new ball... and AFTER the openers have done their jobs for 2-3 hours - by which time he's generally out.

Coming in at 5 or 6.. most probably against tired bowlers and a soft ball with a worn seam... he'd be able to show why he's so highly rated... but at present he's looking merely "just about adequate"... in the same way that a generation of other England batsmen have been made to look "just about adequate".

ps. He's at least looking more adequate than Hayden right now: that guy HAS to go down in history as the most over-rated flat track bully ever.

[Trescothick]

Originally Posted by Beny

He was getting slaughtered! He was lucky twice and Lee, Warne and McGrath were all over him. He got a few lucky fours and one or two decent shots and pre-meditated sweeps.

No... there was some great bowling but Tresco resisted any edge at all, there were no dropped catches, because there weren't any to have. He was playing the first proper test innings i've seen from anyone this series.
He didn't look uncomfortable except against Warne but he even smacked him for a few boundries..

Your lucky you don't have your batsmen facing CONSTANT good balls, so your players look more impressive. But Tresco did a great job under the circumstances.

Agree with most of what Rachael said, he is perhaps in the wrong position but he looks better than adequate more often than not.