An Ashes Five-fer: Day 4 at Brisbane

1) WAKING UP LIKE IT’S 1999: Going to bed with Joe Root on 50 and waking up a few hours later to the words: “Australia won’t ask for the extra half-hour to finish this”, is like being transported back to the days when dozing off came with a public health warning. When England start to go, they disintegrate. Steve Smith’s unbeaten 141 tilted the balance, but the disappointment of losing big tomorrow morning, after competing hard for three and a half days, is troubling for the camp.
You realise why Australia is a hard country to tour when you see how quickly the game went away from England.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) November 26, 2017
2) PROACTIVE NOT PASSIVE: Root and Mark Stoneman started the day in relative comfort. This was the reward for their survival of the fittest cameo in the cauldron last night. However, Stoneman became stymied by Nathan Lyon until the Australian found the inevitable edge. England will need to find a way of quashing Lyon’s confidence rather than giving him any more content for his phoney PR war.
3) GETTING IN, GETTING OUT: Trevor Bayliss said 160s win matches, not 60s. He didn’t cover 30s, 40s and 50s of which there were plenty from the England camp. If there is a lesson to be learnt, it is not giving it away. Root’s irritating habit of not converting half-centuries into tons was a worry anyway. Losing his wicket the ball after reaching 50 was just too much to swallow.
The England skipper trapped in front just before the lunch break! #Ashes #ohwhatafeeling @Toyota_Aus pic.twitter.com/MqjPJBb6Iu
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) November 26, 2017
4) ENGLAND TOO FLAT TO FIGHT: Traditionally, Australia have struggled to chase down small totals in the Ashes, so technically there was a chance. Chris Woakes and Jake Ball could not produce any real pressure after Broad and Anderson threw everything at it. Moeen only bowled four overs after struggling with a cut on his bowling hand in the first. The tourists were too inward-looking to make a contest of it. Coming back for the last rites will be hard.
How’s stat?!
Andrew Samson BBC Test Match Special statistician: Australia have been bowled out chasing scores of 170 or less nine times in Test history. Six times it has been against England.
5) THAT ENGLAND TAIL: It wasn’t quite the runless nightmare of the Mullally/Tufnell/Giddins axis of 1999, but the tail was knocked over far too easily which was like a horrible throwback. Losing three for one at the end after Bairstow and Moeen had given England a sniff meant Australia didn’t have to waste any mental energy in seeing that target rise over 200. Even Ashley Giles at eight wouldn’t have been enough…
Need a Drink …..
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) November 26, 2017
Latest
-
News
‘My experiences at Yorkshire were always good’, says Ajmal Shahzad
Senior players at Headingley “took me under their wing”, says the former fast bowler.
-
News
Bangladesh hopeful of hosting Sri Lanka despite lockdown
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) remain hopeful...
-
News
Sachin Tendulkar hospitalised with coronavirus
The 47-year-old former India batsman tested positive for Covid-19 last weekend.
-
News
De Villiers names all-time IPL XI, names Dhoni as captain
Ahead of the start of the new IPL season, Royal Challengers Bangalore star AB de Villiers has named his all-time XI of the competition.
-
News
Feroze Khushi keen to move on from Essex celebrations incident
Khushi, a practicing Muslim, had alcohol poured over him as Essex players celebrated winning the Bob Willis Trophy at Lord’s last September.
-
News
Ollie Pope recalls moment England knew success in India would be uphill struggle
Pope revealed he was told by India’s captain Virat Kohli: “This is the last of the flat wickets.”
-
News
Chennai Super Kings: Hazlewood withdraws from IPL 2021
Jos Hazlewood became the third Australia international to withdraw from the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League.
-
News
Ollie Robinson grateful for ‘invaluable’ time spent with two of England’s finest
The 27-year-old spent last summer travelling, netting, chatting and watching two all-time greats in James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
-
News
Tammy Beaumont believes the new season heralds 10 years of growth for the sport
The 29-year-old had an impressive winter series in New Zealand and topped the ICC ODI batting rankings.
-
News
Sir Alastair Cook open to keeping county cricket career going past this season
The former England captain’s three-year contract with Essex expires after the 2021 campaign.