3Rd Test, The Ashes: Old Trafford

[ChillDoubt]

Australia won the toss and chose to bat, going along swimmingly at 29 without loss after half an hour.
Not used to this(Aussie openers getting a good start) and generally expect a wicket every 30-40 minutes.
Hopefully a breakthrough is not far away....

[jim360]

England think they've had Smith out twice, but both times end up losing a review. Australia 178/3 after 50 overs, Clarke has 53.

[jim360]

The Tea session sees Australia scoring 88 runs for the loss of just one wicket. Looks like we have a match on our hands.

I don't understand the "Umpire's call" thing. Either the ball is hitting the wicket, or it isn't. If you are going to use technology you ought to use it properly.

[doctordb]

The technology isn't 100% accurate so where the margins are so fine I think umpires call is probably the right way to go.

[Philoctetes]

The terms of DRS state that it is not there to say whether the batsman is out or not, but whether there is enough cause to overturn the decision. Hence "Umpire's call", where the decision, right or wrong, was fair on the evidence within tolerances. It is a very subtle distinction, but critical when considering many of the decisions in this series

[jim360]

Yes, but half the ball isn't a "fine margin". Hawkeye ball-tracking technology is trustworthy to within about 4 millimetres, and given that a cricket ball is rather wider than 4mm you ought to treat an about half-ball impact as hitting.

At the very least, if the decision to review leads to an umpire's call it seems harsh to take away a review. If the decision were initially not out and the fielding team reviews and gets an umpire's call, then if the Umpire had agreed with them in the first place the batsman would have been out. So Umpire's calls are double-whammies. Not only do you not get the wicket when you might have, but you lose a review.

It's critical later down the line, as Smith was out plumb a few overs back and not given, with no reviews left. Not sure the technology rules are correct as they stand.

Australia and Smith have survived, anyway, and they have reached 208/3.

[doctordb]

Ask any cricketer and they'll tell you half a ball is a fine margin and they'll accept the rub of the green. The smith decision is just another example of poor umpiring in this series.

I do agree, though, that you shouldn't lose a review if the ball is hitting. I would also only allow one review per team.

[jim360]

On that first point I'll happily accept that I don't really know enough about cricket. It does seem silly to call half a ball marginal, but I expect on playing it more I'd learn how silly it was to call it not marginal.

Glad you agree with me about not losing a review on UCs, at least.

[jim360]

There's the Clarke hundred. Well-deserved.

[humbersloop]

Clarke brings up his hundred, partnership worth 122

game on!

[DTCwordfan]

Do you mean there is going to be a proper Test Match this time? Yea Gads.

[LazyGun]

Certainly sounds that way. The Aussies are just very rude, with no idea of what it constitutes to be a guest. You should confine yourself to a sporting gesture - say making around 200 runs, not actually try to win it... thats just bad manners! Not cricket :)

[Sqad]

Good toss to win.
Good wicket.
At the end of play...Australia's day, will push on to 500.
England's bowlers adequate rather than exceptional.
Best result for England will be a draw.

[ChillDoubt]

Great captain's innings from Clarke, especially considering the pressure prior to this Test.
As for umpire Tony Hill, that has to one of the worst day's umpiring I've ever seen from an international official.
The only saving grace was Khawaja's 'dismissal' being balanced out by the LBW that Broad should have had that was hitting middle, half way up.
2 absolute shockers.

[humbersloop]

they certainly were, and the over rate was slow too

[robert551069]

Close of play.....303 for 3.
Michael Clarke (Capt.) n.o. 125
Steven Smith n.o.70

[humbersloop]

and geoff bloody boycott was commentating

[ChillDoubt]

Nowt wrong with Sir Geoffrey of Boycott sloopy, never liked him when he was on the field but in commentary he talks a lot of common sense and gives it straight from the shoulder, as it should be.

[jno]

so the Ashes are not over yet? Well, there's a surprise.

[ChillDoubt]

Indeed not jno and frankly I despise the media with all this 5-0 whitewash talk prior to the Test.
Cook straight batted the stupid questions with the 'focused on this game only' line, which they doubtless are.
I'd never write off any side that has Michael Clarke, even though he is head and shoulders above the rest.
Average though some of them are, the wrong coin-toss, a bad decision that galvanizes a side and Clarke has the wherewithall to fire them up.
It ain't over till it's over.

[humbersloop]

real yorkshiremen can be difficult enough chill, professional ones are just a pain in the @rse ;)

jno, tomorrow should be an interesting day