Dreams of 1995

The commercial operation at Rovers stinks. How can we be constantly out of shirts? I haven't bought one since the totally wicked logo. It looks shite. But it seems to be persistent. At no other club does this happen My younger brother is Villa obsessed and their shop is brilliant. It has all sorts. Ours in comparison is just dead...and it never used to be like that This club really does deserve better. Improving this side of things is not related to financial fair play. And, if done right, actually does pay for itself you know...............

A lot of the "greats" in any sports - team or individual - have done it through pioneering a new style I don't really think "Bazball" is as out there as a lot are making out. It is just playing on the attack, which in cricket creates a spectacle. At Old Trafford we did not attack 24/7. There was some great cricket played, and then at times when the foot went on it stayed on I really think the big 'mistake' was the declaration in Birmingham. Yet, had our bowlers got either Khawaja or Warner in those few overs, it may have swung entirely the other way and we'd be calling it attacking and decisive captaining Obviously talk of sacking Stokes and McCullum is a bit over the top. We have broken record after record since they have been in charge. Think we now have the 3 fastest to 500 runs, all under Stokes' captaining

It is the condition the cork ball gets in. The leather saturates and then the ball is just unplayable for the bowler In reality we need to be able to prepare the pitches quicker. The only way that will happen is either a major breakthrough in irrigation / drainage technology or all test approved cricket grounds installing roller roofs Although I do think the time taken to prepare the pitch is a joke. I wonder if it was always like that? Surely in the days of the 60s - 80s it still didn't take them 1+hrs to prepare the pitch after a bit of rain I think a 6th reserve day - which they have in the world test final - is the best route personally. Say you miss 70+ overs then it rolls in to the 6th day. £10 on for the fans if you attended Day 1 - 5 and then £30 thereafter or something.

There should be a penalty for not bowling your overs in the allotted time. It isn’t as easy as saying extend time, as the artificial lighting would favour the bowling side. It could even encourage a slower rate if they knew they’d just turn the floodlights on Maybe a run deduction or extras applied at the current run rate x the amount of overs they miss. But again, the batters can hold up play. Labarschagne (sp?) in particular takes an age to set himself up every time he’s at the crease Cricket as a collective has to come up with better solutions to rain affected games. Whether they hold a 6th day in reserve if a certain amount of overs are missed; or there’s an investment in putting roofs on grounds so that it doesn’t take almost a hour to get the ground ready It also seemed bizarre that they took tea on day 4. All that time missed and they wasted more. It should have been a drinks break and continue

Let's hope the rain doesn't save Australia I'd be looking to try and get a lead of 200 and then bowl them out as quickly as possible

Stuart Broad again Big wicket of Khawaja. About time we tucked him up early doors. It's like his feet are in concrete until he reaches 30 Time for Broady to get Warner for his 600th wicket; Jimmy to castle big ears and the cheat for below 10

Bairstows best form has always been when he has been a batter only I get the Ali shift - a free whack by a spinner we really need to include - but I feel as though we could have gone for Foakes instead and used Bairstow at three Bairstow would also replace the specialist fielder that Pope is

I’m not averse to Ali playing at three. We have some good batters and assuming Woakes plays it’s a long batting line up Ali is in on a technicality really. If we had another spinner he wouldn’t be here. As such you kind of see him as a bit of a free go I think Moeen has played everywhere for England. If he can get a quick 30+ at number three then I’m happy. I see him as a bit of a utility man, a night watchman kind of bloke, who is there to try and grind the bowlers and the ball down for Root, Brook, Stokes and Bairstow

Good Maybe that will make our used car salesman think again. Bad press is never good. It really has spoken for the character of the man. A soulless money grabber who doesn’t give a damn about the reputation of the club at all I find it a crying shame. I think the Macron kits have been the best we’ve had in a while and they have been ruined with that shite logo

We may as well kiss goodbye to hopes of Foakes It is one of them decisions they simply have to stand by. Changing half way through the series is admitting they made a mistake. It won't happen I suspect we will see the last of Bairstow as a batter / keeper though. After the Ashes it can't continue; Bairstow has to be dropped and only used on pitches we can afford an extra batter on. Until then he is a bit of a waste of a spot I also think Foakes would have got a similar amount of runs than Bairstow in this series. I do think Bairstow is the better batter overall, but form is important too

A day of highs and lows but I think we edged it….coincidentally the theme of this test! Some silly cricket has given us the lead. Smith must be kicking himself to be honest. Does anyone know what the “smudge” comment is about from Bairstow? Australia batted like we did in the first two tests. We’ve got to capitalise. An early wicket tomorrow morning and I make us firm favourites

Wrong batter, but yeah, Ali is gone Luckily Woakes and Wood aren't stupid with the bat. Stokes will counter now so I imagine we will start to see runs fly Australia will be in bat before the day is out; how much they lead by depends on how well the tail stick around They'll bounce Woakes all day

This is a frustrating partnership We have given these a chance to get back in the game again

Smith GONE!

Shocking drop.

Jimmy must be wondering why he had to slog it out at Edgbaston whilst Wood gets the lush green of Headingley!! Woakes should find some serious movement on this pitch. Bowl first please

I would say you’re right about being a batsman short Brook hasn’t the best average stats at 3. Don’t know if he’s got the patience in him to be fair

Ollie Pope is going to miss the remainder of the Ashes. It looks like they will call on Dan Lawrence to replace him. Personally think it is a mistake. I would call up Foakes and push Bairstow up the order as both a specialist fielder and batting replacement for Pope. Foakes must be tearing his hair out!

Your 'explanation' is not anything difficult to comprehend. It isn't some fantastical insight into the sport of cricket; it is just pointless whataboutery in my opinion The Australian team has two calculated cheaters in their team. They relish it. It is about time England started acting the same way and give it back

Cheers Gav. It was a great weekend. Beans on toast for the next month though....London has gotten even more expensive than I remember £50 for 2 glasses of wine and 2 beers at the Lyceum Theatre. We kept the receipt as a momento

All you have done is repeat the same stuff you have posted before Nobody cares about Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe or the 1930s. I am lost why you keep repeating it to be honest The current topic is whether or not Bairstow's wicket was unsportsmanlike. Whatever happened before is irrelevant. You have took it upon yourself to be the defender of Carey and the Australian team. Quite why I don't know. If you think the wicket was within the spirit of the game then say it with chest; it doesn't need to be about what has happened before. As though that somehow excuses Carey and Cricket Australia's actions For every incident you bring up of McCullum or the England team there is a similar incident, or worse, performed by Cricket Australia The last sentence is just silly. Not what this thread is about really. It's a civil place here It is a crying shame that this piece of poor sportsmanship has overshadowed an otherwise great game of test cricket. These last 10 pages could have been spent discussing the good of cricket. Instead, once again Cricket Australia find themselves in the middle of a debate around the bad side of the sport

Throughout the debate around the Bairstow incident you have been keen to point out the failures of other people Some would call this whataboutery Personally I don’t think the Murali incident of 2006, the 1930s body line series or the behaviour of the MCC members yesterday are relevant to the wicket. I don’t think two wrongs make a right You are welcome to your opinion on the incident, of course, but you need to tell us why you keep mentioning incidents from over 10 years ago as though they explain the unsportsmanlike conduct of the Australian team only yesterday?

What have the MCC members got to do with the Australian cricket squad and their conduct?

Yeah. I was there Exiled - it looked like your classic end of over action at the wicket As for Mellor and Ewood I’m really not going to go over and over particulars, especially from other incidents. If you think it was a fair out and sportsmanlike that’s fine. It’s done now and we move on to the next game. We aren’t going to agree

He actually was stood there waiting for him to do it Mellor, that’s the thing As I said, Bairstow scratched his crease and the umpire had started to remove the bowlers cap. It’s all on video. It was a technicality because the word “over” was not called. This does imply though that Bairstow was trying to gain an advantage by moving out his crease. If somebody can show me what that advantage is I’d be grateful From where I and millions other Englishmen were sat, the bowl was settled in the wicket keepers gloves