First Ashes Test. Edgbaston.

[K]

Warne: "The middle order ... not quite at their best..."

[ I never expected Shane to go for understatement. Apart from Stokes, that middle order is batting like )(*)(&^%.]


Athers: "How many times did you open with the new ball?"

Warne: "... I can think of a couple of times when I should have... Trent Bridge 05..."


Warne: "I don't think the slips will be in there too long."

[K]

There's a delay. There's allegedly a buzzing noise coming from the stumps.

Athers: "Talking about annoying buzzing noises, here's Nass..."

Nasser talks about Roy pushing out at the ball and getting inside edges. He wants a catcher there.

Warne: "I think the batpad is underrated."

Athers: "If I came out and there was no short leg, I would have been thrilled."

There is another delay for the stump noise.

[K]

Root defends. The ball bounces up near the stumps.
Root swats at it in alarm, but it hits neither the bat nor the stumps.

Athers is reminded of the Gooch handling-the-ball dismissal off Merv's bowling.

In the ODI WC, the cricinfo commentator noted that in that scenario you have to knock it away with the back of the bat, not the front.

[K]

Siddle is the first change.

Warne: "Good honest toiler." (Pauses.) "Probably a bit better than that."

If some balls keep low, maybe Siddle is the man...

----------------------

And appeal for LBW. Given out! Another immediate review from Root!

Could it be the fourth immediate successful review for Root? Yes. Inside edge! Not out!

(Root not only reviewed immediately, but was smiling. )

[Donny]

Umpire Wilson is copping heaps. Wrong ..... again.

[K]

And now Lyon from the other end.

This pitch isn't doing too much. I don't know if Healy will get the four wickets he hoped for.

They appeal for LBW! Aleem turns it down and signals "playing a shot". It was like Wade's fake shot yesterday. That's the one thing in an LBW decision not subject to TV review.

[K]

Healy: "Only one wicket. Need another one soon."

He thinks there's no need for fielders on the boundary... but maybe the sloggers will hole out in the deep.

............................

And Siddle induces a Roy nick just past Paine's right glove to the boundary. Paine was wrong-footed. Roy is getting some luck.

A good over. Siddle deserved better.

[K]

And now Siddles beats Root, a much, much harder thing to do.

.......................................

Root backs away late for the second time today.

At the end of the over, someone could be heard saying "just wasting time".

[Donny]

Umpire Dar also copping it.

Should not have indicated he considered Root played a shot. Otherwise, Paine probably would have 'gone upstairs'.

Then, (if Dar hadn't signalled) should the 3rd. umpy adjudicate on whether Root played a stroke, or not ?

[Donny]

Bowled 'im !!

Lyon bowls Roy for 22.

[K]

Luck runs out. He runs down the pitch and can keep running for the dressing room as the stumps are hit. 28 streaky runs.

England 2/60.

Gower: "Jason Roy has completely got this wrong."

------------------------------------------

And Denly's first two balls are very alarming for him.

But he swats the third ball to the boundary. And the fourth too.

Denly is annoying me already.


A very eventful over.

[K]

...
[Healy] thinks there's no need for fielders on the boundary... but maybe the sloggers will hole out in the deep.
...

Nasser credits Paine's fielding change for the Roy wicket. The leg slip was removed and put out in the deep at 45. It made the batsman do something different, Nasser says. In the previous over, with the leg slip, he swept for four. Just before his dismissal, Root (after taking a single) made sure he was aware of the man at 45.

[K]

Siddle really deserves a wicket here.

He beats Denly all ends up.

[K]

Lyon gets Denly... but Denly reviews at the last moment.

Surely you know whether you have an edge or not. Still out!

Nasser: "I have to say, that's a bad review from Joe Denly."

[Donny]

Denly caught. Reviewed.

Out. 3/80.