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....

[humbersloop]

119/4 at lunch, follow on looking a cert

[Sqad]

humber...yepp! I agree, Even a big 100 from one of the middle order, unlikely to save the follow on.

Seen this many times on "good wickets" one team gets a big score and the other team follows on, even on the "good wicket."

[ChillDoubt]

Yep, we need Bell to drop anchor, must bat out the day.

[Sqad]

Chilli....you cant expect Bell to help out with "tons" every match.

[ChillDoubt]

Indeed Sqad. I don't care if he makes 20 off 300 balls, we just need someone to occupy the crease and at the moment he's out 'go-to' man!
Just wondering if anyone has ever made 100 in 3 consecutive Tests...

[humbersloop]

the aussies deserve this one, far more disciplined play

[Frank97]

Just wondering if anyone has ever made 100 in 3 consecutive Tests
Mohammad Azharuddin did, in his first three tests.

[ChillDoubt]

Thanks Frank, you are officially AB's version of TMS's 'Bearders'!

Anybody done 4?

[jim360]

Bradman (of course) had hundred in 6 consecutive tests, and also two streaks of 4. Kallis, Gambir and Yousuf have done 5 in a row.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/282976.html

[ChillDoubt]

Thanks Jim.
Wonder if anyone has done 3 in an Ashes series?
Bell and KP going along nicely, no real dramas, hope it stays that way.

[ChillDoubt]

New ball taken, need to see this off for 20 minutes and get through to tea.

[jim360]

Bradman's six was across the two Ashes series in 1937 and 1938 and one of his sequences of 4 included three tests in the 1930 Ashes. A phenomenal player.

For England, Jack Hobbs hit three hundreds in consecutive tests in two Ashes series either side of the Great War, and Herbert Sutcliffe hit three in consecutive innings once!

[ChillDoubt]

Bell will have to aim to be the first this century then!

[humbersloop]

Bells 50 up just before tea

mmm

[ChillDoubt]

Bell gets his 50 and he and KP make it to tea with a 101 partnership.
Match not saved by any means but that's a psychological smack in the chops for the Aussies.

[Sqad]

Good session for England, but Aussies still in the driving seat. Aussies need a wicket or two badly in the final session.

Bell and Pietersen our main hopes.

[Sqad]

Big Big wicket.......match turns well in the favour of Australia.

[sir.prize]

The commentator says hard work, physically, for fast bowler. With Starc and Harris it does seem wasted effort to run up with 20 strides and then hurl the ball and see it either hit for four or wide of the stumps by two feet. Hard work maybe; but arguably pointless.

[jim360]

England make drinks with Bairstow and Pietersen still there. Great work by KP, too, to reach his 23rd Test Century, making him sole holder of the second spot of England centurions. Still work to do, though!

[Sqad]

Agreed jim.