The Ashes (Australia vs England): 3rd Test; Dec 14-18, 2017 at Perth

[Leo]

Venue: Western Australian Cricket Association, Perth
Date: Thursday Dec 14 to Monday Dec 18, 2017
Start Time: 10:30 local (02:30 GMT)

Australia Squad
Steven Smith (C), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (WK), Mitchell Starc

England Squad
Joe Root (C), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Ben Foakes (WK), George Garton, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes

[Leo]

Good Luck England

[Katto]

it feels like we've had this thread twice before and its been deleted

[Leo]

^^ Really!!!!

[Boycs]

[baggygreenmania]

Bring it on. Curator moots a super fast WACA deck for the iconic ground's final Ashes match. Baggy Greens to wrap up the series but could be a close one as England is playing for survival. There will be no shortage of hunger from the "old enemy"

[Boycs]

it feels like we've had this thread twice before and its been deleted

I did open twice but English supporter think if we keep deleting, we could stops Australia from winning Ashes.thanks Leo.

I almost bit at this post but recovered my maturity at the last moment and just deleted it

[Boycs]

Nothing massive gained from the warm up match given that none of the test team played other than Moeen. But Keaton made an 80 and leach took four.

Meanwhile they’ve suspended duckett after yet another discipline-related fracas of nonsense.

Team falling apart (again)

[Katto]

a bit of warm weather and poms cant seem to help themselves but get a skinful of alcohol

[Verity]

Surely some of the batsmen that have sucked like Cook should have played the tour game.

[Yorkshire]

Anderson likely to be less damaging in Perth tests
Says C.Bancroft

[Katto]

i liked your Jusin Langer avatar misty. It had a certain trolling quality about it

[Shambles]

Tom Curran was a positive from the 2 day friendly. Not many others. Reckon Warner will cash in here & Australia gets 600 & wins by an innings.

[TedWard]

I enjoyed this write up / fare well to the WACA by an English reporter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/42295141
"Cruel comedy and eviscerations - England's misery at their Waca graveyard"

The English have never had any reason to enjoy visiting the WACA.

[Boycs]

Indeed. Wave good bye to the ashes here folks. This tour has been a shambles, on and off the field. One bowling innings is all we’ve won so far.

[baggygreenmania]

Tom Curran was a positive from the 2 day friendly. Not many others. Reckon Warner will cash in here & Australia gets 600 & wins by an innings.

Curran..yet another Saffer import. Suspect the home grown player is fed up to the back teeth with imports taking their place in the national pecking order. Having said that, Curran was rather impressive..bowls at the stumps and is no mug with the willow in hand.

[baggygreenmania]

There is minimal protection for those watching the cricket and even less for those playing it. Just the fierce western Australian sun and the sweat and the fear of that pitch in the middle of it all, the fastest, nastiest track an English batsman will ever take guard on.

No other sporting stadium in the world has wrecked as many English dreams as the Waca. In 46 years of Test cricket there, they have played in 13 matches and been defeated nine times.

Gladdens this Aussie's heart to read this.

[baggygreenmania]

There is minimal protection for those watching the cricket and even less for those playing it. Just the fierce western Australian sun
That is pretty much the reason the WACA has lost its elite Test match status to the classy new Perth Stadium.

[baggygreenmania]

Anderson likely to be less damaging in Perth tests
Says C.Bancroft

Correct. The WACA has never had a reputation for swing or seam (unless it is coming out of a gaping crack)..just pace. It has been no better than a road this season. I do expect tho, the curator to prepare a spiced up Test deck of old to cater for our quicker pacemen.

[Paddles]

Tom Curran was a positive from the 2 day friendly. Not many others. Reckon Warner will cash in here & Australia gets 600 & wins by an innings.

Curran..yet another Saffer import. Suspect the home grown player is fed up to the back teeth with imports taking their place in the national pecking order. Having said that, Curran was rather impressive..bowls at the stumps and is no mug with the willow in hand.

His Dad and Grandad played for Zimbabwe. His dad was at Northhants England where his brothers were born and his dad was playing there before his birth.

His English links look strong with parents moving between the places with his Dad a pro for Northants and Natal in South Africa both for a long period. Probably boarding school in Safrica through high school and holidays with parents in England and Natal both - I'm guessing here but its a fairly common and cost effective in a GBP vs SAR way occurence of obtaining a top education at an academic and sporting private school.

Wait till Kyle Abbott plays for England in 2 or 3 years time replacing Anderson. You heard it here first :p

[Boycs]

Cookie is having to go to the media to eject claims that he’s going to retire.

In form or out of form he’s still the same unexcitable vanilla custard

[Yorkshire]

I feel so sorry for English cricket team in Australia,I am so upset about certain former cricketer passed comments for star English player.i am sure Cook will bounce back into form

This is very much trend now, visiting team not doing good in overseas test tour.Cook told to cricbuzz “ all of Us will play Lifetime innings’s in the third Test”

Good Luck

[Verity]

I feel so sorry for English cricket team in Australia,I am so upset about certain former cricketer passed comments for star English player.i am sure Cook will bounce back into form

This is very much trend now, visiting team not doing good in overseas test tour.Cook told to cricbuzz “ all of Us will play Lifetime innings’s in the third Test”

Good Luck

it actually is a trend that touring australia comes with massive scrutiny, Windies got called useless, Sri Lanka got called useless, now England

Thing is Australia at home look like world beaters then suck themselves away.

[Verity]

Cookie is having to go to the media to eject claims that he’s going to retire.

In form or out of form he’s still the same unexcitable vanilla custard

England have zero depth in the position so a bloke with Cooks record should get a free pass to play as long as he wants.

[Verity]

Just look at all the openers that have come and gone and Cooks always stood firm, blokes a legend.

[baggygreenmania]

Cookie is due for a big one and the WACA may just be it. Sorry now I did not have him in my IHAG.

[baggygreenmania]

His Dad and Grandad played for Zimbabwe. His dad was at Northhants England where his brothers were born and his dad was playing there before his birth.
Played Under 19s for Natal.. no youth cricket for England..so he is taking the place of a home grown cricketer for mine.

[Katto]

I feel so sorry for English cricket team in Australia,I am so upset about certain former cricketer passed comments for star English player.i am sure Cook will bounce back into form

This is very much trend now, visiting team not doing good in overseas test tour.Cook told to cricbuzz “ all of Us will play Lifetime innings’s in the third Test”

Good Luck

it actually is a trend that touring australia comes with massive scrutiny, Windies got called useless, Sri Lanka got called useless, now England

Thing is Australia at home look like world beaters then suck themselves away.

England started this trend around 2005. Whenever an Aussie team tours England for an Ashes series there is an intense media campaign to destabilize the touring party (and captain).

CA and the Aussie media have caught on to this tactic and have used to against England over the past two tours here.

[Paddles]

His Dad and Grandad played for Zimbabwe. His dad was at Northhants England where his brothers were born and his dad was playing there before his birth.
Played Under 19s for Natal.. no youth cricket for England..so he is taking the place of a home grown cricketer for mine.

Given the high national salaries, and 18 professional counties, plus 2nd teams and professional leagues, I'm not surprised that many school kids like Curran at 17 moved there and why Ben Stokes stayed after his parents returned to NZ or Caddick immediately migrating there after finishing school.

English pro cricketers have comparatively little to complain about, and English cricket provides a far better and broader career opportunity for all talented WI, SA, Zim, NZ, Pak and SL players. Even a fair option for those struggling to get beyond grade cricket in Australia.

[Boycs]

Cookie is having to go to the media to eject claims that he’s going to retire.

In form or out of form he’s still the same unexcitable vanilla custard

England have zero depth in the position so a bloke with Cooks record should get a free pass to play as long as he wants.

It’s true but it doesn’t mean he’s not a boring bloke

[Yorkshire]

England have zero depth in the position so a bloke with Cooks record should get a free pass to play as long as he wants.

It’s true but it doesn’t mean he’s not a boring bloke

I have respect with cook, he still have same hunger of getting runs everywhere but he is going through purple patch, its happen to all great player.

I am afraid he will destroy Indian attacks in July 2018.

[Paddles]

It’s true but it doesn’t mean he’s not a boring bloke

I have respect with cook, he still have same hunger of getting runs everywhere but he is going through purple patch, its happen to all great player.

I am afraid he will destroy Indian attacks in July 2018.

A lean patch is when a good batsman isn't scoring a lot.

A purple patch is when a batsman is scoring a lot.

Idioms are best avoided when learning fluency in a language.

[Yorkshire]

Paddles,
I am new in this forum, you are senior to me,I am Not impress with your comments.

[Boycs]

Paddles,
I am new in this forum, you are senior to me,I am Not impress with your comments.

You have been here longer than paddles, using many different accounts. Your comment is hilarious

[Boycs]

I have respect with cook, he still have same hunger of getting runs everywhere but he is going through purple patch, its happen to all great player.

I am afraid he will destroy Indian attacks in July 2018.

A lean patch is when a good batsman isn't scoring a lot.

A purple patch is when a batsman is scoring a lot.

Idioms are best avoided when learning fluency in a language.

You can have a lean purple steak though, well.... a lean pink steak at least.

[Yorkshire]

Katto

Last test at waca because Australia will not use Perth no longer vs test series of 2018

India
And
SOA

Test matches,scraping forever or use for limited over

[baggygreenmania]

All the late talk is a for another flat WACA deck.

Bloody hell no.. would think for the very last elite test for this iconic ground that the curator would prepare a traditional fast, bouncy affair tailor made for the quicker Aussie pacemen. If he was still playing I know what deck Dennis Lillee would be pumping for to see out his beloved WACA as an elite Test venue.

C'mon you Baggy Greens wrap up the Ashes.

[baggygreenmania]

This is not good news for the WACA's last major match.

Ashes Test overshadowed by 'spot-fixing' claim writes Cricinfo:

The build-up to the crucial third Ashes Test at the WACA has been overshadowed by claims that the match has been targeted by spot-fixers, who are purported to have offered a newspaper details of rigged periods of play.

According to a report in The Sun, two men asked the newspaper's undercover reporters for up to 140,000 to "spot fix" markets, such as the exact amount of runs scored in an over. No individual players on either team were singled out in the report.

An ICC spokesman told the newspaper: "These are serious allegations and of grave concern. Our anti-corruption unit will continue working to uphold integrity in cricket focusing on education, prevention and disruption of any attempts to corrupt, including in relation to the third Test in Australia."

This is not good news for the WACA's last major match.

[Verity]

whos Pietersen to say Cook doesnt look interested? lol hr was the biggest waste of space in the field himself, he often looked uninterested.

[Katto]

This is not good news for the WACA's last major match.

Ashes Test overshadowed by 'spot-fixing' claim writes Cricinfo:

The build-up to the crucial third Ashes Test at the WACA has been overshadowed by claims that the match has been targeted by spot-fixers, who are purported to have offered a newspaper details of rigged periods of play.

According to a report in The Sun, two men asked the newspaper's undercover reporters for up to 140,000 to "spot fix" markets, such as the exact amount of runs scored in an over. No individual players on either team were singled out in the report.

An ICC spokesman told the newspaper: "These are serious allegations and of grave concern. Our anti-corruption unit will continue working to uphold integrity in cricket focusing on education, prevention and disruption of any attempts to corrupt, including in relation to the third Test in Australia."

This is not good news for the WACA's last major match.

storm in a teacup

[baggygreenmania]

whos Pietersen to say Cook doesnt look interested? lol hr was the biggest waste of space in the field himself, he often looked uninterested.

I am tipping Cookie to have a big 150th.

[Katto]

Paddles,
I am new in this forum, you are senior to me,I am Not impress with your comments.

[Katto]

English media are clinging to the faint hope that match fixing can provide an excuse for their poor showing in this series.

[baggygreenmania]

No excuse for the Poms as they have won all three tosses now. What is it with Aussie skippers and their poor toss calling. Michael Clarke was the same.

[baggygreenmania]

Full tactics pays off as starc get one on the money. Baggies are away.

[bolero]

English media are clinging to the faint hope that match fixing can provide an excuse for their poor showing in this series.

When.you lose,there have to be excuses.

I would like the England team to.fight and not give up tamely.

Cook has been overcooked this series.

[baggygreenmania]

Winning the toss gives them that chance. Are they good enuff to take advantage. Aussies overpitching in that first session to induce driving. I saw two balls swing and not one move off the seam from the opening bowlers. Hazlewood had Stoneman in all sorts with the short ball. Two fell a metre short of gully.. why did he not shorten the gully?

[Katto]

I hope M.Marsh at #6 is only temporary for this match on a road pitch as he's not a #6 in any way shape or form.

[Katto]

Lyon bowling first session at the WACA is a panic move by Smith.
Should get Mitch Marsh into the attack before Lyon. It's his home ground and it provides a variety they haven't seen yet.

[Katto]

Hazlewood on fire