GRcade

England are set to drop Rory Burns, the only batsman to have scored a Test hundred for them this year apart from Joe Root, and Ollie Pope for the must-win Boxing Day Test match at the MCG. Zak Crawley is earmarked to replace Burns at the top of the order and form what would be England’s fourth opening partnership in 15 Tests this year. Pope would give way to Jonny Bairstow.

Just strawberry float off.

Are there any other mugs on this board who are considering staying up to watch the first session tonight?

I might watch until we've lost several wickets or Australia have scored 100-0

As has been pointed out to me, there's no reason for optimism so I'm just hoping to be entertained.

Yep, also staying up - a Boxing Day tradition, every four years. Always have the intention of watching the first session, usually end up going to bed earlier with us two or three wickets down, or Australia getting off to a flyer!

...I don't know why y'all would do this to yourselves.

Drumstick wrote:Are there any other mugs on this board who are considering staying up to watch the first session tonight?

Yeah, I'll be watching some of it. Depends if England bat and are 4 down by lunch.

Balladeer wrote:...I don't know why y'all would do this to yourselves.

Why wouldn't you?

Well, that was sadly predictable

There's the first duck

Painful watching.

Not sure why I bothered.

Let's see how Leach does. NL took 3 wickets so there is hope for - ah strawberry float it.
Aussies will bat for the next 2 days, lead by 250 and it'll be over before day 5.

Good morning

Absolute dog gooseberry fool yet again. I'm glad it's in Australia as at least I can sleep through it and pretend it didn't happen.

Stayed up until just after lunch.

Expectationswerelowbutjesuschrist.jpg

That shot from Buttler in the context is utterly staggering.

twitter.com/BBCSport/status/1475237001733586951

They really can't catch anything.

So I turn on BT Sport & the first thing I hear the studio team talking about is that Mark Wood can’t bowl for the first 18 minutes due to him being off the field for 18 minutes last night. After Jimmy bowls the first over, we then listen to the BT Sport exclusive commentary team of Gower & Chappell moaning that it’s a poor incitement of Joe Root’s captaincy that he prefers to start with Robinson rather than Wood as the other opening bowler…

After a few minutes of that, they clearly get a word in their ear explaining why Wood can’t bowl.

People get paid a lot of money to be this gooseberry fool. And that’s before we get to the onfield players.

Ollie Rob has been our best bowler this tour.