Trader wrote:In the third innings we scored 7/487d, from just 112 overs (run rate of 4.34)
England have been set 398 off 98 overs (run rate of 4.1).
This pitch is flat, and if you get through the new ball, then its easy batting. Don't get me wrong, the new ball lasts longer in England than it does in Australia, but the point still remains. Slow English decks are easy to bat on once the ball stops swinging. Look at the runs we scored with Siddle and Lyon against the old ball in the first innings, or even the second innings, where we lost 1/250 between overs 21 and 84, before they finally took the new ball.
For mine, our declaration has been generous enough.
We've given ourselves enough overs to have the first ball, then another 17 overs with the new ball to have a second crack at them. If we haven't bowled them out in 97 overs, then there is every chance England would have the total somewhere in the vicinity of 300 (if not more) and we'd be looking down the barrel of a loss had we given England 115 overs to chase 330.
I get you need to be brave and entice the opposition to chase, but there is a difference between brave and reckless.
They put up a stat last night that was something like this for average per wicket at Edgebaston on each day
Day 1- 29
Day 2- 34
Day 3- 32
Day 4- 41
Day 5- 21
I think w3e run through them, our quicks will attack the stumps much more. Smith has them so shot they don't even bowl at the stumps anymore meaning they can only get him out caught