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English Cricket/ *The Ashes*!

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Fantastic start from England...


Australia paying the price for sticking with North. Why would they handicap themselves like that with that useless cunt? It is the worst example of Shot selection i have seen in a while...
 
Australia needs to keep their wickets intact in this session.

My word...Hussey is playing very well. When it comes to playing in Australian wickets, he is as close as it gets to Don Bradman.
 
Australia 245 all out at Adelaide - nobody expected that - least of all the Australians! And the England openers survived one over before close of play.

Jimmy Anderson took 4 wickets - so much for my prediction that he would struggle in Australia! In fact he did get the new ball to swing a bit.
 
Getting them for less than 200 would have lovely, but it's still a great start by the English bowlers, who at present seem far more dangerous than their rivals. England now need to go out there and hit 400+ and they shall be be in a very strong position.

There's obviously some variable bounce out there and a bit of reverse swing, but it's still a decent enough pitch to bat on.

Winning the Ashes will depend on taking chances such as this.

Good luck lads.
 
Since the time Alastair Cook made his debut against India, not many people would have thought that he was a player who was capable of making a lasting impression in Test cricket at the highest level...He averages less than 40, if you exclude Bangladesh and a hapless West Indies. His record in England and NewZealand highlight his weakness against the swinging ball...

The Aussies are now finding him as the tormentor in chief.

Whowuda thunk?
 
This is the most disappointing thing about Ricky Ponting's captaincy in this Test, and this has been a weakness he has had right through as a Captain.


XJ Doherty 12 3 51 0 4.25
MJ North 3 0 7 0 2.33


1. How little he has used North as a bowler. He should not be in that team as a batsman. There are much better available for Australia.
2. Doherty's failure may have been predictable from his first class record, but you can still argue that he didn't get any support from the Captain to make the best of his ability.

I have not actually watched the match to justify my qualms regarding Ponting not supporting Doherty with attacking fields, but i'm just basing this on how he handled Hauritz in India. Please, tell me if i'm being grossly unfair.
 
Despite his problems, Cook has always had the powers of concentration to be a flat track bully. I remember years back before his first cap during an Ashes series in England, a 19 year old Cook scored a double century for Essex against the Aussies, in a series when England were struggling pitifully to score against them.
 
I think all of us who have spent a lot of time watching England being humiliated all around the world, are entitled to luxuriate in this delicious situation. A first innings lead of 72 with 8 batsmen still in the hutch. I see England are currently 8/11 on to win at Betfair, with the draw 6/4. I think the draw would be a good bet as I can't see England ripping through Australia for a second time on the easy Adelaide wicket .......... unless it starts to take spin! 🙂

There are also rumours of bad weather on the way! 🙁
 
KP looking fantastic. 158 at lunch. England 204 ahead. Surely this will be an England victory...
 
Yup...with only two days remaining (rest of the day is likely to be washed out), England have batted Australia out of the game. They are 300+ ahead. Ideally they should just declare and try to get Australia out in 5 sessions, which would leave England with one more session to go for the Victory if Australia manage to erase the first innings deficit.

Australia will have to bat very well to save this Test from here.
 
[quote author=kingjulian link=topic=41229.msg1228805#msg1228805 date=1291528707]

Australia will have to bat very well to save this Test from here.
[/quote]

They probably won't though ... but as England did it in the 1st test, maybe Australia can match the 'winning' feeling England had in the 1st match. Odds of that happening? Well, very slim.
 
Fantastic test so far. These wickets are batsmens dreams. Fair play to Anderson who has been the difference maker in this test.
I cant see Australia digging themselves out of this hole as the pitch is looking a bit cut up now and it should do all sorts for Swann day 4 and 5. Its going to take a massive effort to keep him at bay for two days i think.
 
If this ends in a Draw, i'm going to squarely blame it on Strauss' captaincy. He should have declared earlier. There is no way this Australian team could have played two full days under pressure. They are unbelievably short of confidence. Anderson has looked quite threatening with the new ball in the morning spells. They should have give Anderson a chance to bowl at Australian batsmen with the new ball at the start of the 4th day. They have given Australia a chance to save this match now.

300 lead was more than enough. Swann is bowling well, and now is the opportunity to prove his claim as a world class spin bowler. He should come up with the wickets, no excuses.
 
Swann's figures for Australia's first innings were 2-70 in 29 overs and so far in Australia's second innings he is 2-72 in 34 overs. This compares quite favourably with Doherty's 1-158 in 27 overs.
 
Im not sure KJ, I think Strauss is (rightly) thinking that he doesnt want Matt Prior not having swung willow since day on of the first test. Batsmen need to play to keep in nick, and the last thing we would want is a situation where we need runs from batsmen who havnt played in weeks.
I think it was fair to let him face a few, maybe even broad too.
Anyhoo, 4 down on a deteriorating wicket with a whole day ahead of them, it'll be a miracle if they dont get skittled.
 
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=41229.msg1229117#msg1229117 date=1291630573]
Anyhoo, 4 down on a deteriorating wicket with a whole day ahead of them, it'll be a miracle if they dont get skittled.
[/quote]

Given a full day's play, you wouldn't bet against an England win ............ but the weather forecast is for rain! 🙁
 
Found myself waking up pretty much on the hour every hour last night to check the latest on my phone.
Really hope the weather holds up and we can put the rest of them away without too much batting at the end of the day, should start half an hour earlier tonight also.
 
Clarke on Twitter

Just want to apologise for not walking off the ground tonight when I hit the ball. I was just so disappointed, my emotions got best of me.
about 11 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone
 
[quote author=Asim link=topic=41229.msg1229324#msg1229324 date=1291661247]
Clarke on Twitter

Just want to apologise for not walking off the ground tonight when I hit the ball. I was just so disappointed, my emotions got best of me.
about 11 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone
[/quote]


good stuff.
 
[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=41229.msg1229488#msg1229488 date=1291667933]
Any more of this and the prospect of beating them might begin to lose a little of its shine.

Might.
[/quote]

Ha, it's always good to give em a beating in any sport.
Re playing fair and hard, I remember Ponting getting smashed in the face in the fifth test even then I felt kinda sorry for him cos he got up and got on with it showing real heart.
 
Hussey gone is a big wicket.
Aussies have rode their luck a bit up to now as well.
 
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