The Ashes Thread

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Great news on McGrath! Let's hope he's out for all the Summer, but maybe our luck won't run that far.

What a days cricket! 407 all out with nearly an hour of play left on day one. We were flying at a superb rate at one point. Freddy and Big Kev smacking Shane 'Where's your hair?' Warney allover the park, brilliant.

I would have taken 407 yesterday, it's a decent enough total. However, this is a lovely batting wicket. We failed to get someone having a proper innings i.e. triple figures. If a few of the Aussies get their eye in (as I expect them to on this docile wicket), then they will smack centuries for fun. Will need some really intelligent bowling tomorrow.

Oh, and don't worry about Gilchrist. Freddy'll get him .

[ August 04, 2005, 21:17: Message edited by: Barmy Army ]

 

It's not very sporting to say "great news on McGrath". You didn't hear me saying "Great news on Dallaglio" at the start of the Lions tour. True sportsmen always want to measure themselves against the very best.

That aside, this was truly a remarkable day's cricket. I got up and watched the Pietersen / Flintoff partnership, so I was probably lucky enough to have seen the best passage of play in the day. Fortune certainly favours the brave and England did what you have to do against Australia, which is take the attack to them and not allow them to dominate. They're going to get you eventually so you might as well get as many runs as you can before they do. The English attitude today was fantastic and a great way to bounce back from the disappointment of the first test. I hope the weather holds so we can see where this fascinating match goes next.

Oh, and Ian Bell showed once again why he is arguably one of the world's great batsmen.

 

Sod 'sporting'. Their main player is out, that is only good news to any England cricket fan.

And I never said Ian Bell was one of the best batsmen in world cricket, you said that my friend. I said he *will* be, in a few years time. Let's not forget the lad is only 23 years old. Plus, to be fair, he got out to a good ball from Kaspro; although I was a bit miffed at him. He came in, played two really nice shots, then got out the next ball. It's obvious the talent is there if you just watch his technique, and I'm sure he'll come good. I just wish he would learn to think on his feet a bit more. It'll come though.
He'll need a decent score next innings, or I think Collingwood will be brought in for him, as a knee jerk from the selectors.

Personally, I'd opt for someone like Ed Joyce, but then, I'm not a selector.

 

It's comments like that which make me want to support the other team when England is playing. In my book, injury to opposition players is always a bad thing. I always hope that the other team fields their best team because that makes it all the sweeter when you win. Better to will your own players to play better than to hope the other team get injured.

Hard to see England losing this one from here, scaoring 400 should give you a big psychological boost, so it should be a draw or an England victory - but stranger things have happened........

 

Don't take that comment as a view shared by all England cricket fans, please Gaz. So don't let the comment shove you in Aussies favour (if you weren't there already). The comment was one borne out of a frustrated England fan seeing a hopeful light at the end of a very long tunnel. In other words, this year we actually have a chance of lifting the Ashes (a 'chance' that something that most people didn't even give us before the Summer). I am absolutely DYING to see us beat the Aussies this year. I have never seen it proper in my life time (I was 4 the last time we won the urn) and it would delight ALMOST as much as if England won the football world cup. It's a very close second. So, forgive me if I greet news that the winning hope is increased with happiness!

On your second paragraph - one would hope so, Gaz. But on this wicket, I predict a big Aussie score. We are in a situation where, if our seamers fail to get any movement, and Harmison proves to be ineffectual because of a lack of real bounce and pace, we're pretty stuck for a Plan B. Although Warne got slapped a bit, he still took 4 wickets. The Aussies can turn to Warney if the pitch is flat and has no movement off the seam, whereas we have Giles to turn to if our pace boys aren't producing anything. 'Nuff said.

We have thrown down the gauntlet and have an advantage, but I'm pretty wary. There are some superb batsmen in that Aussie line-up.

 

Yeah, but it's hard to see you losing. You'd have to have a big second innings collapse (or a generous declaration) for that to happen and we've already seen that that should be unlikely on this strip. The onus is really on your bowlers and fielders to do the work required to hammer your advantage home and force the victory.

 

What a ball from Warney in the final over of play. What an absolute peach that was. It moved a mile!

I'm wary about tomorrows play. Warne will cause every batsmen serious, serious trouble if he is seriously on song. Realistically, we need to be looking at 250 at the very least to leave Australia chasing 350. Personally, I want more! On this wicket, I want the Aussies chasing 450...

Interesting days cricket tomorrow, to be sure! And I will miss it all, because I am going to Blackpool to watch my team, Chesterfield. Ah, the sacrifices I make as a football fan...

What a series though! The best two sides in world cricket, really having at each other and playing the game as it should be played. Extremely entertaining!

 

Well, well, well, it's game on now. Will Flintoff's cavalier innings be enough to secure victory for England? It could be the difference in the end. Or will England rue letting Australia dominate the morning session today? Looks like a great finish coming up.

Correction, the two best test sides. England are only the 6th best one day team.

Meanwhile, South Africa are beating the All Blacks at the moment. Goes to show again how terrible the Lions were.

 

Tell me there are statues dedicated to Flintoff all around Edgbaston. That England have even a chance of winning this test is primarily due to him.

Ofcourse all the Australian team has to do is bat conservatively while Katich pulls another century out of his arse.
That should have Barmy sputtering and screaming till the next match.

EDIT: Well that prediction went wrong

 

Heh, what a dilemma for the Indians, who do you want to lose more, England or Australia? If only they *both* could lose...

 

Well done to England, those last 4 wickets on Day 4 should be enough to ensure that this test is theirs. Flintoff has been the main man today and has played brilliantly.

Cricket is one game where home advantage can mean a lot. Ponting must have completely misread that pitch to have decided to bat first after winning the toss. He would never have got it that wrong in Australia. In the end that has turned out to be one of the crucial factors.

So the series will go to 1-1 which is great for us neutral observers. If the Aussies had gone 2-0 there would have been little left for us to watch. Now the English will be full of confidence and the series is definitely still alive. No 5-0 whitewash this time and no Glenn McGrath for the next test.

But, what are those long sleeved skin tight body suits that some of the English seem to be wearing under their short sleeved whites? They look ridiculous, as if they're going to be riding their bicycles home or something. The look is almost as silly as Pietersen's hair.

 

I didn't think we'd got enough runs, after I saw us get bowled out for 182. But what you have seen today is brilliant bowling from England.

What a sublime piece of bowling from Harmison in the days last over!

Off to watch the highlights. Should be 1-1 anyway .

FREDDY! FREDDY! FREDDY!

You can stick your 5-0 up your arse .

 

You didn't have enough runs at 131-9 but Freddy turned the match with his smashing innings which gave England the confidence they needed to bowl well at the Aussies. This will be a well deserved victory for England.

 

The 51 run stand with Simon Jones was probably the most decisive point in the match today.

What a player Shane Warne is though. His array of spin bowling is dazzling at times. I saw only one bad ball from him all day, when he was on a hattrick. The ball to dismiss Straussy last night was absolutely unreal. The man is a legend.

Today belongs to the big man from Lancashire though. A wonderfully aggressive innings followed by some really good bowling, especially in the over where he dismissed Langer and Ponts. Two VERY important wickets, and all with an injured shoulder. The ball of the day belongs to Mr. Harmison though, to produce that ball in that situation was incredible. Bewilderingly, that was his 1st wicket think, this test match. He's been underused in favour of the other bowlers. That in itself, shows how deep the quality runs in this England side and is really pleasing to see.

A fully fit Glenn McGrath would be the difference though. I wish him a lengthy recovery .

 

@Bion
I don't think anyone here is really thinking about England or Australia when we are getting whipped by a second string side of the West Indies. (Sometimes I wonder if Lara's retirement wasn't the best thing that happened to the windies in the last 5 years.)

 

****IN YESSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, but we got it!!!

WOOOOOO C'MON!!!!!

INGERLUND! INGERLUND! INGERLUND, INGERLUND LA LA!!!!

Bring on OT!!!!!!!!

 

Wow. What a finish! Fantastic viewing for the neutral observer. Who says test cricket is boring? Amazing stuff. Congratulations to England but well done to both teams for piutting on such a great match.

What the **** is an Ingerlund? And who is OT?

 

You know full well what Ingerlund is .

OT = Old Trafford. The next test match is at Old Trafford.

What a test match that was though! That match got tight as a knats chuff! Fair play to Warney, Kaspro and especially, Lee. We threw the kitchen sink at him and he just brushed himself up, looked the bowlers in the eyes and smiled. he has an answer to everything we threw at him.

 

Gibberish? Like "knat's chuff"?

Anyway, fabulous game. I'm so tired from watching this stuff in the middle of the night, along with the rugby as well.

I take back my initial comments about the result of this series. Barring weather, there should be a result in each test, given that no batsman on either side has shown the ability or the application to bat for long periods in the face of confident bowling, unless there are some seriously flat tracks coming up.

So, should be 3-2. But to whom? We've definitely got a competition on our hands now. And Shrikant, you're missing something special by not caring about. The NZ cricket team is playing at the moment as well, but that's no reason not to watch as much of the Ashes as you can.

 

Man, it hurts to say this, but we got beaten by England.

I could make all the excuses in the world (LBW decisions and bodyline tactics, for starters), but it won't change the result. Of course, I am quietly hoping that this will actually galvanise the Aussies into action. If I were Flintoff or Harmison, I'd be wearing as much padding as is legally allowed after their conduct in the last Test.

Still, my hat's off to the big lunk - Flintoff won it for England despite their best efforts to choke at the line. It should never have been that close; were it not for England's *wonderful* wicketkeeping, Australia would have been finished off much earlier. No-one would have expected that kind of a finish, with Australia scoring more than 100 for the last two wickets. Ponting admits he cocked up by bowling first, as he did. Hopefully this will kick him and a few others out of their complacency.

BA, glad to see you want to test yourselves against the best line up Australia has. I'd be happy to lose McGrath for two tests if I could guarantee that someone would put Harmison or Flintoff out with a fractured toe or a head-high full toss.