Favourite Ashes Memory

[Richard]

Haha, what?

Australia were **** in that series.

But they weren't. They were so, so far from it. Yes, Gillespie was diabolical, but that's about it. Langer played superbly given the standard of bowling on offer; Ponting played the innings of his life at Old Trafford even if he was mostly sorted-out otherwise; and the likes of Hayden, Martyn and Gilchrist were just sorted-out by bowling way better than anything they'd experienced before; Clarke and Lee just weren't that good at that stage.

And as for Warne, well... that series was the highlight of his career in an all-round capacity (not neccessarily in a bowling-alone one).

Australia's good-but-not-quite-good-enough-ness that series was precisely what made it so good.

 

[Richard]

I expect Burgey might agree that this is what it was. But I would understand if he didn't include any sort of pain (short-term or otherwise) among his "favourite Ashes memories".

But you can't really separate the two. Without 2005, it's impossibly unlikely that 2006/07 would've happened. And I imagine most Aussies quite liked that... maybe wrong though.

 

[ripper868]

But you can't really separate the two. Without 2005, it's impossibly unlikely that 2006/07 would've happened. And I imagine most Aussies quite liked that... maybe wrong though.

What?

How does the loss in 2005 make the 2006/7 5-0 happen? That would have happened even if lee and kaspa had of scored 2 more runs, England were outclassed in every facet of the game in 06/7 series.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Remember when we were 90/3 just before lunch on day one of the first test in 2009? We were so full of hope and optimism then. Looking back it was a golden age to be an English cricket fan.

 

[morgieb]

* Warne's delivery to Gatting that kick-started his test career.
* Winning the Sydney Test in 06/07
* The Egbaston last-wicket partnership in 05 that almost won the test
* Steve Waugh's last ball century in 02/03.

 

[Uppercut]

Remember when we were 90/3 just before lunch on day one of the first test in 2009? We were so full of hope and optimism then. Looking back it was a golden age to be an English cricket fan.

Remember when Flintoff hit Hussey on the head on the third day? If England get stuffed here but later improve and go on to win the series, people will look back on that as a crucial moment.

 

[wpdavid]

Remember when Flintoff hit Hussey on the head on the third day? If England get stuffed here but later improve and go on to win the series, people will look back on that as a crucial moment.

 

[zaremba]

remember when flintoff hit hussey on the head on the third day? If england get stuffed here but later improve and go on to win the series, people will look back on that as a crucial moment.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

There's an interesting mini-documentary series at lunchtime on Saturday's of the current series on Sky in the UK. Today was about the 1970/71 tour. Next week will feature the 1974/75 Series. That's still my favourite overseas series despite the hammering England took. The coverage wasn't anything like the wall to wall coverage we get now but the two hours of radio commentary in the morning and half hour of highlights in the evening was fairly special at the time.

 

[Richard]

Remember when Flintoff hit Hussey on the head on the third day? If England get stuffed here but later improve and go on to win the series, people will look back on that as a crucial moment.

Remember when Flintoff hit Hussey on the head on the third day? If England get stuffed here but later improve and go on to win the series, people will look back on that as a crucial moment.

Remember when Flintoff hit Hussey on the head on the third day? If England get stuffed here but later improve and go on to win the series, people will look back on that as a crucial moment.

Haha, those three consecutive posts truly made me laugh more than pretty much anything on CW since this.

 

[Richard]

What?

How does the loss in 2005 make the 2006/7 5-0 happen? That would have happened even if lee and kaspa had of scored 2 more runs, England were outclassed in every facet of the game in 06/7 series.

Nah, it wouldn't have. Had 2005 happened differently, the sides wouldn't even have been the same. At least one player admitted he planned to retire after 2005 but changed his mind after what happened.

The hurt of 2005 was responsible to a decent degree for the 2006/07 - Australia's brilliance (and to a very small degree, which was vastly exaggerated, England's ineptitude) would absolutely no way have been the same, and thus England wouldn't have been outclassed to such a degree.

Even with it, any of the last four Tests could conceivably have gone either way mid-game.

 

[Michaelf7777777]

Adelaide last day 2006 - because my school was running a leadership training session and in one of the group bonding tasks of belief bingo, one of the categories was 'someone who thinks Australia will win the Adelaide test' and I was the only person who'd sign it being called silly for that belief by many including one of the PE teachers and the 1st XI cricket coach, so it was pretty fun rubbing it in the next day

 

[ripper868]

Nah, it wouldn't have. Had 2005 happened differently, the sides wouldn't even have been the same. At least one player admitted he planned to retire after 2005 but changed his mind after what happened.

The hurt of 2005 was responsible to a decent degree for the 2006/07 - Australia's brilliance (and to a very small degree, which was vastly exaggerated, England's ineptitude) would absolutely no way have been the same, and thus England wouldn't have been outclassed to such a degree.

Even with it, any of the last four Tests could conceivably have gone either way mid-game.

Well by that logic, Australia's effort this series will be dismal and englands will be high given they would be reeling from the 5-0 defeat. TBH englands effort in the field yesterday was ****house, and australia has shown zero signs of complacency. Your argument is a bit flawed mate, but i can tell already we'll have to agree to disagree.

 

[Matt79]

Remember when australia scored 674/6 dec. with four batsmen scoring centuries and England taking
only one wicket in virtually a day's play and all their specialist bowlers going for 100 runs?

EDIT: already done, but what the hell

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Remember when australia scored 674/6 dec. with four batsmen scoring centuries and England taking
only one wicket in virtually a day's play and all their specialist bowlers going for 100 runs?

You'll have to be more specific, that could be anytime in the last 20 years.

 

[frey]

You'll have to be more specific, that could be anytime in the last 20 years.

Yeh right. I know that you are having us on......but just in case, where have you been the last 4 days?

 

[GIMH]

Er, way to miss the point, tool

 

[Richard]

Adelaide last day 2006 - because my school was running a leadership training session and in one of the group bonding tasks of belief bingo, one of the categories was 'someone who thinks Australia will win the Adelaide test' and I was the only person who'd sign it being called silly for that belief by many including one of the PE teachers and the 1st XI cricket coach, so it was pretty fun rubbing it in the next day

I always thought you were of retirement age TBH, surprised to find you were still at school in 2006/07.

 

[Richard]

Well by that logic, Australia's effort this series will be dismal and englands will be high given they would be reeling from the 5-0 defeat.

Nah, the point I was making was about the wounded great side - of Australia's first-choice eleven for the start of the 2005 Ashes (Langer, Hayden, Ponting, Martyn, Clarke, Katich, Gilchrist, Warne, Lee, Gillespie, McGrath), nine played the opener in 2006/07. England were pretty poor in 2006/07 and they're pretty poor now, but of what might have been said to be the first-choice thirteen (two places were impossible to call) in that season (Strauss, Cook, Bell, Collingwood, Pietersen, Flintoff, Jones\Read, Giles, Hoggard, Harmison, Anderson\Mahmood) only six remain at the start of 2009.

Australia's outstanding side was hurt deeply by the 2005 defeat, and that in my view inspired them to play as well as they did in 2006/07. England, however hurt they were by the 2006/07 drubbing, simply do not have anywhere near that level of talent so aren't going to be able to respond similarly.

 

[Redbacks]

England, however hurt they were by the 2006/07 drubbing, simply do not have anywhere near that level of talent so aren't going to be able to respond similarly.

I say bottle

but i guess
Let's call the whole thing off