*Official* First Test at Swalec Stadium, Cardiff

[shivfan]

On the contrary, I think Ponting was quite right to criticise England for using gamesmanship....

If the shoe had been on the other foot, English newspapers would be crucifying Ponting on the nearest cross!

When Ramnarine and Dillon did it against South Africa in 2001, they were hauled before the match referee. I hope the same is done to the England batsmen - who was it? Anderson and Panesar? Surely, what's good for the goose is good for the gander....

 

[vic_orthdox]

Haha, the thought of the English tabloids writing articles about Ponting if Australia did it makes me laugh a lot.

 

[Jakester1288]

That pisses me off, we really deserved to win. Were the better team by miles. Poor captaincy from Ponting to have part timers on so much, when Hauritz is at the other end, and talk about underbowling Hilfenhaus. I reckon Siddle, Hilfenhaus or Johnson should have been at the other end rather than North bowling in tandem with Hauritz at the end of the match at the most crucial part of the test.

Oh well, what's done is done, it's time to look towards Lords.

 

[Redbacks]

Perhaps so; but no-one forces him to answer that sort of question

questionable sportsmanship did, meh England get a hard on by having a go at Ponting yet their own character is brutally exposed by their actions yet again. His comments will be forgotten but the loss of respect for Strauss as a leader won't dissipate as quickly

 

[pasag]

That pisses me off, we really deserved to win. Were the better team by miles. Poor captaincy from Ponting to have part timers on so much, when Hauritz is at the other end, and talk about underbowling Hilfenhaus. I reckon Siddle, Hilfenhaus or Johnson should have been at the other end rather than North bowling in tandem with Hauritz at the end of the match at the most crucial part of the test.

Oh well, what's done is done, it's time to look towards Lords.

Don't know if you could say we deserved to win, especially with the way we bowled at the end. Perhaps if you bring the overs lost to rain into the equation, but you never know what could have happened really. Johnson was all over the shop towards the end, lost the plot, so not bowling him was the right option. Siddle was just as bad after the Collingwood wicket.

 

[Burgey]

Perhaps so; but no-one forces him to answer that sort of question, and he's reasonably experienced at saying precisely what he wants to say in press conferences. Judging by the report on cricinfo, it wasn't as though he gave a few words: he gave a fairly lengthy sermon invoking the Spirit of Cricket yet again. People all round the cricketing world, including quite a few in Australia I'd imagine, find the sanctimoniousness about the Spirit of Cricket a bit rich coming from him.

Anyhow I imagine that when the dust has settled the Australians will move on from this and I'd be genuinely surprised if they are petty enough to lodge any kind of formal complaint. Because as you've pointed out even Ponting acknowledges that it didn't affect the outcome of the game, and they will know that their focus needs to be 100% on their preparations for Lord's.

I'm sure they've forgotten it already tbh. My grandmother, sick in hospital for about 4 months, hasn't though.

Went to see her tonight and asked if she watched it:

"Yes, and I think the English people are pathetic".
"Yeah Nan they are, but why?"
"All that timewasting was terrible."
"Yeah you can't trust them".

Was pretty funny tbh, she's seen so much cricket over the years - been to matches with my grandfather since Bradman was playing.

Fair to say she wasn't happy. Nice to see it still means so much to her.

Anyway, fwiw (and I have to say this because there's only so many conspiracy theories one can set store in), England didn't draw through any time wasting. They did it because Collingwood, Anderson and Monty batted really well. So did Swann, but he's a ****.

And because of the rain. To that extent they enjoyed similar fortune to us in the 3rd test in 05.

 

[Matt79]

Meh, you so blatently try to time waste, expect comments. If it had been
done with even a semblance of tact, doubt anyone would say anything.

 

[stephen]

Bleh how could we not win that test.

 

[GIMH]

The time-wasting isn't in doubt, but Ponting saying "we'll be playing within the spirit of the game" or whatever is what has irked me, a little, seeing as he did anything but IMO

 

[Stapel]

According to the Guardian, Monty is likely to be dropped for Harmison.

 

[biased indian]

The time-wasting isn't in doubt, but Ponting saying "we'll be playing within the spirit of the game" or whatever is what has irked me, a little, seeing as he did anything but IMO

ponting was giving a ear full to the 12th man with gloves and lot of advices

 

[zaremba]

The time-wasting isn't in doubt, but Ponting saying "we'll be playing within the spirit of the game" or whatever is what has irked me, a little, seeing as he did anything but IMO

This

 

[Son Of Coco]

From an England perspective it's a lot more amusing than going from "We're a big chance here, it's 2005 all over again" to "Bugger, we're in a spot of bother here" to "We're one down with Lord's to come in 3 days' time and have nothing positive to mitigate the effects of a complete drubbing" before limping to inevitable defeat at Lord's.

We may well still lose at Lord's but it's far from the certainty it would have been had we not got out of jail at Cardiff.

It's not really that far from being a certainty unless England pull their fingers out. If they don't react to this in the same way as they would have to a complete drubbing and fix the multitude of problems they had in this test then they will lose Lords.

They need to have a good hard look at what they just did and do something about that in 3 days. It will undoubtedly give them a boost though to have played so poorly and not lost.

 

[Son Of Coco]

questionable sportsmanship did, meh England get a hard on by having a go at Ponting yet their own character is brutally exposed by their actions yet again. His comments will be forgotten but the loss of respect for Strauss as a leader won't dissipate as quickly

Well said.

 

[Uppercut]

Ponting breathes loudly in post-match interview, Poms whinge

 

[zaremba]

It's not really that far from being a certainty unless England pull their fingers out. If they don't react to this in the same way as they would have to a complete drubbing and fix the multitude of problems they had in this test then they will lose Lords.

They need to have a good hard look at what they just did and do something about that in 3 days.

I don't think for a minute that this message will be lost on the England set-up. I just can't see them spending the next 3 days slapping each other on the back. On the contrary, I expect yesterday's hero Panesar will get the chop, if not from the squad then certainly from the XI that plays at Lord's.

 

[Matt79]

questionable sportsmanship did, meh England get a hard on by having a go at Ponting yet their own character is brutally exposed by their actions yet again. His comments will be forgotten but the loss of respect for Strauss as a leader won't dissipate as quickly

Ponting breathes loudly in post-match interview, Poms whinge

This.

Reckon the hysteria whenever Ponting gives anything beyond a "no comment" at interview, or commits the uniquely () obnoxious actions of appealing aggressively when something is probably not out (looking at you Messers Paneser, Warne, McGrath, Bhajji, etc, etc, etc), or displaying obvious disappointment on field (too many to mention), says as much about the people who immediately pounce on it as it does about him.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Ponting breathes loudly in post-match interview, Poms whinge

Yep.

 

[GIMH]

Ponting breathes loudly in post-match interview, Poms whinge

This.

Reckon the hysteria whenever Ponting gives anything beyond a "no comment" at interview, or commits the uniquely () obnoxious actions of appealing aggressively when something is probably not out (looking at you Messers Paneser, Warne, McGrath, Bhajji, etc, etc, etc), or displaying obvious disappointment on field (too many to mention), says as much about the people who immediately pounce on it as it does about him.

Sorry, disagree with this. He didn't just answer the question as has been suggested, he made a very pointed comment of, "we'll continue to play within the spirit of the game," and there is a difference between appealing, and confronting an umpire who has just turned down your appeal.

FTR we are far from being saints, but all we here is 'whingeing poms' so of course we are going to bite back when Ponting makes such remarks.

 

[Matt79]

Pity you used all your kleenex over Anderson scraping out a draw mate, otherwise you could dry those tears...

England: Harden the **** up.