*Official* Fifth Test at The Oval

[GIMH]

I presume it's raining in London?

 

[CarlsbergXpress]

I presume it's raining in London?

Yep, it's grim

 

[Furball]

Covers are on.

 

[fredfertang]

Looking very grey where I am a few miles away - have had to flee Reading due to the plague of the great unwashed

 

[Cabinet96]

Not actually raining just North of the Oval, but it's very wet and grey.

 

[Daemon]

Cloud seeding? How low will these ****s sink :/

 

[GIMH]

Eh

 

[Son Of Coco]

Given how England batted yesterday I'm surprised the rain bothered turning up.

 

[Furball]

Flicking in and out of Sky's coverage but I don't think we're expecting any play any time soon.

 

[Ruckus]

It was pointed out to me yesterday, rather harshly I thought although that's beside the point, that I had spent the whole of the period between 1989 and 2004 being upbeat and positive about England in the face of adversity, and that ever since 2009 all I have done is whinge about them notwithstanding all the success against Australia. As I conceded that may well make me a perverse ****, but I'm still distinctly unhappy with much of what has gone in this Test match, which is pathetic for a taem that are 3-0 with one to play

Yeah it's a bit ridiculous. I can't see Eng ever truly dominating if they keep up this mentality...it's like they are content with being good, but don't care for taking it to the next level.

 

[MW1304]

Looking very grey where I am a few miles away - have had to flee Reading due to the plague of the great unwashed

Not been raining in Reading all day.

 

[MW1304]

Sky have just done a brilliant piece on working a batsman out. Has basically confirmed how brilliantly Australia have bowled to Cook, he's scored three boundaries above the line of the stumps on the offside all series and every single one of his wickets have been from balls that are on/below the line of the bails. I'm not sure we can put any of Cook's failings specifically down to anything other than good bowling to good plans.

Edit: They've also bowled a perfect length to Root, who has seriously struggled to score any runs when it's in that good zone.

 

[fredfertang]

Yeah it's a bit ridiculous. I can't see Eng ever truly dominating if they keep up this mentality...it's like they are content with being good, but don't care for taking it to the next level.

What narks me most is the way they have played all summer with so little consideration for those who pay so much money to watch the bloody matches - at least Clarke has set out to entertain come what may, and much kudos to him and his team for that

 

[fredfertang]

Long may it stay that way - the thought of my younger son returning to my house tonight with a bunch of other drunken, bedraggled and rain-soaked festival goers fills me full of the worst sort of dread

 

[Ruckus]

What narks me most is the way they have played all summer with so little consideration for those who pay so much money to watch the bloody matches - at least Clarke has set out to entertain come what may, and much kudos to him and his team for that

Yeah I agree. I definitely think it's important in sport, especially cricket, that entertainment value is taken into consideration, as opposed to a completely cold, results-orientated mentality. At the end of the day sport is for the fans, so totally ignoring that component of it is really just disrespectful.

 

[Spark]

Sky have just done a brilliant piece on working a batsman out. Has basically confirmed how brilliantly Australia have bowled to Cook, he's scored three boundaries above the line of the stumps on the offside all series and every single one of his wickets have been from balls that are on/below the line of the bails. I'm not sure we can put any of Cook's failings specifically down to anything other than good bowling to good plans.

Edit: They've also bowled a perfect length to Root, who has seriously struggled to score any runs when it's in that good zone.

Really like this idea that Warne came up with to Bell as well, given that the boundary highlights package they came up with was mostly to balls with a bit of width. Think they need to bowl a fair bit straighter, get him playing at basically every ball.

 

[Furball]

Yeah I agree. I definitely think it's important in sport, especially cricket, that entertainment value is taken into consideration, as opposed to a completely cold, results-orientated mentality. At the end of the day sport is for the fans, so totally ignoring that component of it is really just disrespectful.

3-0 is entertainment enough cheers. Australia can feel free to entertain us by collapsing for 120 again if they want.

 

[Furball]

Yeah it's a bit ridiculous. I can't see Eng ever truly dominating if they keep up this mentality...it's like they are content with being good, but don't care for taking it to the next level.

Yeah let's just ignore everything KP and Root have said about the pitch, it's all England's feeble mentality.

They should take a leaf out of Australia's 'that's the way I play, deal with it' mentality that's been so successful for them this series.

 

[morgieb]

When should the rain subside?

And the chances of a result fades by the minute.

 

[Maximas]

3-0 is entertainment enough cheers. Australia can feel free to entertain us by collapsing for 120 again if they want.

we won't even get that chance at this rate