***Official*** Australia in England (The Ashes)

[Sir Redman]

Lol, don't we all...damn time difference meaning us Kiwis either face an extremely tired following day or a lack of live action...

Thank God for the weekend eh? On weekdays I'm probably just going to watch until lunch...around 11:30.

 

[Somerset]

Thank God for the weekend eh? On weekdays I'm probably just going to watch until lunch...around 11:30.

Exactly, at least the opening test could not be scheduled better in terms of days of the week. And yep, 11:30 might be my curfew too - I guess there's the option of recording the final two sessions though.

 

[shaka]

Do you have a five hour tape then somerset?

 

[Somerset]

Do you have a five hour tape then somerset?

Six actually - what tapes are you using?!

 

[shaka]

Yesterday I decided to watch till tea, then it looked interesting so I continued watching, until Gillespie started to get hit around a bit lol. I'll see how session one goes tonite and decide from there whether to tape. There are highlites tomorrow which may help keep me up to date with "important" events.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Why bother playing Giles?

Seriously, bring in Thorpe, you have a perfectly good bowling attack with the four pacers.

 

[shaka]

I bought a four pack of tapes for $8.50 a couple of weeks ago, so will use those if I need to.

 

[shaka]

Why bother playing Giles?

Seriously, bring in Thorpe, you have a perfectly good bowling attack with the four pacers.

I was thinking the same thing about Giles

 

[Somerset]

Yesterday I decided to watch till tea, then it looked interesting so I continued watching, until Gillespie started to get hit around a bit lol. I'll see how session one goes tonite and decide from there whether to tape. There are highlites tomorrow which may help keep me up to date with "important" events.

There's also a full replay each morning I think, started at 10:30am today - not sure if that's a consistent time though.

 

[Somerset]

I bought a four pack of tapes for $8.50 a couple of weeks ago, so will use those if I need to.

Those should do the job as long as you set the tape to 'long play' - gets at least two sessions.

 

[Somerset]

Why bother playing Giles?

Seriously, bring in Thorpe, you have a perfectly good bowling attack with the four pacers.

I'd probably say for the variation and his record over the past few England series which, for Ashely Giles, has been particularly impressive.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I don't follow all the moaning about this - didn't Hawkeye have it as hitting?

Yeah, but that doesn't mean it should have been given out. It was angling down in, and you could see off stump when it hit him on the crease. That's not out, as far as I'm concerned.

Not a huge deal obviously, but I wouldn't have given it.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

Wow. What a first day, nobody could have expected that. What is with this groundsman though, producing a wicket which has uneven bounce on the first day? Egad.

That being said, McGrath is an amazing bowler and I've rarely seen a better spell from the farmer. Indefatigable. He's probably won this game for Aus now, however I reckon GBH will still have a say second innings and it'll be uncomfortable for Aus batters; I hope their gloves are up to standard for their sakes.

Impressed with KP from England's perspective, playing the "Thorpe" role ironically.

All we can hope for now is try to edge as close to 190 as possible, then bowl aggresively and put the wind up Aus again; (injured) fingers crossed for a 250-odd chase starting late today . Not that I think we'd chase it but.

Amazing start to the Ashes, what?

 

[Pedro Delgado]

Yeah, but that doesn't mean it should have been given out. It was angling down in, and you could see off stump when it hit him on the crease. That's not out, as far as I'm concerned.

Not a huge deal obviously, but I wouldn't have given it.

My first instinct was "going down", and if I'd been the umpire that's what I'd have said.
That being said, it was out, and was as near a "perfect" decision as one can get if you know what I mean. Odd to see it given though, they usually aren't.

 

[King_Ponting]

Prediction: Lee will clean up the tail and australia will be batting before lunch

 

[Somerset]

Prediction: Lee will clean up the tail and australia will be batting before lunch

I certainly wouldn't bet against it - with McGrath keeping his immaculate line and length at one end and Lee at the other I think there's a fair chance for that to occur.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

Prediction: Lee will clean up the tail and australia will be batting before lunch

Really putting your head on the block there King P

Just watching the run down from yesterday and sheesh, Harmo will be a handfull second dig stays anything like. Shame that we'll probably not get enough runs to make a game of it.

 

[wpdavid]

Wow. What a first day, nobody could have expected that. What is with this groundsman though, producing a wicket which has uneven bounce on the first day? Egad.

That being said, McGrath is an amazing bowler and I've rarely seen a better spell from the farmer. Indefatigable. He's probably won this game for Aus now, however I reckon GBH will still have a say second innings and it'll be uncomfortable for Aus batters; I hope their gloves are up to standard for their sakes.

Impressed with KP from England's perspective, playing the "Thorpe" role ironically.

All we can hope for now is try to edge as close to 190 as possible, then bowl aggresively and put the wind up Aus again; (injured) fingers crossed for a 250-odd chase starting late today . Not that I think we'd chase it but.

Amazing start to the Ashes, what?

It was.

But I can't see Aus folding again, to be honest. Likeliest scenario today is our last 3 going for very little, unless KP goes ballistic and the bowlers see very little of the strike, and Aus finishing about 350 ahead with wickets in hand.

I occasionally manage to be mature about the post-tea session yesterday, and obviously it was a privilege to witness an outstanding performacne from one of the alltime great bowlers. But I still come back to the fact that, IIRC, our top order has done this 4 times out of 5 over the last few weeks, and it looks like a white flag job to me. KP may lack some of the finer human qualities, but he doesn't lack guts, and I think he showed up some of the others big time.

 

[Nate]

But I can't see Aus folding again, to be honest.

Exactly.

 

[wpdavid]

Bell isn't, and never has been, competing with Thorpe (hence his selection alongside Thorpe)

I probably said it earlier, but I think Bell's been stitched up a treat having to play this lot ater no FC batting for about 6 weeks. Anyone who tries to make judgements on the basis of yesterday's innings needs their head examined. I gather Boycott was hypercritical of his footwork, which, in the circumstances, is laughable. But I thought Boycs regularly talked a lot of nonsense yesterday, which is unlike him, to be fair.