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

[aussie]

You're pedantic.

Strictly speaking, Gillespie could have been out before he faced a ball. It took him 4 minutes to get to the middle. I'd have loved to have seen that - one nameless member of CricketWeb would have been coughing up blood.

i dont think Dizzy took that long to come out, if it was i'd didn't seem so long to me...

 

[Scaly piscine]

Anyway, I guess some of the media will have their wish - Flintoff batting at 7 and Geraint at 8.

 

[tooextracool]

Lee has been poor for a long long time, and those sort of figures in his first real challenge on return suggest that maybe he's not actully that good?

give him time, 1 test match doesnt prove anything.
while i'd be extremely surprised if lee ends up test class, i still think hes a better bowler than he was last time around. his problem ATM is that he doesnt swing the red cherry as much as he does the white ball, and considering that his seam position isnt that brilliant he doesnt get much seam movement either. doesnt leave him with too much in his armoury does it?

 

[luckyeddie]

i dont think Dizzy took that long to come out, if it was i'd didn't seem so long to me...

Complete 4 advert cycle on Channel 4 which followed on from the post-dismissal chat. When they came back, he (Gillespie) was just crossing the boundary rope and doing his customary Michael Jackson crotch-grab.

 

[luckyeddie]

doesnt leave him with too much in his armoury does it?

Beamers?

 

[aussie]

Beamers?

, your too much eddie

 

[steds]

Mess with the bull young man, and you will get the horns.

Oh, jeez, I'm sorry sir. The thought of getting on the wrong side of an extremely biased, fat drug-cheat worshipping idiot is just too much to take. I promise I won't do it again.

 

[tooextracool]

From what I've seen of Hoggard (besides his last tour of Australia, which I'm kind enough to write off as an abberation) he manages to swing it in most conditions with the new ball to some extent.

nope, the only times hoggard has swung the ball has happened in SA, NZ and in england occasionally, when the conditions where conducive for swing bowling. his last tour of australia wasnt exactly an abberation, because the fact was that the ball didnt swing a tiny bit, and if hoggard does play in australia in 06/07, i have no doubt that he will just as miserable as he was last time around. and unless we miraculously happen to see the ball swing in pakistan and india, he'll be innocuous there too. with harmison, flintoff, jones and giles to cover up for him, he might do a decent job by just bowling a tight line and length and hold up an end, which is really the best we can ask for from him, but if he bowls the tripe hes bowled this summer, he'll be dropped after the first test.

 

[aussie]

Oh, jeez, I'm sorry sir. The thought of getting on the wrong side of an extremely biased, fat drug-cheat worshipping idiot is just too much to take. I promise I won't do it again.

please steds dont be dissing the real Warne like that come on

 

[tooextracool]

But, pray tell me, why is Bell (who was made out to be the next Tendulkar) not even able to get to double figures? I mean, it is funny to remember how before the tests began, all the talk was about Pieterson or Thorpe and Bell was like a certainty. I get the feeling things would have been far far better for England if Thorpe was in there instead of Bell. I am getting the feeling even Butcher would have been a better option than Bell.

its all wonderful in hindsight, but IMO anyone whos saw bell in domestic cricket and in the few tests he played before this series would have told you that he just looked the part. of course the selectors pulled the other one, when they decided to go with collingwood to SA when instead bell would have been a far far better option and given him a bit of experience against a quality bowling attack. as far as thorpe is concerned, i'd have dropped anyone from 1-11 in the current side just to get him in the side, but its all done and dusted now and its just our stroke of luck that mcgrath generously decided to even things up by slipping on a cricket ball.

 

[luckyeddie]

please steds dont be dissing the real Warne like that come on

Is it all right to describe him as "Vodaphone Man" or "Shane's Mum's Chemist's Best Customer"?

 

[tooextracool]

Out of interest, does anyone else know why Ponting persisted with Warne and Lee before tea when they were being taken apart?

because flintoff looked like he was going to get out almost every ball at the time.
the clear difference between australia and englands strategy today was that australia went all on the aggresive, and they didnt mind flintoff slogging them all over the place, because they felt they had a chance of getting him out. meanwhile england today on several occasions tried to go on the defence and slow down the scoring rate, most notably after lunch when they started bowling negatively at clarke and langer.

 

[Pothas]

Jones second spell today was really excellent showing what a very good bowler he could be become if he can bowl cosistantly

 

[tooextracool]

Possibly with Warne, but not the way Lee was bowling - at least one of the others might have put the ball somewhere near the right spot.

the plan to flintoff though was to bowl short and get him to hook, and given the pace of the other 2 pace bowlers who would you choose to carry out that plan?

 

[luckyeddie]

.... meanwhile england today on several occasions tried to go on the defence and slow down the scoring rate, most notably after lunch when they started bowling negatively at clarke and langer.

England's strategy today was simply perfect. Clarke is a bunny if you stop him scoring, because he just can't hold himself in check for more than about 5 balls. That's just inexperience though - he's destined to be a thorn in our side for a few years to come.

 

[Slow Love™]

Complete 4 advert cycle on Channel 4 which followed on from the post-dismissal chat. When they came back, he (Gillespie) was just crossing the boundary rope and doing his customary Michael Jackson crotch-grab.

Yeah - from what I heard, it was for a reason this time (not that you ever need a reason) - apparently the initial delay was because he started coming out, felt for his box (as you do), and he realised it wasn't there, so he had to go back for one.

 

[tooextracool]

Haven't seen any of it yet, but if Harmison is swinging it conditions are obviously more helpful for bowling now than they were. I don't see what the point of denying that would be.

in the end though, the first ball of the day was the only ball that harmison actually got to swing. and no one else got the ball to swing conventionally during the day either.

 

[tooextracool]

Can`t see how you can go past Harmison myself.

harmisons more inconsistent, and flintoff really is a much better bowler than he had performed this summer until today.

 

[luckyeddie]

Yeah - from what I heard, it was for a reason this time (not that you ever need a reason) - apparently the initial delay was because he started coming out, felt for his box (as you do), and he realised it wasn't there, so he had to go back for one.

Brilliant. Only ever happened to me once in village cricket - and I just went out and batted (very carefully indeed) without one.

 

[luckyeddie]

in the end though, the first ball of the day was the only ball that harmison actually got to swing. and no one else got the ball to swing conventionally during the day either.

There was a short spell when Jones started to get a little conventional swing, but of course nothing compared to the amazing reverse that he and Freddie 'found' late on.

*cough*bottletop*cough*pocket of sand*cough*