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

[Shane Warne]

I can play the 'let's assume' game too.

Let's assume the umpire gave it not out.
Fine - now let's assume that Simon Jones produced precisely the same delivery next up that he actually did.
Gone next ball - no contest.

I'm not assuming anything.

I'm saying we should have had the chance to find out.

 

[luckyeddie]

I'm not assuming anything.

I'm saying we should have had the chance to find out.

I don't disagree, but you are making far too much fuss over a single mistake.

Remember that umpires get just one chance to look at these things (at the moment).

 

[Barney Rubble]

One day Simon Jones is going to take the edge consistently instead of beating the bat time after time after time, and he's going to get a massive haul - an 8 or 9-for, I really believe that, based on some of his fantastic stuff today. A bowler of huge potential, I was impressed with him at Lord's too in the second innings, one spell in particular.

Giles is a legend, nuff said. Hopefully certain Aussies have learnt not to write him off.

England bowling out Australia for 308 on a good wicket, and Harmison didn't take any - I bet most of Australia would have said that was impossible a month ago. And a fair few in England, too.

Freddie's last two balls swung an inhuman amount, I can't believe he suddenly concocted two demon Waqar-esque toecrushers in a row from nowhere like that.

A shame for Strauss to get an unplayable one like that, but let's hope the Hoggmeister can frustrate the Aussies early on tomorrow and let Tresco concentrate on notching that first hundred, and the Man of the Match award.

 

[Shane Warne]

Giles is a legend, nuff said. Hopefully certain Aussies have learnt not to write him off.

Not sure why you say Aussies considering The British press and pundits themselves are by far his biggest and main critics.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Not sure why you say Aussies considering The British press and pundits themselves are by far his biggest and main critics.

By certain Aussies, I mostly meant you. At least the British press will have the humility to come out and admit he did well today. You probably still think Nathan Hauritz is better.

 

[luckyeddie]

Not sure why you say Aussies considering The British press and pundits themselves are by far his biggest and main critics.

There's now't so fickle as a British newspaper. Just listened to an interview with Jack Bannister (Birmingham Evening Mail) and basically he thinks that any sportsman who writes a newspaper column (in most cases, ghost-writes) is making a rod for their own back, because sooner or later they are going to say something which will be picked upon - witness Giles and Hoggard in recent days.

Mind you, Warney's column has got him into enough trouble in the past - and the stuff he writes in the newspapers too.

 

[Scaly piscine]

A shame for Strauss to get an unplayable one like that

Strauss's delivery was nowhere near unplayable, personally I think Cricinfo have gone way overboard with their 'Warne wonder-ball' line. It simply spun a lot, which is what you'd expect from Warne on that pitch (even Giles was spinning it considerably at times) - it didn't draw him into a shot or anything, simply spun a lot and Strauss inexplicably couldn't cover his stumps with two pads - it was similar on a scale of poor dismissals to being bowled behind the legs as far as I'm concerned.

 

[PY]

He's a TalkSport character as well isn't he?

Former BBC TV commentator as well if I remember correctly.

 

[Shane Warne]

Mind you, Warney's column has got him into enough trouble in the past - and the stuff he writes in the newspapers too.

 

[Pothas]

oh come on it was brilliant ball. It made Strauss look like a fool but that was mainly because it was so bloody good

 

[luckyeddie]

Strauss's delivery was nowhere near unplayable, personally I think Cricinfo have gone way overboard with their 'Warne wonder-ball' line. It simply spun a lot, which is what you'd expect from Warne on that pitch (even Giles was spinning it considerably at times) - it didn't draw him into a shot or anything, simply spun a lot and Strauss inexplicably couldn't cover his stumps with two pads - it was similar on a scale of poor dismissals to being bowled behind the legs as far as I'm concerned.

There was a silly point so he couldn't go down the track, and he certainly couldn't just stand in front of his stumps with both pads together because he would most certainly have been given out leg-before. So he did what he thought was right - got outside the line of the stumps and tried like hell to cover outside and on off stump. The ball just about brushed his trousers on the way to hitting middle and leg, so he wasn't far off the mark.

It was the ball of the series by a long, long way, and the third-greatest delivery I've ever seen Warne produce.

 

[Scaly piscine]

oh come on it was brilliant ball. It made Strauss look like a fool but that was mainly because it was so bloody good

If it was so good why don't we see Warne simply bowling 3-4 feet wide of the stumps onto the rough all day every game getting ten wickets for no run (against left and right handers)? Because it shouldn't get anyone out as they can pad it away safely.

 

[Shane Warne]

There was a silly point so he couldn't go down the track, and he certainly couldn't just stand in front of his stumps with both pads together because he would most certainly have been given out leg-before. So he did what he thought was right - got outside the line of the stumps and tried like hell to cover outside and on off stump. The ball just about brushed his trousers on the way to hitting middle and leg, so he wasn't far off the mark.

It was the ball of the series by a long, long way, and the third-greatest delivery I've ever seen Warne produce.

What was the second?

 

[luckyeddie]

What was the second?

Goochie - this one runs it close - may even be joint second. Gatting number 1.

It's a sign of the greatness of the bowler that you remember his great deliveries just by naming the victim.

 

[Shane Warne]

Strauss's delivery was nowhere near unplayable, personally I think Cricinfo have gone way overboard with their 'Warne wonder-ball' line. It simply spun a lot, which is what you'd expect from Warne on that pitch (even Giles was spinning it considerably at times) - it didn't draw him into a shot or anything, simply spun a lot and Strauss inexplicably couldn't cover his stumps with two pads - it was similar on a scale of poor dismissals to being bowled behind the legs as far as I'm concerned.

I bet you're fun at parties.

 

[Anil]

Giles is a legend, nuff said. Hopefully certain Aussies have learnt not to write him off.

a legend? he is a good bowler but calling him a legend is taking it a bit too far...

 

[Shane Warne]

Goochie - this one runs it close - may even be joint second. Gatting number 1.

Yeah, that full toss straight to mid on was classic.

 

[PY]

a legend? he is a good bowler but calling him a legend is taking it a bit too far...

Don't be a spoilsport Anil.

 

[Swervy]

If it was so good why don't we see Warne simply bowling 3-4 feet wide of the stumps onto the rough all day every game getting ten wickets for no run (against left and right handers)? Because it shouldn't get anyone out as they can pad it away safely.

because its harder than you think to produce balls like that over after over...the amount of revs on that ball was astonishing...you should try putting that effort in for more than a few balls..also if Warne did that every ball, batsmen would just race down the wicket to hit it on the full

The fact is Strauss had no real way of telling how much that ball was going to spin..and even if he did pad up, you are looking at a possible LBW...the Warne had also brought in a silly point so the risk if Strauss had have thrust a pad down and tried to hit it, there would have been a chance of giving one of the close catchers a catch.

It wasnt only the spin that got him ,it was the pace the ball came off the pitch as well..for me that is almost as unplayable a ball as you will ever see from a leggy to a left handed batsman

 

[Swervy]

There was a silly point so he couldn't go down the track, and he certainly couldn't just stand in front of his stumps with both pads together because he would most certainly have been given out leg-before. So he did what he thought was right - got outside the line of the stumps and tried like hell to cover outside and on off stump. The ball just about brushed his trousers on the way to hitting middle and leg, so he wasn't far off the mark.

It was the ball of the series by a long, long way, and the third-greatest delivery I've ever seen Warne produce.

just read this...kind of matches what I said..sorry, i didnt nick your ideas there LE