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

[PY]

Anyone watching The Armed Forces Ashes programme on Channel 4?

What a great idea.

 

[Monty]

who is winning Py as i live in aus and it aint on tv

 

[BoyBrumby]

it is exactly that which annoys me about this place...somebody scoring a matching winning hundred is dissed because they got dropped once...somebody 5 years ago struggled to take any wickets in a series and they are dismissed as a poor bowler..a ball that spins 3 feet and bowls out on of the leading openers in the world is merely an average ball..jeez, even when hayden scores 380, people have a go.

People seem to judge todays cricket by comparing it to highly edited highlight film of tests from years ago. Not all cricket is played at a high level ball after ball, you watch highlights and you watch the good bits generally. Players have always got out to bad shots, its not a new phenomenon...ocassionally we see truely great pieces of cricket..why cant people just enjoy them, instead of ripping them to shreds.

Some people completely miss the point about this game

What are you talikng about, it was against Zimbabwe for heaven's sake! Everyone knows tests against Zimbabwe don't count towards first-chance averages.....

Seriously tho, spot on. I watch the game 'cos I enjoy it. When Warney came on last night you could almost feel the frisson through the telly &, fair play to the fella, he delivered. My heart sunk as an Englishman, but as a cricket fan it's moments like that that jusitfy my love.

 

[PY]

The Aussies slaughtered the English.

20 over slog. Australia got 230-odd I think and England got 120-odd. The victory margin was 118 runs.

 

[social]

You know what? I can't restrain my hate for Brett Lee anymore. I've never seen someone with less "ticker" play for Australia, ever. He'll injure his "heart-ledge" by the end of the tour . And let's not get started on his complete lack of cricketing brain...

QUOTE]

Vic, you're being grossly unfair to Lee here.

IMO, there is absolutely no question mark against his heart, ticker, guts, commitment, etc.

You simply do not come back from 2 career threatening injuries, unfavourable press, unjust selections, etc to rightfully regain a place in the best side in the world if that is the case.

The only question is whether he has the necessary bowling skills and/or tactical nous to back up his undoubted pace.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

lol but i think they should swap him for joyce

Throwing Joyce in at the deep end at this point in time is no good. He might play 3 Tests, crash and burn like Bell (which is the most likely turn of events) and then have mental scars for ever.

Stick to Bell out the series and hope that he learns from the experience, I say.

 

[Mister Wright]

You know what? I can't restrain my hate for Brett Lee anymore. I've never seen someone with less "ticker" play for Australia, ever. He'll injure his "heart-ledge" by the end of the tour . And let's not get started on his complete lack of cricketing brain...

QUOTE]

Vic, you're being grossly unfair to Lee here.

IMO, there is absolutely no question mark against his heart, ticker, guts, commitment, etc.

You simply do not come back from 2 career threatening injuries, unfavourable press, unjust selections, etc to rightfully regain a place in the best side in the world if that is the case.

The only question is whether he has the necessary bowling skills and/or tactical nous to back up his undoubted pace.

Please explain how he rightfully regained his place in the side?

 

[Monty]

The Aussies slaughtered the English.

20 over slog. Australia got 230-odd I think and England got 120-odd. The victory margin was 118 runs.

awesome thanks mate

 

[twctopcat]

That settles it. He's been put in the English team by someone down under who wants us to lose.

But then again one of our players is born on christmas day so we have the best of both worlds.

 

[shaka]

Its not Lee fault that in the first day's play, the pitch was doing nothing to help Lee, but bowling two similar bouncers against Freddy was not the smartest idea.

 

[marc71178]

Oh, and the first hour tomorrow - massive call, I know - could well decide the series. If England slam on the runs and put themselves in a pretty insurmountable position (1/100), then their positiveness will be carried through the remaining three Tests and they can challenge.

Well I can assure you that won't happen (unless Hoggard retires hurt!)

 

[social]

Please explain how he rightfully regained his place in the side?

Did everything asked of him whilst the competitors for his spot performed poorly.

I know that offends you mate Kaspa, but unfortunately it's true.

 

[marc71178]

lol, it was just funny how a lot of people (not just here, in some other forums too, mainly Englishmen) were saying that he should be a certainty and that KP and Thorpe should be fighting it out.

Actually I was saying Bell and Thorpe should've been picked.

But I'm happy for Pietersen to prove me wrong.

The fact is Bell couldn't be dropped after Bangladesh, and he was the right pick for those 2 games ahead of Pietersen because of form.

It is also the case that Bell has got 3 dismissals that in all honesty he couldn't do a great deal about.

 

[marc71178]

Yeah, I think Lee can be grateful that McGrath will likely be out for the rest of the series.

Not as much as the English are grateful!

 

[marc71178]

But then again one of our players is born on christmas day so we have the best of both worlds.

2 even - Banger and Jones

 

[social]

Its not Lee fault that in the first day's play, the pitch was doing nothing to help Lee, but bowling two similar bouncers against Freddy was not the smartest idea.

That's why there is a question as to his tactical nous.

Flintoff has a weakness against the short ball but on such a slow pitch with such a tiny outfield, he would have been better bowling length at off stump (Flintoff's other weakness) and using the bouncer intermittently.

Similarly with Tresco. Every pace bowler in the world knows that he has a weakness against length balls on middle and off but is strong against wide stuff. He should have cut his pace slightly and cramped him for room.

Elementary from here, maybe not in Brett Lee's mind.

 

[Swervy]

That's why there is a question as to his tactical nous.

Flintoff has a weakness against the short ball but on such a slow pitch with such a tiny outfield, he would have been better bowling length at off stump (Flintoff's other weakness) and using the bouncer intermittently.

Similarly with Tresco. Every pace bowler in the world knows that he has a weakness against length balls on middle and off but is strong against wide stuff. He should have cut his pace slightly and cramped him for room.

Elementary from here, maybe not in Brett Lee's mind.

does Flintoff have a weakness vs the short ball????

He real weakness is the just outside off stump leaving him slightly..he is one hell of a puller(if not in the same way as Vaughan or Ponting..he has his own style of pull) and a pretty good hooker of the ball

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Playing Warne negatively - bad idea.

 

[BoyBrumby]

He's showing limited ambition, but Hoggy's playing Warne pretty well so far.

 

[superkingdave]

Playing Warne negatively - bad idea.

its mostly hoggard though, he's hardly going to wack him