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

[Top_Cat]

Theres being objective, and then theres being empty and cold inside .
Tell the truth, TC, youd be shattered.. I know I would.

I'm not very nationalistic.

I only just saw the footage of Freddie consoling Lee today. Amazing that having just won a live Ashes Test in which he played a significant part with both bat and ball, he was aware enough to console Brett Lee over the loss. What a guy!

 

[Top_Cat]

And bugger the Kasper dismissal; at full-speed, I doubt there would have been an umpire alive who would have given it not-out. Billy would have needed God-like perceptive skills to see that!

 

[Slats4ever]

yeah Flintoff seems like a really nice guy as well as being an amazing talent. I get the impression he's really humble and doesn't know how good he is.

 

[andyc]

And bugger the Kasper dismissal; at full-speed, I doubt there would have been an umpire alive who would have given it not-out. Billy would have needed God-like perceptive skills to see that!

i agree, it's just people being sore losers.

(it is a good excuse, though )

 

[Slats4ever]

i agree, it's just people being sore losers.

(it is a good excuse, though )

it's not people being sore losers. A fact is a fact. When the original post was made Sanz didn't cry about it

 

[andyc]

yeah Flintoff seems like a really nice guy as well as being an amazing talent. I get the impression he's really humble and doesn't know how good he is.

http://content.cricinfo.com/engvaus/content/story/215283.html

doesn't really seem like it to me

 

[Slats4ever]

yeah he's a great guy. It seems as though Australia wanna try to create a Flintoff. I've read they wanna put Watson in the side. It'd be a good option atm cos our quick unit is well below par and an extra option would be good.

 

[andyc]

it's not people being sore losers. A fact is a fact. When the original post was made Sanz didn't cry about it

i had only read it in the sydney morning herald, i didn't mean to be insulting members.
i mean, sure, it wasn't out, but it would happen all the time surely, and the umpire's given it, so what's it matter? pietersen wasn't out either, there were a few dubious lbw's, it happens.

 

[social]

i agree, it's just people being sore losers.

(it is a good excuse, though )

Brought up by English analysts and English papers - Aus reports were just quoting same.

Probably couldnt sleep until they found a reason besides good cricket for their team being able to beat ours in a "live" match.

 

[Josh]

so bell and pietersen, two batsmen, both in, got given out when they weren't. You think if they hadn't gone youd even be looking at a run chase today?

Pietersen was out first ball tho, so it all evened up in the end, altho had he have been given out at the correct time, then Australia probably would have won the match.

 

[Josh]

yeah he's a great guy. It seems as though Australia wanna try to create a Flintoff. I've read they wanna put Watson in the side. It'd be a good option atm cos our quick unit is well below par and an extra option would be good.

If Watson gets selected you can hand England the trophy...

 

[marc71178]

Has i've been saying all along if Tait has a go he could be a handful with that slingy action of his since none of the englishmen haven't seen him before.

Sorry, but I can't remember you ever saying that before - so "as you've been saying all along" is a tad inaccurate.

 

[howardj]

If Watson gets selected you can hand England the trophy...

He surely couldn't, with the ball, be any less penetrative than Gillespie (in both the Tests) and Kasprowicz (in the second innings of this Test). I've always thought, when either McGrath or Warne are out, Australia should look to be more flexible, in terms of team make-up. Players like Gilchrist and Watson give Australia the capacity to be more flexible.

 

[marc71178]

So 4 unconvincing innings that have all culminated in low scores dont count against him?

In all 4 innings he has balls that he cannot be blamed for being dismissed from..

Every batsman receives good balls, he's just been unlucky to get 4 in a row.

As for unconvincing - I don't know how you can say that about either Edgbaston innings - the first one lasted 3 balls, and he hit 6 runs off the first 2.

The second innings came in under a lot of pressure and scored a very good 20.

 

[Burpey]

If MacGill is to play on what I've heard will be a turning OT pitch, Watson must play as Aus cannot go in with only two pace bowlers. However, this makes the side weaker than if MacGill wasn't playing ... a dilemma IMO for the selectors

 

[andyc]

what's the general opinion, guys

should tait come in for gillespie or should it be left as is?
i doubt the selectors would play macgill and warne in the same match.

 

[Burpey]

what's the general opinion, guys

should tait come in for gillespie or should it be left as is?
i doubt the selectors would play macgill and warne in the same match.

Playing Tait would be a risk that the selectors would have to be very brave to make

 

[Craig]

And that fact Tait hasn't bowled a ball in anger all tour (apart from the nets) so he will be underdone match fitness wise. If Gillespie is dropped for Tait it will be a sign of panic.

That Test - how exciting was it? It had everything, runs, wickets, good and bad bowling, lucky and unlucky dismissals, good and bad fielding, and then Australia nearly winning. I genally thought England had blown it and Australia was going to get it - but no England won it. I bet Simon Jones is a very lucky lucky man.

Another thing I want to know, what is it with the British press jumping to the gun with all the doom and gloom of Australia when England were on top at stumps on day 2 when it could have come back to bite them - which it nearly did?

 

[Lillian Thomson]

No one takes any notice of the British Press. Our "heroes" this morning would have all been sacked by the press if they had not won given the position at the end of Day Three.

 

[andyc]

it's strange. logically, you'd have said they could never get anywhere near it. but i still was thinking before play that we could at lesat get close. i wasn't stupid enough to say it, but i thought, and expected it.