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

[Slow Love™]

Aaaargh, it's Bucknor!

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Not a bad start here Pidge.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

What an amazing first over... how good was the bouncer to Trescothick!

 

[Slow Love™]

Wow, very good first over from McGrath...

 

[cameeel]

McGrath on the money as usual

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Not a great deal or carry or bounce in the wicket really, and it looks pretty dry, so it should turn later. Not heaps of seam movement, but McGrath as usual can find some, I'm not sure if anyone else will. I don't think this is a particularly good wicket for England, under the circumstances, but batting should be fairly easy for a couple of days at least.

 

[Blaze]

Wow, we have Channel 4's coverage here in NZ this time! No more boring Sky commentary team!

I know it's fantastic. Richie and Boycott are just great to listen too. I am so happy that we have changed coverage.

Gilchrist puts it down

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Should have taken that.

McGrath bowling brilliantly. So is Lee actually, England doing well not to have lost one yet.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Gilchrist drops Trescothick.

Terrible miss.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Not a great deal or carry or bounce in the wicket really

Care to revise this yet?

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Care to revise this yet?

Clearly there's bounce if you bang it in short, but there's not great bounce or carry from length bowling, which is what you'd expect from a pitch that is "like a block of concrete" as this one was meant to be. It's not, for example, bouncy like The Oval was in the last ODI, or anything you'd expect from a hard Australian wicket.

Watch Gilchrist taking most of McGrath's deliveries around his shins and you'll see what I mean.

However, now that there's been a few more jammed in short, you can certainly get bounce if you bowl short of a length, so it's more bouncy than a normal English wicket, just not a rock hard short bowling paradise.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Wonderful slower yorker from Brett. 150 test wickets.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Strauss goes bowled Lee.

Very good slower ball.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

This pitch really doesn't have a great deal in it, and Australia have bowled fantastically so far. Lee's been great, bowled short and fast and troubled both batsmen, and Glenn has been on the money with a bit of movement as usual and should have had a wicket. England need to see off this period and try and take advantage of what should be ideal batting conditions in the afternoon.

 

[Blaze]

Lol at Gillespie.. 2 wickets in the first 2`tests. Is he over the hill?

 

[Nate]

How good was that slower one! Genius!

Haha Gillespie. Shouldn`t be in the team... prove me wrong son.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Lol at Gillespie.. 2 wickets in the first 2`tests. Is he over the hill?

It's certainly possible. He bowled brilliantly not too long ago though, I guess we'll see if he comes good again or not.

 

[Blaze]

It's certainly possible. He bowled brilliantly not too long ago though, I guess we'll see if he comes good again or not.

I would say if he doesn't do much in this test then he will definetly be a chance to be dropped.

 

[Nate]

Where is everyone?

I expect Warne to be coming soon.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I would say if he doesn't do much in this test then he will definetly be a chance to be dropped.

Unless he's really woeful and Australia struggle, he will last out the series. He will probably play in the Super Series too, at least at first. If he doesn't show something he might be gone by the summer though, like Hayden.