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

[honestbharani]

Steve Urkel, from Family Matters I believe. Certainly not Full House - unless they did a cross promotional thing.

He was on one episode of Full House, I am pretty sure of that. The one where Stephanie has to get glasses...

And yeah, it seems to have been a cross-promo thing.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

really.....So Freddie has the fastest ball bowled ever to his credit?

It's happened before. As C_C mentioned in another thread, Balaji has one around 103 mph.

Anyway, I think the fastest delivery that hasn't been discredited by the speedometer belongs to Akhtar, with Lee's two 100+ ones in New Zealand the fastest which were not bowled at altitude.

 

[honestbharani]

no, it was a full swinging ball and Hayden fell over to the off side, looked pretty plumb but Bucknor thought otherwise.


As an aside, I think we have got the two worst umpires in the world umpiring such an important match of an important series... Would have rather seen Aleem Dar and some other neutral umpire.

 

[Slow Love™]

Steve Urkel, from Family Matters I believe.

Yep. For some reason, SW's "I'm being proved right time after time in my predictions and my insight is the most accurate here, despite my distinctive style of delivery." line made me think immediately of Urkel.

 

[honestbharani]

It's happened before. As C_C mentioned in another thread, Balaji has one around 103 mph.

Anyway, I think the fastest delivery that hasn't been discredited by the speedometer belongs to Akhtar, with Lee's two 100+ ones in New Zealand the fastest which were not bowled at altitude.

Balaji's case is interesting. Are you sure that it was not 103 km/hr ball?

 

[howardj]

no, it was a full swinging ball and Hayden fell over to the off side, looked pretty plumb but Bucknor thought otherwise.

.

While the umps have made some mistakes, I think the commentators have been a bit harsh. I thought Bucknor was within his rights to give Hayden not out. Botham said it was plumb - what rubbish! As for Giles' dismissal of Hayden, that looked out with naked eye. Granted, replays showed it was 1 inch outside offstump, but Bowden - viewing it live - was entitled to give it.

 

[honestbharani]

While the umps have made some mistakes, I think the commentators have been a bit harsh. I thought Bucknor was within his rights to give Hayden not out. Botham said it was plumb - what rubbish! As for Giles' dismissal of Hayden, that looked out with naked eye. Granted, replays showed it was 1 inch outside offstump, but Bowden - viewing it live - was entitled to give it.

I am not talking about those specific instances. Over the last two years or so, I think Bowden and Bucknor have basically been the worst of the ICC panel of umpires... That was why I think this series could have done with better umpires.

 

[howardj]

I am not talking about those specific instances. Over the last two years or so, I think Bowden and Bucknor have basically been the worst of the ICC panel of umpires... That was why I think this series could have done with better umpires.

Oh, I agree - they have been generally poor. My comment above was just referring to the two specific instances last night. Bucknor is ordinary - peaked in about 2000. Bowden is better, but a distance behind Dar, Taufel and even Rudi.

 

[Hoggy31]

Best case scenario for mine:

England enforce the follow-on, Australia start 230odd runs behind. Make 350odd and England have to chase 100+ batting last.

 

[howardj]

England should only enforce the follow-on if there is bad weather today, and it looks like a big chunk of the day will be lost to rain.

 

[honestbharani]

I don't want Vaughan to enforce the follow on. Australia have more than a couple of batsman who are all capable of doing a Laxman and Warnie can definitely do a Harbhajan and more.

 

[andyc]

The follow on will be avoided, anyway, I reckon

 

[Lillian Thomson]

There is no excuse whatsoever for the LBW against Hayden. I'm sure I'm the same as most people who watch a lot of cricket on TV, when there's an LBW appeal you get a gut instinct about whether it's out or not. I never thought that was out, although it appears that some did on first viewing. For an International Umpire to give that out is a complete farce. All umpires inevitably make mistakes due to the complexities of the game, but this dismissal was very simply not within the laws of the game and a top umpire should get that sort of dismissal right every time particular with a spin bowler operating.

 

[Zinzan]

But you forget TEC that he's not Australian so is automatically either lucky or the beneficiary of poor umpiring.

Yes thats right Marc...play it up. The whole world is against you

 

[Lillian Thomson]

The follow on will be avoided, anyway, I reckon

The bookies have been taking quite a bit of money on a Warne century. I'd almost like to see him score a hundred as long as England win.

 

[andyc]

The bookies have been taking quite a bit of money on a Warne century. I'd almost like to see him score a hundred as long as England win.

If Warne makes triple figures, I'd be stoked. Not only for Australia, but because it's just so cruel for him, after 120 odd tests, to be stuck with a highest score of 99. But I'll say he'll get 60 odd and Dizzy with an 18 or so off about 50 balls

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I don't want Vaughan to enforce the follow on. Australia have more than a couple of batsman who are all capable of doing a Laxman and Warnie can definitely do a Harbhajan and more.

Not to mention a guy named Adam who can do a Botham and a guy named Glenn who can do a Willis.

Seriously though, England will definately win this test unless it rains for two days straight. It will take excellent cricket as well as luck with the weather to win the series from there for Australia.

 

[Mister Wright]

(Clarke's wasn't the brightest either, but like many injured players, I think he was over-focussed on boundaries). .

Fair enough Clarke was injured. But he had a job to do, and that was to stick around with Warne so they could get as many runs as possible. There are two ways to go about batting when you are injured and that is to stick in there for as long as possible and frustrate the opposition, the second is to blast away. Considering the situation and Warne batting with intellegence (for once) he should have hung around.

 

[Mister Wright]

I still maintain that the best balanced team Aus have had for some time was in the last test vs Pakistan - 4 bowlers, an all-rounder, and 6 bats including Gilchrist.

At the moment, we have Warne and Lee bowling very well, half-fit McGrath, Dizzy, and no back-up. That meant 2.5 bowlers for all bar McGrath's opening spell.

McGrath (assuming fit), Lee, Warne, Tait/MacGill must be the attack for the next test and Watson should be drafted in immediately. He is almost a test class batsman and will improve as a bowler if he stays fit. For mine, he is the single most important cricketer for Aus' medium term future and my personal choice as future captain.

At least one of the batsmen must go to accommodate this. Rather than drop Katich as usual, Id open with him and punt Hayden, who seems to invent new ways of getting out every innings. Id like to see them play Hussey but drafting 2 from outside the squad is unlikely to happen.

Hayden will have until the end of the series, no matter what the series score is. Especially if we are behind (which we likely will be) it would be a risky move, moving Katich who has never been a regular opener to open, it is better to have a proven successful partnership in Langer and Hayden opening the innings, and hoping everything goes well, than trying a rookie opener. I doubt Clarke will be fit for the second test, so you could possibly see Watson come in for him.

 

[greg]

No it wasn't because it wasn't hitting middle stump half way up.

No but the one Bowden turned down for Katich off Giles was