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

[luckyeddie]

Alright, what score would England be looking for?
And what are Australia looking for?

I reckon if England will be looking for 300 in this innings, so a lead of 450, with Australia looking to chase under 300

210 or so (an overall lead of 350) would probably make england red-hot favourites. I think they'd love to be in a position to declare half an hour before the close, but it would take some remarkable stroke play for them to have that luxury. They'll definitely want the insurance of a lead of 380-400.

I noticed that Warne put two right through the top in that one over before lunch - makes me think that Giles will have a huge part to play - and the abrasive surface brings Simon Jones and Freddie into play almost right from the off.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Maybe it's cause I never saw him play, but I never understood the huge legend status that surrounded Viv. Sure, he was an attacking batsman who could play well, but stats-wise he just seems like a good batsman, but not much more.

If you're looking at the stats, it's worth remembering that Viv's average dropped massively in the last couple of years of his career when he was in his late 30s. If he had retired at his peak or soon after it in the late 80s, he would have averaged in the mid to high 50s, around 56 or so. In the first few years after he exploded on the scene at the end of the 75 series against Australia, he averaged in the low 60s. Also remember how few batsman in the late 70s/early 80s actually averaged in the 50s compared to now. It was basically Viv, Lloyd, Greg Chappell, Gavaskar and Miandad in the whole world. Aside from that, it was the way he destroyed bowlers who were actually bowling well, and went after formidable attacks and great bowlers like Botham, Willis, Lillee, Thommo, Kapil, Imran etc and massacred them. Really, you should just check out some tapes or something, he's a joy to watch.

 

[luckyeddie]

Maybe it's cause I never saw him play, but I never understood the huge legend status that surrounded Viv. Sure, he was an attacking batsman who could play well, but stats-wise he just seems like a good batsman, but not much more.

Maybe it's because you never saw him play that I can mock you for reading too much into averages.

Viv was a colossus of the highest order, a man who, when he felt like it, treated bowlers with utter disdain. The trouble was, he didn't always feel like it, and often the disdain became contempt and he would throw it away.

More talent than Lara and Tendulkar, nowhere near the same level of application.

 

[Scaly piscine]

210 or so (an overall lead of 350) would probably make england red-hot favourites. I think they'd love to be in a position to declare half an hour before the close, but it would take some remarkable stroke play for them to have that luxury. They'll definitely want the insurance of a lead of 380-400.

I noticed that Warne put two right through the top in that one over before lunch - makes me think that Giles will have a huge part to play - and the abrasive surface brings Simon Jones and Freddie into play almost right from the off.

Agree with most of that, there are 73 overs left today I think, England will probably bat out around 60 of those if all goes well and could just about set Australia something around 400 - Australia would have around 110 overs to get that.

 

[social]

Ive been watching cricket since the 70s and Viv has been by far the best player in my experience.

 

[Shane Warne]

Interesting that there have been reports of a blow up between Warne and Ponting.

What's your source?

 

[shaka]

Warne is probably the Phil Mickelson (prior to winning his first major) of Cricket.

 

[Demolition Man]

What not trescothick ???

But the stats man said................

 

[Shane Warne]

Obviously helps being an opener in a side that usually bats twice, number of innings would be far better to look at.

Good post to put pay to what could be a misleading stat.

 

[luckyeddie]

What's your source?

One of the UK Sunday papers published a 'story' - total poppycock I reckon. It was along the lines of "My window-cleaner's bet mate Harry had a job at Old Trafford yesterday cleaning up all the Pigeon poop ( ) and he said that the groundsman's pet dog Kipper's dog-handler heard that someone had said that they thought they lip-read Warne telling Ponting that he was an idiot."

 

[Demolition Man]

What's your source?

English media.

 

[luckyeddie]

Good post to put pay to what could be a misleading stat.

Well, the fact that you agreed with it has just discredited the remark.

 

[luckyeddie]

Agree with most of that.........., there are 73 overs left today I think, England will probably bat out around 60 of those if all goes well and could just about set Australia something around 400 - Australia would have around 110 overs to get that.

That worries me.

 

[social]

One of the UK Sunday papers published a 'story' - total poppycock I reckon. It was along the lines of "My window-cleaner's bet mate Harry had a job at Old Trafford yesterday cleaning up all the Pigeon poop ( ) and he said that the groundsman's pet dog Kipper's dog-handler heard that someone had said that they thought they lip-read Warne telling Ponting that he was an idiot."

So it was the same source that confirmed that Saddam had womd

 

[luckyeddie]

So it was the same source that confirmed that Saddam had womd

I never knew that George Bush could even write, let alone write a story. Do papers let reporters use crayons?

 

[Nate]

Gah Warne.

We saw it, again after church. Pretty dumb shot, very good innings.


Australia in huge trouble mind. Do they know how to draw a game?

 

[Adamc]

Trescothick is the 5th quickest Englishman to reach 5000 runs and he's done it in the same number of Test matches as Big Viv.

FWIW, Viv passed 5,000 in 26 fewer innings than Trescothick. Not meaning to detract from Trescothick's achievement, mind.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Just like to point out on the Richards point, that when he passed 5,000 test runs in June 1984 his average was 56.09, a good 11 runs higher than Trescothicks, which shows how many more tims Tresco has batted.

Richards average at 4,000 was 59.93, at 3,000 it was 60.44 and at 2,000 it was 64.15. Don't think the matches played matters that much really, even if you look at it from a stats-only perspective.

 

[social]

I never knew that George Bush could even write, let alone write a story. Do papers let reporters use crayons?

Etch-a-sketch

 

[luckyeddie]

Just like to point out on the Richards point, that when he passed 5,000 test runs in June 1984 his average was 56.09, a good 11 runs higher than Trescothicks, which shows how many more tims Tresco has batted.

Richards average at 4,000 was 59.93, at 3,000 it was 60.44 and at 2,000 it was 64.15. Don't think the matches played matters that much really, even if you look at it from a stats-only perspective.

The whole nonsense about 'same number of games as Viv' was a throwaway remark about 5 minutes after it was reported that only 3 Englishmen had done it faster. That's good enough for me. For all Trescothick's faults, he's still a HUGE plus in the England side.