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

[PY]

im only on page 2 hundred and odd, you can change the page length in your options, i have mine set at 40 per page

Think it should be forum-wide too so liddle ol' me can understand page references.

 

[Shane Warne]

Because Ponting saved the test? I'd have gone with Ponting, then Vaughan, then Jones, with Warne fourth.

Ponting, Warne, Vaughn, Jones.

 

[chalky]

Does anyone else think Warne is going round the wicket too early to the right handers. I've always thought his best way of getting a wicket is to drift it in on middle and leg commit the batsmen to play then turn it away sharpely, which he can do off the pitch without the rough. I just think when he goes round the wicket the right handed batsmen have learn't to not play at it unless its a really short or they can get to the pitch of the ball.

 

[Shane Warne]

Does anyone else think Warne is going round the wicket too early to the right handers. I've always thought his best way of getting a wicket is to drift it in on middle and leg commit the batsmen to play then turn it away sharpely, which he can do off the pitch without the rough. I just think when he goes round the wicket the right handed batsmen have learn't to not play at it unless its a really short or they can get to the pitch of the ball.

I didn't know he was doing that particularly early as a rule.

He only did it at Old Trafford in a bid to contain because it was hard to score off.

He also did it in the second innings at Edgbaston but had good success so it seems hard to consider that too early.

 

[Rich2001]

Some photos of yesterday.
My camera and camera skills are fairly basic

superkingdave, what time did you get to Old Trafford? I made the trip from Canterbury only to miss out was pretty gutting after the effort, but hey the 600 mile round trip was fun

All I can say 40,000 people outside Old Trafford on a Monday morrning, is do any of you guys work!

 

[superkingdave]

superkingdave, what time did you get to Old Trafford? I made the trip from Canterbury only to miss out was pretty gutting after the effort, but hey the 600 mile round trip was fun

got to OT station at 830, some thicko security guy wouldn't let us out of the station at first but eventually got in the queue then got in the ground just after half nine, found a spot on seat next to the sightscreen. There was only a couple of thousand seats left at that time though, they announced pretty soon after it was full.

 

[superkingdave]

All I can say 40,000 people outside Old Trafford on a Monday morrning, is do any of you guys work!

well i am a civil servant

 

[Rich2001]

got to OT station at 830, some thicko security guy wouldn't let us out of the station at first but eventually got in the queue then got in the ground just after half nine, found a spot on seat next to the sightscreen. There was only a couple of thousand seats left at that time though, they announced pretty soon after it was full.

Yeah I went to pick up my sisters boyfriend, so stayed over in London... left just before 5am and got to Manchester area about 8am but got stuck in all that M6 roadworks so was delayed, we ended off coming of the motorway and taking some village roads into Manchester.

By the time we got to the ground at about 8:30 - We just saw the que and what with the updates on Radio 5 saying that the ground was half full and about 19,000 fans were outside we didn't even bother to park.

We met up with a couple of others that we knew had made the trip and ended up about 10am knocking on the door of a local pub asking if we could come in early (To our surprise he said yes)

 

[marc71178]

Some photos of yesterday.
My camera and camera skills are fairly basic

Cracking seats you got there - where I'd usually sit, and probably will do again next summer.

 

[simmy]

Does anyone else think Warne is going round the wicket too early to the right handers. I've always thought his best way of getting a wicket is to drift it in on middle and leg commit the batsmen to play then turn it away sharpely, which he can do off the pitch without the rough. I just think when he goes round the wicket the right handed batsmen have learn't to not play at it unless its a really short or they can get to the pitch of the ball.

Yes I do.

 

[aussie]

Some photos of yesterday.
My camera and camera skills are fairly basic

great view form the Warwick road end Dave, but the pavillion view is much better

 

[aussie]

Cracking seats you got there - where I'd usually sit, and probably will do again next summer.

were you at the ground Marc??

 

[steds]

great view form the Warwick road end Dave, but the pavillion view is much better

It's the Brian Statham end

 

[aussie]

It's the Brian Statham end

same thing steds

 

[steds]

All I can say 40,000 people outside Old Trafford on a Monday morrning, is do any of you guys work!

Don't know about the rest, but I don't and neither do my grandparents

 

[PY]

I do but I took the day off for it.

 

[social]

Eh, conditions haven't really suited him, but I guess you could include him as well. I'm sort of more thinking in terms of what I was expecting after the ODI series than before the tour started. I expected a bit more from Harmison than what he has actually delivered, aside from the first test where he was very good. Hoggard really hasn't done that badly when he's actually bowled aside from one or two spells, he's just hardly been used because Vaughan rightly feels that there are better options. If one of the next two tests turns out to be a less reverse-friendly wicket (and I gather OT is the best wicket in England to reverse on), I think you'll see him used more.

I think that Harmy has bowled pretty well all series. No Aus batsman has looked especially comfortable against him at any stage and he's not exactly been leaking runs.

It's a bit of a mystery to me why he hasnt bowled more overs and I think in the way he grabbed the ball when Jones got injured that it's a mystery to him as well.

Hoggard's bowling figures arent too bad but he has looked relatively ordinary. He's been down on pace and his action looks flat meaning that there is little movement or bounce.

 

[social]

I find some of the logic on this board is a bit strange.

Australian batsmen are going to come good: Why because they are inform? scoring lots of runs perhaps? looking really goos at the crease? No because they are not scoring any runs, look out of form and are struggling at the crease (on belting batting tracks in the last two tests) therfore it's a given they are going to score lots of runs.In the same breath Pointing is now going score lots of runs because he is form. I find it hilarious when people predict that Hayden is going to score a century why? because he hasn't made one in 20 odd innings (and hasn't looked like making one).

My take on Australia's batting is that England have bowled superbly at the left handers and can't see that changing through the next two tests. It's no coincidence that, apart from Warne, Clarke and Pointing have been their two best batsmen.

Also on Australia making mistakes thats what happens when your under pressure which I think explains some of the wicktes Giles has been getting. I think it was Langer who said thet've never been put under so much pressure by a seam bowling attack, which I think is causing them to be to0 aggressive to Giles and give their wicket away.

Also the odd bad umpiring decision, bad light and rain are part of cricket if you can't accept that I suggest you follow another sport.

Good post - totally agree.

Most people assume that the Aus batsmen have to come good because of past performances.

Unfortunately, they're not in form and the English bowlers havent allowed them any respite. In summary, there's nothing to suggest that Hayden, Langer and Katich are miraculously going to start piling on runs against this attack.

However, I can see major potential improvement in the Aus bowling attack (McGrath returning to fitness and a reliable back-up would be nice for a start) and fielding.

Should that be the case, Eng may struggle to score enough runs with or without great improvement from the Aus batters.

 

[honestbharani]

I guess we will. It's interesting how you cannot see England getting 'that much better', but not surprising*.

After all, Strauss had been 'worked out', Bell was sub-standard and Trescothick was destined to be shown to be totally out of his class.

I could just as easily say that England haven't bowled well collectively as a unit yet, but have still by and large been far too good for Australia's exulted upper order. After all, Hoggard and Harmison have only gone well in fits and starts and if the bowlers really play as they can, the tests at Trent Bridge and The Oval are as good as in the bag already.

I could say that, but I'll leave that to others.

*Edit:

That's not aimed at you personally.

It's just that all summer long, this England side were going to be exposed - one by one the critics lined up to write them off. Then came Lord's and a superb first morning for the home side before the wheels came off. The same old story - a collapse, the old frailties and the phrase on everyone's lips was 'here we go again' or 'false dawn'.

Then Edgbaston - and despite a home victory, the manner in which Australia fought tooth and nail to nearly achieve the impossible was going to buoy them up for Old Trafford, and England, despite victory, would be despondent. What happened next? A complete and utter thrashing in all but result.

I'll tell you how England will feel - they'll be ****-a-hoop and raring to go at Trent Bridge because twice in succession they have demonstrated that not only can they compete with Australia, they can come out on top. Australia have 10 days in which they can mull over the fact that England just aren't scared of them any more.

I think even the Aussie players should be blamed of that. I mean, it was just DISGUSTNG to see McGrath and Langer talk about 5-0 after one test. In fact, McGrath said 5-0 even before a ball was bowled in the series. The point is, this Australian side, even in its best days (which means the worst days of England) have NEVER been able to defeat England 5-0. That was what made me root for England so much. But for the series' sakes, I hope both McGrath and Langer manage to come good in their departments again, that is, after they manage to get their feet out of their mouth.



Sorry if it was too harsh, but I just hate it when international cricketers behave like school kids.

 

[Blaze]

Eddie I agree but that draw could come back to haunt England. Winning that game might have been enough for England to go on and win the series, I am not saying that they still can't but this AUS side hasn't been Number 1 for so long without reason. I cannot for the life of me see AUS not offering anything in the remaining two tests. The players they have in their side are just too good not to fire at least once all summer. We shall see.