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

[marc71178]

Youre joking right............England have had a unbelievable amount of good fortune, yes they have played well...............but just about everything has gone their way.

Oh yes, as shown by the way the 2 sides have performed this morning - it's clearly all luck.

Of course those 18 no balls are all luck!

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Does that mean it would have been close if Trescothick hadn't dragged on, or it would have been close if Lee hadn't overstepped?

It would have been close it if has been out, as other people have said 2/120 would have been fair for the bowling side after losing the toss on this pitch. Obviously if Trescothick hadn't dragged on it wouldn't have been any different to how it is now...

 

[King_Ponting]

at least the tait speed issue is resolved..... 93.6MPH he has the fastest ball thus far

 

[marc71178]

You are one of the worst winners ever.

Last match was a draw

My point is that all this so called luck has been enjoyed in spades by the Aussies in previous series (England's injuries last itme out was a farce) - now they're getting the odd rub of the green against them, and that is the immediate reason why England are doing well.

 

[greg]

Originally Posted by Nuffy
I think this is a wake up call for Australian groundsmen.

Last season they prepared pitches that suited India down to the ground, now we have the Eng groundsmen preparing pitches to suit the Eng team.

:Lets hope we see the same strategy this Australian summer, its a legit tactic no issue with that, but lets hope everyone does it.

I hardly think you can compare what the Indians did to their pitches and the English. Which particular pitch in this series do you think could be judged anything other than a good test pitch. Only Lords IMO

 

[Nuffy]

So winning the toss on this featherbed is not an advantage and good luck.

Funny, every single commentator has said it is!

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

No coincidence that Eng have a bowling coach and Aus don't, Cricket Australia flicked DK Lillee, what a masterstroke.

What exactly does Buchanan do?

The fielding is poor, the bowlers are clueless and the batsman have no patience.

What functions would a coach have influence over?

The whinging gets really old really fast. Imagine it from the point of view of an England fan or a neutral, when Australia are getting smashed around and you make posts saying how lucky England are over and over again.

I think it's fair to say that the luck has largely gone England's way, but that's because they've been the better side the majority of the time, and naturally when they get a break they take advantage of it. If Australia were genuinely bowling brilliantly and threatening with every ball, a wicket off a no-ball wouldn't be such a big blow would it? At the moment, every little thing that goes against Australia is really hurting them, and they aren't making it any better by not doing the little things they can control right, such as no-balls and dropped catches.

 

[marc71178]

Tait first over imo, Unleash him straight away, Don't make him wait..

I think Ricky did that right - get at least one end being covered by the "control" bowler at the start.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

It would have been close it if has been out, as other people have said 2/120 would have been fair for the bowling side after losing the toss on this pitch. Obviously if Trescothick hadn't dragged on it wouldn't have been any different to how it is now...

Right, thought so. It's just that you said "but for the no-ball wicket" which suggested that "if it hadn't happened at all"

Pedantic, I know

 

[Nuffy]

Greg

I was commenting on what Aus groundsmen did when India was in Aust, we served up roads which nullified our advantages and played to their strengths.


Eng have every right to prepare the pitches that suit them, and they have definitely done that, my point was that Aus groundsmen haven't usually done that, and perhaps they need to.

 

[marc71178]

what impact do people think that Rod MArsh has had on English cricket by the way.

Huge IMO.

 

[King_Ponting]

So winning the toss on this featherbed is not an advantage and good luck.

Funny, every single commentator has said it is!

Mate how exactly can the toss be doctored? If australia won they would have benefitted from the featherbed as well..

 

[marc71178]

no ball no ball no ball. PATHETIC. It is my new pet hate.

Personally I lovin' it

 

[Steulen]

Looks like a rain delay straight after lunch

 

[King_Ponting]

Personally I lovin' it

Flintoff has the same "no ball" problem..

 

[marc71178]

not even Warne getting much turn here oh dear i miss Pigeon already......

What do you expect from a pitch that's about 20 overs old?

A raging Bunsen?!

 

[luckyeddie]

So winning the toss on this featherbed is not an advantage and good luck.

Funny, every single commentator has said it is!

I daresay that if Australia had won the toss and batted, they'd have been about 5 down by now and you'd have been moaning about a 'seamer's paradise'.

(fat chance. If Ponting had have won the toss he'd have put England in anyway).

 

[Slow Love™]

Mate how exactly can the toss be doctored? If australia won they would have benefitted from the featherbed as well..

Exactly. Like I said earlier, if we were batting and were over 100 with one wicket down, all this wouldn't have been an issue.

 

[marc71178]

So more confirmation that the toss was critical

Can someone with the power IP this bloke to see if Warne is back?

 

[greg]

Greg

I was commenting on what Aus groundsmen did when India was in Aust, we served up roads which nullified our advantages and played to their strengths.


Eng have every right to prepare the pitches that suit them, and they have definitely done that, my point was that Aus groundsmen haven't usually done that, and perhaps they need to.

Yeah but interesting that at the start of the series the consensus seemed to be that England should be "levelling the playing field" by producing dodgy seamers paradises (and people were furious that we weren't playing at Headingley, but were, for example, playing at Old Trafford). In fact the only match where that has happened we got stuffed!

IMO all the English groundsmen have sought to do is provide good test match pitches that last five days. Which should be done the world over.