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

[sqwerty]

Kudos to England for winning after some major stumbles.

But Marc, are you a complete dill, McGrath missing the 2nd and 4th tests and being half fit for the 3rd is the defining point of the series, it gave Eng an incredible advantage and disrupted the Aussies at critical times, have a look at the difference to Eng with Jones being missing for part of ONE GAME, then times it by 10 for the impact of McGrath.

Its also incredibly frustrating to get the wrong end of poor decisions at critical times, Katich's decision would have a made a C grade umpire blush on reflection, it wasn't even close to being out.

There were 5 major calls in this test that altered the outcome of the match and every single one went against Australia.

Flintoff gets a life on 8, when he should have been given out LBW, goes on to get 102.
Jones should have been given out caught behind on 30, goes on to get 85.
Ponting give out LBW after inside edge.
Martyn give out LBW after inside edge.
Katich given out LBW, if this decision was the benchmark for LBW's then its a whole new ball game, it was outside leg and high.

Absolutely appalling umpiring, its not the fact that mistakes were made but more the absolute lack of consistency and the application of benefit of the doubt.

Its impossible to fashion any sort of resistance when we are consistently getting the wrong end of the umpires decision, its impossible to recall Australia getting a single critical decision run their way during this series.

I will say that if Aust win the final test and square the series, there will be one person to thank, Duncan Fletcher, the reason that Ponting blew up was because Fletcher was giving him a smart a*se send off as he walked up the race, I presume because of the substitute fielder issue. If the Aussies happen to snatch a result and then retain the Ashes, I'd suggest that little cameo will be the catalyst.

Agree 100%.

I have never seen more crucial and consistently poor decisions against one side.

If England have in fact 'outplayed' Australia it cannot be underestimated the extent to which the umpires have allowed them to.


And really, the extent to which England have 'outplayed' Australia is irrelevant. The results in 3 of the 4 tests were close while one was a walkover.

If you want to judge a sport by who has 'outplayed' the other on a day to day (or session by session) basis go watch 5 sets of tennis because it is irrelevant to test cricket.

It's all very well to 'outplay' a side for 4 out of 5 days of a test but if you're more 'outplayed' on the 5th day such that you lose the match then you've been 'OUTPLAYED' as far as I'm concerned.

This series is as close as it gets

 

[aussie]

oh one other Key thing that i realised Australia's batting performace in the 2nd innings was the the best the top order had batted all series & it good signs for the oval that Australia are finally coming to terms with how to play the English bowlers.

 

[sqwerty]

Irrespective of the other changes in the team, the first order of business should be to draft Symonds into the squad as the permanent 12th man, Eng have removed the historical premise of this position and I'd suggest that every single team will follow Eng's lead and revert to a specialist fielder and rotate their bowlers of the field for rests. This will become the norm or the ICC will have to change the rules.

It amazes me that Tremlett can be selected as 12th man and then not be required to be the first fielding replacement, its not against the rules so every team should be doing it.

This piece of gamesmanship will really sound the deathknell for sportsmanship in cricket, why should batsman like Gilchrist or Langer walk, when the opposition is taking the p*ss, I think we'll see the end of batsmen walking, why play to moral rules when the opposition doesn't feel like they have to?

Agree again,

And by the way.....how old is this Trevor Penny character who they say is the best fielder in England? He looks 50 to me

 

[sqwerty]

oh one other Key thing that i realised Australia's batting performace in the 2nd innings was the the best the top order had batted all series & it good signs for the oval that Australia are finally coming to terms with how to play the English bowlers.

That's because the ball wasn't reversing. First innings was just a total f**k up. I mean what were they thinking with Hoggard just trotting in and bowling his line and length outties? I doubt Jones would have made the difference in the second dig either. A bit of conventional outswing shouldn't trouble the Aus lineup.

As for the Oval.....should be a good batting deck with the ball coming on. More like an Australian deck than any other. Australia have no excuses.

 

[shaka]

Is McGrath 100% fit for the final test?

 

[sqwerty]

Is McGrath 100% fit for the final test?

doubt it but he'll play for sure

 

[shaka]

he would play no matter what indeed, seeing as it is essential for Australia's pride that his team wins the test.

 

[Demolition Man]

not really when McGrath plays he has an effect on Englands batsmen thus once he plays at the oval i'll back Australia to win.....

Agreed McGrath loves London.

 

[Demolition Man]

Agree again,

And by the way.....how old is this Trevor Penny character who they say is the best fielder in England? He looks 50 to me

He looks like a pigeon to me.

 

[Demolition Man]

So how is him being in there going suddenly help Hayden, Martyn and Gilchrist to score runs then?

Well for one he can throw something at bucknor and render him unable to umpire.

Martyo has had 2 dodgy decisions, give the guy a break.

Hayden is gone, to be replaced by Hussey.

Gilly, well, "form is temporary, but class is permanent"

 

[Demolition Man]

Serious question , how many runs would it save australia if it had Symonds as a sub fielder ??

 

[vic_orthdox]

That's because the ball wasn't reversing. First innings was just a total f**k up. I mean what were they thinking with Hoggard just trotting in and bowling his line and length outties? I doubt Jones would have made the difference in the second dig either. A bit of conventional outswing shouldn't trouble the Aus lineup.

Yet it has. No wonder, when you consider that the last person to come to our shores and bowl outswing is probably 6 foot under now.

 

[social]

Kudos to England for winning after some major stumbles.

But Marc, are you a complete dill, McGrath missing the 2nd and 4th tests and being half fit for the 3rd is the defining point of the series, it gave Eng an incredible advantage and disrupted the Aussies at critical times, have a look at the difference to Eng with Jones being missing for part of ONE GAME, then times it by 10 for the impact of McGrath.

Its also incredibly frustrating to get the wrong end of poor decisions at critical times, Katich's decision would have a made a C grade umpire blush on reflection, it wasn't even close to being out.

There were 5 major calls in this test that altered the outcome of the match and every single one went against Australia.

Flintoff gets a life on 8, when he should have been given out LBW, goes on to get 102.
Jones should have been given out caught behind on 30, goes on to get 85.
Ponting give out LBW after inside edge.
Martyn give out LBW after inside edge.
Katich given out LBW, if this decision was the benchmark for LBW's then its a whole new ball game, it was outside leg and high.

Absolutely appalling umpiring, its not the fact that mistakes were made but more the absolute lack of consistency and the application of benefit of the doubt.

Its impossible to fashion any sort of resistance when we are consistently getting the wrong end of the umpires decision, its impossible to recall Australia getting a single critical decision run their way during this series.

I will say that if Aust win the final test and square the series, there will be one person to thank, Duncan Fletcher, the reason that Ponting blew up was because Fletcher was giving him a smart a*se send off as he walked up the race, I presume because of the substitute fielder issue. If the Aussies happen to snatch a result and then retain the Ashes, I'd suggest that little cameo will be the catalyst.

Unfortunately, everything you say is absolutely correct.

A great series is being somewhat spoilt by the pitiful standard of umpiring.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

No, the closeness of the results present a huge misrepresentation of the actual play.

Right... so you're suggesting Australia weren't the best side on days 3 and 4 then, and didn't fight their way back into the match?

I fail to see where all this "England have flogged Australia, it just doesnt look that way!" crap comes from. Australia have clearly had the worst of the luck with significant injuries, umpiring and weather conditions and the toss, and England have been in good positions and failed to carry on to a comfortable victory three times in a row. If you get a 250+ run first innings lead and then the opposition scores almost 400 and you collapse to 7/100, how is that not just as reflective of the play as what went on for the first two days?

I may as well say Australia have underachieved at the start of each test and then come good at the end and been robbed each time!

 

[Slats4ever]

got it in one Faiip. Just because a side dominated the first 1-3 days of a test match doesn't mean that they dominated the whole series. England's inability to play well when the match is coming to an end would suggest that they haven't outplayed Ausrtalia, just dominated the early proceedings. Sure it looks dominant when they beat Ausrtalia by 250 runs in the first innings but fact of the matter is I can say that Australia dominated the last test match because they beat England in the 3rd and 4th innings. Ultimately the end result is going to be the thing that judges if a match was close or not.

 

[sqwerty]

got it in one Faiip. Just because a side dominated the first 1-3 days of a test match doesn't mean that they dominated the whole series. England's inability to play well when the match is coming to an end would suggest that they haven't outplayed Ausrtalia, just dominated the early proceedings. Sure it looks dominant when they beat Ausrtalia by 250 runs in the first innings but fact of the matter is I can say that Australia dominated the last test match because they beat England in the 3rd and 4th innings. Ultimately the end result is going to be the thing that judges if a match was close or not.

hang on...that's what I've been trying to say but nobody wants to agree with me. Good on ya mate. Looks like all these poms just want to win the first session and be awarded the match.......and then they sh!t themselves when Australia come back hard.

I tell you....if Ponting can win the toss, McGrath plays and the weather holds up Australia will absolutely p!ss the 5th test in. Lose the toss and it's anyone's game.

 

[tooextracool]

Heh, I seem to recall Marc saying that Jones would be the key to this series. How right he was.

is it just me or do all my posts get mixed up with marcs, given that those are the very words i uttered long before the ashes started?
http://forum.cricketweb.net/showthread.php?t=13525&page=3&pp=15&highlight=simon+jones

its been a whole year now since i've backed jones as a serious test match performer, especially considering how often he'd bowl wicket taking balls, only for most batsman not being good enough to edge them. and it got quite annoying after a while to see an england side being named by people consisting of jones/anderson.

 

[tooextracool]

I tell you....if Ponting can win the toss, McGrath plays and the weather holds up Australia will absolutely p!ss the 5th test in. Lose the toss and it's anyone's game.

at the end of the day, the toss had absolutely null effect on this game.

 

[tooextracool]

Gilly, well, "form is temporary, but class is permanent"

you can keep saying it all you want, but as i said even before the ashes started, gilchrist has been worked out. he may well get a score at the oval, but it wont change the fact that all series, hes had problems against flintoff around the wicket bowling and vaughans field placings and has basically no idea whether to play an attacking role or a slightly more defensive role.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Interested to hear your thoughts on Tait now that you've seen him, TEC.