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

[Scaly piscine]

With the ball reversing before tea I would have looked at bowling Tait after the break. This is very quickly getting away from Australia, and they are in desperate need of a wicket now or England are definately going to be scoring 400+ again and running away with the game.

At the rate the runs have been scored even 500 would leave Australia comfortably in the game barring at least a days worth of rain, England are going to be prone to collapse in their second innings even with a big lead. Obviously Australia will go for any target, which makes even something normally safe-looking like 400 off 80 overs look a little bit nervy for England.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Question for English fans...

If it came down to England setting a target for Australia in the fourth innings, would you prefer that England go for the win or accept the draw and series victory? Say the choice was there between setting an extremely unlikely but plausible 400 in a day and having a shot at bowling Australia out as they went for the target, or batting on and setting Australia 500 in half a day with no chance for victory for either side, what would you prefer?

I'd leave them 600 with 10 overs to bat if I had the chance.

 

[luckyeddie]

Yes, but he doesn't always bat like a batsman, as seen in South Africa, and that's the problem. When he does, he justifies his position with both bat and ball I think, which is all you can ask of an all-rounder. I think he's got unfulfilled potential in both forms, although he's closest to reaching what he's capable of with the ball, and if he can do that with both bat and ball he'll be an all-time great.

Already, Flintoff's stats don't look to shabby compared to the greatest Aussie-belter of my lifetime, Beefy. Allowing for the fact that Freddie had a dismal start to his career and Botham was playing on empty for his last few years, I'm beginning to think that he really MIGHT get close to fulfilling his talent (which appears limitless).

Warney, though, is just a god, and in this series is fast replacing Botham as my all-time favourite cricketer.

I'm certain that the outcome of this match will allow one of the two to lay claim to ownership of this series for ever more - but who is it to be? Freddie's Ashes or Warney's Ashes? The next 4 days will tell.

 

[Arrow]

What the hell is with the rubbish length Lee is constantly bowling? Hes constantly pitching in those semi bouncers, which might be aggressive and making the batsmen dodge every now and then but it wont get wickets.

And it would be Moronic for England to willingly set ANY target for australia. If they can bat for 3 days then bat for 3 days. Totally bat them out of the game. Setting a target only serves to jeopardize the ashes and give Australia a chance to retain them, nothing more.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Can't believe Australia hardly appealed for that... I'd given it up as out.

 

[Slow Love™]

I thought Strauss edged that one...

 

[social]

Strauss reminds me of Mark Taylor.

Fairly limited, not a great techique (which causes him to play and miss a lot) but appears unflappable and goes about his job of accumulating runs.

As I type this, Rudi has another shocker!

 

[Arrow]

That was a loud nick...

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Incomprehensible stuff there. I think he edged it, but whether he did or not it should have been appealed for. There's no doubt England would have gone up in unison for that.

edit: And, I should add, as there was an appeal even if it didn't involve Gilchrist, Rudi should have given it out.

 

[Slow Love™]

Can't believe Australia hardly appealed for that... I'd given it up as out.

I think Lee was sure, and so was Gilly - if the appeal had an impact on Rudi's decision (not that it should, but everybody seems to take it for granted that it occurs), it may have been Warne's expression at first slip that failed to sell it. His initial pursed lips said "boy, that was close", before he genuinely went up afterwards.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I think Lee was sure, and so was Gilly - if the appeal had an impact on Rudi's decision (not that it should, but everybody seems to take it for granted that it occurs), it may have been Warne's expression at first slip that failed to sell it. His initial pursed lips said "boy, that was close", before he genuinely went up afterwards.

Looked to me like Warne went up but Gilchrist didn't at all until he actually saw Lee, and then because of the time gap it appeared half-hearted.

 

[Steulen]

Shame on Strauss.
He will definitely know he nicked it. This is in the realm of cheating.

 

[Slow Love™]

Looked to me like Warne went up but Gilchrist didn't at all until he actually saw Lee, and then because of the time gap it appeared half-hearted.

On the replay I saw just before making the comment, it really looked like Warne was slow to go up, and he seemed to show a frustrated expression initially. I think Gilchrist may have just thought it was a formality that it'd be given out.

Either way it doesn't excuse a terrible call from Rudi. I don't know what could have confused him about it.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Shame on Strauss.
He will definitely know he nicked it. This is in the realm of cheating.

It's not against the rules, so it's not cheating.

It is of course horribly dishonest and I'd be very disappointed if an Australian player did it, btu it's not cheating.

 

[honestbharani]

A touch of luck for England.

 

[Slow Love™]

Shame on Strauss.
He will definitely know he nicked it. This is in the realm of cheating.

Not cheating for reasons already explained, but it was definitely in "Dirty Langer" territory.

 

[honestbharani]

I remember Beefy talking about similarities between Langer and Strauss and whether their time together at Middlesex had influenced Strauss' game. He is surely the new Langer, atleast when it comes to 'walking', I guess.

 

[social]

It's not against the rules, so it's not cheating.

It is of course horribly dishonest and I'd be very disappointed if an Australian player did it, btu it's not cheating.

Everyone does it, so no-one can complain that Strauss stood there. TBH, I find Gilchrist' attitude more than a bit self-indulgent and entirely unnecessary.

This series has really highlighted just how ****-poor umpires outside of Aus (never thought I'd be able to say that) and Eng are.

Rudi and Bucknor are genuinely incompetent. Even Billy and Aleem Dar, who are usually good, have had their moments.

 

[luckyeddie]

On the replay I saw just before making the comment, it really looked like Warne was slow to go up, and he seemed to show a frustrated expression initially. I think Gilchrist may have just thought it was a formality that it'd be given out.

Either way it doesn't excuse a terrible call from Rudi. I don't know what could have confused him about it.

Without having seen it, the only thing I can add is this (and if I'm missing something really obvious, please tell me before everyone whines themselves to death)...

If the bowler wasn't sure, how on earth could the umpire be?

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Without having seen it, the only thing I can add is this (and if I'm missing something really obvious, please tell me before everyone whines themselves to death)...

If the bowler wasn't sure, how on earth could the umpire be?

The bowler was Lee, and he was utterly convinced. It's hard to say if Gilchrist thought it was out or not, but it wasn't a huge appeal from him. Lee practically busted a lung screaming but got minimal support.