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

[Blaze]

well your a kiwi, if you had seen evey Hayden innings from Mumbai 2001 to Cairns 2004 you would feel the same way dawg.....

I have seen pretty much all of his matches in Australia. I just don't see why you would be so dissapointed if he didn't go out on a high. He is not a great of the game and doesn't have the right to go out on a high. It's the nature of cricket and indeed sport that not all individual sportsmen get to go out on a high.

 

[aussie]

I have seen pretty much all of his matches in Australia. I just don't see why you would be so dissapointed if he didn't go out on a high. He is not a great of the game and doesn't have the right to go out on a high. It's the nature of cricket and indeed sport that not all individual sportsmen get to go out on a high.

mayn i do care if he's a great of the game or not, that doesn't take away the fact that he arguably my favourite player in the Australian team. I dont know where you getting at dawg where you are talking about him going out on a high or not but what i'm saying is that if he makes a HUNDRED he should be retained......

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Funny how Lee has only 4 more but is being raved about...

Lee didn't take half his wickets in the first test and disappear afterwards. I'm not suggesting Harmison's series record is especially poor, I'm saying that with Jones gone the main strike bowler has to stand up and take some wickets, and he's only taken 8 in the last 3 tests, most of them the tail. He's never got an opener out, either.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Edit: Faaip, do you think McGrath will really do the business on this deck? It's Warne the danger man for me.

They'll both be vital I think. McGrath was excellent in his day 2 spell, and if Australia can reach level pegging with England, he and Warne can make life extremely difficult the second time around.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

So dominant that he hasn't got a ton in 15 or so Tests?

The dominant 3 year period between India 2001 and Cairns 2004 that aussie mentioned was before the slump. He scored a century in each innings at Cairns 2004.

I think he lost form after the triple century though, he's just never been that convincing since then even though he managed a good performance or two in each series for a while after that.

 

[SJS]

Incidentally, I don't think I've seen anything posted here about it, but am I right in thinking Warne needs one more wicket to become the highest Ashes wicket taker in history, overtaking Lillee?

He needs TWO more to OVERTAKE Lillee. One more will bring him to 167 and at par with Dennis the Menace. By the way, Lillee took 29 games and this is Warne's 30th. Just a small statistic, not being quoted to make any point

 

[Blaze]

The weather will more than likely be the winner of this test won't it?

 

[cameeel]

How's the forecast look for day 3?

 

[SJS]

How's the forecast look for day 3?

To paraphrase Cricket Player ....

To add insult to the wound I hope it rains today too.

 

[honestbharani]

I thought Billy has had a rather poor game. I called the Giles dismissal as not out straightaway. And I thought Langer was plumb in front. And before anyone mentions the stride of Langer, Giles got a bigger stride in. Bowden has been amongst the worser umpires for a while now. It would be better if he actually concentrated on umpiring rather than fancy signals, I guess.

 

[cameeel]

Worser? and surely the amusing signals wouldnt distract him from the game?

 

[honestbharani]

Not sure about that. I just meant that instead of practising new whacky signals, he can actually practice getting decisions right. I am umpiring in a school tourny (the host school is my alma mater and they have asked me to do this for them) and I have been practicing by trying to call decisions in this Oval test and in the Videocon cup before this. I wonder whether Billy does any practicing or anything.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Billy was excellent earlier in the series. Dar made an error at Trent Bridge too (and a pretty horrific one at that), but he's still a superb umpire.

 

[honestbharani]

He was poor at the SCG test against India. And I cannot remember him having any great matches since then. Even at Edgbaston, he gave some shockers. There were about 3 LBWs that Warne appealed for, all of them were out and he said not out all the time. Warney was very close to getting himself banned by yelling at him, I thought.

 

[SJS]

Billy was excellent earlier in the series. Dar made an error at Trent Bridge too (and a pretty horrific one at that), but he's still a superb umpire.

Bowden is a good umpire. He will make the odd mistake like anyone else but his mistakes bring to fore his style more than a sober umpire's would.

Its like Yuvraj's getting out to a slog would always make us recall his flambouyant attitude than say Dravid's.

 

[honestbharani]

Not really. What I really don't like about him is his inconsistency. As you said, everyone makes mistakes, but I cannot see how he could have called Giles out LBW to Warne and then said no to the Langer appeal. And this is not the first time.

 

[Swervy]

Not sure about that. I just meant that instead of practising new whacky signals, he can actually practice getting decisions right. I am umpiring in a school tourny (the host school is my alma mater and they have asked me to do this for them) and I have been practicing by trying to call decisions in this Oval test and in the Videocon cup before this. I wonder whether Billy does any practicing or anything.

i think you are kidding yourself if you think you can practice umpiring when watching the TV....umpires need to watch the front foot, then watch the flight of the ball, and then make some sort of decision, with distractions all over the place...bit different to watch TV

 

[Swervy]

To paraphrase Cricket Player ....

To add insult to the wound I hope it rains today too.

just dont rub salt on the injury

 

[honestbharani]

i think you are kidding yourself if you think you can practice umpiring when watching the TV....umpires need to watch the front foot, then watch the flight of the ball, and then make some sort of decision, with distractions all over the place...bit different to watch TV

Well, it is not like that is the only place I am umpiring. I umpire in the local beach tourny too. But there, we play with tennis balls and there is no LBW. So, I am specifically practicing for LBWs. Plus, I watch the cricket anyway and just adding something to it, that is all. It is not like I am watching the ashes just because I have to umpire in a school tournament.

 

[Slow Love™]

Bowden is a good umpire. He will make the odd mistake like anyone else but his mistakes bring to fore his style more than a sober umpire's would.

Yes, it's about time he laid off the grog.

I think Bowden and Dar are pretty good, too. The only contemporary umpires I have a real problem with are Bucknor and Rudi. And Dar's propensity to not give LBW's out bothers me a whole lot less than decisions full of doubt that are given.