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

[simmy]

Is this the most "replied to" thread ever?

 

[Kweek]

no, Another game in off topic is....still, not long i think

 

[Kweek]

well done Eddie how did you remeber that m8?

we got back last thursday..._ one jl but im praying with him haha
He is like a bruised apple ,he has more bruise than normal skin haha ,i shouldnt laugh ,but he was haha

hope you enjoyed english weather HAHA

I thought you said us that you left forever? good to have you back mate

 

[luckyeddie]

well done Eddie how did you remeber that m8?

we got back last thursday..._ one jl but im praying with him haha
He is like a bruised apple ,he has more bruise than normal skin haha ,i shouldnt laugh ,but he was haha

There's little that gets by me, Junior (only the important stuff).

Tell our mutual friend that I was really sorry that I couldn't meet up with him when they played at Leicester - I was stuck down in Bristol and then I went for a much-earned break. He's got my email address.

 

[Jace11]

Oh boy, oh boy, only a fool would try and predict what will happen tomorrow.

This match could still go any of three ways. Basically it comes down to a one-day scenario. Can England bat 40 or 50 overs (60 to be safe)? Can Australia bowl them out and make the run chase in the later part of the day? Will bad light cause it to be drawn and hand England the Ashes?

Just like the other matches anything can happen. There is something there for both fans. Yesterday as Hayden and Langer put up huge scores I was pretty certain the Aussies would take a 200+ lead into the last day, then Freddie and Hoggie "swung" it back again and left the Aussies trailing by 6 (something I had thought was nearly impossible - though it looked more likely once the collapse started). We know England can feel the pressure after they limped to 128 at Trent Bridge, but I also think the Aussies could feel pressure too. After the promise of a huge lead they collapsed and will feel they under-achieved. The longer England bat the more pressure on the Aussies to take wickets. The more wickets fall the more the game will swing to the Aussies and the more pressure will mount on England. In a way it encapsulates all the tense finishes we have seen so far...

The weather may not be a factor in the overs bowled, as if Australia bat, they will be doing so after England and will not take the light again. If they do bat, then they will come out hitting for that target and in the gloom they could get out quickly or the fielders could drop catches again. However, all this depends on the Australian bowlers taking wickets. Warne will take wickets tomorrow and the quicks may chip in too, but how quickly they fall is the key...

Returning to the issue of pressure...

It is fair to say a batsman generally feels pressure more than a bowler. I think in Warne, Lee and McGrath the Aussies have some bowlers that can perform under high pressure (not sure about Tait - he may feel it more). The English batsmen are visibly prone. Bell will almost certainly go quickly if exposed early in the day. Geraint Jones can have a rush of blood and Pietersen promises but can fall short. Trescothick, Vaughan and Flintoff may be key wickets, Collingwood is an unknown factor. But England must already sense that The Ashes Urn is within reach and after a good day yesterday will feel it is theirs for the taking. So at the outset, I don't think they will be under too much pressure, and that will ease as the overs pass, but should wickets fall then it be overbearing just as it was at Trent Bridge.

The Aussie pacemen may not have the same bowling conditions England had today and so, it all comes down to one bowler and how quickly he takes wickets...(and how England play him of course)...

Warne's strike rate this series (before the Oval) is ~37. After his 1st innings performance it is probably a little lower. He will probably need 3 or 4 close in fielders and the rest saving runs...

In the other Ashes matches (Old Trafford doesn't count as Warne was on the defensive in a game the Aussies couldn't win), England mustered totals of 180 in 58.1 overs, 182 in 52.1, and 127 for 7 in 31.5.

 

[jlo33692]

No worries Eddie.will do m8,he will most likely read all the threads when he returns as he enjoys it more than newspapers because most journalist's either support one team or tother or have favouites and can sometimes be biased. At least on threads people tell it as they see it,good or bad,
You have prob read it but just in case here is something he has been working on each night after play. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/4225692.stm

Kwek i didnt think we would get the laptop back from telstra but we did on return home as they have a series against rest of world in melb,and sydney to come i think its after 1st week in october.
The weather in brit was fine ,unless your playing cricket or something haha just gets dark early and would have liked to see it scheduled when Bangladesh were playing. Very proud of jl ,he didnt have the series he would have liked but ,IMHO , he placed a heavy value on his wicket and against that fantastic bowling line up England posses i guess thats the best we could hope to do. As he said they have been outplayed,and to win in the last would be robbery but he will take it hahaha And you can be sure they will throw the kitchen sink at England tonight. However they hold the upperhand but will they hold there nerve?
Heres hoping from my side of fence anyway,i think thier may be one more twist in this great series we have seen. CHEERS

 

[steds]

Actually, I think Rik is closer (and chris hinton)

Mind you if it were chris, they'd have been daeth therats.

"...p.s. Shane, you should flight the bal moer"

 

[tassietiger]

This whole situation is very typical of the old traditional England. If Michael Vaughan was simply being offered light and taking it, then I could understand that. Who wouldn't take it. But the constant nagging of the umpires that he's been doing while batting and fielding shows a lack of confidence in his team's abilities, and also shows that deep down he knows that he is up against a superior outfit in the Australians, because he is doing all of this despite having an innings lead. So typical of them to try all the tricks they can find to win the Ashes without winning the Test.

I noticed he hit a couple of nice fours of Glenn McGrath and was seeing the ball very nicely, which therefore means that whenever he misses Warney's deliveries, it is due to Warne being a star, and nothing to do with bad light.

Coming out with the sunglasses - bloody hell, that was hilarious.

 

[social]

This whole situation is very typical of the old traditional England. If Michael Vaughan was simply being offered light and taking it, then I could understand that. Who wouldn't take it. But the constant nagging of the umpires that he's been doing while batting and fielding shows a lack of confidence in his team's abilities, and also shows that deep down he knows that he is up against a superior outfit in the Australians, because he is doing all of this despite having an innings lead. So typical of them to try all the tricks they can find to win the Ashes without winning the Test.

I noticed he hit a couple of nice fours of Glenn McGrath and was seeing the ball very nicely, which therefore means that whenever he misses Warney's deliveries, it is due to Warne being a star, and nothing to do with bad light.

Coming out with the sunglasses - bloody hell, that was hilarious.

Cant blame England - any captain in his position would've done exaclty the same thing.

 

[Slats4ever]

To be honest australia have no right to complain about the poor light decision. If we were that keen to win the match we to would've batted in poor light the other two days. If we can do it, I can't see any reason why the Australian's should be getting upset at england....

 

[SpaceMonkey]

You just have to look what happend to Australia in the exact same conditions to see only a fool would choose to stay out in conditions like that unless they had no choice.

 

[Slats4ever]

exactly. some of you may see it as being bad sportsmanship but if England can't see the ball well enough then at the end of the day it may well cost them the Ashes. If they lose Vaughan and Trescothick due to bad light then they only have themselves to blame. The light was offered so they shuld take it.

If Australian's have a right to be mad at anyone it's the umpires. It's up to them to determine conditions, not up to the players.

 

[social]

You just have to look what happend to Australia in the exact same conditions to see only a fool would choose to stay out in conditions like that unless they had no choice.

Exactly.

Against seam bowling, conditions were incredibly difficult. You could count the no. of outswingers and leg-cutters that Flintoff has bowled this summer on one hand. Yesterday, he bowled them at will.

Added to the fact that the Oval is a very poor seeing ground at the best of times and that the only way Eng loses this series is if they get bowled out, and it was a no brainer for Vaughan

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Hopefully we get 98 overs of play today. As others have said, if England can bat out 60 or so without getting bowled out they should be safe, depending on how quickly they score in them. Australia will obviously go for any target, but really the only way they are likely to win is if they knock over England very fast, with 5 wickets or so before lunch and a quick finish after it.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Exactly, plodding SLA or someone who actually turns the ball?? It was a no-brainer for me.

Clarke's a pretty decent bowler really. He doesn't turn the ball a hell of a lot, but Katich doesn't turn it enough to actually take wickets with his turn, and Clarke is far more accurate, so he's a better pick. He actually takes wickets fairly often when he bowls in tests, if his back improves somewhat he could be handy for a long time.

 

[Demolition Man]

This whole situation is very typical of the old traditional England. If Michael Vaughan was simply being offered light and taking it, then I could understand that. Who wouldn't take it. But the constant nagging of the umpires that he's been doing while batting and fielding shows a lack of confidence in his team's abilities, and also shows that deep down he knows that he is up against a superior outfit in the Australians, because he is doing all of this despite having an innings lead. So typical of them to try all the tricks they can find to win the Ashes without winning the Test.

I noticed he hit a couple of nice fours of Glenn McGrath and was seeing the ball very nicely, which therefore means that whenever he misses Warney's deliveries, it is due to Warne being a star, and nothing to do with bad light.

Coming out with the sunglasses - bloody hell, that was hilarious.

Unfortunatley moral victories like this are not what wins the ashes.

 

[Demolition Man]

Clarke's a pretty decent bowler really. He doesn't turn the ball a hell of a lot, but Katich doesn't turn it enough to actually take wickets with his turn, and Clarke is far more accurate, so he's a better pick. He actually takes wickets fairly often when he bowls in tests, if his back improves somewhat he could be handy for a long time.

Very much so, I would say he is the Aussies 5th bowling option and not having him avaliable this series has been detrimental at times.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Very much so, I would say he is the Aussies 5th bowling option and not having him avaliable this series has been detrimental at times.

I don't think it made a huge difference, but certainly he bowled in every test in New Zealand, so Ponting likes to use him.

 

[Demolition Man]

I think if Warne can win the game for us today he moves within sight of Bradman. I do not think anyone will ever catch The Don but as they say you need to peform 3 miracles to become a saint..... St. Shane in my reckoning has 2 for sure, the gatting ball 93 and 'the great escape' in chandigarh 96. Sure he was good in WC 99 but hey we are talking miracles here.

 

[Demolition Man]

I don't think it made a huge difference, but certainly he bowled in every test in New Zealand, so Ponting likes to use him.

He is a more attacking bowler than katich in my opinion, aided by the impetuousness of youth perhaps. Not unlike a handy Mark Waugh type .