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

[PY]

I think i'm beginning to get the idea of whats its like to be an English cricket fan

Try it for 19 years then come back.

 

[vic_orthdox]

What's the big deal with the assumptions on Lee and him being injured? Or has cricinfo said something to confirm this. Keep in mind it is a tour match - overbowling Lee would be something that would be discouraged, as well as investigating other options such as Hussey and Clarke if needed during the NatWest. And possibly the most important reason of all - its an escape clause for Ponting at the press conference. "We decided not to use Brett today...who knows how the match would have turned out if he had've come back on?" sort of quote could be used???

 

[vic_orthdox]

Gotta love the way cricinfo highlight Kaspa's 0/89 where the good performances usually go, at the head of the (yet to be updated) bulletin.

 

[Neil Pickup]

What's the big deal with the assumptions on Lee and him being injured? Or has cricinfo said something to confirm this. Keep in mind it is a tour match - overbowling Lee would be something that would be discouraged, as well as investigating other options such as Hussey and Clarke if needed during the NatWest. And possibly the most important reason of all - its an escape clause for Ponting at the press conference. "We decided not to use Brett today...who knows how the match would have turned out if he had've come back on?" sort of quote could be used???

He bowled four overs! I can't believe the Aussie mentality would ever tolerate losing in such a manner solely to give Mike Hussey a bowl. God, I'm loving typing this.

 

[vic_orthdox]

He bowled four overs! I can't believe the Aussie mentality would ever tolerate losing in such a manner solely to give Mike Hussey a bowl. God, I'm loving typing this.

Should have rephrased that..."We decided not to re-introduce Brett today..."

I'm not condoning it at all, I'm just bringing up other possibilities. Why does everyone suddenly think that Lee must be injured? That's the issue that I'm confronting, not Australia's performance. God, I want to dodge that for as long as possible

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

What's the big deal with the assumptions on Lee and him being injured? Or has cricinfo said something to confirm this. Keep in mind it is a tour match - overbowling Lee would be something that would be discouraged, as well as investigating other options such as Hussey and Clarke if needed during the NatWest. And possibly the most important reason of all - its an escape clause for Ponting at the press conference. "We decided not to use Brett today...who knows how the match would have turned out if he had've come back on?" sort of quote could be used???

He might not be, just that it would have seemed that if he was fit to play he certainly would have bowled a bit, even if it was only after Kasprowicz returned at the death and his first over went for 15+. He might even have just left the ground after his 4 overs for a bit of a rest.

 

[Langeveldt]

What elation.. Somerset put the mighty aussies to the sword, led by the mighty Graham Smith who was unbelievable. Then Sanath.. What a perfect day.. There must have been nearly ten thousand in the ground, including extra stands, and every run was just greeted with euphoria at the end, and the biggest of cheers.. I don't think I've ever seen a ground so thrilled to bits..

One thing I did notice was that the Aussie fielding, like in the Twenty20 game, was absolutely appaling in general.. again.. But wow, I won't be forgetting this match in a hurry...

Not bad for a warm-up match

 

[superkingdave]

Dave's Crystal ball says a sore shoulder...










EDIT - BBC agrees - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/4095124.stm

Mystic Dave strikes again!

 

[Barney Rubble]

Any photos Langeveldt? Or were you there in a purely spectatorial capacity? Either way, I'd love to have been there with you. Unfortunately these bloody exams get in the way of everything!

Are there any other English fans feeling outrageously, unbelievably, unfathomably, irrationally, gloriously optimistic about the next three months?

(do I get bonus points for use of obscure smilies?)

 

[Neil Pickup]

Any photos Langeveldt? Or were you there in a purely spectatorial capacity? Either way, I'd love to have been there with you. Unfortunately these bloody exams get in the way of everything!

Are there any other English fans feeling outrageously, unbelievably, unfathomably, irrationally, gloriously optimistic about the next three months?

(do I get bonus points for use of obscure smilies?)

I'm certainly inside the insanely-optimistic section too. Ah, the last vestiges of childhood optimism.

 

[Langeveldt]

Photos coming up shortly, check out my thread by about nine o clock BST..

Um, as for the ashes, well I put zero value on the twenty twenty game, and only slightly more on this game where they were mauled by a South African and a Sri Lankan.. But to be honest, one thing is for certain, Australia have a few problems fielding here it may seem.. Maybe its just lack of the big occasion factor..

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Photos coming up shortly, check out my thread by about nine o clock BST..

Um, as for the ashes, well I put zero value on the twenty twenty game, and only slightly more on this game where they were mauled by a South African and a Sri Lankan.. But to be honest, one thing is for certain, Australia have a few problems fielding here it may seem.. Maybe its just lack of the big occasion factor..

Yeah I actually agree. I didn't see this game obviously, but the only thing in the 20/20 match which actually alarmed me at all was Australia's sloppy ground fielding. In the VB series recently and to a slightly lesser extent in NZ, Australia's fielding was almost flawless, with Clarke and Symonds in particular picking up run outs and amazing stops almost at will. There seems to have been a massive drop off in a very short period of time.

One can hope though that this will improve over the course of the tour. Australia have 6 warmup matches before the NWS final to get it right.

 

[aussie]

You and me both. If Lee is out, he MUST get a run in the NWS.

well lets not start speculating anything. But if Tait is to replace Lee wouldn't they have to fly him in quickly or are the memebers of the test squad also in england?

 

[BoyBrumby]

I'm certainly inside the insanely-optimistic section too. Ah, the last vestiges of childhood optimism.

Nagging doubt still pervades the Brumby household, but then I've been English for longer than you!

Even so, one or two green shoots of cautious optimism are poking their heads thru my hardy perennial pessimism.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Yeah I actually agree. I didn't see this game obviously, but the only thing in the 20/20 match which actually alarmed me at all was Australia's sloppy ground fielding. In the VB series recently and to a slightly lesser extent in NZ, Australia's fielding was almost flawless, with Clarke and Symonds in particular picking up run outs and amazing stops almost at will. There seems to have been a massive drop off in a very short period of time.

One can hope though that this will improve over the course of the tour. Australia have 6 warmup matches before the NWS final to get it right.

Surely your seamers bowling pish (McGrath & Lee's first 20/20 over excepted) must be a slight worry?

 

[aussie]

the australian's have 2 area's they have to work on, they're ground fielding and their support bowling. Once they can iron that out things will be ok

 

[Jamee999]

Any photos Langeveldt? Or were you there in a purely spectatorial capacity? Either way, I'd love to have been there with you. Unfortunately these bloody exams get in the way of everything!

Are there any other English fans feeling outrageously, unbelievably, unfathomably, irrationally, gloriously optimistic about the next three months?

(do I get bonus points for use of obscure smilies?)

YEAH!!!!

LET'S HAVE A PARTY!

Do Do Do Do Do Do Do



I LOVE SMILIES

HERE'S TO A GREAT ASHES SERIES!

 

[aussie]

i just heard that Lee suffered a shoulder injury while bowling today, i'm hoping its not anything serious

 

[badgerhair]

Yeah I actually agree. I didn't see this game obviously, but the only thing in the 20/20 match which actually alarmed me at all was Australia's sloppy ground fielding. In the VB series recently and to a slightly lesser extent in NZ, Australia's fielding was almost flawless, with Clarke and Symonds in particular picking up run outs and amazing stops almost at will. There seems to have been a massive drop off in a very short period of time.

One can hope though that this will improve over the course of the tour. Australia have 6 warmup matches before the NWS final to get it right.

In terms of touring Australian teams losing warm-up games, that's happened before with no noticeable effect on the Test series. My take on these games is not that they are any reflection on the quality of the Australians (although they are obviously a bit rusty), but that they show something about the spirit abroad within English cricket.One had hoped that the passing of the generation which has lost and lost to Australia would mean that the new lot would be up for the challenge, and it appears that they may be.

We already knew that the previous weapon of the inferiority complex wouldn't be applicable to this series: when the teams line up at Lord's, although nine or ten of the Australians will be the same, the only England player who played in the 2001 game will be Trescothick, and only about four more will have memories of losing Tests to Australia - and those will also remember beating them.

Having the self-belief to try and win against Australia is essential if we're to win the Ashes. These early skirmishes are giving me the message that English cricketers are prepared to get up and have a go this time. I realise that it was Smith and Jayasuriya who did most of the damage, but the middle and lower order English relative mediocrities all seemed to be giving it a go from the way the score climbed - and plenty of people would have quailed in what was inevitably fairly noisy and high-pressure atmosphere compared to what most of them have much experience of.

Cheers,

Mike

 

[Magrat Garlick]

What's going on with the world?