*Official* Fourth Test at the MCG

[Zinzan]

Yeah, I agree with most of this. England simply far too good bar a blip in Perth. Gave us false hope for a micro-second, but a loss was all bar inevitable given the way things were going this series.

England just a better prepared team who largely bowled and batted better than us for a majority of the series.

Don't agree on us being a 'good' team though at the moment. We've been shown to be pretty mediocre this series. Once or twice a player or two have stood up with the bat, and we bowled alright as a team for a game too. It's been largely below par though. England have shown what preparation, confidence, and sticking to your plans with the bat and ball can do over the length of a series.

We've had a lot of players prove to be below par in this series. Whether it's due to a lack of application, England working them out and dominating them, or a mixture of both...I guess we'll find out in the next series.

On da money there

 

[vcs]

England in this series have done a fantastic job of keeping the foot on the throat once they get on top, unlike a certain World No. 1 team in S. Africa at the moment..

 

[GIMH]

Well it's worked out quite nicely as I'm having beverages with my mate tonight, so we should be celebrating by about 1am.

Really fantastic stuff. The way our attack contributes all round is fantastic; think Aus have twice as many 5fers but our guys have been way more consistent and shared the wickets about more. This Test case in point - Anderson and Tremlett were both excellent in the first innings, they weren't as effective second time round and Bresnan stepped up, and I thought Swann was excellent.

Really proud of the team.

 

[Ruckus]

What happens at the award ceremony if the series is drawn? Do they still give the English team the trophy with the whole champagne thing, or is it something more subtle with both teams? Because I don't know if I'll be able to stomach this again, especially seeing as though it's on home turf...gonna be like a neighbours dog pissing on your own backyard:

 

[GIMH]

What happens at the award ceremony if the series is drawn? Do they still give the English team the trophy with the whole champagne thing, or is it something more subtle with both teams? Because I don't know if I'll be able to stomach this again, especially seeing as though it's on home turf...gonna be like a neighbours dog pissing on your own backyard:

I think we will get presented with the urn after this game and then the series trophy will be given at Sydney either to ourselves or to both captains.

FTR, can't see Australia bouncing back at Sydney.

 

[Spark]

Last time I got bloody annoyed because I thought that it was just one or two periods of utter crap that let down what was a reasonable performance.

This time you can't really be annoyed. We've just been beaten square in basically every department of the game for the vast majority of the series.

 

[Ruckus]

I think we will get presented with the urn after this game and then the series trophy will be given at Sydney either to ourselves or to both captains.

FTR, can't see Australia bouncing back at Sydney.

Hmm very hard to predict who will win in Sydney. Think it's probably 50/50 given the conditions will probably be very bowler-friendly.

Totally agree with your comment before though. Your side is actually a team, where as all ours has been is some good individual performances and a lot of garbage in between. Unity in a team comes from experience, a settled group of players and confidence - all things England have that Australia lack.

 

[Prince EWS]

At the start of the series I picked 2-1 Australia with the following likely results (actual result in brackets).

Brisbane - Australia (Draw)
Adelaide - Draw (England)
Perth - Australia (Australia)
Melbourne - Draw (England)
Sydney - England

Sydney was the only Test I truly expected England to win - given how much better they've been and how much worse Australia have been to my original expectations, I definitely can't see them not winning it now. That said, my predictions have just been largely rubbish (particularly if you add in my Clarke most Australian runs, Broad most England wickets predictions) so maybe I should STFU

 

[honestbharani]

I wouldn't say that ball was in the right area. It didn't even pretend to consider thinking about threatening the stumps.

The thing is that most batsmen do not play with the stumps in mind.. It is so easy to think that you should but when you are out there batting, I am pretty sure once your front foot moves across the distance between the ball and yourself is the pretty much the only thing you will consider before going for a stroke.. And that is why leaving well is a such a damn good and difficult art in batting.

 

[Prince EWS]

The thing is that most batsmen do not play with the stumps in mind.. It is so easy to think that you should but when you are out there batting, I am pretty sure once your front foot moves across the distance between the ball and yourself is the pretty much the only thing you will consider before going for a stroke.. And that is why leaving well is a such a damn good and difficult art in batting.

Yeah, despite having terrible hand/eye and no natural shots to speak of, I get sent out to open the batting for that skill alone. It's gun.

 

[Spark]

At the start of the series I picked 2-1 Australia with the following likely results (actual result in brackets).

Brisbane - Australia (Draw)
Adelaide - Draw (England)
Perth - Australia (Australia)
Melbourne - Draw (England)
Sydney - England

Sydney was the only Test I truly expected England to win - given how much better they've been and how much worse Australia have been to my original expectations, I definitely can't see them not winning it now. That said, my predictions have just been largely rubbish (particularly if you add in my Clarke most Australian runs, Broad most England wickets predictions) so maybe I should STFU

You think yours have been rubbish?!

 

[Craig]

At the start of the series I picked 2-1 Australia with the following likely results (actual result in brackets).

Brisbane - Australia (Draw)
Adelaide - Draw (England)
Perth - Australia (Australia)
Melbourne - Draw (England)
Sydney - England

Sydney was the only Test I truly expected England to win - given how much better they've been and how much worse Australia have been to my original expectations, I definitely can't see them not winning it now. That said, my predictions have just been largely rubbish (particularly if you add in my Clarke most Australian runs, Broad most England wickets predictions) so maybe I should STFU

Would be a good thing

 

[Prince EWS]

Would be a good thing

You love me.

 

[MW1304]

Haha YAY Bresnan

I knew people shouldn't underestimate him, can't really fault the selection here.

Edit: Kinda reminds me of Gladstone Small. Apparant trundler doing his job, helping us win Ashes. Only brings up more comparisons with 86 tbh.

 

[G.I.Joe]

What is that censored portion down there? Strauss's hard-on?

 

[fredfertang]

What is that censored portion down there? Strauss's hard-on?

Who it belonged to has never been identified

 

[four_or_six]

m.guardian.co.uk

great melodrama

 

[Ruckus]

What is that censored portion down there? Strauss's hard-on?

Hah, I didn't notice that. If that's the case though, clearly he chose the wrong career path

 

[GIMH]

I'm no fan of Twatto but he gives a fair interview

 

[Jacknife]

I'm no fan of Twatto but he gives a fair interview

I thought the same myself, refreshingly honest.