***Official*** NatWest Series/Challenge

[luckyeddie]

The low-scoring ones are always the best.

*smirks and hides*.

You are absolutely right, because it then becomes a test of bowling, fielding, batting and captaincy.

There's no way I will criticise Ponting for painting himself into a corner today, but I will say "There - that's what going for the kill does for you sometimes".

A quite fantastic match, and one I shall watch again for enjoyment later this evening (other that watch it in order to write a report - two different things)

 

[marc71178]

Very, very close call on the no ball there... I think it was one personally.

The first or the second?

 

[marc71178]

Do the Aussies think they've lost on wickets remaining?

Cuz it looks like it.

Probably the fact that having us 33-5 and 8 down needing 26 from 3 overs and they didn't win

 

[marc71178]

i reckon they both should get, i have never felt so much tension before, but a great result for both sets of Fans.

Why should 4-0-31-1 when less than 8 an over warrant any recognition?

 

[marc71178]

The low-scoring ones are always the best.

*smirks and hides*.

I'd have to agree personally - have said that on a few occasions.

 

[marc71178]

sh*t i just realised, i had a tenner on Australia to win - what happens?

My brother had £5 on England - he got it returned as an each way win for some reason!

 

[superkingdave]

well im biased but for me that was the best ODI since the CT final at least.

I hope that Jones can go on from this, he certainly needed the confidence boost, just as long as they leave him at 7. For the record i vote his straight six off Gillespie as the shot of the match

 

[luckyeddie]

Before the start of the innings i was going to say that you shouldnt be surprised to see Australia take england out for less than 100.
And what do you know

I am really so sorry to bring this up again, but one day people will learn not to be so rash, arrogant and, well, Austra .... (voice fades into distance).

If I call you a prat, then that isn't me being abusive or anything like that (remember I did it when England were still in desperate straits so there's no hindsight involved) - consider it an answer to your cry for help. Now you know, bite your tongue. Who knows, you might graduate to 'dim' before the summer is over.

This game has a habit of kicking you in the nads - and I am more than willing to give it a helping hand. Now come back, take your beating like a man, say 'you know, you're not such a dumbass, Ed' and you'll go up in my estimation a hundredfold.

 

[luckyeddie]

Slightly OT, Trescothick is favourite to score the most runs in the Ashes for England......how on Earth?

TEC isn't a bookie

 

[luckyeddie]

15 wickets in 6 games for him - that's pretty good form.

4 ODI's vs Aus this summer - 11 wickets @ 12.91 whilst conceding 3.64 - not too shabby.

If Richard's told you once he's told you 1000 tmes - Australia will sort the big fellow out.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

The way McGrath had it all over him in the ODIs, I can't see Trescothick scoring that many in the tests really. Maybe I'll be wrong, but I just can't see it. Same with Strauss actually, unless he learns to keep those inswingers out.

Vaughan, Thorpe and Bell will be the key scorers, one would imagine.

 

[luckyeddie]

The way McGrath had it all over him in the ODIs, I can't see Trescothick scoring that many in the tests really. Maybe I'll be wrong, but I just can't see it. Same with Strauss actually, unless he learns to keep those inswingers out.

Vaughan, Thorpe and Bell will be the key scorers, one would imagine.

I agree wholeheartedly. Currently, it looks as though it ought to be a series between a couple of great bowling attacks (although Gillespie is rapidly falling in my estimation) - the only 'mental wounds' are being inflicted on the upper order of both sides by Lee, McFrath, Harmison and Flintoff.

Of course, a few games of 'Electric Rounders' are not The Ashes, and totally different techniques are called for when opening the innings. For me, the key man hasn't set foot on English soil yet, and that's the only 'proper' opening bat either side possess - Justin Langer.

 

[tooextracool]

The Australian batsmen have looked very comfortable. Quite a blunt morning for England except the success of wicket of Hayden.

cant believe it took them nearly 4 overs(and several boundaries) to go around the wicket to gilchrist.

 

[tooextracool]

Harmison bowls one at 79.8mph, Botham says "good pace"

that was not the only case of ineptitude of the sky sports commentators.
gotta love gower talking about how they must slot pietersen into the test side ahead of graham thorpe when england were around 40/5 on a seaming wicket. umm david....have you been watching the game at all? you'd think england needed someone like thorpe for these situations.
and no matter how much of a disgrace tresco makes of himself, not a word about how it might be better to have pietersen in the side ahead of him

 

[luckyeddie]

that was not the only case of ineptitude of the sky sports commentators.
gotta love gower talking about how they must slot pietersen into the test side ahead of graham thorpe when england were around 40/5 on a seaming wicket. umm david....have you been watching the game at all? you'd think england needed someone like thorpe for these situations.
and no matter how much of a disgrace tresco makes of himself, not a word about how it might be better to have pietersen in the side ahead of him

As you know only too well, TEC (having made an asp of yourself once or twice in the past) opening a test innings is a completely different proposition to opening an ODI. Mind you, his lack of foot movement can only be compensated for if his eye is in - and at the moment he definitely needs glasses. Same with Strauss, Flintoff, Vaughan and most of the Aussie batsmen.

Saying that, Thorpe is the second name on my teamsheet after Harmison - and a couple of years ago I'd have been hard-pressed to pick either under ANY circumstances.

 

[tooextracool]

OK, now you know as well as I do that there is no real alternative - or would you have them sharing the last 10?

(don't give me the usual about going for the kill - why do you think that Symonds hasn't managed to get the ball off the square since 12.00? He's waiting for the last 10 overs - and so is Vaughan)

strange though that giles was bowling till the 46th over, which was easily the stupidest thing that i've ever seen vaughan do in any form of the game, and in the end probably cost us the game. it took pure genius to not bowl flintoff for his entire quota, especially with the way he was bowling today.

 

[tooextracool]

Flintoff's first spell today was simply wonderful, and he was well backed up by Flintoff, and even Jones in his second spell.

really?
i thought jones bowled too full for all of his 2nd spell, but symonds and clarke didnt decided not to take advantage of it. hussey did.

 

[tooextracool]

Agree 100%... but how come SA didn't find it?

strange thing is that not only did SA not find strauss' weakness they also didnt find tresco's.

 

[tooextracool]

Like we said, if we could see off the new ball, we'd be fine. Ar$e.

too bad at least 2 of them(vaughan & flintoff) didnt realise how important seeing off mcgrath & lee was. mince meat errr gillespie, hogg and symonds to come.

 

[tooextracool]

They're opening batsmen, they should be able to defend a straight ball and not play a stupid low percentage shot like Trescothick.

thing is that tresco IS NOT an opening batsman. he'd be much better off batting at 6.