Agreed, for once he seems to have kept his trap shut and handled himself pretty well (for him anyway)
The bl00dy Aussie media as usual kicking up a fuss when things don't go Aus' way

It's okay, I respect you and BS as you were both vocal during the Cardiff Test.

Are you digging at me sir? Just in case you are I hadn't posted on the forum for 3 weeks while the first test was on

As for gloating, not me as it can come back and bite you on the bum, we won a battle let the war commence

It was a broad based dig. As for you it depends on why you weren't posting during the 1st test? I was having a dig at people who claim to be hardened supporters of England but only sing when they're winning. It's usually the same people who complain that the Aussies do the same.

I disagree with your sentiment that it's the result that counts and Strauss' decision would have been a bad decision if the result had gone awry as this suggests that the opposite decision would have been automatically successful and that is an unknown. Not getting the result you want is not always the consequence of a good/bad decision (like the suspect umpire calls probably made no difference to the outcome of the last Test).

It's definitely not worth crowing until the fat Aussie stops bowling. Or is he commentating these days?

I'm afraid I've been suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous English cricket since the late seventies. Apart from '81 and '87 it's been a pretty grim experience. Do people wonder that we enjoy a victory?

At least as a Surrey member in the early nineties I got to watch a couple consolation end of tour victories. Visiting Lords was almost always a pointless exercise.

Welcome to the next 20 years of World dominance !!!!!

Or if Hughes and Haddon had been given out when they clearly should have been. 5 very poor decisions by the umpires; highlighting why the referral system should be in.

Don't think it changed the result. If it did; who cares? About time the Aussies had some bad decisions, makes up for all the appallingly good ones they had in SA.

And 1985

I was a fresher in 1985. I was drunk most of the time.

We're up sh!t creek now.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...448201,00.html

KP out for the rest of the tour. Not that he's been batting well anyway due to his injury, but you can guarantee if he'd carried on playing he would have bailed us out or even set us up for a victory once in this series. Now there is an incredible amount of pressure on Strauss and Cook to score big runs at the top of the order to compensate for Bopara misfiring and either Bell, who has always struggled against the Aussies or possibly Shah, who is yet to make any significant contribution to the test team.

If Bell comes in I think he should move down the order to bat at 6, as he averages better figures down there than he does at 3 or 4. Then I think Colly should move to 4 with Prior also moving up the order.

This will be a big blow to England after claiming a real moral victory over the Aussies in the last 2 tests

But in all fairness he hasn't done that much due to his injury. Also talk of Freddie being rested for the next test, which would make sense as it has draw written all over it, due to the flat track.

I was thinking that England's strategy ought to be to bat KP at 3 and put Bopara at 5... Prior is 6.

Now, without KP I don't know. Bell might be a far more determined customer now that he's been out of the side for a while. He knows that his place is gone as soon as KP is fit again unless he proves to be better than Collingwood or Bopara. I rate Bell, so I hope he has the head on him to get out there and succeed, he certainly has the ability.

I like Bell too. But he seems to be too easily psyched out by determined opposition. Warne nearly had him in a mental institution. I also wouldn't put it past the selectors putting Prior up to 3, although the pressure on being a WC and 3 batsman could pay its toll on him.
Denley is also an option I think. I just hope they don't pick that fat b@stard Robert Key

Looks like Bell will get the nod but in my book it would be great to see Mark Ramprakash, he has beeen the best batsman in England the last 4 years.
Never understood what they have against the guy.

He's had a zillion chances and can't cut it at test level, as you were.