Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

The Aussies seem to be getting a right kicking today.

86/4

Oh dear.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

Oh dear?

Oh Yes more like. Although this lot bat deeply, its more likely their last 5 will
score more than the top 5.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

They'll have to. It's not getting any better. 93/6.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

5-0

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

96/7.

That is not looking good for the former colonials.

We should not, however, forget England's ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

It seems the English top order have been taking batting lessons from the Ozzies. Still, if they can add another 120 tomorrow it should be enough.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

You're probably right but I'd be a lot happier with another 160+. :fingerscrossed:

But was sitting here this morning and I must say there is not much that rivals the unadulterated delight of watching Aussies loose wickets.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

I enjoyed one of the punters' comments on the TMS text feed: a guy just back in from work saying "good Lord, has Tim Bresnan carried his bat right through the day? Ah, no, maybe not." Who'd've thought, though, that the same nightwatchman would face both the first and last balls on the second day of a Test match?

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

A question for you cricket buffs Just how bad are Australia??

I have noticed a few little articles in the press trying to say that they are not as bad as people think........... personally I think is trying to beef up the 'feat' of defeating them from an English perspective.... :)

I think Beefy Botham's prediction is right on the money ........that anything less than 10-0 to England would be unlikely ....:thumbsup:

England are trying their hardest to play as badly as the Australians but it doesn't seem possible they can get that bad......

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

They have one world class player in Clarke and two and half okay players in Haddin, Watson and Siddle, the rest are dross.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

I think we should just declare now:)

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

Agree. The joy of listening to an Australian batting collapse is unrivalled in all sports, except maybe England football team winning the world cup, oh wait.


Boycott was laying into them today - saying how for years they've gloated over us, now look at their team. Botham too loves sticking the boot in.
Why not? I grew up loving cricket but hating getting thrashed by Australia. This is payback. We only need another 50 runs, they wont get past 300 in their second innings, Swann will be unplayable by the end of tomorrow.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

We're 500+ more than them and we're still batting batting? :confused:

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

But there's all those folk who spent money on tickets for the 5th day. It's only fair.

<not that I think Oz can bat for more than one day>

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

We should get a bit more of that tomorrow. :)

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

136-6 at tea. They only need 447 more. It's going to be a nail-biter.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

One more wicket required.

Love watching the camera zoom in on a forlorn looking Lehman.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

Done. :)

The good news for England fans is that there are eight more tests to go.

The bad news for cricket fans is that there are eight more tests to go.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

If this was one of those wonderful all inclusive, non-competitive type schools that seem to have started to appear...... then we would stop keeping score and just tell the kids to go out and enjoy playing..... just to prevent future traumatic disorders. :)

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

Funny you should say that. Last night we went to see Japan play Australia in fastpitch softball. This is the elite level of softball in the world, yet they pulled the game under the mercy rules when Japan were 7-0 up after 6 innings.

Even if you have no real reason to cheer for Japan it is always fun to see Australians getting stuffed at any sport.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

What a drubbing. The margin of thrashing was only 16 runs less than Australia managed to score.

To use Aussie slang, they got Rooted.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

Well England seem to be making hard work of this one. What was Bairstow thinking with that "shot"? At that level you shouldn't be stabbing at an obvious out swinger. :thumbdown:

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

Fascinating series so far, really enjoying the way Aus are battling back. This test will probably be drawn though - the weather in Manchester is going to be rough next couple of days so most likely a draw.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

Seems like the weather won on this occasion. England certainly didn't deserve this draw. :thumbdown:

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

This is looking a bit dodgy at the moment with the A****s with time and wickets in hand to chase this small amount down. Come on Swanny!

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

What's the weather forecast like?

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

Its very gloomy at my desk this morning. :(

If there's anything tomorrow, it'll be a light but short shower. I can't see anything but an Aussie win now.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

Don't worry the collapse is coming.




not quite so confident though

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

Seems to have arrived...............

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

8-199.

Those Aussies should be thanking their lucky stars the weather saved them from a whitewash at Old Trafford.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

I'm still a bit nervous. I might just be taking the extra half hour before I go to lunch. :)

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

'sOK. You can go for lunch now.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

That's a relief. Might the right time for a couple cheeky celebratory lunchtime beers. :thumbup:

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

That Foot long Subway will be all the sweeter.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

3-0 after 4 tests.

Great result so far for the England team, and with 2-0 over New Zealand this is shaping up to be a terrific year.

Im very happy with the performances, you cant always score 600 or whittle the opposition for 250. Australia still has some great players like Ryan Harris, Michael Clarke and even Chris Rogers. They are going to have some good moments and when they do we get bowled out - thats cricket. In test matches its important to win the small battles, like we did last time the Ashes were in England - when Australia were much stronger.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

What a load of bollocks bringing in Woakes and Kerrigan. The arrogance of ECB shows no respect for the spectators and makes joke of the whole thing. :thumbdown:

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

They're not doing very well, those two, are they?

It appears that Geoffrey's grandmother could have hit Woakes all over the ground.

At least Blower is back.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

I'd missed all the nonsense about Monty Panesar - presumably he'd have been the obvious choice as a second spinner. Peeing from the promenade at Brighton onto the heads of the bouncers who'd just thrown him out of a club does seem a quite remarkably stupid thing to do, with not quite the panache of Gower playing silly buggers in a Tiger Moth.

Still, with only four wickets down Australia's tail is already being exposed (one wonders why they bothered with a night watchman...). And from the text commentary it seems messrs Broad and Anderson were giving it some, though, so perhaps all is not lost. Who knows, if it starts turning tomorrow Kerrigan might get over his debutant's nerves, settle down a bit, and bowl a decent length. A spinner throwing long-hops down the pitch is not on at this level, particularly on a track as benign as the Oval appears to be.

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

But to return to the subject of Blowers (who's charming descriptions of the various cranes on the skyline and passing pigeons etc. is the only reason SWMBO lets me listen to the TMS broadcasts), did you know that Ian Fleming was at school with Henry Blowfeldt's father?

Hence the name of the villain in one or the other James Bond book. Goldfinger?

Re: The Summer's Cricket - Ashes Thread
 

I think I told this little bit of trivia to the oh, back on our first date. I thought it would impress her with my quirky knowledge, instead i think she stared at me for about a minute, then rang her dad up and asked him if he could pick her up:(