The Cricket Thread.

[Larry]

It is in sport.

bit sad really when your considered past it once you reach 35..

but I certainly won't be bothering to stay up and watch it tonight..

[Larry]

much better and encouraging performance by our batsman as we closed the day on 293 for 5 Collingwood missed out on a century when he was stumped off Warne for 96, ending a stand of 153, but Pietersen was still there at the close on 92.

[Paul Clement]

A better performance and it may bode well for the second test, but I'd say this one is definitely beyond us even getting a draw.

[Captain Tancredi]

It's better than I'd expected- if Pietersen and one of the bowlers can make a bit of a stand then 350+ isn't out of the question and at least we've come out of the experience having dug in and drawn what could have been a very quick annihilation out into five days. The conditions in Sydney and Melbourne will probably be more comfortable for us than tropical Brisbane and if the bowlers can find their mark again, things should be more respectable next time out.

[Larry]

just a shame Collingwood was wrechless in the way he gave his wicket away especialy when you consider it was towards the end of the days play with just 3 wickets down we might just of been able to bat all day for a draw. But the loss of Collingwood and then Flintoff has now I think pushed the chances of a draw out of our reach.

[Captain Tancredi]

If we'd only made 375 in our first innings we could have had an entirely different match and a run race in the last couple of days.

The key thing for the next Test is the bowlers- and specifically the fact that we haven't yet bowled the Aussies out.

Still, good to see the Barmy Army having fun- I had it from an Australian when I was in Melbourne that initially the Aussies were afraid that they were going to turn out to be football hooligans, but now it's one of the things they look forward to in the Ashes.

[Dirk Gently]

A bit embarrassing really, we only took 10 wickets (one of which was a run out) compared to the Aussies 20.

We should have both spinners in operation in the next test on Friday all being well. But who do you leave out? Harmisson? Anderson?

[Larry]

ended day 1 of the 2nd test 266 for 3 with Collingwood not out 90 and Pieterson not out 60 Ian Bell also made 60. cleary a much improved performance and lets just hope we hold it together and make a score of 450 to 500+ runs.

[Paul Clement]

More importantly, let's hope our bowlers remember what they're there for.

[Larry]

More importantly, let's hope our bowlers remember what they're there for.

well after the peformance by Collingwood and Pieterson in getting us to 550 it will be very dissapointing if our bowlers fail to deliver we have a real chance of getting a decent 1st innings lead.

[Milky Tears]

I wasted about eight hours watching that. I'm gutted!

[Jonno]

Do you ever sleep, James - or turn the telly off?!

[Larry]

well i watched the first hours play of several days of the firsts test but because play starts an hour or so later 9i'm not bothering to stay up as it's far too late for me.

[Paul Clement]

England may have got a higher first innings score than Australia, but it's worrying that the bowlers still had problems getting Shane Warne out. They need to start getting wickets quicker when facing the tailenders.

[Larry]

England may have got a higher first innings score than Australia, but it's worrying that the bowlers still had problems getting Shane Warne out. They need to start getting wickets quicker when facing the tailenders.

ITo be fair to Warne, he's no mug with the bat i've just looked up his test stats and he has scored nearly 3000 runs with the bat...

[Milky Tears]

Looks like another long night for me.

[Dave Lewis]

Now Flintoff's gone, I suspect it's all over for England. I'd stay up to see this match out but I've got work in the morning.

[Milky Tears]

Five days with hardly any sleep, but was it worth it?


From BBC Sport:

No team in the history of Test cricket has declared on a higher first innings total than England's 551-6 and gone on to lose.

[Larry]

No team in the history of Test cricket has declared on a higher first innings total than England's 551-6 and gone on to lose.

that just shows how crap we are and not even in the same league as the Aussie's

those 11 players pretending to be crickiters are a disgrace and Embarrasment and might as well come home now as the Ashes are as good as over ...

[Stuart Wallis]

You weren't the man who phoned up Giles and told him he was a disgrace and should stop playing, are you?

Only it worked for Hayden, could you have a word with the other ten Aussies, could you...?

[Jonno]

Looking forward to the highlights programme tonight!

Good on Monty for showing in the best way possible why it was ludicrous to leave him out of the first two Tests!

[Larry]

no supprise there it's typical England we bowl the Aussi'e out cheaply and just as we have the perfect chance of a decent 1s innings lead we go and screw it up a 5-0 whitewash is still the result i'm expecting..y

[Milky Tears]

I'm still sad enough to stay up and watch it all. Hoping for some good stuff tonight.

[Larry]

Australia declared their 2nd innings on 527 for 5 a lead of 556 - the Aussies totally and utterly destroyed our bowlers with Adam Gilchrist, scoring the 2nd fastest Test hundred in just 57 balls. Typicaly England in reply are struggling as they closed on 19-1, well there are still 2 full days to play and we need another 537 to win. It just ain't going to happen and I see this game be over some time on day 4 with us being bowled out for less than 200..

[Milky Tears]

Excellent stuff from Gilchrist, Hussey and Clarke.

I've been waiting ages to see Gilchrist do something like that in an Ashes test.