The Cricket Thread.

**Dirk Gently** · 23rd Nov 2006, 12:26 PM

The Ashes started last night & it wasn't the best start for England. I'm catching up with the highlights & Aus won the toss, chose to bat & are 155 for 2 after 34 overs.

**Rob McCow** · 23rd Nov 2006, 1:27 PM

Hi - just moved this to the Sports forum!

I'm firmly expecting England to get spanked this time round. The Australians would be livid if they lost the Ashes again!

**Dirk Gently** · 23rd Nov 2006, 1:33 PM

Thanks 'Rob', I just sent a PM to Si Hunt to move it & you've done it probably before he even reads my message.

Well the Aussies finished up with 346 for 3 after 90 overs. Looks like we'll have to bat really well just to get a draw. I can't see this turning around for an England victory. If I were the Aussies I'd be looking to bat tomorrow & declare with a total of 600+ & then look to bowl England out twice.

**Larry** · 23rd Nov 2006, 5:23 PM

Originally Posted by Dirk Gently

The Ashes started last night & it wasn't the best start for England. I'm catching up with the highlights & Aus won the toss, chose to bat & are 155 for 2 after 34 overs.

The Aussies closed on 346 for 3 i've not seen any of the highlights but we are all ready on the back foot and look like we are going to struggle for most of this series..

**Kaybee Bailey** · 23rd Nov 2006, 10:57 PM

Well, on the positive side we did lose fairly convincingly in the first test last time round and still came out on top, but we were always going to struggle this series. Of all the missing players the crucial one is Simon Jones, the guy the Aussies genuinely don't know how to handle.

That said though, whoever batted first on this pitch would have gained a huge advantage, so we shouldn't be surprised to be playing catch-up having lost the toss.

Captain Tancredi · 23rd Nov 2006, 11:18 PM

An ex-colleague of mine is watching it all in Brisbane, so it'd be nice to think there'd be a few moments of English brilliance for him to be able to say "I was there when...".

But it's by no means a first choice England side, and not really one on its best form either. It's difficult to judge a wicket from the first innings and it may turn out to be a batsman's wicket rather than a bowler's, but the key thing overnight will be to make the Aussies work harder for runs and if we can't bowl them out, keep the score down.

**Larry** · 23rd Nov 2006, 11:37 PM

I think the worrying thing is Steve Harmison, who is no where near top form when your main strike bowler is not firing you are going to seriously struggle. I think right now we will be lucky to restrict Australia to under 550..

**Larry** · 24th Nov 2006, 10:50 AM

looks very bad indeed and we are now facing the possibility of a very very heavy beating Australia closed their innings on 602-9 and then reduced England to 53-3. This is going to be a long hard tour and unless our bowlers especialy Harmison dramativaly improve their performance we will end ou losing the series 5-0.,

**Kaybee Bailey** · 24th Nov 2006, 4:05 PM

Considering the number of overs they bowled, Flintoff, Hoggard and Giles returned reasonably figures. But Harmison and Anderson can be expensive even at their best, so with neither looking on good form we could have trouble. Could be worse though... Mahmood's wayward raw pace would be going down a treat with the Fanatics right now!

**Dirk Gently** · 24th Nov 2006, 4:14 PM

We need to get to 403 runs otherwise we're in serious trouble. And to be perfectly honest I think we are in SERIOUS trouble & day 3 hasn't even started yet.

Sometimes I hate being right.

**Paul Clement** · 24th Nov 2006, 5:35 PM

It's worrying that even tailenders like Lee and Clark can score 82 runs between them. Normally the final four batting would score about 50 between them, the Aussies got 107, and could have had more but declared.

But Harmison and Anderson can be expensive even at their best,

The same's true of McGrath, but unfortunately for England he is also able to take wickets along with it.

Captain Tancredi · 24th Nov 2006, 6:22 PM

Right, so the game plan for day 3 is basically to make sure the Aussies have to bat again.

On the other hand, it could all be over by the end of the day...

**Paul Clement** · 24th Nov 2006, 6:26 PM

What they need is some good old Boycott style batting. He used to be in for hours on end. Ok, he may have only scored about twenty runs in that time, but he used to get you a draw when you needed one.

**Larry** · 24th Nov 2006, 6:42 PM

Originally Posted by Paul Clement

It's worrying that even tailenders like Lee and Clark can score 82 runs between them. Normally the final four batting would score about 50 between them, the Aussies got 107, and could have had more but declared.
.

i think that just goes to show just how poor our bowlers have been it's a pitty Simon Jones is not in the squade as he caused the Aussie's quite a few problems in the last series.

But I have to say i'd not be at all supprised if this game is all over by lunch on day 4.i

**Milky Tears** · 25th Nov 2006, 1:33 AM

I've been watching most of it so far... it's all good stuff.

**Milky Tears** · 25th Nov 2006, 3:36 AM

I want to go to bed, but Bellend is doing well...

He's keeping me up!!

Edited to add: Bell was doing well!

**Jonno** · 25th Nov 2006, 11:15 AM

I heard on the radio this morning that having bowled us out for around 150, that the Aussies didn't make us follow on but are batting again? Now I'm no cricket expert, but surely they'd rather make us bat again and no doubt bowl us out and finish it all off quickly?

Isn't it a bit risky what they're doing? What if one of their main batters gets injured or something? What if they set us a target and we manage to survive and force a draw? Unlikely I know but...

Oh, and isn't it great to have the classic theme tune back on the BBC highlights programme - great opening titles!

**Larry** · 25th Nov 2006, 11:27 AM

if they had made England bat again the game would probably have been all over by lunch time on day 4 and yes it was a supprise the follow on was not enforced I can only assume it is phycological ploy by Ponting. I've watched the first hours play or so of days 2 & 3 and just can't believe how awful we are. once Flintoff went I predicted we'd be lucky to get 150 - it was a disgracfull gutless and pathetic performance by England.

**Paul Clement** · 25th Nov 2006, 12:45 PM

As I understand it, Ponting decided the Aussies would go into bat instead of enforcing the follow on as McGrath wanted a rest from bowling. I'd say that Australia would not stay in bat for too long before declaring leaving longer left for them to get England out than it took to finish their first innings.

Captain Tancredi · 25th Nov 2006, 1:47 PM

There's also the money side of it- if Australia had finished us off inside three days, the ACB would have had to refund two days' worth of tickets instead of just one, assuming that they do it in four instead.

Batting again should give the Aussies a massive psychological advantage and enable some of the batsmen to get big scores fairly cheaply- essentially their second innings are a bit of showboating before they try to finish us off quickly.

**Jonno** · 25th Nov 2006, 1:54 PM

Good points raised there, chaps, which I hadn't considered - especially bowlers needing a rest - thanks!

**Paul Clement** · 25th Nov 2006, 2:02 PM

Well, McGrath is getting on a bit, though you wouldn't notice it the way he destroyed the English batting.

**Larry** · 25th Nov 2006, 4:46 PM

Mcgrath, is getting on a bit so that in it's self just shows how abysmal our bowlers have been,,..

**Milky Tears** · 25th Nov 2006, 6:14 PM

McGrath's about the same age as Jonno, isn't he? Is that "getting on a bit"?

**Dirk Gently** · 25th Nov 2006, 6:47 PM

It is in sport.

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