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The Ashes


John Simkin

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First the good news:

Australia 1st Innings

190 all out

Now the bad news:

England 1st Innings

21 for 5

The hazards of peaking too early :)

Not a bad recovery from Pietersen though

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Worse news. 5/156 needing 420 to win. If Warnie wasn't in the team it would be an even series, with the batting and pace bowling about even--maybe a slight edge to Australia due to Glen McGrath. But Warnie seems to have the middle and tail end batsmen completely spooked, especially in the second innings of matches, when there's a few rough patches to aim for. Warne had five fieldsmen in close after a few overs today. Your batsmen have to attack him, the way guys like Sehwag and Tandulkar do. You might lose a wicket or two, but you'll lose them anyway by playing defensively--there's five fieldsmen around the bat who don't drop catches. And you'll have more runs to show for it.

I've seen Warnie belted out of the attack before--it can be done. For England to have any chance this must become your batting strategy.

Edited by Mark Stapleton
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Worse news. 5/156 needing 420 to win.

Bring back Botham :)

You might already have one (like John Cleese said about the Holy Grail in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"--we've already got one, "it's very narce"). His name's Pieterson.

We live in hope!

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  • 2 weeks later...
John and Andy,

Good luck for Edgbaston. England can win if they do the following;

1. Try to survive the first session from Lee and McGrath, then

2. Attack Warnie.

It's great being an armchair expert.

I suspect you are going to have some fun taunting us over the Ashes. Australia outplayed us in the first test and they will probably do the same for the rest of the series.

I hope they replace Giles with Collingwood. I think we have to give up the idea of spinning the Australians out. Collingwood will help to bolster the batting. We definitely need it.

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John and Steve,

You'll probably think I'm a lunatic, but I think England are a real chance. A good spell by McGrath and a few dropped catches turned the tide at Lords. Also, the Aussies are a little jittery after 7/7. Gillespie said on Melbourne radio today that the team would probably favor returning home if there was another terrorist attack. No way this will be a walkover. Watch for a few batsmen going after Warne. I'll put my head on the block and predict a draw (that way I can make a prediction and still sit on the fence) B)

p.s. talk about famous last words.

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You'll probably think I'm a lunatic, but I think England are a real chance. A good spell by McGrath and a few dropped catches turned the tide at Lords. Also, the Aussies are a little jittery after 7/7. Gillespie said on Melbourne radio today that the team would probably favor returning home if there was another terrorist attack. No way this will be a walkover. Watch for a few batsmen going after Warne. I'll put my head on the block and predict a draw (that way I can make a prediction and still sit on the fence) :D 

Like me you underestimated England. It was indeed one of the great test matches. It is being played in the manner of the one-day game (mainly because our young players have been brought up this way). Trescothick, Pietersen and Flintoff in the first innings were sensational. Flintoff was even better in the second innings. Watching Flintoff driving the world's fastest bowler, Brett Lee, back over his head and on to the grandstand roof on Saturday, was one of the greatest sporting moments I have ever seen. However, the whole test was full of such incidents. What about when Warne bowled Strauss by turning the ball 35.1in. How does he do that?

I still think Australia will win the series. Man for man, they are the better team. However, Flintoff is capable of anything and Strauss, Bell and Jones will all improve as the series goes on. It should be an exciting few weeks. What with West Ham being back in the premiership, my sporting life is pretty good at the moment.

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You'll probably think I'm a lunatic, but I think England are a real chance. A good spell by McGrath and a few dropped catches turned the tide at Lords. Also, the Aussies are a little jittery after 7/7. Gillespie said on Melbourne radio today that the team would probably favor returning home if there was another terrorist attack. No way this will be a walkover. Watch for a few batsmen going after Warne. I'll put my head on the block and predict a draw (that way I can make a prediction and still sit on the fence) :tomatoes 

Like me you underestimated England. It was indeed one of the great test matches. It is being played in the manner of the one-day game (mainly because our young players have been brought up this way). Trescothick, Pietersen and Flintoff in the first innings were sensational. Flintoff was even better in the second innings. Watching Flintoff driving the world's fastest bowler, Brett Lee, back over his head and on to the grandstand roof on Saturday, was one of the greatest sporting moments I have ever seen. However, the whole test was full of such incidents. What about when Warne bowled Strauss by turning the ball 35.1in. How does he do that?

I still think Australia will win the series. Man for man, they are the better team. However, Flintoff is capable of anything and Strauss, Bell and Jones will all improve as the series goes on. It should be an exciting few weeks. What with West Ham being back in the premiership, my sporting life is pretty good at the moment.

This was the most exciting test match I've ever seen (I didn't underestimate England too much--I did predict a draw :( ). With McGrath out, the sides are very even. Flintoff, Trescothick, Harmison and Pieterson are rising to the occasion and could turn the tide in England's favor. Against that is Australia's superior fielding and the tenacity of Shane Warne. Can't wait till tomorrow.

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This was the most exciting test match I've ever seen (I didn't underestimate England too much--I did predict a draw :hotorwot ). With McGrath out, the sides are very even. Flintoff, Trescothick, Harmison and Pieterson are rising to the occasion and could turn the tide in England's favor. Against that is Australia's superior fielding and the tenacity of Shane Warne. Can't wait till tomorrow.

The third test has just started. The surprise news is that McGrath and Lee are playing. As far as McGrath is concerned, this seems to be a big gamble. England won the toss and are batting. Therefore McGrath has to bowl straight away. The pitch is significant. It is unlikely to take much spin (although this will not stop Warne). It looks like a batting pitch and the question is: will the bowlers be good enough to bowl out the other team twice. After 15 minutes the English openers have looked very comfortable (no swing yet).

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This was the most exciting test match I've ever seen (I didn't underestimate England too much--I did predict a draw :up ). With McGrath out, the sides are very even. Flintoff, Trescothick, Harmison and Pieterson are rising to the occasion and could turn the tide in England's favor. Against that is Australia's superior fielding and the tenacity of Shane Warne. Can't wait till tomorrow.

The third test has just started. The surprise news is that McGrath and Lee are playing. As far as McGrath is concerned, this seems to be a big gamble. England won the toss and are batting. Therefore McGrath has to bowl straight away. The pitch is significant. It is unlikely to take much spin (although this will not stop Warne). It looks like a batting pitch and the question is: will the bowlers be good enough to bowl out the other team twice. After 15 minutes the English openers have looked very comfortable (no swing yet).

Bad day at the office for Australia. Losing the toss was the start of it. Gillespie looks like he's lost form completely and playing McGrath has backfired. McGill will play at Trent Bridge, IMO. Our batsmen will need to save this Test and there's no Steve Waugh. Hard to believe that a total of seven chances were put down by fieldsmen and keeper. I can't wait to hear what Roy and H.G. say about this.

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Guest Stephen Turner

Mark, its a batters track,I think both sides will score heavily, and a draw seems like the most realistic outcome. Still its great were giving you a real go for thr first time in 18 years. :up

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