The Ashes 2009

[Nemo]

133-8 at tea. Absolutely fantastic session from England. Especially Broad the blonde bombshell.

 

[JCB]

test cricket - still the tops

Channelling the passion of Tuffers!

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

8 for 72 in a single session....hahahahahahahaha!!!!

 

[Diamond]

Now I can look forward to Australian analysis during the break on my stream.

 

[TrippyLondoner]

Oh where is liquidlunch when ya need him?

 

[Santino]

In the words of warne: 'well done england, they've bowled well'

Earning his money there I see.

 

[Nemo]

That 332 suddenly doesn't look so bad.

 

[Balbi]

Warne's being dead nice to be honest, I thought he'd be a nong - but he's come across as just a bit mental about great bowling

 

[Discordia]

133-8 at tea. Absolutely fantastic session from England. Especially Broad the blonde bombshell.

Crucial he realises this can't be a one-off though. His stats are horrendous, and you don't want him turning into the bowling version of Bell (just enough to stay in the team, then dross dross dross).

 

[TrippyLondoner]

'i feel good' fittingly being played on sky now

 

[Nemo]

Now I can look forward to Australian analysis during the break on my stream.

Let us know what they say.

 

[Nemo]

Crucial he realises this can't be a one-off though. His stats are horrendous, and you don't want him turning into the bowling version of Bell (just enough to stay in the team, then dross dross dross).

I agree. But unlike Bell I think he has the temperament for test cricket.

 

[internetstalker]

8 for 72 in a single session....hahahahahahahaha!!!!

Thats just class

 

[agricola]

I don't know. He's...mechanical. Doesn't have that touch of genius Tendulkar/Lara etc have/had. The only thing going for him, really, is pure stats, and how much have those been affected by playing in such a great team for so long? Tendulkar and Lara played in some pretty damn ordinary teams for a long long time.

Wonder if Mitch tears you up like he did us. That was in a total losing position (and they did indeed lose), but still..England can't switch off.

Follow on would be so iffy. They get 150+ and who would bet against an England collapse?

Can't really believe Australia could manage to lose this series. They fuck up, like, twice, and England fuck up about 8 times, but get away with it thanks to rain/shit bowling/shit batting. Two thirds Australia's fault, but dayum. Drawn series seems much more fair than England win (can't say Aus deserve to win anymore after this).

If we spank you guys when you come over here though, this series will just be remembered as two crap teams deciding who was crapper. So give us a good series pls!

I think half the reason for the dislike of Ponting, in fact probably a bit more than half, is who he plays for rather than who he is, and one wonders whether the ill-feeling towards him will continue once he is retired.

As a batsman and captain he is, at least amongst his generation of cricketers, pretty much unquestionably the best captain* (how many game-saving innings has he made?) and probably in the top three batsmen generally. Yes, he has lost one Ashes series and may be about to lose another but the first was lost by an unbelievably small margin against the best England side for at least the last 25-30 years, and all of his best players had gone by the time this latest series came around.

*Vaughan would be second, Smith third. I hate Graeme Smith.

 

[Diamond]

Let us know what they say.

Summarised by anchor through gritted teeth. Ads now.

 

[marty21]

Channelling the passion of Tuffers!

he is correct!!

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Crucial he realises this can't be a one-off though. His stats are horrendous, and you don't want him turning into the bowling version of Bell (just enough to stay in the team, then dross dross dross).

Not quite so horrendous now! His average is not much higher than Anderson's now. As I said before, I'm very very pleased to have been proved wrong about him.

 

[Santino]

I think, on balance, I would have taken 133-8 this morning.

 

[Diamond]

Freudian slip from Aussie anchor:

"England got 80 wickets..."

 

[Nemo]

Summarised by anchor through gritted teeth. Ads now.

20 minutes of ads probably.

 

[Discordia]

*Vaughan would be second, Smith third. I hate Graeme Smith.

Sorry, Smith wins. Hate him or not, what he's pulled off is amazing. Maybe have to know SA well to understand the shit he has to put up with. To perform and craft a top team under that while starting at the age he did is incredible.

 

[TrippyLondoner]

Freudian slip from Aussie anchor:

"England got 80 wickets..."

 

[Pie 1]

test cricket - still the tops

Innit

 

[Diamond]

Sounds like they're all admitting they were wrong about earlier dismissive criticisms of Swann and Broad.

 

[Mr.Bishie]

C'mon get tea down ya ffs, & lets finish this off

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Sounds like they're all admitting they were wrong about earlier dismissive criticisms of Swann and Broad.

Not exactly wrong. Both Broad and Swann have had very poor periods through this series. They've come good, but that doesn't make previous criticism invalid.

 

[Diamond]

To be honest they just all look a bit shell-shocked.

 

[Nemo]

To be honest they just all look a bit shell-shocked.

Well, unlike England-watchers, they're not used to this kind of calamity.

 

[Diamond]

Broad's fifth described as "not a bad ball"

 

[littlebabyjesus]

cricinfo's lunchtime summary

Australia lay solid base in reply to 332