So...The Ashes.....

[Richard Mason]

How do we think it will pan out?

Gabba is never a great ground for visitors, bit of a collywobble early in the England innings but (touchwood) they seem to have stabilised things a bit. Thank god Strauss didn't do a Nasser Hussein and put Aus in to bat.

........I'm just waiting for that Austrarian ChristianG to arc up now.

Waiting

Waiting...;)

[Tristan Green]

Certainly has been a few ups and downs in the office this afternoon. It's definitely going to be a good test. Let's see how the locals go with the bat!

Cheers,
Tristan

[NickBCotswold]

Certainly has been a few ups and downs in the office this afternoon. It's definitely going to be a good test. Let's see how the locals go with the bat!

Cheers,
Tristan

Hmmmmm majorly disappointing start for England........

"must try harder!".

[Richard Mason]

Hmmmmm majorly disappointing start for England........

"must try harder!".


Nah...they always cop a flogging at the Gabba.

[Richard Mason]

Interesting too, this Australian team lineup has three Tasmanians; Doherty, Hilfenhaus and Ponting, which for a State who's population comprises around 2.5% of that of Australia's total as a whole isn't a bad turnout.

[Richard Mason]

Hmmmmm majorly disappointing start for England........

"must try harder!".

Oh ye of little faith.

I see Christian is lying low too.

[Steve in Sharm]

I have the (mis)fortune of being laid up with an injury at the moment, so I've gone nocturnal and watched 2 days so far.

This one will be a draw I think.

[Richard Mason]

Heh heh heh. (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/horror-day-a-flashback-to-1980s-nadir/story-e6frg7t6-1225962963308)

[Richard Mason]

20 minutes into the Adelaide Test and Australia are 11 for 3.

And everyone agrees that it's a good batting wicket.

Ponting - Golden Duck!

Where's Chistian G when all this is going on?

[ChristianG]

Ponting - Golden Duck!
Great ball from Anderson.

Where's Chistian G when all this is going on?
Present and correct, Sir. :)

Right now I think I'll call up my Austrian heritage, think snow and, more or less, ignore the cricket although this may change if/when the Aussies start doing better. Convenient that, innit? :D

[Richard Mason]

Great ball from Anderson.


Present and correct, Sir. :)

Right now I think I'll call up my Austrian heritage, think snow and, more or less, ignore the cricket although this may change if/when the Aussies start doing better. Convenient that, innit? :D

You sound like my step-father in law.

[Steve in Sharm]

Good first day by the lads, shame hussey had to go and try to spoil it ;)

Now lets go and get a huuuuuuge score tonight for them to chase :cool:

[jobarkworth]

Makes a refreshing change seeing the Aussies praying for rain - shame is they seem to be getting it.....!!!!

In fact, I'm getting a bit tired of the rain over here this summer (but would rather have rain than heaps of cold snow!!)

:p

[ChristianG]

Makes a refreshing change seeing the Aussies praying for rain
Took the words right out of my mouth. I can't remember, however, the last time that Pluvius was asked to dump buckets of the stuff, and at regular intervals. Well, at least not here in Oz.

It does seem, though, that our current XI can't bat, can't bowl and can't field.

[Richard Mason]

Makes a refreshing change seeing the Aussies praying for rain - shame is they seem to be getting it.....!!!!

In fact, I'm getting a bit tired of the rain over here this summer (but would rather have rain than heaps of cold snow!!)

:p

Tell me about it, it hasn't stopped here, that and the wind has been out of the east (which brings the rain) for bloody weeks - the vis has been like I was diving off Anglesey again. Spent Sunday in a short 2m swell for 4 hrs, lucky not to lose my lunch...and breakfast.

Should be starting quite soon, half an hour early because of previous rain delays. Just got to remove 2 now out of Hussey, Haddin and North and rain notwithstanding, it could be a very interesting day. The cricket columnists here are close to suicidal and no one here wants to talk about it.

[ChristianG]

Oh woe is me.

It appears that Australia meekly surrendered, even without a whimper. :o

[Steve in Sharm]

Yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssss ssssssss!!!!!

[NickBCotswold]

Yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssss ssssssss!!!!!


^ what HE said!

Com'on England!!!!!!!!!

laughing that an hour or so after the aussies were bowled out for an innings defeat, its started pouring down!!!!

Nick

ps - - chuffed to bits that England are now steaming ahead PLUS Norwich smashed Ipswich 4-1 the other week in the footy!!!

[Richard Mason]

^ what HE said!

Com'on England!!!!!!!!!

laughing that an hour or so after the aussies were bowled out for an innings defeat, its started pouring down!!!!

Nick

ps - - chuffed to bits that England are now steaming ahead PLUS Norwich smashed Ipswich 4-1 the other week in the footy!!!

Yep, Adelaide had 70mm; nearly 3" of rain after the end of the match between 3.00pm and 9.00AM this morning, they had 27mm 1" in the first hour - that's pretty heavy.

[ChristianG]

It would seem that the Last Rites (of the Perth test) should be delivered by the Aussies sometime tomorrow (Oz time). Please do note how I put that.

Strangely it would also seem that, apart from Hussey and, perhaps, Watson none of the cricketers taking part have been models of consistency, including all of the bowlers. Hot and cold seems to be the name of the game. For example Peterson made a golden duck and three runs in this Test coming off a double century in his previous innings in Adelaide but I'll forgive him for that, after all he's really a Seth Effriken.

As well, amongst the batsmen Ponting has been singularly unsuccessful thus far, but I'd say that he's too good to continue much longer in that vein.

I was amused by a comment on a local Forum "Aussie bowlers just love bowling to Seth Effrikens in Perth" (I paraphrase). The writer was alluding to a few of yours vis a vis Johnson, in particular (ours but a dinky di Aussie).

If things go according to Hoyle it'll shortly be one Test win each with two to go and both wins being fairly comprehensive. Roll on Boxing Day and Melbourne when it should all start again on an even keel. :D

[NickBCotswold]

It would seem that the Last Rites (of the Perth test) should be delivered by the Aussies sometime tomorrow (Oz time). Please do note how I put that.

Strangely it would also seem that, apart from Hussey and, perhaps, Watson none of the cricketers taking part have been models of consistency, including all of the bowlers. Hot and cold seems to be the name of the game. For example Peterson made a golden duck and three runs in this Test coming off a double century in his previous innings in Adelaide but I'll forgive him for that, after all he's really a Seth Effriken.

As well, amongst the batsmen Ponting has been singularly unsuccessful thus far, but I'd say that he's too good to continue much longer in that vein.

I was amused by a comment on a local Forum "Aussie bowlers just love bowling to Seth Effrikens in Perth" (I paraphrase). The writer was alluding to a few of yours vis a vis Johnson, in particular (ours but a dinky di Aussie).

If things go according to Hoyle it'll shortly be one Test win each with two to go and both wins being fairly comprehensive. Roll on Boxing Day and Melbourne when it should all start again on an even keel. :D

yep, seems the aussies have this one - our batting has turned to rats on that wicket.

still, boxing day we all start even, England only need one more win! still hoping here.....

[ChristianG]

yep, seems the aussies have this one - our batting has turned to rats on that wicket.
On that wicket? Not that I could see. Yes, it's flat and hard and a good length is not the same (as a result) as on most other wickets, your guys largely hit a good length anyway. But the ball hardly deviated from the track (apart from seaming on occasions - which is more to do with the ball than the track) and swing, what Anderson is so good at (in the UK), has nothing to do with the wicket. It's swing that mostly got your batsmen, particularly in your first innings when Johnson was bowling boomerangs - at pace.

At pace? The other thing that happened is that, in Adelaide, the Aussie bowlers hardly ever got to 140 kmh (87 mph) whereas in Perth they routinely bowled at 146 kmh (90.7). It doesn't seem much of a difference but it nevertheless seems to have discomforted your batsmen more than somewhat. Not just Johnson either, Harris and Siddle sent them down at pretty much the same pace.

[Richard Mason]

If things go according to Hoyle it'll shortly be one Test win each with two to go and both wins being fairly comprehensive. Roll on Boxing Day and Melbourne when it should all start again on an even keel. :D

I reckon the England team have taken a bung from Cricket Australia - if Australia had lost at Perth then the Boxing Day Test at the MCG would have been like Saturday afternoon in the Knesset and it's the gate receipts for 95000 bums on seats from the Boxing Day Test that keeps Cricket Australia in limousines, champagne, caviar and dancing girls most of the year.

[Fred]

Very quiet down south :D

[NickBCotswold]

Very quiet down south :D


GET IN!!!!!!!!

Aussies all out for 98 - - some FANTASTIC bowling from England in perfect conditions!

Now our front two are showing class with the bat - THATS how to do it Mr Ponting!!!!!

What a fab last minute xmas pressie!!!!

COM'ON ENGLAND!!!!

[ChristianG]

Very quiet down south :D
Understandably so I would have thought. :o :(

[Richard Mason]

Ponting's taking it well too. (Not)

Just shows that you can take the kid out of Mowbray but....

[ChristianG]

I suspect that the Aussies, tomorrow, will lie down and acquiesce meekly.

Your lot deserve to retain the Ashes, our lot deserve to not regain that trophy. It's nevertheless been a strange series, whoever would have thought that there would be three, no less, such matches entirely disparate? After all, it's much more usual to see one team gain the ascendancy and then keep it.

I thought that the defining, stupid, moment of the current game was our opener (Watson) running out his partner in the second innings when keeping wickets intact was so obviously the name of the game as to be self-evident to anyone with even a modicum of cricketing sense.

[Richard Mason]

Lets talk about the Sydney Test now.....:D

[Mark Papp]

Lets talk about the Sydney Test now.....:DLet's talk about a cracking 2020* finish instead...

I'm no fan of 2020, but what a finish.

[ChristianG]

Let's talk about a cracking 2020* finish instead...

I'm no fan of 2020, but what a finish.
I agree, even I was transfixed in front of my TV.

[Chris aka divingchef]

[QUOTE=ChristianG]Took the words right out of my mouth. I can't remember, however, the last time that Pluvius was asked to dump buckets of the stuff, and at regular intervals. Well, at least not here in Oz.

QUOTE]

You gave Pluvius the wrong postcode, he's dumping in Queensland,,,,ohhh and you forgot to tell him to stop ;)

Joking aside, I feel for the Queenslander's:(

[ChristianG]

You gave Pluvius the wrong postcode, he's dumping in Queensland,,,,ohhh and you forgot to tell him to stop ;)

Joking aside, I feel for the Queenslander's:(
Quite so.

I suppose that, now, I could feel vindicated by advising everyone to avoid Oz (IIRC, I did it to you as well) in our summer, your winter.

But I don't, definitely not, this is just a tad more than a Big Wet.

Having said that, a few people, who were entirely ignored it seems, predicted this maybe a year ago. As I recall they were all PHDs or equivalent who published some paper on the subject.

Speaking more crudely, the drought had to break sometime - and it did.

[IainC]

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2011/01/-floodwaters-in-brisbane-reach.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

The flodos are not good news for the GBR, according to this article the last tiem this happened they got 100% die off of coral in some areas due ot fresh water inundation :-(

As if the bleaching was not bad enough

[ChristianG]

Iain,

Can we, please, leave idle speculation out of the equation? Right now we don't know, nobody does, what the effect might eventually be on the GBR.

The GBR doesn't get much closer to the Oz mainland than some 60 miles and Port Douglas happens to be the closest place that it gets to that mainland. Port Douglas, as well as Cairns some distance south of it, are not currently involved in this disaster.

One tends to forget how large the GBR actually is.