Ashes Thread

[Ghost within this house]

Broad is a bigger loss for England than Katich is for Aus.

If Hilditch and co admit they've made some stupid, surprisingly reactive, selection decisions, and revert to Hilfenhaus, Hauritz, Harris and Siddle, I reckon the next three tests will still be very competitive.

Having said that, that's the best England win away from home I can remember. Clinical. One doesn't often say that about an English team abroad...

[Patrick Bateman]

I just can't see them coming back. They look a beaten side. Their performance on the final day was completely un-Australian.

[gregf]

One strength Australia have had for a long time, is that they can be down,
but bounce back. That strength of character is still there.

The daily Trash tabloid ran a story that some players are against clark
taking over. It has just a little ring of truth to it, so I dont think they
should change captqins yet. And even of they do, dont rush Clark into it.

[Ghost within this house]

*bumped*

Contest is still well and truly alive. I can't believe Aus. will perform as poorly as they did at Adelaide.

Maybe this is traditional English pessimism, but it feels like the series is starting all over again...

[Patrick Bateman]

I can't believe Aus. will perform as poorly as they did at Adelaide.

I'm not so sure. They just look like England through the 1990s, changing players every Test and calling up wild cards in the hope that they'll perform a miracle. I still think Mitchell Johnson is due a bucketload of wickets though.

Still can't believe that Warney pulled Liz Hurley.

[gregf]

Johnson is included, possily for his batting, which looks like being needed soon.

[Undertaker]

Strauss' first mistake - to carry on bowling Finn. Shocking spell. The Aussies could have been easily skittled for 100 or so.

[Patrick Bateman]

Holy crap, that missed 'catch' was ridiculous. Aussie are completely shot.

*edit* Ooh, Mitchell's back!!!!!

[Undertaker]

Game on. I'm quite glad in a way. I have 3 weeks off over Xmas and i don't want to watch a dead series.

[Ghost within this house]

Well, well. England really crumbled. If they win from here it will be one of the all time great victories. 1-1 certainly keeps it very, very spicy ...

[gregf]

Great test match cricket.

When I was younger, one team or the other would dominate every series.
So many tests now, the advantage changes daily.
It's like a 5 day Napoleonic battle.
Wonderful.

[Undertaker]

This should be a nailed on Aussie win. They will bowl England out. 99% of the time, any run chase over 250 is tough.

The only problem i see for Australia, is when to declare. They would probably be better off getting bowled out, so the decision is made for them. If they need to make a decision on declaring, they cannot afford to give England any chance of winning.

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

Well, end of Day 3, it's very difficult to see England pull off the run chase (and good on them if they do, because they'll have deservedly won the Ashes)

In all likelihood we're back to 1-1 with 2 Tests to go.

The wicket and Australian selection was exactly what I was hoping for pre-match (i.e. a juicy 'result wicket' with something in it for the quicks, leaving Michael Beer carrying the drinks as 12th Man and nothing in it for Swann)

If this was a draw, Australia would have had to win the next 2 Tests back to back to win the Ashes (very unlikely)... so it was worth gambling on a result at the WACA, to get back to level pegging. How much of this was 'intended', versus what would have been prepared for the WACA wicket regardless, I guess we'll never really know.

Retro.

[gregf]

8 for.

Assuming its 1-1, both sides should be doubly trying to win in Melbourne,
because it LaNina in Sydney, that is, lots of rain or poor light. Sydney
could easily be a draw.

Owzat!, 9 for.

I can remember a few years back when 50-50 was all the rage and people were
asking if tests would dissapear. Well I see a good crowd there for a last day.
I think the parity between the teams is good for the game and test cricket is in again.

All out for 123. See you on the great tradition of boxing day test in Melbourne.

[Undertaker]

England were outplayed. Especially first innings. I thought 2nd innings, England were poor. They threw away wickets. Bell especially getting out to a simple straight delivery.

Hussey and Johnson have kept Ponting in a job. It wouldn't surprise me now if Ponting scores a few big scores.