Are you Australian MrSmith?

How very dare you suggest such nonsense!

Again I ask MrSmith, are you an Aussie? Or have you lived Downunder? Just wondering due to your repeated use of the word Bogan… Do you even know what that bit of vernacular references?

Edit: ah, just saw your reply…

I think MrSmith might be an upper-middle bogan 😉

there were plenty of Bogans in MachestSTAR before Warne & Warner arrived 🙂

Warnie’s teeth appear to be iridescently glowing in the box

Another over?

Indeed Zokes, indeed…

Very good position this, finally! Expecting to see some fireworks after lunch, get the Poms in after tea, couple of wickets this afternoon, all good 🙂

It’s going to be a tough one to win still, we need twenty wickets and that isn’t going to be particularly easy given the form of the English top-order, but, runs on the board from our batsman will hopefully inspire confidence in the bowling unit (not that they’re particularly low on that, they’ve done very well in general). Final session this evening and first tomorrow will be critical for Australia’s chances of a win…

Yep all in for Oz if it was a single game, the only thing that could unsettle England is some madness or a desire for 5-0. A draw won’t change the series outcome but loosing will.

Well that was a big one 200th to deny 200

So many scenarios that could play out in this test.
Maybe something similar to this? 😉

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/9236435.stm

I was hoping more for this, only roles reversed…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/6199480.stm

How many of the English team wear those snake oil Power Balance bracelets (or something similar looking ?)

Should be some entertaining batting to tea now, wouldn’t be surprised to see a declaration before tea actually, get the openers in for an awkward 5-10 overs or so…

Should be some entertaining batting to tea now, wouldn’t be surprised to see a declaration before tea, get the openers in for an awkward 5-10 overs or so…

The way they are swinging tea looks a long way off!!
Still with the Ozzies so far though

wouldn’t be surprised to see a declaration before tea, get the openers in for an awkward 5-10 overs or so…

You want to reenact that Adelaide test in reverse then? 😆

527-7.

Big. Good wicket though

Time for KP to make his mark on this series* 😉

* or get out for 5 attempting a stoopid shot.

Declared at 527-7. I think Clarke’s been very conservative – there’s likely to be rain and a draw’s no good to him. Still, we’ll see.

👿

I’ve bought a ticket for Monday

England shall either have 2 collapses or it’ll be a wash out

Just quoting myself…. 🙂

I think we’re getting a little carried away. Remember how close the first test was. Clarke is capable of big scores (though he needs to man up and promote himself up the order).

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/game-on-first-test-spoilers/page/19#post-5178489

Just quoting myself….

Why?

It’s not quite as bad as it looks, as thankfully the obsession with the night watchman continues. It’s a good century from Clarke on a good batting pitch. I guess we’ll see what both the English batters and Aussie bowlers are made of today.

Well not the best to wake up to but felt better when I saw the 2 was Bresnan. Bat all day tomorrow and plough on, it’s the only way and see how much the Ozzies want to win it.

This could yet turn into a very fine Test match, thanks to the position in the series. Australia have to try to force a victory. England have to bat for 2.5 days, nothing more.

I think England will be targeting around 400-425 as a safe score, which is eminently gettable on this pitch. That’ll probably take until mid afternoon tomorrow. Of course they’ll try to get more and bat longer, but supposing they give up a 100 run deficit, Australia then have 4.5 sessions to force a result. They can’t put an out of sight total up, they’ll have to dangle a significant carrot / bat with abandon to score quickly / leave themselves enough time to take another 10 wickets, which means that to me, all three results are still very possible.

Add in the possibility – nay, likelihood – of weather interruptions; I think a draw is the most likely outcome.

Next hour could be critical though.

Pivotal day in the match, if aus can post a score on that track, then so should England.

I’m amazed they left Lyon out of the first two games, he gives it a nice rip and varies his pace nicely. He will be the main threat I think. Siddle will plug away, Starc is a bit hit and miss. I’ve never rated Harris.

It’s a mental test for England today. They haven’t been in this position yet in the series. Some cracks were appearing at the end of day 1. Great bowler Anderson may be, but he has always acted like a child when things are not running for him, and Broad is also prone to a tantrum. Anderson going around the wicket to right handers with a brand new ball was out of order. He should have gone wider on the crease or pulled his mark back a bit. Fact is, he wasn’t getting his way, and he threw the towel in.

Come on boys, dig in. A draw is no good to them. Occupy the crease and let them know they are going to have to TAKE eight wickets rather than just plonking the ball down and waiting for a mistake.

Yes! Great catch Haddin! 😀

Yes! Great catch Haddin!

Yup, crap ball to get out to, but amazing catch.

Bell lucky to still be there – didn’t snicko show he actually hit that one that only Haddin went up for?

As did a video still shot, super fine edge, no hotspot on replay. No idea if the DRS system would’ve overruled the original decision if they’d reviewed it, definition of a lottery really!

what DRS or that call

he would have benefit of the doubt given that The Aussie guy missed it and that was enough, 49/9% is not enough to be sure it would dislodge the bails etc

Still you must be proud of them this test they have not been outplayed and have England on the back foot which has surprised me

I suspect a very high scoring draw though

I still can’t see the bogans having enough time to take 20 wickets in this match, if England can continue to crawl along at less than 2 an over for the rest of today and into tomorrow then any flicker of the ashes being reclaimed will be gone. I doubt England will panic even if the follow on gets enforced.
Turning into a good test match, obligatory ‘not over till the fat lady sings’ quote.

That’s a tad unfortunate

For who?
The wickets could tumble and follow on enforced in the next half hour.
Or they could still be out there after lunch tomorrow.
3-4 wickets falling in a day means a draw.

For who?

Bell, for starters!

But it would be worth remembering that Australia aren’t the only team that’s suffered from collapses recently

Well, I’m listening on TMS….Pietersen’s century sounds luke it was well taken. Geoff Boycott is a complete ****.

Geoff Boycott is a complete ****.

And so say all of us

The clarkson of the cricket world

Geoff Boycott is a complete ****.

The clarkson of the cricket world

Disagree entirely. TMS wouldn’t be the same without Aggers having a cheeky pop at Boycott every now and again. Obviously he’s a bit of a tit who has the occasional outburst, but its never offensive, more often hilarious and he’s harmless enough.

Clarkson on the other hand hand is a twonk in jeans, with no real credientials who makes the occasional outrageous and offensive remark about something purely for publicity.

“And men, women, child and chicken stand for Pietersen”

Good knock by KP

Squeeky bum time

edit: just seen snicko on kp – looks like he did just tickle it after all…

Follow-on avoided…

And with that (and the weather forecast for Manchester tomorrow), the Ashes are retained 🙂

And Broad having a decent knock. If we can get to a deficit of sub-100 then at least a draw is on the cards…

and saving the aussies from a 5-0 whitewash 👿 😉