Creepers! Another wicket gone, any more South Africans in the line up?
At this rate we'll be lucky not to win....
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Stoner, don't doubt the powers of determination.
Time to go to bed soon?
Nah - I reckon we'll be all out soon, so then it'll be time for Punter to fail again.
house!
I AM off to bed now.
Here's to a 580 total/declaration and Oz 150-4 by close.
G'nite then!
400!
500!
Declaration anyone?
With almost 3 days of play left?!?! And 7 wickets down...
WHY? 😕
Those 3 wickets will probably only last another couple of hours tops, given that we're now into the England tail. Maybe we might get another 100 or so runs on the board. That will then give us 2 1/2 days to bowl the Aussies out for less than about 500 runs, giving us another innings victory.
Better to totally demoralise a team, and take away any chance of them even holding on for a draw IMO, than to declare early and give them a slim chance to get back into it, just cos you're impatient...
Anyway... Anyone want to take a punt on the margin of the English victory? I'm going to stick my neck out and go with an innings and 250 run victory... I reckon the boys have got it in them! 😀
Phew - lucky escape for Trott there. We could have been in big trouble.
Demoralising Australian bowlers. Nice.
With almost 3 days of play left?!?! And 7 wickets down...WHY?
Those 3 wickets will probably only last another couple of hours tops, given that we're now into the England tail.
Depends whether you'd describe Swann as a tailender (better average than MJ who's mooted as an all-rounder). For sure once he's out there's not much left, but if he keeps going I can see us declaring mid-afternoon after Trott gets his double, or maybe at 600. Put them under a bit of pressure to avoid a 3 day defeat.
mboy +1. Give them something to chase. 😉
Trott for a double?
🙁 spoke too soon. No chance of a declaration now.
Wickets clattering - looks tough for the batsmen out there 😉
There you go then, England all out with a lead of 415, enough? Aussies out by tea?
[url= http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;innings_number=2;orderby=lead;template=results;type=team;view=innings ]All 25 2nd innings leads of over 394 have resulted in a win[/url] Well all except one, where the lead was 415 :roll:[url= http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63762.html ]Though that was rather a silly high scoring game on a totally dead pitch[/url]
The only other draws in the leads of over 363 were weather affected matches in the 1930s.
Well if the last few wicket were anything to go by then some good bowling after lunch could destroy the aussies.
...in fact I got bored working back down the list to 330 or so lead having not found a game not resulting in a win for the team with a lead apart from those badly affected by weather or on totally flat pitches (if we exclude the [url= http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/225258.html ]Darell Hair incident[/url])
So, who's the new Aussie captain then? Surely Ponting won't last, will he?
Here's to a 580 total/declaration and Oz 150-4 by close.
Australia 1st Innings
98 all out (42.5 overs)
Australia 2nd Innings
169 for 6 (66.0 overs)
England 1st Innings
513 all out (159.1 overs)
I could [i] almost[/i] do this for a living 🙂
Yep like most of you warblings it is almost accurate 😉
Without biblical weather no hope for them now...it has been so bad I almost feel sorry for Ponting
Utter Joy
Can never feel sorry for punter I'm afraid. This test has been the best Xmas present ever!
I almost feel sorry for Ponting
How does that work?
Sorry not really following the cricket.
Are we, the English(and welsh) hammering the Aussies? 8)
There are few better ways to wake up than to read such a scoreboard in the morning. I had one of those better ways before reading the score this morning....!
Might have a spring in my step today!
Butler back on duty after the holidays was he ? 😉
So, who's the new Aussie captain then?
That's a very fine question. Clarke is averaging just over 21 this series, so not really justifying his place. North has already been dropped. The only definite picks right now would seem to be Haddin, Hussey and Watson, and 2 of those are almost certainly too old.
That was a slightly better than average performance for 3 wickets for Australia - they've now improved their series average to 82 (England are averaging almost 277).
You beauty! I'd love to be in oz now. i lived there during the glory generation(warne and co) and how id love to rub it in my gloating mates faces...off to write some emails. cant feel so smug they are on the beach in the sun and riding dusty trails.
Is psycle still [s]pretending to be[/s] on holiday in Morocco ?
🙂
So, id you were captaining Australia, what would you say to motive the remaining batsmen?
So, id you were captaining Australia, what would you say to motive the remaining batsmen?
Got any plans for your testimonial match?
It's going to be such a lovely evening/night tonight 🙂
Aye...got some of the lads coming round to watch the Oz heads drop, kinda hope it takes a while..but is a pointless stand. Will be very good whatever.
WIN
Is there anything else in sport as satisfying as an ashes victory?
The pub at the end of my road are having a sneaky ashes lock in. I shall be heading round later 8)
I hope we don't ease up, must must must win the series 3-1 to ram home our superiority.
So, id you were captaining Australia, what would you say to motive the remaining batsmen?
Shouldn't that be batsman singular? MJ's a bowling all-rounder, and the other two genuine tail-enders.
"If you don't save this, you'll get Clarke as captain" might do it though.
Despite a quality performance from England chances are the aussies are going to write off this victory as a non-event due to poor leadership.
Well blaming it all on Punter won't help. They probably do need a change of leader though.
Get in!!!
Are we celebrating already? What with? A proper cuppa here 🙂
I'm starting to think the next Aussie captain will be Mr Cricket - despite the fact he's only 1 year younger than Ponting. Clarke should be being demoted out of the team rather than promoted to captain right now, and there's a distinct lack of other obvious candidates (unless they think outside the box and recall White as captain).
I may be in for an early night after all!
Now it's almost over. Couple of overs to go?