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So.. anyone excited? Rumours it will be Tremlett taking Broad's place. Going to get up for the first few overs and then try and catch as much of the afternoon session as possible. 😀
That will be just me then! 🙂
Looking forward to it. Will wake up about half five and listen to the second half of the days play.
I'm definitely looking forward to it and as I'm in NZ it's a much more civilised mid afternoon until around 2230. It'll be the Australian ABC commentary though as no TMS permitted online (by the self important BBC).
I hope Bresnan gets the call ahead of Tremlett (more economical,and more control over his length, more solid with the bat too). If they pick Tremlett and he starts going for runs and can't get his length right England's bowling options would be a bit thin especially as Anderson has just been home and back within a week.
Luckily I have a (very!) early start in the car tomorrow, so am hoping to catch some of it on the radio.
Punter's been talking a good game about dropping a lot of bombs on the top order. I think he's a little rattled as he knows his head is on the block if Australia draw this one, let alone if they lose!
It'll be the Australian ABC commentary though as no TMS permitted online (by the self important BBC).
Assuming you're not at work, do a search for Yourfreedom. The free version is good enough for TMS duties 🙂
Please make sure I can get TMS in the car....! It is on R4LW, isn't it?
yes still on LW as well as DAB - still get interuptions from shipping though
I just cant see Australia getting 20 wickets whatever happens as theyhave not manged it 2 test and we had a mini collapse in one innings.
Given this I cant see how they can win tbh
2.30 AM Start isn't it?
still get interuptions from shipping though
I love the Shipping Forecast! Makes me feel all safe and happy!
indeed but you might miss Punter's innings , after all it lasts 10 minutes.
just the tune though
Royston - Member
I hope Bresnan gets the call ahead of Tremlett (more economical,and more control over his length, more solid with the bat too). I
I hope not - Bresnan is not a test bowler and you don't pick your bowlers by how well they bat - especially if you only have 4. Bresnan reminds me of Derek Pringle.
I believe it is tremlett who got the nod anyway.
We need to take 20 wickets. and hopefully grind their noses in it a bit 🙂
Agree with TJ. I can't see the Aussies bowling England out twice - England's batsmen are all in form and the Aussies haven't a clue which bowlers to pick. It makes sense to pick Tremlett, potentially a better bowler as I don't see the need to have Bresnan in just because he can bat a bit as well.
We, TJ? WE? It's the England and Wales Cricket team you know, not the Scotchish one.... 😉
BBC seem to have the wink that Tremlett has it. If he bowls well that'll be the right choice, but I'd possibly have had Bresnan for the control he has over line and length which then allows Anderson and Finn to be more attacking, and also Swann doesn't have to play the role of tightening up an end either.
But on balance that is a good thing; they feel he is the right pick and it shows that the plan for retaining the ashes is based on beating them again. Last thing I want them to be doing is defending a 1-0 lead from this far out.
Off to bed now, see you at 6.
Part of my confusion with my identity CFH
Its hash living on the edge
Hmm, must get my DAB installed in the car again.
Jonv seems to really know his cricket tho!
also Swann doesn't have to play the role of tightening up an end either
But that's a big part of his job, and one he does very well. Doesn't seem to stop him taking wickets either. Not necessary to pick somebody to take the pressure off Swann. If you want a bowler to have a chance of winning you a match at the WACA you have to pick Tremlett over Bresnan.
I don't disagree with either point aracer. Swann is notable (like all the best spin bowlers) in that he doesn't relinquish control while still being an attacking threat. Compare from recent years Giles that could tie an end up very well but in doing so basically ceased to function as a wicket taker, unless batsmen got frustrated and got themselves out. I just don't want Swann to have to become tighter if it makes him any less potent - he's already leading wicket taker in the tests and so far they are relatively clueless against him. And left handed 🙂
On Tremlett being a potential match winner - potentially yes, and good to see that's how Flower and Strauss see it too. But thus far Broad has been the control bowler so Tremlett for Broad is not actually that like-for-like [i]on current performances[/i] (and I accept Broad has bowled well with little reward, could have had a few more in the right hand column than he did, and is not generally a control bowler but that's the [u]effect[/u] he's had so far)
Thanks Molgrips. I have captained a few sides in my time, but I worry sometimes it's boring to the less afficionado follower. Trouble is no-one at work understands the game properly, whereas here I can get a decent discussion / argument going.
Next Q: in current form do you leave Bell at 6 or move him ahead of Colly?
Don't tinker with a winning team. Does it really do that much harm to have Colly in first when there's still Prior coming in after (he's not exactly in shabby form with the bat)? I suppose the idea might have a little more to say for it now we have a longer tail, but it's still a tail who can bat a bit. Meanwhile I'm not convinced Colly is in that awful form - it's just that Bell appears to be in the form of his life (or just living up to the potential he's always had).
Looking at it from a psychological perspective, it can't be good for Aus seeing Bell coming out when we're 4 down and knowing we still have Prior to come - as opposed to North the walking wicket or a man who's scored a grand total of 100 runs in Test cricket in those positions.
18 months ago who'd have predicted it being suggested that Bell was batting too low at 6 in a winning Ashes team?
I think form at 5 & 6 is still difficult to call given the form of 1,2 &3. I like to think that for the first time in a while England have confidence running throughout the team and even if Colly's form is not 100% the fact the team have been playing so well allows him to come to the crease with confidence (even though he can be a slow starter, ala Ponting) that and as already pointed out 20 wkts is still a dream for the aussies. The pitch was talked about as a bit green so that should mean Tremlett gets the nod although don't discount Swann as a bloke who will hold up an end, forecasts are for hot weather and green pitches in Perth can often crumble allowing spinners to get a favourable turn, and if the pressure is on England have been hunting the aussies like a pack of hungry wolves, shame I have to go to bed now 😐
I watched Colly bat his heart out against the aussies at Lord's last year in the one day series. Never has a man given so much for so little recognition. When he fell against Tait his world shattered. This is what makes England strong; belief, heart and passion. Fortius Quo Fidelious!
Huges, and..... PONTING!!!!! 17/2 😀
28/3 - Clarke plays at one that doesn't need it 😀 😆
Juggernaut
65/4 at lunch....
68/5!!!!
5 down and into the tail.
Ashes coming home ; )
Having great fun winding the Aussies up while I'm stuck working in Sydney 😀
Mr Cricket's gone too 😀 😀 😀
woke up and found I'm still dreaming.
We are not doing too badly. Shame not to have ripped through them but hell you cant expect to skittle the aussies for sub 200 very often, especially in the must win ashes game for them. Hoping we do get through them after tea though, don't want Johnson getting too much confidence with a decent batting performance!
Seven down 🙂
Eight!
Aussie make 200, England won't be happy with that 😉
come on... <250...
Gotcha!
Be very happy with 250, a good display and hopefully we could get our eye in and bat long to give our bowlers a rest.
harrumph... >250
🙂 dam i cursed that one 🙁
it's taking longer than i'd hoped to get rid of the tail enders. going to be very late for work at this rate!
Got up at 2.28 to watch "the first over". Stayed up till 3.30 and then gotup again at 5.45 to get to work.. will be tired later!
FINISH THEM!!
Well, although they stuck about 208 on after being 60 or 5 I wont be so devastated if we end up 208 for 4 as we could hit 400+, if that makes sense!
All done at 268
Need to weather the new ball, and play sensibly. A couple of early wickets for Oz after a decent performance from the tail and the balance of confidence could swing. We need our batsmen to show what a nice pitch this is.
in an hour we'll know how good/bad 268 is
did anyone else used to be a scorer at school. I did. Bet you'd never have guessed eh?
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I would love it if there was a website that populated an old-skool score sheet with hieroglyphics live as the match progressed.
totally and utterly England's day
Chapeau to England!
Good day for England. Bravo. 🙂
Yep, very happy.
all those of years of us being so rubbish it is just so satisfying to see the Aussies play like this.
Nothing can go wrong now 😉
Nothing can go wrong now
:S
Will be tuning into the channel 9 coverage on itv4 tonight, really enjoy the aussy commentators ripping into their team.
did anyone else used to be a scorer at school. I did. Bet you'd never have guessed eh?I would love it if there was a website that populated an old-skool score sheet with hieroglyphics live as the match progressed.
Yeah, me too. I used to do the scorebook regularly when I played in the local Thursday evening league, and then again for one season with a Saturday league team. Great fun in a fastidious kind of way, though I never reached the Bearded Wonder level of using umpteen different coloured pens.
Stoner - that scorecard brings back many memories. Mostly bad, cos if you were scoring you weren't playing and as the 16 year at my club I used to get the scorebook to often, but it was great fun
I did the 'scoring' for our 20ov evening pub league. Given that most people were fielding whilst holding a beer, there weren't many out Caught! That said, it was quite a bizarre score card anyway, as everyone had to have a bowl...
OUCH! Best you all stay in bed - Johnson's on fire...
ouch indeed!
Here we go....
Bell gone.
71 run lead 😯
bummer. i bet johnson enjoyed that.
A bit of sloppiness letting their tail end bat on is what may sink us here. We've skittled them out before, just bowl line and length to tail enders who won't go away and they'll soon get bored and do something stupid!
Yeah.. their tail wagged and our middle order sagged. Good for the series but I was hoping we would stomp all over them 🙁
Trying to be positive here.
To win this game we had to bowl them out twice anyway, and in turn that means tearing through the top order with the new ball. We'll then have a bigger target than we wanted but I think we're far from out of it...... at the moment.
Great - England to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory
I think we're far from out of it...... at the moment.
No, not at all, they have their noses in front, but only their noses. It could still go either way, and even if they look to be able to bat us out of the match, I still think we have the batting to stand its ground and grind out a close result.
Bye bye Ricky 🙂
I havent seen the TV, but Im guessing Ponting is going to be the grumpiest looking bastard in Oz right now 🙂
Pity had to wake up to such a lousy england innings score though....
🙂 so true Stoner.
Ha ha ha ponting gone again. Miserable little kangaroo man.
pretty bloody happy to wake up to this position, great to see MJ finally finding form, he IS a talented swing bowler, the Fremantle Doctor was his friend today! Ponting should've walked really, looked pretty clear cut that he brushed it... he needs to drop down the order a touch I reckon, still one of the great Batsman, but reflexes are perhaps a little slower then they once were...
love that montage of the 'chat' they just showed, good to see some passion and fire, from both teams!
loving it, you should be able to access the stump mics so you can hear it all. I would pay extra for that.
Ah, psychle is back 😉
Wayhey, Mitchell is showing some spirit. England will have to fight now. Come on England!!!!
See ya Clarke!
😀
Bad luck for Clarke, but not a great execution of the cut shot... little bit of ball movement back into him did it.
Have to admit, when I woke up and first saw we were batting and the score showing a lead, I assumed it was England in front, took me an over and a coffee to realise it was our lead!
Nice of the Aussies to make a bit of a go of it, it was looking too easy for a while. 🙂
Ponting should've walked really, looked pretty clear cut that he brushed it... he needs to drop down the order a touch I reckon
Yeah - about 9 places lower on current form!
England are going to need an exceptional performance to avoid defeat now. Having said that, I think that if any England team can pull something out of the hat it's this one.
Hopefully....
Nothing makes me happier than to see Ponting having his nose rubbed in it on the field. But please separate out the cricket from the man; outside of the game I think he is an outstanding person and ambassador for the game. His post match interviews after last week's drubbing were excellent and then there was an article about this in the paper this morning as well.
http://www.pontingfoundation.com.au/
There was a time when I wouldn't have weed on him if he was on fire but over the past few years, he's reversed that opinion.
I'll still be happy if he doesn't score another run against us ever.