THE DECIDING ASHES TEST: possible spoilers within

all comfortable and ready for the start of play everyone?

where is the spoiler you promised?

there was a disclaimer. Don't spoil my thread you big feckmook.

😛

got my bacon and egg tie on and ready to roll! 🙂

I am off there on Saturday (well when I say "off there", I mean I am crossing the road to the ground), so hoping it goes to at least 3 days

I am about to call Sky and get sports reinstated.

i cannot believe that harmison is in the team

mental, still there is something glorious and correct about inept administration and rash decisions that I admire.

is batting the best choice do we think?

The big question is: Who will be 50 quid richer come Monday evening, myself or Lanesra? I'm feeling reasonable confident… but you never know what Flintoff will bring back to the team, it's going to be a rocking Test match this one, bring it on! 😀

is batting the best choice do we think?

With a good batting lineup it is… with the current English lineup, not so sure 😆 Fingers crossed Clarke & Hilfenhaus can throw the cat amongst the pigeons in the first session 😈

On another note… just WTF is Brett Lee still doing in England? Surely he should've been sent home and someone else brought into the squad… what a frickin lovely junket for him eh? 🙄

is batting the best choice do we think?

no I don't. If you are inlcuding strike bowlers like GBH and freddie then I think you ned to put the opposition in and get stuck in. We need a result, no good looking ahead to day 4 and 5, the game will be won or lost way before then.

its raining.

Looks like it's gonna be raining wickets 🙁

Don't despair yet 😆 I'll feel happier if we can Strauss cheaply 🙂

Well, that was a great start. Not.

Great start from MJ… Bell seriously lucky to survive those 3 balls 😆

Ticking along okay now*

*Watch the wickets come.

This from the Guardian website:

When Ian Bell gets to his usual 30, and that casual waft to gully is looming as he approaches the unknown of getting hard runs at a crucial time, should we use a Harlequins-style fake blood injury, swap him for a different batsman, and bring him back in later, thus allowing him to get his score in 20-30 run instalments?"

I'll feel happier if we can Strauss cheaply 🙂

Well that hasn't happened 🙁 Good innings from Strauss so far, he's quality 🙂

Bloody hell… it's raining 4's!

pretty good session for england after a shaky start. Johnson looks in good nick (finally). I think that with rain expected on the weekend england need to push on this afternoon and look to be around the 300 mark by stumps with some lower order wickets still to bat.

BIG session coming up.

Ball's starting to swing a little bit… and at the ~30 over mark as well, that seems to be the norm this series…

SILLY MAN

Johnson looks in good nick

eh? How many wides? What econonmy?

Hilfenhaus looks the worrying bowler to me.

mwuuhahaha, reward for Johnson… and here comes Freddy 🙂 Here's hoping the occasion gets to him 😈

fair play to Johnson after all

😉 😆 baited into a bad shot… no glorious fairytail this innings 🙂

Now that was frickin sharp work! Nice job Mr Katich 🙂

not a bad way to finish the day 😀 still, with the way this pitch is breaking up, 300+ isn't to be sneezed at… an imminently defendable total to start with, though I'd think England would've wanted more like 400+ (could still get it I guess)…

And just like the Oval, all the English supporters have already left!

Where's the commentary gone? Surely the Pom's haven't given up already? Things are definitely in the balance at the moment, 3 wickets down for the Aussies and we're still 200-odd behind…

And now we're definitely in trouble… bloody hell 🙁

4 wickets for 8 runs in 21 deliveries… not a bad effort that!

cue the return of the fickle English followers, now their team is a little on top 🙄 😆

oi oi…getting interesting

Yup I am back in now for a bit of Aussie baiting. Punter played on for 3rd time in the series. Andrew Flintwho?? Broad is clearly the man. I have said so for years 8)

(Did think my trip tomorrow might be £50 wasted, but suddenly a bit more exciting)

OMG, Broad has turned the tables. How did that happen?

hehehe, bye bye katich too….

I like cricket, but rarely get excited about it. This afternoon I am making an exception. Come on England.

so where is psychle now its going all a bit "Lords" on the Aussies? 🙂

this is outrageous. amazing stuff! i want to go to the pub 🙁