THE DECIDING ASHES TEST: possible spoilers within

As is Broad! Marvellous.

Well done. D'oh!

would it be bitter of me…

In a word, "Yes."

come on, they might as well start doing some silly slogging now surely? 🙂

I reckon we'll declare once he's got his ton! 🙂

Broad was out, but that's a fine performance by him in the match so far. His gander will be well and truly up when it comes to bowling out the Aussies!

His gander will be well and truly up when it comes to bowling out the Aussies!

Yep, pretty much like the first innings: had a happy little swing at the ball and got his adrenaline up. swan seems to be doing the same. This is all great fun 🙂

In a word, "Yes."

well, I did take it back 🙂 I guess I could've edited it out 😉

well, I did take it back

I know, wandering between the garden, here and TMS I missed that. I do apologise; I shouldn't kick a man when he's down 😉

Get some bouncers into Swann lads, maybe we can damage a finger or something 😈 take the specialist spinner out of the equation at least 😆

maybe we can damage a finger

Lol. With the lead we're building up he could bowl with his other hand and we'd still be laughing 🙂

EDIT: Well, at least he could get Hussey anyway.

i figure with the weather forcast they want to get the aussies back in and get em out sharpish 😉

Get 'em in for a couple of overs to unsettle them at the end of today?

Let Trott get his debut 100 (and maybe let Swann get his 50) and then put 'em on the rack 🙂

yeah the 100 and the 50 up and then get in at em for a bit 😉

I predict Swann (and the last two) will swing their bats, whilst Trott gets his ton, and we'll declare with about a 500 lead and still 20 odd overs to go tonight.

…of course it may be that Swann wants a ton and realises he needs to be reasonably near before Trott gets his!

not a bad prediction aracer…

As I said before, the fact that you guys have made 300+ without too much stress gives me a teeny bit of optimism, though not much mind you 🙄 At the end of the day we do have a very strong batting lineup (though not on yesterdays performance!); they have plenty of time and they have the skill, they just need to have the right mindset and believe they can do it… I wouldn't place a bet on it, but I'm hopeful we can at least put up a fight over these next 2 days…

jesus… this is getting a little ridiculous now surely??

Ah… hurrah, Swann is out 🙄

Declaration after Trott's maiden ton.

Or, as the Aussie commentators would say "on his debboo"

So why haven't we declared yet?

2 days to go – weather forecast good

What a great century from Trott. Debut, huge pressure match and two great innings.

Over to the aussies then 🙂

indeed… it's quite a mountain to climb! 🙄 more Olympus Mons than Everest even 😆 here's hoping we can show some fortitude, this could be a very boring 2 days god willing 🙂

OK, so we've reached the base of the peak… now to start climbing with our team of 11 intrepid mountaineers 🙂 onwards and upwards brave men!

I wonder where the Australian hotel is and have the fire alarms been tested recently ? 😀

psychle, if we're looking at Greek mythology, I think Sisyphus might be one for you to reference here…..!

😉

Nah… I'd rather go with Hurculean 🙂 If we get near the top of this mountain, the rock won't be falling back down to the bottom, you can bet on that 😉

Hats off, a decent start but then… that's how it seemed on Thursday night 🙂

indeed it did… hopefully Punter & co have a good nights sleep and arrive focussed tomorrow for the ridiculously big task ahead 🙂

this game is going to end a draw you heard it here first 8)

Following this from Auckland via TMS, and I've been listening to the aussie radio this afternoon (Rugby league). They are a brash lot! most of the talk has been about how this is a perfectly possible run chase. even when they've been well and truly thumped they come back at you with some arrogant record breaking nonsense.

Got to admire their tenacity! No good just rolling over and playing dead. However not sure about the run chase being "perfectly possible" 😆

this game is going to end a draw

Ssssh! I was trying to not even think about that!

They're not taking this well down under….

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25969508-2722,00.html

But he's a South African, whine, whine, whine….

So, let's talk rugby shall we –
Lote Tuqiri – Fijian
Matt Dunning – Canadian
Clyde Rathbone – Oh, a South African
All play in yellow…! (It's not gold, it's yellow!)

Re: CFH's link I guess I'm in the minority but I don't get the whole he's not English/British thing, his mother is English (as is Kevin Pietersens' Btw) Historically the English team (and England in general) has always had strong links with SA. In my lifetime England has never been good enough to spurn talented players like the Australians can. It's nothing new, Caddick was/is a Kiwi, the Hollioakes'were Australians and I think Graham Thorpe too). It's the way of sport these days' the New Zealand side (don't laugh) is recruiting expat South Africans who don't want to live there anymore and have come here, and they can because the quality of theNZ team is not the best.

Tailender Graeme Swann swung hard to make 63, helping South Africa to declare at 9-373 and set Australia a mammoth 546-run victory target with two days still remaining on a crumbling pitch.

it's the same when they announce the players in australia "and now coming out to bat south african born kevin peterson"

australia are the most conceited team ever to play cricket, they are terrible losers, which hopefully we will see in a day or 2

it's all tongue in cheek, something called 'humour' dear 🙄

And yes, we are terrible losers, but that's only because we generally do (and always expect to) win, unlike Englishman who (in my experience) expect their team/man (in any sport) to lose and then get very excited (hysterical even! OBE's (?) all round lads!) when they suprise them with a victory 😆 As a sporting fan, I know which I'm happier to be… And as a team, I know which type of supporter I'd rather have behind me 8)

And it ain't over yet… England still need 10 wickets… one session at a time Australia, one session at a time 🙂

And it ain't over yet… England still need 10 wickets… one session at a time Australia, one session at a time

you have hit the nail on the head mate as the commentator said surly they won't play french cricket (i guess killing the game)ingerland have to win the ozzie's don't that is why this game is going to be a draw

2 days is a bloody long time to bat out… 180 overs, if we somehow manage this feat then at the end of it we're going to be very close to the total (not even 3 runs an over would be needed…) There won't be a draw here, it's not possible… 92.5% likelihood of England winning, 7.5% chance of an Aussie miracle; that's my professional assessment 😆

😉

Just found this on cricinfo player profile

An aggressive right-hander, Trott was born and raised in South Africa to a family steeped in cricketing history: he is related to Albert Trott, the former Australia batsman, though he is unsure exactly how. He played in the Under-15 and Under-19 World Cups for South Africa but is a British passport holder and therefore not considered an overseas player,

not that I'm letting this get to me or anything