Ashes 2009

[Siam Sam]

Lets meet back here in 8 days and discuss the out come.

All the best.

 

It would be my pleasure.

[Tao 66]

I remember when we lost 5-0 in the last series there were a few ropey descisions there. No complaints though we were not up to the Job. If Anderson was a Bunny with the bat he certainly is not now. I would have stuck him in at 8 or 9. Played pretty well I thought. freddie bowled well but my man of the match was Strauss. Great innings.

 

The 2 sides are fairly well matched. Should be a good series.

[moza7]

Well done to Andrew Strauss for letting Australia replace haddin with manou.

Great sportsmanship.

[Tao 66]

Not that it did Australia any good mind, what a first over from Onions that was, I don't recall ever seeing that happen the first 2 balls of a days play. I think this one will be drawn as the weather is awful tomorrow apparently, though there might be some later play in the day. The decision to come off for bad light was justified I think, the ball was starting to swing. A couple quick wickets would have let Australia right back in it.

I have to be fair and say Bell was out by a country mile. Very lucky. It's decisions like that that change games. I have never see a more plum LBW.

 

Tomorrow should be preety good if there is any play

[moza7]

Not that it did Australia any good mind, what a first over from Onions that was, I don't recall ever seeing that happen the first 2 balls of a days play. I think this one will be drawn as the weather is awful tomorrow apparently, though there might be some later play in the day. The decision to come off for bad light was justified I think, the ball was starting to swing. A couple quick wickets would have let Australia right back in it.

I have to be fair and say Bell was out by a country mile. Very lucky. It's decisions like that that change games. I have never see a more plum LBW.

 

Tomorrow should be pretty good if there is any play

Yeah i agree. Onions and Anderson bowled beautifully.They pitched the ball up and put it in the right areas allowing the ball to swing.

The 2005 series the Aussie's struggled against the swinging ball, i hope they can sort this problem out, quickly!

[Tao 66]

Yeah i agree. Onions and Anderson bowled beautifully.They pitched the ball up and put it in the right areas allowing the ball to swing.

The 2005 series the Aussie's struggled against the swinging ball, i hope they can sort this problem out, quickly!

 

Looking forward to today's play. England are always gonna come off for bad light even if they are winning the game. At 1-0 up in the series they will want to make sure they don't LOSE it first. Negative tactics but you can't blame the idea. It started to rain after anyway. Mitchell Johnson seems to have a problem with his action. There were some horrible deliveries yesterday and he is a class bowler. I thought the Aussie tail did well again, from 8/203 to get to 263 was very commendable. Because of the weather those runs will make a big difference. Should be fascinating today because Strauss has a habit of batting well then getting out quickly next day. Long way to go.

[bocelli27]

Game on on Monday morning. It's going to be the make or break session for Australia. Hope they have stocked up on bog roll for tonight.

[Siam Sam]

Lets meet back here in 8 days and discuss the out come.

All the best.

 

You're lucky it rained. Anderson tore you apart.

[barmatt]

Well done to Andrew Strauss for letting Australia replace haddin with manou.

Great sportsmanship.

 

Well done Strauss.....hope they don't fuck it up on the last day.

[bocelli27]

it's a pity that the ICB do not operate a reserve day when a full day is lost to the weather. It could have made for an interesting day on Tuesday, although my money would still have been on a draw given the deadness of the track at Edgbaston,

 

If I had a grouse about this series it would be that the TCCB sacrificed good test wickets favouring results ( Trent Bridge & Old Trafford )to take the financial guarantees offered by the dead wicket grounds of Cardiff and Edgbaston.

[Daveo]

Sorry I got some paint drying.......

[Tao 66]

Well played Australia. Well played Clark, but I don't think anyone can moan about Australia having any ropey decisions now, because what happened in his innings more than made up for it. Dropped, then bowled without the bails falling, then caught off a no ball? How do you get this man out? handled ball? Amazing but he batted very well. I spotted 2 things. Why wasn't Anderson bowled more in the morning? He looked like the only one causing problems,and I am surprised at Ricky Ponting being 1-0 down, and having made the game safe, not declaring and sending a cheesed off England into bat for the last 40 overs or so. They would have probably seen time out OK but why was there no attempt at at least having a crack at them?

Roll on Headingly...if Brett Lee is back should be a terrific contest.

[barmatt]

Aussies have the the heads up on this one, should have played Clark from the start of the series, he has a great record against the brits and a great attitude to the game, its just what the Aussie camp need to win this test.

 

I think the selectors have finally got it right.

Edited August 8, 2009 by barmatt

[barmatt]

Easy win for the Aussies here after another English batting collapse in the 2nd innings. Should only take the morning session to wrap up this test putting Aust in a draw position with the decider to be played at the Oval.

Top stuff.

[barmatt]

Aussies take the 4th test with ease winning by an innings and 80 runs, looking forward to the decider at The Oval.

[barmatt]

Well bowled england dismissing the aussies for a paltry 160 with the help of some bad batting and bad umpiring decisions again.

 

Lets hope the aussies can restrict the england march and contain them to a similar score in there secong innings.

 

But you cant complain about the umpiring it has been consistent, consistently bad.

[barmatt]

Aust still require 466 runs to retain the ashes with 2 days play left in the series.

 

Its a big ask but possible.....if they pull this one off its nothing short of miraculous

[barmatt]

Well done england deserved to win the series, our dismal 1st innings performance and the fact a recognized spinner wasn't included in the squad was our ultimate downfall, f@ckn selectors.

 

Bring on the tour downunder

[moza7]

Congrats to England.

[Tao 66]

I think the way Australia set about chasing was pretty remarkable, and but for a couple of run outs (Flintoff was brilliant) you might have pulled it off. I finished my break at work with the score 327-6 and I was still expecting another 100 or so at least from Johnson and Siddle who can both bat reasonably well, and Mike Hussey was in fine form. Once Haddin was out you just seemed to give up. I really thought you would do it. Everyone thought Broad was man of the match and fair enough but I would have gone for Swann. 8 wickets and some terrific batting in the second innings to put the game out of your reach.

 

England never win in Australia we don't have the right mentality. I don't know why. The side we sent there last time was a disgrace. don't forget we will be coming there without Flintoff, he just seems to lift the side with his presence.

 

Bring on South Africa. Should be a great series. Looking forward to the one day games now.

Edited August 24, 2009 by Tim42

[tl6237]

I think the way Australia set about chasing was pretty remarkable, and but for a couple of run outs (Flintoff was brilliant) you might have pulled it off. I finished my break at work with the score 327-6 and I was still expecting another 100 or so at least from Johnson and Siddle who can both bat reasonably well, and Mike Hussey was in fine form. Once Haddin was out you just seemed to give up. I really thought you would do it. Everyone thought Broad was man of the match and fair enough but I would have gone for Swann. 8 wickets and some terrific batting in the second innings to put the game out of your reach.

 

England never win in Australia we don't have the right mentality. I don't know why. The side we sent there last time was a disgrace. don't forget we will be coming there without Flintoff, he just seems to lift the side with his presence.

 

Bring on South Africa. Should be a great series. Looking forward to the one day games now.

 

Yes congratulations to England (and Wales)

 

There was very little in it throughtout the Series but as the Punter said, England won the key moments

 

Sadly unlike 2005 the gloss was taken off the England victory with a win against what was probably the worst Ozzie team in my life time alas England could only beat who was presented to them and they did. I just hope for the future of Ozzie Test Match cricket that they have some good youngsters in the Sheffield Shield at the moment as I cannot think of any Ozzie Test Match youngsters (who did not play in the Ashes) that excite me.

 

The future of cricket is going to be all about South Africa and India now

[bocelli27]

Two mediocre teams where the statistics say Australia were better overall, but the results say England were. Hardly any players on either side stood out or enhanced their reputations through consistent performance, though many had the odd, fleeting moment.

 

Looking at England - Well, (hopefully) it's good bye Bopara and Bell amongst others; Cook is technically weak, as much so as the much-maligned Hughes for Australia. Collingwood struggled, Panesaar has gone backwards, Harmison is about as reliable as Arthur Daley was, Petersen pre-injury was out with the fairies and Anderson remains an enigma. Prior, Swann and Broad mixed the good with the bad and much reliance was placed on the input of Strauss and the charisma of the wounded Flintoff.

 

Looking at Australia - Well, the top six adopted too much of a herd mentality; they tended to get runs together or not at all. The wicket-keepers were solid, but some way short of Gilchrist in terms of contribution. And the bowlingattack, lacking a Warne or McGrath, was pretty toothless in most English conditions, with Johnson in particular failing to deliver and Lee unable to participate. Staggering to see no leg-spinning legacy post-Warne and McGill. In my view, too, Ponting tended to let things slide rather than changing tactics or going for aggression, although that may have been linked to a lack of confidence in his bowling attack.

 

Looking at the umpires - Well, least said the better - certainly no improvement over the past 4 years!

 

My overall conclusion is that this England team would struggle against its predecessors of a decade ago. Those predecessors were rarely / never a match for their Australian contemporaries. To me that is the best reflection of how far the current Australian team has fallen.

[Tao 66]

Two mediocre teams where the statistics say Australia were better overall, but the results say England were. Hardly any players on either side stood out or enhanced their reputations through consistent performance, though many had the odd, fleeting moment.

 

Looking at England - Well, (hopefully) it's good bye Bopara and Bell amongst others; Cook is technically weak, as much so as the much-maligned Hughes for Australia. Collingwood struggled, Panesaar has gone backwards, Harmison is about as reliable as Arthur Daley was, Petersen pre-injury was out with the fairies and Anderson remains an enigma. Prior, Swann and Broad mixed the good with the bad and much reliance was placed on the input of Strauss and the charisma of the wounded Flintoff.

 

Looking at Australia - Well, the top six adopted too much of a herd mentality; they tended to get runs together or not at all. The wicket-keepers were solid, but some way short of Gilchrist in terms of contribution. And the bowlingattack, lacking a Warne or McGrath, was pretty toothless in most English conditions, with Johnson in particular failing to deliver and Lee unable to participate. Staggering to see no leg-spinning legacy post-Warne and McGill. In my view, too, Ponting tended to let things slide rather than changing tactics or going for aggression, although that may have been linked to a lack of confidence in his bowling attack.

 

Looking at the umpires - Well, least said the better - certainly no improvement over the past 4 years!

 

My overall conclusion is that this England team would struggle against its predecessors of a decade ago. Those predecessors were rarely / never a match for their Australian contemporaries. To me that is the best reflection of how far the current Australian team has fallen.

 

You didn't mention the debutant Jonathan Trott. I thought he played very sensibly and might have had 100 in both innings were it not for that brilliant run out in the first. He looked calm and unfazed and I think will have a great test match career ahead of him