The Ashes - can we do it?

After looking like we were gonna get stuffed in the 1st Test we batted outta hell to earn a well deserved draw.

2nd Test looking good - already nearly a ton up with Cook well into his century and KP about to join him. Depressing to lose the World Cup bid but this is great stuff and hopefully Eoin Morgan will make an appearance! C'mon the Poms!

now your just fishing for reaction lol

Me hole I am NSG! KP just hit century - Cookie on 144 - lead heading for a ton - this is great stuff altogether.

In a dull day in the West today, I inadvertantly watched a bio of Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff who was reputadly a great cricketer......
He came across a a good sort, enjoyed a celebratory shandy or 2, was quite talented and didn't take himself too seriously...

The oul' "Blazer Crowd" Hmmd and Hawd...but the (what I would refer to as his peers, Botham and Shane Warne) thought the world of him....
He came across, personally as a dead sound lad......

That is all, on cricket at least...

Cook just gone for 148 but KP batting imperiously and on 112. We are now more than a ton up with 7 wickets left. Pile it on and let the bowlers lash into the Aussies for a day and a half. The Ashes are coming home ... believe.

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Cook just gone for 148 but KP batting imperiously and on 112. We are now more than a ton up with 7 wickets left. Pile it on and let the bowlers lash into the Aussies for a day and a half. The Ashes are coming home ... believe.

Are you pixxed or what???? This is the Harp league stuff here.....
In other news, The 4 Gallon Man has phoned from across the lough, to find out how we're keeping......1am...."The man from Home"....blah, blah.....Surviving the full solid finest, doubtless he's killed a pig or a small heifer and has ample stocks of Aftons and Powers....

Should any of us ever meet, this man's lifestyle merits a novel.....

Over 500 for an innings for the second time in a row in Oz - a new record. The boys are re-writing the record books everywhere. Looking at the Oz rugby team and now the cricketers one asks have they taken their eyes off the balls? Are their youth now cavorting, smoking and drinking like Northern Hemisphere youth? There is hope for us all!

Back to the willow though - KP on 213 not out - awesome - the lads on 551-4 a full 306 ahead of the Aussies! Belt the ball around for the other 6 wickets and try to push the lead out to 400+ and then let the bowlers rip into them!

KP - proud son of Natal (and England) gone for 227! Lads just short of 600 now and in full one day mode. Maybe a declaration mid-morning and tear into the Aussie batsmen then as there seems (or seams!) to be a bit of movement in the wicket. C'mon the Pommies!

This Peanut gimp is but an imposter...Heres the real batsman..

This Ozzy side are a shadow of the team of the previous twenty years which were the most competitive team ive seen in any sport (slater, Hayden, Warne, McGrath, Gilchrest, Waughs ) etc

Vital wicket at the close from KP
Dodgy forecast for the last day
six wickets remaining

Intriguing stuff
England may have declared a session too late ? Should have had the Ozzys batting in the morning or even for half of the last session the previous day

I must say KP is getting good at spin, out of his mouth. "I always enjoy rising to the occasion against the best in the world".

He has just spent two years NOT doing that before rising to the occasion against a side ranked 5th in a very small cricket world.

In fairness to KP, he is good to watch when in the mood. On Saturday night Warne described him as the most talented cricketer he had come across in his 20 years in the game. Not the best, but the most naturally talented.

But Omar is right, in that this is the first time in 25 years that England actually have the stronger side on paper. The Aussies are as strong with the bat, but they can't bowl anyone out, so it looks like 'we' can indeed do it.

Well TC its the strength with the bat they will need cos they will more or less have to bat all day to avoid defeat. Should be very interesting - hope the rain doesn't spoil it.

ps The English cricket jingoists are probably ever worse than their soccer counterparts ....

Sadly, work in the morning will prevent me from watching it tonight, but it sounds like the rain could come into play. Still, 6 mid-lower end wickets is not a huge amount if they can play most of the day.

Strangely, I dont mind the cricket press/analysts remotely as much as the soccer crowd. In fact, David Lloyd, Gower et al can be quite good to listen to, in a relaxing sort of way. I must be getting old...

Thomas Clarke wrote:Strangely, I dont mind the cricket press/analysts remotely as much as the soccer crowd. In fact, David Lloyd, Gower et al can be quite good to listen to, in a relaxing sort of way. I must be getting old...

Yeah not the worst - its the fans in the ground and those who participate in the BBC live coverage that do it for me. Such grace and humility .... and then they wonder why they only got one vote (not counting their own) last week ....)

What time is throw-in tonight?? 11.30?

All over as the gutless Aussies capitulate without a fight.

But we should not get too carried away with "our" victory as "we" are still 4th in the world, out of 8, 10 if we want to be generous, and the aussies are 5th.

India are the team, and Pakistan could be if they ever got sorted.

Can't really take the sport seriously to be honest, i mean how can you play a game for 5 days and it ends up a draw???? As for The Ashes? How come a single test series gets all this hype? Only 2 teams can win it, and by all accounts 2 crap teams at the moment with the least crap team winning it! I know there is "history" and all that rubbish but when only 2 teams are allowed to play for a trophy then surely it's validity is diluted. (International Rules Series anyone?)

bald eagle wrote:Can't really take the sport seriously to be honest, i mean how can you play a game for 5 days and it ends up a draw???? As for The Ashes? How come a single test series gets all this hype? Only 2 teams can win it, and by all accounts 2 crap teams at the moment with the least crap team winning it! I know there is "history" and all that rubbish but when only 2 teams are allowed to play for a trophy then surely it's validity is diluted. (International Rules Series anyone?)

totally agree, i cant watch it either, prefer watching bowling!

North Side Gael wrote:
totally agree, i cant watch it either, prefer watching bowling!

So I take it that it's the batting that you don't enjoy?

I think this is a good England team. Fair enough the Aussies are poor but they got a hiding!

I love the way that non traditional cricket nations can develop themselves as a test playing nation and take on the big boys in fully fledged test matches and series'...........

Me too ...

Always thought 'test' was trying something out., like 'nuclear test' or an type of exam ie 'driving test' or 'hiv test'.
So really these are not matches at all but a sort of assessment of fellows over a week. I wonder when will they play each other in a match.

Tomorrow .............. can't wait!!!

Wooooooooooo hooooooooooo!

Aussies al out for 268 and we are 29-0 in reply! If we can push on and win it will be an unbeatable 2-0 lead with the Ashes retained before Xmas!