So Australia managed to get 88 in their first innings against Pakistan in the second test. Pakistan managed to get 80 before losing their first wicket.

Hope the Ozy's keep up this fine test form for the ashes. They're almost as good as england are at football...

I will laugh at you if ponting scores a triple century and wins or draws the match for Australia.

They are playing Pakistan. Anything could happen.

I wonder how much salman butt has on the win?

The question is whether england can do better than last time in Australia. You know, try to win a game

Ponting score a triple century? Yeah, he looks in fine form.

We'll have to see about winning a game, won't we? If I was a neutral, I know where my money would be going at the moment...

I'd put 5CHF of Australia winning the Ashes if you are up for it. I am neither English nor Australian

There's confidence for you. If you'd said any other currency I'd have said you could be poor instead

I bet a guy last year that if Australia didn't win the ashes I would eat my hat. It didn't taste good. I'm more confident this year so I'm upping it to currency.

Ponting and Clarke are looking good just now and the bowling isn't looking special.

The only team that can win the ashes are Australia. We are also the only ones that can lose it

*comments from the supercoach*

Question for cricket fans---how come whenever I hear about this sport, it's always national teams playing? Like Australia vs. England or India vs. New Zealand. Why do I never hear that the Manchester Jaguars played the London Redcoats?

National games are played at the County (akin to Canton ) level in England, i.e. Essex, Hampshire and Surrey. There isn't much City vs City cricket as in football, not enough talent and players to keep sponsors and media involved at this level. Probably not enough room on the TV schedules either to give a fair broad coverage squeezing in between Football and Rugby. it's a different story on the International front, enough Tests, series and tours to keep the TV crowds glued to the box.

So I guess cricket is the like swimming and athletics---sports that Americans get very interested in every four years at the Olympics, but not so much in other years.

More like every Summer... Day/night , IPL and fewer 5 day matches are attracting bigger and more frequent audiences...

Hopefully we'll see a decent series, although I suspect the Poms will have Australia beat (yeah, I'm an Aussie). They've put in some decent series and seems to be developing a formidable team.

Our showing against Pakistan is abysmal (even the match we did win), and hardly harks back to the glory days. It may, however, be the wake up call we desperately need.

I'm a little disappointed that I will likely spend this year's boxing day test in the snow of Switzerland, rather than 30+ degrees in the stands, but it may be for the best...

All I can say is lucky the Spanish don`t play cricket crikey they have really exploded on the world sporting scene last few years - kinda inverse to Australian swimming. As an Aussie I dont think this Ashes will be clear cut its 50:50 if u ask me.

Well, we'll soon have a clue when England play Pakistan. If they can beat them in the series, and get a hundred or more against their bowlers every innings...I guess Ponting didn't manage that triple century, huh?

well now there is the Indian Premier League, started by the Board of Cricket Control of India, which has the 20-20 form of the game played between teams like Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils... you could read about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Premier_League.

considering the amount of money which is being pumped into this event, I am surprised why people are not aware about it at a global level... they even have players from other countries in the teams...

That's because it's rubbish...not cricket at all. I prefer tests...they're a proper test of character, and sportsmanship.

Only kidding, it's not bad at all, is it? India are still completely rubbish at 20 20 though. Remind me who won the recent world cup again? And where did India come...

A bit like England at footy, eh? I should have left that for you to say, sorry...

I feel like keeping this every time one of my English friends wants to know why I support anyone but England.

You lot really are insufferable sometimes

oh please I completely agree... 20-20 does not do justice to cricket or what it stands for... but then it has been accepted pretty well now... anywhooo I'm nobody to be passing any judgments cause I have no special liking for the game anyways; be it in any format...

also, the IPL is hardly about India, and more about the well-bestowed Indian franchisee owners flaunting their wealth and their women... and the 20-20 WC; well they did win it 2 years back! but who's counting, bah...



my main intent is to ask though how come the world is not aware about this event, as they are about the EPL or NFL or its likes... and I really mean it... cause the amount of moolah that is at stake in this event is unbelievable, and IIRC it stands second to the EPL now in purely monetary terms... I may be wrong, but I am sort of sure about this...

I completely agree; I only do it to conform to the stereotype. Most of them are like that naturally. Where you from, scotland?

Women? What women? Have they got women playing in the IPL, or what? I'll have to watch it more closely.

I think it has many cultural reasons, one of them being that Cricket is not a worldwide sport in the same way as football (if only the Empire had been bigger and lasted longer to allow us to export the game further), but the main one, I'd say, is that the IPL, and India as a whole, keeps shooting itself in the foot with all the rampant corruption that is so endemic throughout. I'm just waiting fro some story connected to Dave the Rave's grovelling mission to break...