Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

If England win the ashes test series I will eat my hat.


(Notice I said win the ashes test series and didn't say retain the ashes...they only need a measly draw for that!)

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

what hat have you got?

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

I have a woolly hat. I will probably have to batter it and fry it thouhg (being Scottish n all)

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

I think this test has been won :)

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

Quite nice to see the English openers actually inspire confidence for once.
If Johnson gets the ball back in his hand for the rest of this series I will be surprised, he has been awful.
Looks like a draw to me, unless the Aussies can collapse any further and get themselves bowled out in record time.

Also nice touch when Cooke got applauded off the ground by the crowd, very decent, he deserved it.

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

Stayed up till 4 am watching Strauss and Cook take the Oz attack apart. Damn, that restored my faith in English cricket.

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

Thats the problem with english Fans, with just one good performance you start over rating your team. Your team is good. But it needs to perform consistently all over the world to be the best. They are always thrashed in india , south africa.
Second Innings were good, but I guess being underdogs Australia gained edge from this match. Bollinger will add to Aussie strength

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

Actually, I think it'll be the other way around. Australia always have the confidence that they will beat England. Based on the result of their first innings, they should have put the screws on and will be disappointed that they weren't able to draw first blood on a wicket that - according to the pundits - usually provides a result.

Added to which, Gabba has historically been a fortress for Australia, who have usually won there.

A draw for England, based on the ground and Australia's first innings is a better result than a draw for Australia, who will have been expecting history to favour them with a win.

But that's just my opinion ;)

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

1st blood to the English?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cri...-Adelaide.html

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

booo I wanted him to carry on bowling, nice to have a couple of free runs everytime he comes on.

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

Australia 1st Innings: 245 all out (85.5 overs)
England 1st Innings: 1 for 0 (1.0 over)


Couple of observations

• Hussey out on 93 - important to stop him getting the tonne, and by Swann too
• Haddin out on 56 - also important wicket given how they dominated their first innings at the Gabba
• Ponting - big fat golden duck...
• Swann a couple of important wickets, as well as catches, so hopefully that'll give him some confidence
• England 1-0, a few years ago that would have been 0-1

Anyway, before I get too excited, I'll remind myself that England could be all out for 120 - I just love the way people think a match is in the bag when only one innings by one team has been played...

So let's hope they pick up where they left off at the Gabba and post a monster first innings score.

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

Was pleasantly surprised to log into the Telegraph website and greeted with "England seeking 7th Australian wicket", then arriving at work an hour later to see us already batting :D.
Didn't catch any footage, but apparently Jimmy was bowling like a demon.

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

Back to England thinking they are god gift to cricket :rolleyes:

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

Isn't it so exciting and it begs the question of what is the best sports tournament

I think the Ashes and the Six nations are my two leaving world cups in Rugby and Cricket in the shade and as for the footie world cup, well that just doesn't have it any more

maybe i should see how to do a poll

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

The Ashes and Six Nations aren't world cups :confused:

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

Not really, more a case of relishing in the fact that the Aussies are just not that good any more. And they know it. :msntongue:

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

You just have to read the comments to know that most English fans think they are amazing when they have one good innings. (Like this match)

Then they are terrible and the state of English cricket is in dissarray (like the first innings in the last match)

Why can't they just accept that they are a middle of the road team in cricket just now?

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

Should be a close-run Ashes series then ;)

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

Yes, that is correct but I am asking about sports tournaments per se

Re: Build up to the Ashes
 

I'm not Australian. I hate both teams equally :)