Another cracking test match ......

What's up with playing Kasprowicz in place of Dizzy??

 

RE: Marvellous

We did very well. Apart from the lucky lbw, not much in the way of luck went for us. Numerous run outs fractionally missed and various catches which on another day would have stuck..and...we would have won had we not lost many hours to the weather.

 

There's no doubt England are playing really well at present.

(If only Pietersen could hold his catches!!). However, in the final analysis of things, we lost the first test by a shedload, won the second by a whisker (and let's be honest about it, it could just as easily have gone to the Ozzies) and drew this one. Okay, the weather played a part, but that's intrinsic to test cricket in this country (and most others come to that). There's practically no way you're going to get 25 FULL days of test cricket - especially over here, so we have to accept that.

Lines things up nicely for Trent Bridge and the Oval though! Can't wait.

 

RE: There's no doubt England are playing really well at present.

My forecast? Drawn series, Aussies keep the Ashes.

 

RE: Marvellous

It's a 5-day game... so it rained for nearly one day... well we only batted for about one and a third in our first innings which is no time in a Test. If we'd declared earlier on say 350, and then Australia made 450, we'd probably end up losing... you must get as many as you can get in the first innings of a match, up to about 600 unless massive parts of the game are lost to the weather.

 

The 1st test was a lot closer than the scoreline suggested.

Aussies should never have scored all those runs in the 2nd innings , dropped cathces cost us that with Michael Clark getting 91, other wise we would have run through the Aussies again and bowled them oout for less than 200.

 

Coz his bowling is rubbish thats why.

 

RE: Marvellous

Yes, I see what you are saying I just consider that in building up say 600 runs that you are using up loads of time and if you playing against any sort of opposition they will just bat out the a massive period pf time thus stifling the game.

 

RE: Marvellous

If you score 600 by tea on day 2, which is very feasible these days, the other side have to make 400 to avoid the follow on. You then have 3 and a half days to bowl them out twice and maybe score a few more to win later on in the game.

If the pitch is so good that they could easily bat out for a draw... if you declare on 400 just into day 2, they could then knock up 650 by the end of day 3/start of day 4, meaning you're very likely to lose.

Declaring early in the first innings is simply wasting wickets.

 

And Dizzy Gillespie's bowling isn't??!!

Trouble is - he'll probably come good for the final two tests and destroy us!

I reckon it's an Ozzie 'cunning plan'!

 

But they did and we didn't!

Conjecture is great - but what does the record state?? The Ozzies won it by a shedload.

I'm not trying to decry England - after all we've been well on top over most of the sessions of the last two test matches - and we may well still win the series (here's hoping!).

 

Harmisons last over

School boy stuff,last ball a full toss going down the leg side ffs

 

Not a dig..just curious...

but have you EVER said anything positive?

Fact is, Harmison had Lee trapped LBW, plumb, and it wasn't given. Every one of those England players deserves credit.

 

RE: Harmisons last over

agree it was poor, but imagine the pressure on his shoulders, its hard enough in a one day game when u r trying to stop the batsmen gettin say 8 to win from the last over but in an importnat test series against the best in the world knowing that one wicket in 6 balls would put u in a great position to win the ashes, how many other bowlers in world cricket could have done better? harmison is one of the main reasons why england have been dominant in world cricket for the past 18 months, so i aint gonna knock him now.

 

RE: Not a dig..just curious...

Plum!!!!with Lees foot halfway down the pitch and the ball pitched well outside off stump,even Boycott said he wouldnt have given it. I'm curious as well ,have you ever said ANYTHING .It was an exciting finish but people are going over the top about the quality of the cricket,the batting apart,the bowling has been mediocre,the fielding on both sides poor

 

RE: Harmisons last over

Thats the point,he bowled the over as if it was a one daymatch .It didnt matter if he got smacked for four every bowl,the batsmen were hardly surrounded by fielders.....disappointing end to a game we should have won even with Pontings heroics,we'll regret letting this one slip away

 

RE: Harmisons last over

Whilst this series has been very exciting, the general quality of the cricket has been very poor from BOTH sides. The fielding has been shocking, the batting has become one day stuff and the bowling eratic.

 

RE: There's no doubt England are playing really well at present.

We could build some retractable domes, sure we should be able to manage to do 4 or 5.
Think of that - guaranteed to have 5 days full play!

 

RE: Not a dig..just curious...

Disagree about the bowling. There have been stray overs (Gillespie, mainly though GBH and Hoggy are hardly on top form), but a lot of it has been thoughtful and genuine class. The batting has been savage when needed, reined in when not, and while there have been way too many dropped gimmes on both sides there have been plenty of good catches taken too.