Re: Cricket
 

You spoke too soon.

Re: Cricket
 

It's down to Kevin Pieterson again, if only we could have a team of Pietersons.


Still the team has played well today.

Oh dear spoke too sooooon.

Re: Cricket
 

The first innings is almost over 348 for 8, at least the score is a bit more respectable than the previous test.

I would have like to have seen England in over night (which still might happen) rather than being bowled out on the first day.

The milestone of 400 would be nice for that psychological effect :erm:
It would also give the bowlers something to go at.

Re: Cricket
 

407 not bad, good start. let's hope the English bowlers can smash those Aussie wickets quickly and wipe the cocky smile off Ponting's mush!



:tu:

Re: Cricket
 

Aussies 282-8. Can we polish them off quick?

Re: Cricket
 

308-9, one more to go.
__________________

308 all out, well done England.

Re: Cricket
 

I don't know why Strauss bothered taking his bat out with him, Warnie made him look a right wally.

Still all round, Englands day again.:D

Re: Cricket
 

Was a bit of a peach, that ball.

124 for 1 though, effectively. Can't be bad.

Re: Cricket
 

700 runs and 21 wickets in 2 days - Test cricket doesn't get much better than that :)
Let's hope we consolidate tomorrow and leave them 350+ on a dodgy pitch.

Re: Cricket
 

If the pitch takes spin like it did last night they could end up chasing less than 200. That ball of Warne's was wicked.

Re: Cricket
 

Trescothic gone with a lame shot, got nicked to the WK :(

Re: Cricket
 

Vaughan goes too, what are England playing at? 29-3.
__________________

Now 31-4 :(

Re: Cricket
 

Night watchman gone, 31 for 4 :(

Re: Cricket
 

Actually, Matthew Hoggie did his best, I'm not sure it was wise to put him in. Already with Vaughan down and Strauss as usual now out we have a bad start. I'm not saying anymore, just fingers crossed at the moment.

Re: Cricket
 

75-6 - Victory to Australia!! honestly, just feckin' bat Warne out of contention jeez... it like we got two seperate teams at the moment!

Re: Cricket
 

Why do NTL always fail to switch on Filmfour on racing/cricket days? :grr:

Re: Cricket
 

i think vaughn should be sacked.

he bats at no3, the place reserved for the best, and he only ever gets 1 or two mostly.
He is costing us the match!
also, KP Petiersen and Ian Bell being given out unfairly (channel 4 showed snicko and it showed that the ball did not clip them)

Bad umpiring and vaughn have cost us the match!
The only ppl who were justified in going out were Strauss (great ball by warne) and peitersen and bell, even though they shouldn;t be out lol.

We need Thorpe!
Get lost vaughn! And also, we need a better Wike-batsmen than G Jones.
Sorry for the complaints but i had to get it out!

Re: Cricket
 

A couple of the Australians were also given out unfairly so it tends to even things out. Watching on TV with the benefit of several different angles, snickometers and ultra slow motion cameras can show the umpire got decisions wrong but they only have one angle and no slow motion. Overall the umpires do a very good job and the only way to improve things would be to allow the third umpire to review all decisions using the available technology.

Vaughan hasn't done such a bad job for the country during his time in control IMHO.

England have a pretty fair lead which will mean Australia have to beat the all time highest 4th innings score for a win in test matches at Edgbaston if they are to go on and win.
__________________

Never seen a field setting like the Australians have at the moment. Nine men all on the boundary.
__________________

England 182 all out, a sterling performance from Flintoff. Australia need 282 to win, can they do it? It would mean the highest ever 4th innings score in a test match at Edgbaston.

Re: Cricket
 

Whoa there, agreed decisions re: Pieterson & Bell in error, but and it is always a big but, the umpire can only make a judgement based on what he sees, we have TV replays etc in the case of lbw at least. Having done the umpiring job myself in school competitions,it's difficult sometimes.

Thorpe, the interview with Atherton interesting I suspect more to this deselecting business, but you are right I think Thorpe has the experience the team needs. Frankly, I'm sure he could have done a better job than Strauss.

Re: Cricket
 

thorpe is not an opener, strauss is pretty solid most of the time, i think that thorpe could have replaced vaughn in captincy, or maybe replaced ian bell, but i do think ian bell is a good upcoming star and that bell needs experience, so he should not be dropped.

We really need to remove our hats to flintoff and s.jones, they did a magnificent job.

Re: Cricket
 

Flintoff comes on to ball on a hat trick. First ball survived but second ball gets a wicket. Australia 47-1
__________________

Then Flintoff gets Ponting, 48-2

Re: Cricket
 

What can you say about this man? brilliant.

Re: Cricket
 

Going pretty well - Flintoff's being kept in reserve for the tail I reckon - the other bowlers seem to be on top of the Aussie top order for the most part.

If he pulls it off it's the Flintoff Test for sure. 141 runs from 148 balls over two innings, five wickets so far and he's just caught Gilchrist!
__________________

And there goes Gillespie lbw Flintoff 0. Identical to the first innings. Three needed.

Re: Cricket
 

They must ask for the extra 30 minutes.
__________________

They've got it.

Re: Cricket
 

An enjoyable days play with lots of tension. So, what surprises will tomorrow have in store?

The team seemed to awoken Freddie clearly worked hard as did Giles, well they all did.

Re: Cricket
 

What a great ending to a great match...Yep I'm married to a cricket nut. :D

Re: Cricket
 

I was out in the car early this afternoon when Freddie was wreaking havoc, listening to TMS, Blowers was commentating, and not for the first time he got completely carried away, at one point he said "and Botham hit that ball like" :D


Fantastic days cricket, full of the twists and turns that test cricket provides, like no other game can.:cool:

And the day ended just like yesterday, with a peach of a delivery from Harmison this time.

Re: Cricket
 

It was nice to see Shane Warne congratulate Andrew Flintoff on his batting performance after his dismissal. (73), Coming from the greatest bowler in the world, that was a nice gesture.

England should wrap up this test match tomorrow, but stranger things have happened :erm:

Roll on the next match :)

Re: Cricket
 

Even better to see the rotund Aussie tread on his own wicket, after he'd given Harmison some ruthless treatment. Flintoff's storming in again now - one wicket needed to win.

Re: Cricket
 

This is getting to close for comfort :disturbd:

Re: Cricket
 

Pheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew. can't believe it.

I thought we were done for but miracles do and have happened. Sets the series up nicely.

Re: Cricket
 

Oh boy i can breathe now. :D

Re: Cricket
 

My nerves are absolutely shredded - shame there's no whisky in the house, but I'm shaking too much to pour it out. That was an incredible effort from the Aussies, no mistake, and I'm now suing them for mental cruelty.

Re: Cricket
 

Wahey! Couldn't get it much closer! :D

Re: Cricket
 

This was a very exciting match, every heartstopping moment. The England team played very well, the match may have ended earlier save for a few missed opportunities. Vaughan and team wonderful. We look forward now to the Third Test, when hopefully the Australians will face a further defeat.

Re: Cricket
 

Damn and I was working today. I'll have to catch the highlights :(

Re: Cricket
 

It was a thriller, probably one of the best test matches ever, if not the best !! It had everything.

I am not sure if I would be saying that had we lost though :D

Re: Cricket
 

Yes the old sphincter was a bit tight to say the least!!!!I missed the end of the match as the present Mrs bayonet decide she wanted to go for a walk heard the finish in Langland Bay car park when Jones took the last catch the guy in the car behind me gave me some funny looks.

Funny when we play cricket we support the England team, rugby football we're Welsh through and through still the Jones boys came to the rescue in the end eh lads??

It wouldn't have surprised me if England had lost as they did their best to lose it but this Aussie side are a bit special, lets hope McGrath's injury keeps him out for the series. he is still the best fast bowler in the world and Warne the best spinner. The ball he did Strauss with was unplayable........another Gatting ball.

Re: Cricket
 

I've been around some time, but this T-match was special, it had everything, if all T-matches was like this coronary wards would be on overtime. :D

Re: Cricket
 

We won't mention the catch that "Jones the Bowler" dropped on the third man boundary that would have given Freddie a five for, and wrapped it up two overs earlier then. ;)

Re: Cricket
 

I have to say, "Hats off" to Warne, Kasprowicz, and especially Brett Lee for their part in this classic encounter, for their fighting batting spirit.

I also have to say, that I am really looking forward to the rest of this "Ashes" series, whatever the outcome.

It's about time we had a team worthy of competing with Australia, which is probably the best cricketing side the world has seen to date.

Re: Cricket
 

Yes I bet Mr Lee has a few sore fingers this morning, I think Mr Jones still remembers that horror injury in Australia regarding that catch. Don't think he's going to dive anywhere, been a hell of catch at any time...........under that pressure it would have been brilliant.

Re: Cricket
 

I'd rather Jones the Keeper hung on to a few more! At least he caught the one that mattered.

It's technically the England and Wales team* of course, which makes supporting it fine if you're Welsh, and anyway, a few years ago you'd be hard-put to find an English-born player in it at times (Hussain, S Jones, G Jones, Croft, Lamb, Smith, A Hollioake, Malcolm, Caddick, Pieterson, Solanki - you can make up a decent 11 there).

*Wikipedia:"The English cricket team is a national cricket team representing England and Wales. It is administered by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)."

Re: Cricket
 

Well even though I knew what the result was, that was still pretty damn stressful!

The Aussies could have just given up and folded, but they went out and made sure England had to work for every wicket and took all the opportunities that were left open to them.

Frankly, even though I'm an England supporter, the Aussies deserved to win that match just for sheer effort, especially given the rather duff tactics the English seemed to be using.

Still, with the series at 1:1 we can hopefully look forward to some great cricket in the next few matches.

Re: Cricket
 

Come on, all together, "Things can only get better"

oh dear :D

Unless this means they call up Andrew Symonds, I cannot believe they can leave him out of their test side.

Re: Cricket
 

This reminds me of the injury problems we had in Oz last time - S Jones knee, etc.

Lets hope we take advantage at Old Trafford and go 2-1 up :)

Re: Cricket
 

"oooohhhh nice ball warney"
"oooohhhh well bowled warney"

Shut up Gilchrist

Re: Cricket
 

195 for 2 so far.:clap: Come on England! I might get to see them carrying on their innings when I go to Old Trafford tomorrow for the second days play. :D

:beer:

Re: Cricket
 

Not bad for the first session, just hope they can build on it.

Re: Cricket
 

So far so good. I hope Vaughan gets a big hundred :) - a bit lucky with the dropped catch and no ball :D

Having said that, I remember last summer they were ~300+ for 2/3 after day one and folded quickly on day two (against WI, iirc). As they say the well padded female hasn't started warbling yet ;)

Re: Cricket
 

Vaughn 150 n.o. :tu:

Re: Cricket
 

Vaughan out 166, good knock tho.

Re: Cricket
 

Missed out on that double hundred again :D - Now for some Pietersen fireworks ;)

Re: Cricket
 

341 - 5 at the finish, I think I would have taken that at the start of play today. :)

Re: Cricket
 

A good day's cricket, very pleased to see the England team in fighting mood. Vaughan, Trescothick and Bell have done well, Pieterson unfortunately and sadly caught out too soon but he tried hard and Strauss gets his usual 6 why is this man in the team? Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Re: Cricket
 

Well it seems England had the "good batting side" at the crease today.

I wonder if they'll bring them along again tomorrow...?

Re: Cricket
 

Only if we don't lose early wickets tomorrow morning, sometimes the batsmen have to remember it is a five day test and occasionally play like Ian Bell.

Re: Cricket
 

It was a good toss to win my concern is what happens when the convicts bat? We'll see what our bowling attack is made of on this pitch, when Glenn McGrath struggles (he was unlucky having so many catches dropped and the no ball when he "bowled" Vaughan) then it doesn't bode well for our bowlers. Did he come back too early from that injury?

Pietersen still has that one day cricket mentality when he bats, bit like Flintoff used to be. Flintoff is now learning how to bat in test cricket and he is a better player for it a lot of that is down to Fletcher's coaching.

Re: Cricket
 

Well 444 all out is not a bad score by any means and there were definitely some good innings in there (ok with a bit of luck, but that's cricket)

Now the question is can England get their good fielding side on the pitch...?

Re: Cricket
 

115 for 4 the Aussies are struggling. :D

Re: Cricket
 

Who needs Warnie when you have Gylo King of Spain [sic]
129-5:D

Re: Cricket
 

Great Stuff !!!!!!!!!!!

Aussies 210 - 7 at the close, they need another 35 to avoid the follow on, England looking good to go 2 - 1 up in the series, but.......... anyone know thw weather forecast in Manchester is for tomorrow ?

Re: Cricket
 

Light rain forecast.

Re: Cricket
 

I think the Aussies will make the follow on target (especially given their performance in the last Test), hopefully, though, the England team will be able to put on a good score to leave the Aussies 250+ to win.

There are predictions of possible rain and bad light :(

Re: Cricket
 

I would not enforce the follow on, get a quick 250/300 and give them 450/500 to get on a wearing pitch.

Re: Cricket
 

I hope that doesn't lose any time - they made up the 20 minutes, today.

The match could yet get as tense & exiting as Edgebaston (_must_get_DVD_) , quality cricket from both sides, England need to mop up the tail better than they did in Birmingham :p:

(p.s. did you see Flintoff's no ball, there, which carried to the boundary and gave away 5 runs :p: :D )

Re: Cricket
 

Eh? Are you sure about that?

AFAIK a no ball that goes to the boundary should be scored as 4 extras.

Re: Cricket
 

If you are a real cricket nut, this is worth a listen imo.

Click the link to listen or right click and "save target as" to save it to your hard drive and listen to it later.

It is Geoff Boycott talking about the state of the current game, worth a listen if you are a real cricket fan. (file size 31MB)

Re: Cricket
 

4 extras for the boundary + 1 for the no-ball AFAIK

Re: Cricket
 

It is only 4 runs the the higher score counts not both and they get an extra ball as normal with the no ball going against the bowler as normal.

5 is scored if the ball hits a helmet the fielding side are using,that's why they tend to be placed directly behind the stumps,less chance of being hit.

Back to the game if we can get them out early today, I'd bat again get another 200 to 250 and declare. If the Aussies then get ahead with Giles turning it now, imagine what Warne could do on the last day. Problem is the weather forecast isn't too good for today.

Re: Cricket
 

Looking out of my window (N M/cr) it doesn't look to promising, we are v overcast and drizzle, this my pan out to be a drawn game if things don't improve soon. :(

Re: Cricket
 

Yes watching big boys rugby Aus vs NZ SS2 Aus just scored a try getting it checked by video ref

It's a try Aus 11 NZ 0

Re: Cricket
 

:erm: not cricket is it?

Re: Cricket
 

Any port in a storm me as you say it's not cricket but it's a hell of a substitute

C4 just gone to an episode of Friends so doesn't look too good

What's it looking like at your end RoyMM are you far from the ground?

Re: Cricket
 

Nope, IIRC it's either one or the other, not both.

Re: Cricket
 

Sorry was watching football, still raining on and off here, i'm a few miles from the ground but the weather will no doubt be the same.

Re: Cricket
 

check out

from http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cric...nd/4147978.stm

- if it was 4 runs only, the score would have been adjusted by 3 runs, not 4 ??

Re: Cricket
 

It should have been as far as I can see.

There again, when someone posting on the BBC's site mistakes "there" for "their" I'm possibly going to be a bit sceptical about the accuracy of the rest of their post...!! ;)

Re: Cricket
 

nah, presuming that poor grammar implies a lack of knowledge of the laws of cricket, even if it might be correct, is a non sequitur. ;)

It isn't a major issue - it's just the first time I recall 2 bowlers bowling no-balls which carry to the boundary, in consecutive matches :)

Re: Cricket
 

Touche' :D :PP:

You're just still narked about that quiz question...! :angel:

Re: Cricket
 

:LOL: - well, not 'narked', as it wouldn't have made any difference to the result, it just seemed ironic that having guessed an answer, it then occurred :D

Re: Cricket
 

Re: Cricket
 

Seeing as we are all being pedantic, it was Jones, not Flintoff. :)

Re: Cricket
 

Well, he may have taken the winning catch in the last match, but time will tell just how costly the two dreadful mistakes by Jones the Keeper are going to be. I know the old adage of "don't change a winning team" but Hoggard and Jones the Keeper need to pull their fingers out to justify remaining in the side.

Most local club keepers would have snaffled those two.:(

Re: Cricket
 

Most grandmothers would have had a chance too. Still, the King of Spin just held onto one to get Warne out for 90, so hopefully the last two won't hang about and we can get England batting again.

Re: Cricket
 

Well done, Jones the Bowler, excellent performance. Strauss has just worn one from Lee again. :(

Re: Cricket
 

Ah, I see what you're getting at, but it's not quite the same thing.

With the no ball going to the boundary, there are two *separate* events, ie firstly the one run for a no ball is "instantly" awarded, then, subsequently, if it goes to the boundary *another* four runs are added.

Whilst this totals five, of course, it's actually one extra plus four extras, not an automatic award of five immediately.

Here's the Lord's cricket site with the full laws of the game: http://www.lords.org/laws-and-spirit/laws-of-cricket/
__________________

Anyway, back to the game:

Full credit to the Aussies for surviving this (well, yesterday!) evening, although they were a) a little lucky and b) pushing their luck with a risk of an (optional!) five penalty runs for delay of play!

399 to win, not impossible, but can England get 10 wickets???

Re: Cricket
 

was Bell 'guilty' of scoring too slowly, - should freddie have been put in to tickle the scoreboard .... :dunce:

Re: Cricket
 

Was impressed by Vaughans bowling last evening, he should step up more often, and on the question can we bowl them out today, i seriously think we can.

Re: Cricket
 

Thats exactly what I said earlier in the thread..

4 extras for the boundary + 1 for the no-ball AFAIK

Re: Cricket
 

Well it's currently 129 for 2.

Unless England do something special PDQ it looks like the Aussies are going to be able to grind out a draw :(

Re: Cricket
 

165 for 4, there's still hope...

... trouble I've got to get on with some work, so I won't be watching, but I'll be listening to TMS.

Re: Cricket
 

Can someone please explain, for the benefit of someone who finds cricket completely uninteresting (except when England look like they might beat Australia!) why England declared yesterday when they could have piled on a load more runs and left the Aussies an impossible target?

Re: Cricket
 

TBH, Mrs Nug asked me exactly the same question yesterday, and I couldn't think of a good answer.

The only reason I could think of is that, sledging and bodyline aside, cricket is still a 'gentlemans game' and, as such, it was a sporting decision to give the Australians a chance.

Other than that, it makes absolutely no sense :shrug:

Re: Cricket
 

Play your own game of cricket on your office desktop on or the bus...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Owzthat-Vintag...QQcmdZViewItem
These two special dice, a scorecard and pencil is all you need to play "Owzthat".

We used to play this when we were kids during those rainy summer holidays on in the back of the car on long journeys. Ok, it's tad low-tech but we were obviously very easily pleased in the 60's/70's. You could always spice it up by making up your own dream team scorecards and introduce a betting element.

They still sell them new it seems.... http://www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/pages...FFDCCG&cid=880
http://www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/pages...deluxe&cid=880

I've still got mine in a draw somewhere but I can't bothamingwell find them.

There's always the more hi-tech but less portable javascript version...
http://www.christhomas123.co.uk/owzthat/

Re: Cricket
 

Because they have to give themselves enough time to bowl the aussies out to win the game, they don't want a draw.

Re: Cricket
 

If the Aussies were not given a reasonably target, it would have been a draw because they would have had batsmen that had not played.

Re: Cricket
 

Talking of "bodyline", I remember a really good brit-ozzy callaborated tv mini-series about 20 years ago called "Bodyline:It's Just Not Cricket" which was a dramatisation of the period in cricket when that very controversial technique was first used in the 1932-33 Ashes. Australian Don Bradman was played in the movie superbly by Gary Sweet and a fantastically evil Hugo Weaving (a la The Matrix) plays the nasty englishman Doug Jardine who was responible for pushing this "leg theory" (or "bodyline" as the press labelled it).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086672/
I'd love to see it again.

Re: Cricket
 

I believe the word Cricket is derived from the Latin, Cricketius meaning to yawn.

Re: Cricket
 

7 down - come on England :tu: