The General Cricket Thread
 

Anyone on here follow Cricket ?

If so, what are your feeling's about the current Test match series against Bangladesh ?

Looking at the score for today at the Bangles 2nd innings of 261 for 8, which for them is actually very good, following a 1st innings total of 104 all out, giving them a total of 365, but are still chasing England's first inning's total of 447 for 3 declared.

Is this series a complete mis-match ? are England that good or are the Bangles not really of test match pedigree ?

This is of course leading up to an Ashes series, so in my opinion the opposition should be a lot better than it is if England need adequate match practice.

Just my thoughts :erm:

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Seems a bit of a mismatch, but English football takes any team on prior to a big tournament, i just view it has a practice match.

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The simple answer is that the Bangladesh team is hopeless. A slight improvement today which is good for our bowlers, having to work a little harder for their wickets is no bad thing, but overall embarrassing.

Bangladesh should never have been given test status, they should have done as New Zealand, Pakistan etc did before they gained full test status, and spend a several seasons touring England playing minor counties and occasionally county sides to become acclimatised to the very different conditions in this country. I am aware that as an association the Bangladesh cricket team have not got large cash resources, but if the other Asian teams want them in they should support them. Cricket is a massive financial business in India.

The one and only reason they achieved test status was political. The other 3 Asian test playing countries realised that with a 4th Asian team in the group they would be able to break the hold of the 'Anglo Saxon/ Antipodean' block within the ICC, regardless of how poor the Bangladesh team was and still is.
Zimbawe and Bangladesh should have their test status put under the microscope and if performances stay as poor as they are then it should be suspended for a while.
Being battered into defeat in around 2 days is of no use to either side.

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Well the real stuff starts now, even if it is only joke cricket.

England vAustralia in a 20/20 match at the Rose Bowl. Just started on Sky One now.

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Looking forward to the Ashes :) A mates actually got tickets for the Twenty-20 :envy - I better make do with the TV (do you mean Sky One or Sky Sports One) & Radio.

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sky sports 1 :)

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Making do with BBC Radio 5extra on the internet :( Have they blown a good start?

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Aussies require 9 run's an over to win, if I have got my maths right.

Quite a total by England :tu:

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Aussies 23 for 3. Dazzler is a star man.

Make that 24 for 4, what a game, :D :D

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What on earth is going on, will the Aussies reach 50 ? :D

Getting carried away a bit here :p:

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I don't blame you, I'm just streaming the Radio 5 coverage & can't believe what I'm hearing - 72 for 9 :Yikes:

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But will they be able to repeat it in the Ashes?

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This 20/20 game is a lottery

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England win by 100 runs, how good was that, lottery or no, the Aussies do not give it away easily.

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Kerwallop. Excellent stuff. It's important to get one up on the Aussies - their mind games of the last few weeks can now be fed back to them. With interest.

England won by 100 runs, by the way.

:D

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good for the crowd, though - and a win by 100 runs in a 20 over game is a good morale boost for the England team.

I agree that the test matches - and even the one day games - are a different matter entirely ;)

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Three ducks in the top order :shocked: Roll on Lords.

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England on the move again..........

England v Bangladesh
Latest: England 164-0 (19 overs) Target: 191

Less than 30 to get with over 30 overs to go still :tu:

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Business as usual against Bangladesh - must be quite embarassing for them. England barely broke sweat. Sunday (Aussies at Bristol) should be a closer match - I hope.

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Something amazing is happening in Cardiff right now, one day international, the Aussies are going to be beaten by Bangladesh. This is amazing!!!!!


:Yikes:

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Fantastic, well done the curry cowboys:D

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Good cricket, the Bangla guys played very well, they worked hard. As for the Aussies could it be the Ashes will be England's (not forgetting the Welsh component) this year. The omens are gooooood!!!!!!



:) :) :) :)

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*cough*
*snort*
*chortle*

There'll be a few Aussies keeping their heads down on Monday, I reckon!

:D

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Hopefully, Freddie and friends will have them keeping their heads down tomorrow as well.
I managed to see most of the match today, it was no fluke, the best team won.:D

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I still think the Aussies will be up for the Ashes series, even though thing's do look good at the moment, I still think it will be a close run thing.

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England & Aussies ODI today so far so good 90 - 4 looking good.


:)

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England & Australia ODI, terrific match, super performance by Kevin Pieterson
and we won. 253 - 7 marvellous. We beat the Australians!!!!!! Wow!!!!!!


;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

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Now that was exciting, what a finish,:D :D :D

Big Kev must be in the test team after that display.

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Classic smash and grab action. Bangladesh in the final, anyone?

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Great match in the end, although it did look a bit precarious at one point.
Fantastic inning's by Piertersen, also a great bowling performance by Harmison. :tu:

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I just watched a replay of the catch by Collingwood - the look on Haydens face said it all :tu:

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top result :D :D :D :D

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England 391-4,:Yikes: Bangladesh 33-2. How unlucky was Chris Tremlett, on a hat trick, third ball and the batsman hits the ball into the ground and it bounces straight up and down onto the bails and they don't move an inch.

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cant fault sky's coverage as well , the interactive content is spot on :tu: , come on england :D :D :D

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Considering that the batsman ('Brimful Of' Ashraful) is now carving our bowlers around the ground, very unlucky. Makes it a rather more interesting game though!

What's the highest aggregate score in an ODI, anyone?
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Got him! 94 - well played that man - wasn't just a fluke against the Aussies!

Answering my own question, 693 is the highest aggregate score - India made 349 and Pakistan 344. Bangladesh need 303 to beat that, or another 149.

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Bangladesh seem to be making a fight of it in the latest one day game...

Latest: Bangladesh 88-1 (19 overs)

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Lancashire Hot Pots, bury Yorkshire Puddings.:p:

Todays Twenty20 match.
Lancashire 207 for 6 in 20 overs...Yorkshire 97 all out with 5 overs to spare. :D
"A reet gud stuffin". :cool:

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If the rest of the summer is as exciting as this it will be brilliant.

Nat West Final Australia 196 all out ... England 196 for 9 match tied.
When you think that England where 33 for 5 at one stage it was a great recovery and overall a fair result.

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sorry iadom, it was my fault - I watched the first 5 wickets fall round at a friends house, it was only when I left that they started to recover. The last couple of overs must have been amazing :tu:

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I thought England bowled well to keep them to 196 - maybe they should have gone for the jugular at 93-5 - but I almost turned of at 33-5. Jones & Collingwood showed the rest what they should have been doing. Overall a tie is a fair reflection.

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Another rearguard action this morning - Pietersen and Solanki clawing us up to 228. Hope I'm wrong but I doubt it will be enough though, esp as Solanki was subbed for Simon Jones - only 3 quickies, Collingwood, Giles and Vaughan/Solanki to bowl them out.

I reckon that 74 may have earned KP a place in the Ashes :tu:

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Oh dear - 50 off 7 overs - someone ought to nobble Gilchrist!

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72 -0

Much too painful to watch!!!


This is a puzzle there are days when England (not forgetting the Welsh contingent) play well but just lately urghhhh!!!


:Yikes:

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The one day stuff has gone on far to long, The tests should have started as soon as the three way series ended. England now look over cooked, Goughie must have played his last match for England, the Aussies are running into ominous form, time to put the pyjamas away.

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TBH, I don't really see the point in this little 'tournament' at all. I mean, the triangular tournament was a bit of a joke (although I did take a certain satisfaction in watching Bangladesh beat Australia :D ), but just having a few one-dayers before the tests start is asking for burnt-out players.

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I think whoever won the toss and chose to bowl first today would win, and that was Australia. The batting display would have been very embarrassing for England if it wasnt for Pieterson and Solanki and the bowling display was embarrassing, Gough 37 off fours overs! Surely his last England game. :no:

I dont think theres much chance of players being burnt-out, county sides play about five days of cricket a week for six months straight! So the players should be used to playing this much plus they do have breaks in between all the test matches.

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Less than 24 hours 'til the real work begins.

Any predictions here? 2-1 to England would be good.

If Vaughan wins the toss tomorrow and we have 250+/3 or 4 by the close it could be a close summer. On the other hand if we get skittled tomorrow or they post 300+ we could be sunk for the summer. Here's hoping for the former ;)

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What about the other two matches? :confused:

I think it will go down to the last match and hoepefully England will scarpe it, So England 3 Aussies 2. (hopefully)

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I was anticipating a couple of draws - I know England haven't had many draws recently, but with too good batting line-ups there is a good chance of at least one draw.

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A good start from England, two good blows to the head, one drawing blood, and one lovely smack on the elbow, oh and a couple of wickets as well.:D

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Plus our glorious English weather wil help.

3 down now come on England. :)

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5 down now, pretty good, I could have thought England could have done better.

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Who would have predicted Aus 190 ao on the first day of the Ashes? What a start :D Keep it going lads.

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England 19 - 4 . McGrath on fire. :(

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What a disaster. :(

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England 21 - 5 , another for McGrath.
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McGrath has taken 5 wickets for 7 runs.

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evidently not!!! shambles lol.... but I expected nothing less.

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I imagine Hoggard is eating his words.

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Oh dear, oh dear - someone nobble McGrath please!

I don't think this match will be drawn.

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It was a bit of a shambles :( , but i think England need to think about it in a different way... They are only 98 runs behind Australia which isnt a huge amount of runs, but it does look bad for England.

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I think someone needs to remind them that this is a Test Match not a bloody stupid 20/20 knockabout!! :(

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The thing is whilst most of the Aussies got out to one day type attacking strokes, Englands batsmen got out playing mainly defensive shots. McGrath is just a class act.

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personally I don't want a return to the likes of Boycott & Tavare, grinding it out at 10 runs an hour, but I agree we need to get in & settled, before trying to hit every ball out of the ground - at one point I could see England following on & it all being over tomorrow....:erm:

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Thats just it, England didn't try to hit every ball out of the ground. I cannot think of one England batsman who got out to an attacking shot.

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I have to hold my hands up & say I didn't see the wickets, Jim, I was thinking of the comparison with todays players approach to the game & the likes of Chris Tavare ( just looked it up & he once took over 5 hours to score 35 runs in a test match :Yikes: ), the 'modern' players do 'seem' more inclined to go for their shots, than that. I concede that what happened today was more to do with McGrath's bowling than England's poor batting. :)

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Trescothick, Strauss, Vaughan and Flintoff all out, rooted to the spot on the back foot. Pietersen, who is supposed to have a dodgy technique took a huge lunge down the wicket whenever he could and rarely looked in trouble, even against McGrath.

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England are very lucky to still have first innings wickets standing. Half the balls bowled were within a whisker of hitting the stumps with the batsmen just letting the ball past with no intention of trying to hit it. If the Aussie bowlers had aimed to hit the stumps they would have bowled the lot out. I was watching a discussion (forget where) on determining the winner of one day matches where the scores are tied and they were talking about determining the result in a similar way to penalties in football. No batsmen were involved, just a bowler bowling at a set of stumps. It was amazing how many top line bowlers couldn't hit the stumps when bowling at normal pace.

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A few years ago, dear old Devon Malcolm was involved in a 'bowl out' believe it or not, he bowled a bouncer.:D

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I'll be going to Old Trafford cricket ground, Manchester, on Friday 12th August for the test match. Lashing of ginger beer all round as usual. Hic! :beer: Great day out, been going most years. I'm not the most avid supporter of cricket although i do enjoy watching it and drinking huge quantities of Guinness (very, very expensive inside the ground) - see you there! :tu: ;)

:angel:

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There seem's to be a different approach to test matches these day's, hopefully they will try and stay batting all day today (Friday), but I have a feeling they won't last much past lunch time.

After all the pre match hype, maybe England's PR tactic's need re-thinking, but there is a long way to go yet.

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This was a match between Surrey and Warwickshire in the 20/20 cup and the result of the bowl off was 4-3 to Surrey, so about 13 players couldnt hit the wicket without a batsman there. :erm: Some of the balls bowled were no where near the wicket, it was very funny to watch.

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Now that I've had the opportunity to catch up on the Test match with Australia, I must admit I'm not surprised at the rather lack lustre performance of the England (not forgetting the Welsh members) team with some exceptions. Few would deny that this is the best team for years, they have the energy the enthusiam and they are a real team.

The writing was on the wall with the last series in South Africa it was to say the least a struggle. Now facing the Australians is a real test of skills. What I have seen is more like schoolboy cricket. Strauss has been the most disappointing one wonders whether the selectors could have kept Thorpe a little longer and played him rather than Strauss, give Strauss a rest but too late now. Kevin Pieterson is a real star more than once he has made a contribution that has saved the team now if he can handle bowlers of the calibre of a McGrath and McGrath is very good, then so should the other leading batsman. Don't these guys study the form the methods are they not doing their homework!

Well let's wait and see what happens today!

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420 to find. Can we find them?

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If our players just get their heads down and stop playing silly strokes or taking unnecessary risks.

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You would have thought so wouldn't you, two and a half days of batting......
If the wicket's down by the end of today is 0, I will be pleased.
The top order batsmen need to show that they can bat this innings.

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Well so far so good, damm it Channel 4 has gone racing, have to listen to Radio 5, it's a test of skills, we know the English (plus the Welsh players) can do it, this when we could have done with Graham Thorpe the sort of steady player he is will be missed.

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5 for 53 and 4 for 29
2 for 19 and 4 for 64

Hoggard really will be eating his words tonight.

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180 all out :(

What's going wrong with our batsmen? Is it too much one day or 20/20 or a lack of top quality bowlers in the domestic games for them to practice against?

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What a shocker of a result.

:(

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The real star in English cricket is Kevin Pieterson the man is virtually the England team a one man cricket match. The other batsman ought to be ashamed of their performance. But they must learn lessons and study the Australian bowlers: if Pieterson can do it so can they.

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Agreed, he is however South African... lol

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He has a remarkable enthusiasm a keeness and willing to fight and win this is a quality absent in the rest of the team, excluding Harmison. Maybe Pieterson should be given honourary citizenship, he's earned it, apparently he has a younger brother into cricket. Pieterson doesn't let Warne nor Mcgrath intimidate him.

:)

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I think there were signs of the right intent from others in the team.

Tres & Strauss has the highest opening stand of the match. Vaughan started positively in the first inns. Geraint showed some spirit in the first as well, even though he blew it in the second. Freddie & Jones did some decent bowling, except maybe Saturday AM.

I'm trying to be optomistic here ;)

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I once saw Strauss being interviewed on TV when he felt fans were too optimistic. With that attitude I think he should consider his position, he's a good player but seems half hearted. I know it's easy for armchair critics to critisize but in the end one can see the faults both Pieterson and Harmison show that the team can generate enthusiasm.

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Twenty 20 finals today.

Fantastic first semi final, Gods own county, Lancashire 217 for 4, beat Surrey 195 for 7.:D :D

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Come on Lanky tighten up on your bowling lads, two down now.
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65 for 3, come on lads.
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Oh dear we are stuffed :(

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well and truly, never mind, there is always next year.:)

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Shut it :cry:]

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Second Test for the Ashes

Ok, trying to keep calm and focus, let's all be positive and just hope England wins the toss for once and gets a good start...

:erm:

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Glenn McGrath out of the test!

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I thought this was another of your wind ups, as in the football thread transfer stories, but no it is true.:D

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Well he is a pretty good bowler, would rather he was bowling, if we were to gain the upper hand...no doubt Ponting would claim it was due to his absence...I would rather he were in it comes down to skills doesn't really if the guys had that sparkle of determination that Pieterson and Harmison have we would win! Here we go!

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You keep forgetting Freddie, I know his batting has suffered, but for sheer guts, aggression and determination his bowling is on a par with any player on either side. :)

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Not a bad morning :tu:

England 132 for 1 at lunch

That is all I am going to say thus far :D

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Yes, we musn't get tooooo excited! A good start, Channel 4 commentators were describing this Merlin gadget and how it replicates Shane Warne's little specialities, and it did look as if the guys had been practising on this Merlin bowling machine. Just goes to show a little effort goes a long way.

Disappointing Strauss lost his chance for 50, as for Freddie yes let's wait and see.


:) :tu:

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lets hope vaughn gets lucky and scores more than his usual 3.

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I'm a little amused by the headline on the Channel 4 sport news web site:

Ashes: Australia reveal terror attack fears

At first I thought our bowlers had been working up some specialities at practice but no it's about any more bombings! Jason G. thinks the team will want to go home if there are anymore bombings. I thought these Aussies were supposed to be tough guys!

:td:

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Maybe Dizzy is hoping it will detract from his poor form.

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Freddie got 50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

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Hope he goes on to make a ton. :cool: