The Ashes Thread

Discussion in 'Cricket' started by michaec, Jul 14, 2005.

  1. Lillywhite

    Lillywhite New Member

    Jun 3, 2005
    London
    McGrath is quality. Sorry to state the blindingly apparent. Effing class. Still it's a welcome change to have the obligatory batting collapse and still be possibly in with a chance of being on an evenish footing after the first innings. I will keep my fingers and toes crossed overnight that Pieterson will have one tomorrow.

    I'm watching the second day with a family of Aussies. I was looking forward to watching them eat large quantities of doodoo. Ah well. It's looks like it will be an interesting Ashes after all.
     
  2. quentinc

    quentinc New Member

    Jan 3, 2005
    Annapolis, MD
    Does anybody know how one could follow this online? Obviously, video would be preferred, but anything that gives live updates is fine.
     
  3. Andy TAUS

    Andy TAUS Member

    Jan 31, 2004
    Sydney, AUS
    Try the BBC Sports web page. They give live updates on most English/British major sports being played at the time. Cricinfo does it for international cricket too. Cheers.
     
  4. babytiger2001

    babytiger2001 New Member

    Dec 29, 2000
    Melbourne
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sportal's Australian site has live updates, as does sportinglife.com, for the English perspective on things.
     
  5. silky-smooth

    silky-smooth New Member

    Apr 25, 2005
    Australia
  6. OldFanatic

    OldFanatic Member

    Jan 12, 2004
    Bay Area
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  7. silky-smooth

    silky-smooth New Member

    Apr 25, 2005
    Australia
  8. Matt Clark

    Matt Clark Member

    Dec 19, 1999
    Liverpool
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    I'll stick to Five Live thanks.

    So - overcast in London again, England hanging on by a thread. I reckon we'll be lucky to make 120, which will probably equate to another 20 overs or so. Which, in turn, means we'll be all out before lunchtime.

    Then it will be down to character. On both sides. We'll need to get as much and more out of a wearing pitch as we did yesterday. Ideally, we'll get the Aussies out for around 150 by tomorrow lunchtime, leaving us a target of some 220 to win it at some point on Sunday.

    All of which is if the weather plays ball. Tomorrow afternoon is forecast to feature rain moving in across Ireland and making contact with the West Country and Wales first, so we could be looking at losing some or all of the afternoon session tomorrow. In a way, this might help. If we have to take it to a fifth day, we might discover a defensive rhythm that has clearly been lacking so far.

    But realistically, the best we can hope for at this point, three-quarters of an hour before the start of the second day's play, is a rain-draw. Which is pretty depressing.
     
  9. comme

    comme Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 21, 2003
    Exactly what me and my mates were saying as we were watching this.

    Giles was a killer blow, especially last ball of the day. Giles can bat (a bit), whereas Hoggard just blocks, and Jones and Harmy are poor.

    Pietersen has to stay in, and get something out of this game. If we were all out for 150 it wouldn't be a complete disaster, but really we will be lucky to slavage anything.
     
  10. Andy TAUS

    Andy TAUS Member

    Jan 31, 2004
    Sydney, AUS
    C'mon Matt, be positive ! The match has been a good one so far. Let's hope it'll continue to surprise everyone, for the next 4 days !!! :)
     
  11. Matt Clark

    Matt Clark Member

    Dec 19, 1999
    Liverpool
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Oh, it's been cracker, don't get me wrong. And I shall be watching it again today (we have TV's in the office, thankfully and the one nearest me has been on Channel 4 permanently). But I was hoping for a close match with the decider on Monday, because I start two week's annual leave today. I was hoping for a day in the garden with the portable and a few beers watching the denoument of the game. Instead, it'll be re-runs of the Waltons and "Big Brother's Little Brother" - and I'll probably get given chores to do. ;)

    Let's face it, this won't go the full five days unless it rains.

    But yeah, so far, good game and the remainder of it should be dramatic, if nothing else.
     
  12. Andy TAUS

    Andy TAUS Member

    Jan 31, 2004
    Sydney, AUS
    It's about to start here (7:30 pm) so the only problem in watching it (that I have) is that the free-to-air channel that's showing the cricket (SBS) will cut over to the Tour-de-France in 4 hours. If I want to see it live & fully, I have to pay for it on one of the pay-tv fox-sports channels. Bummer.
     
  13. Matt Clark

    Matt Clark Member

    Dec 19, 1999
    Liverpool
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Hoggard goes for a duck on 101. Really in the shit now. Pietersen looks to have sorted his feet out this morning after yesterday's set of gawky shots. He wasn't staying on strike, but now he's just hit a four and six off McGrath. Should be an interesting innings from Pietersen. Two contemptuous shots just then, just twatted him both times.
     
  14. Matt Clark

    Matt Clark Member

    Dec 19, 1999
    Liverpool
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    And another four! He he he ... four six four off McGrath, Pietersen isn't endearing himself to the big man. Pontings dropped all but two slips, amazing field.
     
  15. Matt Clark

    Matt Clark Member

    Dec 19, 1999
    Liverpool
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    And another six off Warne.
     
  16. Matt Clark

    Matt Clark Member

    Dec 19, 1999
    Liverpool
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Just need to keep Pietersen on strike now. Harmison is a liability against spin.

    Bugger. Pietersen caught a beauty. Amazing catch.
     
  17. Matt Clark

    Matt Clark Member

    Dec 19, 1999
    Liverpool
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Gobsmacking catch by Damian Martyn. Full dive, one hand on a 30-yard run. Harmison and Simon Jones remain. 123-9 - all over soon.
     
  18. Matt Clark

    Matt Clark Member

    Dec 19, 1999
    Liverpool
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Jones off the mark with a single from Warne.
     
  19. Matt Clark

    Matt Clark Member

    Dec 19, 1999
    Liverpool
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Aussies slowing the rhythm down like they do at the end of one-dayers. Jones doesn't let it affect him and adds a four off McGrath on his next ball.

    Earns a bouncer for his troubles.
     
  20. Matt Clark

    Matt Clark Member

    Dec 19, 1999
    Liverpool
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Ponting decides to give Brett Lee a go from the Nursery end. Would have thought Warne would be the more obvious choice, but there you are ...
     
  21. Matt Clark

    Matt Clark Member

    Dec 19, 1999
    Liverpool
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Two no balls. Good start from Lee :p - that's 130.
     
  22. Matt Clark

    Matt Clark Member

    Dec 19, 1999
    Liverpool
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Eek, almost a run-out there, but Jones recovers for a four off the final ball of the over. McGrath against Harmison now. Dead-end partnership worth 20 now.
     
  23. Matt Clark

    Matt Clark Member

    Dec 19, 1999
    Liverpool
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Four off the second from McGrath. Bit of a farmer's swipe, but 146-9.
     
  24. Matt Clark

    Matt Clark Member

    Dec 19, 1999
    Liverpool
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    That's it - all out for 155. Not bad - at the start of the day it was looking like an Aussie lead of 80 or 90. In that context, 35 is not so bad.

    Now though, we really need to bowl a blinder. And the more I think about it, the more I think this pitch isn't quite the bowler's pitch it appeared yesterday. Maybe it was just amazing bowling by England and then McGrath.

    We shall see ... an intriguing day's cricket ahead.
     
  25. michaec

    michaec Member

    Arsenal
    England
    May 24, 2001
    Essex
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    I don't know Matt, the pitch did seem to be acting up a bit. Vaughan and Flintoff got a couple of shooters which kept really low to get them out, those deliveries were unplayable. The problem is, even if the pitch helps the England bowlers it's only going to get worse which means anything around 200 to win in the fourth innings is going to look like a big total.
     

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