Prime Minsters XI VS England Warm up Match

[Basil Fawlty]

First game down under for the boys, at the moment Prime Minister XI are 27/1. England won the toss and are fielding, come on England.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Prime Minister's XI:
T D Paine (wkt) , P A Jaques , M J Cosgrove , T R Birt , S E Marsh , A C Voges , C L White (capt) , B Dorey , A M Ritchard , S W Tait , B W Hilfenhaus M A Divin ,
England:
A J Strauss , M E Trescothick , A N Cook , P D Collingwood , K P Pietersen , A Flintoff (capt) , G O Jones (wkt) , A F Giles , S I Mahmood , J M Anderson , M S Panesar I R Bell ,

(Freddie with the wicket).

Where's Harmison then?

 

[Billy the Fish]

Flintoff and Anderson open the bowling. Freddie looking good and taken a wicket, Anderson putting the odd wide one in and getting smashed, as per usual. Mahmood in now

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Anderson putting the odd wide one in and getting smashed, as per usual. Mahmood in now

We're doomed!

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

S I Mahmood 2 0 13 0

A nice, economical start then...

 

[SussexSpur]

Harmy needs games, and f*** knows we don't have too many of them before the real thing starts up. Pah.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Harmy needs games, and f*** knows we don't have too many of them before the real thing starts up. Pah.

Not to worry, we've still got Saj...

S I Mahmood 3 0 23 0

 

[Billy the Fish]

Harmy needs games, and f*** knows we don't have too many of them before the real thing starts up. Pah.

Two three day games isn't it. We should just bin the ICC off and go to Oz a month earlier, three weeks is hardly enough preparation for the biggest prize in cricket.
Monty in now

 

[Billy the Fish]

Giles takes a wicket, Cosgrove caught by Strauss on the boundry

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Giles takes a wicket, Cosgrove caught by Strauss on the boundry

The best spinner in the English bowling attack, in my opinion

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

That is because you, when it comes to cricket, are a retarded mongrel

I am serious.

But then i'm basing that opinion on about 6 years of solidly watching English test cricket. I've seen highlights of Monty in about 3 tests. It's not quite the same.

That said, Giles can bat a bit.

 

[Billy the Fish]

That is because you, when it comes to cricket, are a retarded mongrel

I do love a good old uncalled for outburst, although weather that was uncalled for is debatable.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Ha ha, yeah you can't beat LAYING INTO someone for no good reason!

As for Giles, WW are you seriously saying he should be in the team (as a bowler) because he can "bat a bit?" What about our Monty, who can actually take wickets?

I'm not, no. But from the little I've seen, i'm CERTAIN that Giles is the better batsman.

I'm partially expecting to be proven wrong about Panesar, because ias i say, i've seen so little of him that i'd be prepared to admit I got it wrong.

But so far, I think he's overrated. Yes, he's bowled ok, but hardly against strong opposition? Giles has bowled consistently well over time, wheras Panesar has only been here 5 minutes.

I don't have much of an argument, so I can't really say any more of the subject.

But after the Ashes, maybe i'll be better prepared 'who is the best English spinner' debate, and it will be a good one.

 

[fatboy]

:mushy:

 

[Billy the Fish]

Wicket for mahmood, slower ball. 3/162

 

[Seagullsgonnagetya]

England’s prospects of defending the Ashes have been boosted remarkably after captain Michael Vaughan declared he had set his sights on playing the third Test at the WACA Ground.

The master batsman has been out of action most of the year after having knee surgery but said he had recovered so well that he hoped to be playing by the end of the month.

Vaughan confirmed last month that he would play the Lilac Hill festival match but is now considering an Ashes comeback in just five weeks.

“I hope to be playing cricket again in three weeks,” Vaughan said. “The knee is coming on well and by that time I hope to be able to put a call in and say ‘I’m available to play’.”

Vaughan leaves England for Perth on November 18 and is only concentrating on rehabilitation.

He won’t be doing any commercial work and WACA chief executive Tony Dodemaide said there were no plans for him to play grade cricket.

“I believe some playing arrangements are being made for the various groups in the academy squads in our minor leagues, but we don’t have any details on that,” he said.

Vaughan, whose tallies of 959 runs and four centuries against Australia in the past five years are the most by any player, said he was planning to play in England’s two-day fixture against WA at the WACA immediately after the Lilac Hill game.

The return of the elegant batsman, the architect of England’s Ashes triumph last year and man of the series in 2002-03 when he scored 633 runs, would give his team a massive lift but provide a selection dilemma.

England selector Geoff Miller said it was a challenge worth having.

“If this chap gets fit again he creates a problem for the people picking the team,” Miller said. “It’s a problem which will be enjoyed.”

Vaughan also maintained the verbal sparring that has seen Australian captain Ricky Ponting and coach John Buchanan accuse England coach Duncan Fletcher of maintaining a smokescreen over his fitness as well as double standards over the value of the Champions Trophy match between the teams.

“Australia talk a great game but as a unit they are very, very vulnerable,” Vaughan said. “They will want to murder us. But I have a quiet confidence that we have a good chance of retaining the Ashes. We’ve got a bowling attack capable of taking 20 wickets, which is the key.”

That attack might include veteran spinner Ashley Giles, who will return from a year’s absence with a hip injury against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra today.

Giles dismissed comments from Shane Warne that promising newcomer Monty Panesar was England’s best spin bowling option.

Panesar has taken 32 Test wickets in his debut year, bettered by only three other England players, but Giles was not taken with Warne’s analysis of the two bowlers.

 

[A Melbourne Albion Supporter]

5/292 - 300 par score