* * * The Ashes - Official Thread * * *

[Mackenzie]

I went to bed and we were 56/0, and woke up to find us 300/1.......very pleasing.

 

[HAILSHAM SEAGULL]

A great days work from the England batsmen. This test should now be a draw and move on for the Perth game.

Is the Adelaide one cancelled then

Seriously, the next test is at Adelaide and there are are only three rest days, so if we can keep the Aussies in the field till just after lunch and set them 260 ish of of 45 overs, on that last day strip, then they are going to go through the mincer mentally after they thought it would be a piece of piss after the third day.
If we could set that, England at 12-1 looks a bit tempting

 

[Questions]

We looked like we were going to lose the first test at home against Oz last time ( was it in Cardiff) but got lucky, so if this series ends the same way I`ll be well happy.

Waking up to 300/1 thats cheered me right up.

 

[8ace]

What a great day at the Gabba today, the native slating their team especially Johnson.
I can report that the Aussies finally have their own chant "I'd rather be a paki than a pom"

 

[Flavor Flav]

What a great day at the Gabba today, the native slating their team especially Johnson.
I can report that the Aussies finally have their own chant "I'd rather be a paki than a pom"

Let us know what the papers are like in the morning, their media's worse than ours isn't it?

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Is the Adelaide one cancelled then

Seriously, the next test is at Adelaide and there are are only three rest days, so if we can keep the Aussies in the field till just after lunch and set them 260 ish of of 45 overs, on that last day strip, then they are going to go through the mincer mentally after they thought it would be a piece of piss after the third day.
If we could set that, England at 12-1 looks a bit tempting

I still favour batting them totally out of the game. Keep them in the field for as long as we can. Don't even give them a sniff or a chance to end the day with a winning session (even if they don't win the game). Grind them into the dust all day and then see what they have left three days later.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

You do NOT set them a target that they have any chance of getting. We don't need to take a risk to win this test (although I might regret that statement later) or the series, just draw it.

 

[HAILSHAM SEAGULL]

Disagree, if you can set them 260 off 45, thats 6.75 an over on a cracked last day pitch, I dont feel they will risk losing it, but I fancy our bowlers, Swann in particular to have a good chance of them crumbling.
Imagine the mind set of the Aussies being one down with four to play, when they need to win three of the last four tests to regain the Ashes, especially after their position after day three.
Plus the Aussie press would crucify them.
Give it a go I say. We are in a position to bowl defensively if they do get anywhere near close.

 

[vegster]

Disagree, if you can set them 260 off 45, thats 6.75 an over on a cracked last day pitch, I dont feel they will risk losing it, but I fancy our bowlers, Swann in particular to have a good chance of them crumbling.
Imagine the mind set of the Aussies being one down with four to play, when they need to win three of the last four tests to regain the Ashes, especially after their position after day three.
Plus the Aussie press would crucify them.
Give it a go I say. We are in a position to bowl defensively if they do get anywhere near close.

Indeed.... if our positions were reversed the Aussies would be trying to push a result by being aggresive and setting a target. He who hesitates is lost, give it a go I say. Trott and Cook can both bang it plus we have Matty and the Soudafrican who can sometimes hit scores

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Is the Adelaide one cancelled then

Seriously, the next test is at Adelaide

 

[Barrel of Fun]

616 balls they bowled and only the one wicket to show from their efforts. That is going to sting them uite badly. Considering they put themselves in a very strong position to win the game. Cue a batting collapse from England.

 

[Beach Hut]

Great day for us finally, well batted

 

[Marc]

I say put them back in, take a couple of wickets and the morale will be higher with us going into the second test

 

[jakarta]

Disagree, if you can set them 260 off 45, thats 6.75 an over on a cracked last day pitch, I dont feel they will risk losing it, but I fancy our bowlers, Swann in particular to have a good chance of them crumbling.
Imagine the mind set of the Aussies being one down with four to play, when they need to win three of the last four tests to regain the Ashes, especially after their position after day three.
Plus the Aussie press would crucify them.
Give it a go I say. We are in a position to bowl defensively if they do get anywhere near close.

For this to happen ironically we would need to lose some wickets. If Prior & Pietersen were in and set it might happen but I don't think Cook & Trott have it in them to set a total - neither of them are that sort of player and while I'm staying up again tonight I think this Test is going to grind itself to a halt before Tea.

I'm clearly an old-fashioned cricket bore as rather than gambling on a victory I would love to see the Cook crawl to a double bubble and Trott to get a slow but sure century as well - the Convicts failing to get another wicket after their pathetic efforts yesterday would be a big psychological blow for the next Test - looking at their media a lot clearly think Mitchell Johnson is a busted flush already and as for their 'spinner'!!

 

[Beach Hut]

We should take the draw and carry on batting to really show how crap their bowlers are.

 

[Statto]

A great day for us today. If we can set them over 200 by lunch tomorrow then its going to be a tough last few hours for them. We dont want a colapse tho. I reckon KP is due a big score. This draw will give us the momentum going into the next test.

 

[SNOOBS]

Can't believe Cook got away with giving the convicts the sign

 

[Bob!]

Is the Adelaide one cancelled then

Seriously, the next test is at Adelaide and there are are only three rest days, so if we can keep the Aussies in the field till just after lunch and set them 260 ish of of 45 overs, on that last day strip, then they are going to go through the mincer mentally after they thought it would be a piece of piss after the third day.
If we could set that, England at 12-1 looks a bit tempting

22/1 on bet365

 

[brightonmark1234]

if we can bat till lunch without loseing 2 or 3 wickets