The Ashes - Round 1 - Day 1

[Gazwag]

Call me old fashioned but I really miss those opening bars of Test Match Cricket on the BBC.

DidDidDid DiDiDiDiDiD DiDDidDidDidDidDid BuBubub Bub ba


Only 80 minutes to go - Come on England

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

cant wait. though saying that i will clearly only watch our bowling as i find thew batting so booooring(not so much if your trying to reach a target)

 

[Brighton Boy]

This is gonna be an awesome series.....

Pulled a sickie for today.....lets get drunk and screem OWZAAAAAT

 

[Albion Dan]

Havent looked forward to a test series like this for.........Must be EVER!

Come on England!

 

[Simster]

I've NEVER been so excited before about a cricket match. The 30,000 capacity at Lords is completely sold out on all 5 days - premium seats for today were going for £1500 on ebay, and the MCC are worried that too many members are going to turn up and there won't be enough seats for everyone! There are 14,000 members, the record membership attendance is 6,100 - but they're worried that 7,000 will turn up and fill The Pavillion to the rafters.

I'll be less nervous if we BOWL first. GBH CHARGING IN from the Pavillion End - marvellous.


BTW, London Seagulls,
Anyone up for a liquid lunch at the Pavillion End, Bow Lane at around midday?

 

[CHAPPERS]

My GOD I'm excited.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

I hope this is going to be awesome. PLEASE.............

 

[The Large One]

My boss is there. Apparently there are queues of members around the corner, and he wouldn't be surprised if it kicked off amongst them soon. You know, throwing gin & tonics at each other, that sort of thing. He has already been offered £800 for his ticket - and that's for a single day ticket.

50 minutes to go...

 

[empire]

I've NEVER been so excited before about a cricket match. The 30,000 capacity at Lords is completely sold out on all 5 days - premium seats for today were going for £1500 on ebay, and the MCC are worried that too many members are going to turn up and there won't be enough seats for everyone! There are 14,000 members, the record membership attendance is 6,100 - but they're worried that 7,000 will turn up and fill The Pavillion to the rafters.

I'll be less nervous if we BOWL first. GBH CHARGING IN from the Pavillion End - marvellous.


BTW, London Seagulls,
Anyone up for a liquid lunch at the Pavillion End, Bow Lane at around midday?

its just a shame that lords is the only ground the barmy army wont be in full voice as always they have refused to sell them a block of tickets ,nothing better than the barmy army taking the mick

 

[Knightsworld]

This is gonna be good................................

 

[CHAPPERS]

It's days like these when I wish I was unemployed.

 

[Parson Henry]

I am nervous..and a bit pessimistic, I really want the boys to go out there and get in the faces of Ponting & co but, and its a big but I still think some of our top order batting is fragile and will be eeked out by Mcgrath and Lee.

If we can build partnerships and grind an innings out we will half a chance but I am not certain if we have the guile and character to do so. I am in particular referreing to Trescothick and Vaughan who will need to bat well if we are to have any chance.

I will be looking forward to harmy going at them though.

Am I too negative?

 

[Hiney]

BRING IT ON!!!!

I've always loved cricket and am old enough to remember when we were proper better than the Aussies.

Headingly 1981 was one of the most amazing bits of TV EVER and Botham's achievements that year were the stuff of legend.

We have a good chance this year as long as we don't lose our heads. We have the bowling ammunition and I don't think Gillespie will be on top form for them.

I can't f***ing wait for the game to start.

 

[Marshy]

We must win the toss and bat, Im well excited, cant wait to get to out social club at 12, for cheap beer and an hour of cricket.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Am I too negative?

Harmison has the measure of their batsmen. Flintoff bowls excellently to left handers and Jones is bowling very well this summer. If Hoggard can find some for then we have the capability to bowl them out cheaply.
Not to forget Gilo who can keep it tight and is taking wickets.

Our batting line up looks good, forget the one dayers, these guys are in form in the longer version of the game. Banger and Strauss, if they avoid getting out cheaply, will make big runs time and time again, Vaughan had an excellent series last time round (was number 1 in the world after it). Bell, Pieterson, Flintoff and Jones are all very capable of scoring runs.

More than anything else though, this team really wants to beat the Aussies and are very confident that they can do so. You can already see Ponting is a bit scared, why else all this bollocks about the umpires and being honest about catches and stuff, normally he gets on with it but this build up has shown there are cracks in the brash Aussie confidence.

The series will be closer than many think.

 

[fatbadger]

I'll be less nervous if we BOWL first.

I'm with Marshy on this - we need to bat first. It's a dry pitch, and the conditions today should be good for batting. The conditions for spin will improve through the five days, so we want their bowling out of the way first, and we need to begin with Trescothick and Strauss slowly building a high first-wicket stand on a batting pitch. Lovely.

c'mon!

Anybody else going to any of the tests? I have tickets for the Third Test - can't wait (assuming Lancashire skies don't break...)

 

[Hiney]

Australia win the toss and will BAT

 

[fatbadger]

Australia win the toss and will BAT

Shite.

 

[Marshy]

f*** ! thats pissed me right off.

Will we ever win a toss in a test match !

Vaughans record is absolutely awful on the toss, it makes our recent record against sides all the more remarkable.

 

[Titanic]

Vaughan is a USELESS TOSSER