Topic: Ashes 2010 - squad announcement, warm up's, Tests and ODI's

[nicholasanthony]

Poms not sending their front-line bowlers to Tasmania for the warm-up game, fearing a slogging on a slow pitch.

McGrath has tipped a 5-0 Aus win by the by.

[CheshireDave]

McGrath has tipped a 5-0 Aus win by the by.

Didn't he say the same in 2009??


Sri Lanka need another 36 with two wickets left to win.

[pepe_carra_stevie_nando]

Michael Hussey top scoring for Australia with 71 NO

That is a big fuck you to the c*nts who think Hussey is finished.

[Art Vandelay]

I'll have a go at the Fantasy thing again.  Though I was horribly shite at it last time, I seem to recall.

[Yorkykopite]

Just been having a moment about my dad. Born just after the first world war (he had me very late ), and reminiscing. He never once, and I mean not once, mentioned race or colour or anything like that - he just talked about the players. He was a great fan of the three W's and saw them play - he saw Bradman et al too, but for someone of his 'era', and he wasn't afraid of a what would be called a non PC comment, but even tho I sometimes looked on him as a bit of an old duffer at times, he never referred to race, not once. I don't think I've ever realised that till now. He had a joke up his sleeve, but we were closest when it came to cricket and there was never a mention of colour. And he was of an era when I should have been exposed to gags about it but never was.

I think he took some joy, like I did in watching the Windies, utterly destroy England for god knows how long but particularly in the mid 80's. I mean what else could you do?

I think that Windies side reminded everyone what sport was about. They played with such swagger and with a ferocity that secretly we all cheered it. As a kid I spent whole days bowling against a metal seat frame my dad made with bushes as slips and a chair as a forward short leg and I played for the Windies to win every time, looking for the ball that hit the duff patch to nick something from this weird square armature. I scored it... Gower... caught Dujon, bowled Me. I don't think you get that in other sports.

You'll love the film Rob.

I recognise your symptoms too. I had a similar thing in our back yard. I'd take up wicket about 5 yards from the coal shed. Fling a tennis ball wrapped in tape as hard as I could against the shed and then quickly try and get in line for the rebound. When the Windies came on to bowl I'd scatter really tiny bits coal on the flags so that the ball jagged around and leapt up past the chin. You wouldn't believe the number of times 'Andy Roberts' smashed 'Tony Grieg' (and even 'Geoffrey') on the jaw. 

[CheshireDave]

I'll have a go at the Fantasy thing again.  Though I was horribly shite at it last time, I seem to recall.

I think I did really shit last time too. But would have ago again if someone sets one up.

[CheshireDave]

Ooooh that was a close finish. SL needed 1 run to win with 2 wickets left with tons of time left and they lost a wicket …

Then Muralitharan came in and hit a 4

[nicholasanthony]

Didn't he say the same in 2009??


Sri Lanka need another 36 with two wickets left to win.

He says it every time when eh was playing. Just nice to see some things dont change.

And on that note, nice to see our habit of being unable to get the tail out continues.

[-Sad Fuck-]

Hahaha, that was amazing.

Clarke's fucking clueless

[nicholasanthony]

Sri Lanka home game it seemed.

[zero zero]

Sri Lanka home game it seemed.

Get in

[CheshireDave]

He says it every time when eh was playing. Just nice to see some things dont change.

Haha yeah I know.

I do fancy Australia to win though, but it won't be 5-0.

If I was backing a scoreline i'd go with 3-1 to Australia.

[Welshred]

I'll have a go at the Fantasy Ashes again, not sure how well I'll be able to keep up with it over uni though

[Graham Smith]

Sorry to side track but I thought I'd pick up on Filler's reminiscing and add this little story.

1990 booked to go to Oz for the New Year to see some Ashes stuff between 27th December and early January. Wife has said she didn't fancy it and was even decent enough to say I should still go when she declared herself pregnant on the 18th December a week before I left.

Had a fantastic time despite us being rubbish. Saw the Sydney test which we had much the better of - last afternoon run chase of something like 180 off 18 overs saw us about 80 after nine over with no wickets down. A couple of quick wickets saw a draw agreed.

It was the time of the headline in the Aussie press of "Dull Day At The Cricket: England Fail To Collapse" and a typical one eyed scoreboard at Sydney "Michael Atherton, slowest test fifty of all time at Sydney".

Anyway, after the game my mate and I drove to Bowral which is about 70 miles from Sydney. Got there mid evening.

As many know it's a bit of a one horse town with the cricket Oval and Bradman's house in the middle. We settled in the pub where we had rooms sorted and then went to the bar. Three old blokes in there and us. Asked them if they fancied a beer and they said yes.

Turns out they'd been the game that day but more importantly they knew the Don and had also in their youth been at the Bodyline tests (there were two at Sydney) and saw us do them twice, although what is forgotten is we battered them in the first test not using Bodyline, they were also without Bradman for that test as he'd fallen out with the ACB.

It was amazing talking to these blokes who had been there, they were complimentary about Jardine (liked his audacity and resolve) and admitted he got pelted with all sorts as he went to and from the pitch. They were in their seventies and eighties and after a couple of beers they had to get off.

Magical hour and a half.

[The 5th Benitle]

Delighted to see you're a cricket man Graham, enjoyed that.

[nicholasanthony]

For the Poms. Enjoy our fucking media: http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/north-a-captaincy-bolter-as-clarkes-popularity-wanes-20101103-17e2z.html?autostart=1

[CheshireDave]

For the Poms. Enjoy our fucking media: http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/north-a-captaincy-bolter-as-clarkes-popularity-wanes-20101103-17e2z.html?autostart=1

This is a better story from the same site

http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/nrl-star-confirms-sex-act-with-dog-20101104-17f99.html

Hahahaha

[nicholasanthony]

This is a better story from the same site

http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/nrl-star-confirms-sex-act-with-dog-20101104-17f99.html

Hahahaha

And yet I find the first one more disturbing. 

[CheshireDave]

And yet I find the first one more disturbing. 

Well you're Australian after all. I guess it's kind of the norm to do that with a dog over there.  

[nicholasanthony]

Well you're Australian after all. I guess it's kind of the norm to do that with a dog over there.  

For a League player? Yeah. 

[CheshireDave]

England playing Western Australia at the moment.

WA won the toss and are batting and are 173 for 4

Broad has 3 wickets and Collingwood the other.



Western Australia: Davis, Robinson, Swart, North (C), Voges, Pomersbach, Ronchi (W), Magoffin, Duffield, Beer, Hogan

England: Cook, Strauss (C), Pietersen, Bell, Trott, Collingwood, Prior (W), Broad, Swann, Anderson, Finn

[CheshireDave]

Western Australia 183/5 (65.2 ov)

[zero zero]

Australia vs Sri Lanka. 2nd ODI. Should be an interesting chase in a rain affected match.

Sri Lanka 213/3 in 41.1 overs
Australia need 244 in 39 overs.

And Australia are 3/1 in 1.1

[nicholasanthony]

Western Australia 183/5 (65.2 ov)

Broad took 2 in his first over.

Where the condition don't suit Anderson I think they will suit Broad.

[CheshireDave]

Australia lose again.

Long may it continue.

[Gus 1855]

Broad took 2 in his first over.

Where the condition don't suit Anderson I think they will suit Broad.

Quite agree. Don't think Jimmy will do too well this series. Swanny clearly will be the main danger. It will come down to whether the Aussie batsmen can get after Broad and Finn and put them off thier stride.

[Cassiel]

You'll love the film Rob.

I recognise your symptoms too. I had a similar thing in our back yard. I'd take up wicket about 5 yards from the coal shed. Fling a tennis ball wrapped in tape as hard as I could against the shed and then quickly try and get in line for the rebound. When the Windies came on to bowl I'd scatter really tiny bits coal on the flags so that the ball jagged around and leapt up past the chin. You wouldn't believe the number of times 'Andy Roberts' smashed 'Tony Grieg' (and even 'Geoffrey') on the jaw. 

I used to play out the whole Test match without a ball. Just a bat and a vivid imagination. Boycs used to get his hundred in double quick time. Then I'd switch the radio on (was there anything more evocative than switching a radio on in the freezing fucking dark, a whistle and hum of static, voices softly coming into focus from the other side of the world, laying back on the pillow and drifting in out of consciousness as the game ebbed and flowed - something has been lost with Sky Sports, though turning away tired to face the dawn after you've gone to bed with us one down and woken up to find us all out, fucking Derek Pringle bowling and Steve Waugh as entrenched as scabies...it got painful by the 1990s...) and learn he got 37 in a day and made Tavare look like Peter Dasher Denning (RIP). I refused to be Clive Radley though when they picked him. Ugly crab batting leather-faced bastard. Should have picked Jim Love. Always had time for Bill Athey, even if Bill never had time for us. Almost wept when they picked Arnie Sidearse for his first test. How he got one, bless his dibbly-dobbly heart, and Phil Carrick (RIP) didn't is beyond me.

I always wanted the Windies to do us, or didn't mind it. There was something objectionable and boorish about the Beefy, Lamb, Gower era team. And soemthing glorious about Malcolm Marshall (RIP) et al. Saw him bat one handed at Headingley with a broken wrist and then run in and tear us apart, swinging it round corners at pace. What a fucking bowler. It was a thrill to be there and watch it, sod the fact it was us that he gutted and filleted.  Anyway...

Looking forward to this Ashes. Weird though, isn't it? An Aussie team stripped of most of its swaggering, vaudevillian, flint-eyed bullies, so easy to hate. Now they're almost human. Even feeling sorry for the pudge-faced captain. Simply not right.

Fuck them though.

[Red in Korea]

Half centuries for KP and Broad today - not much for the other batsmen though.

[bigbear]

Big day for England today I think for momentum.

Swanny in the wickets - key.

Strauss in the runs -essential.

KP looking like he is in good nick, 58 in the first innings and 35 from 22 in the second. However, he needs a biggy somewhere, hoepfully the GABBA.

I love Jimmy but I do have concerns about him in Oz and at least 2 of the other bowlers need to get to 10 wickets to back Swanny up.

[Loop]

Australia just bowled out Sri lanka for 115 at the Gabba and went on to win the game 119/2.

Australia havent been playing to well but on home ground I reckon they can edge out england. There is some new players coming through. They could make or break how Australia goes. See Stuart Clarke v South Africa.

[StevenLFC]

England won the 2009 series because they had the better attack, and they have the better attack now in my opinion. I fear for Anderson in Australia as it won't swing much but I expect Broad, Finn and Swann to do well. The Aussie attack is decent enough, but I think England's is the better of the two.

[DK]

There is some new players coming through. They could make or break how Australia goes. See Stuart Clarke v South Africa.

You're assuming new players will be given a chance -  they wont.

Expect the same faces (lookin at you Marcus and Nathan) until the series is beyond saving.

[Cassiel]

You're assuming new players will be given a chance -  they wont.

Expect the same faces (lookin at you Marcus and Nathan) until the series is beyond saving.

Blimey DK. That's something I could have typed four years ago. Are you a pom in disguise?

[nicholasanthony]

England won the 2009 series because they had the better attack, and they have the better attack now in my opinion. I fear for Anderson in Australia as it won't swing much but I expect Broad, Finn and Swann to do well. The Aussie attack is decent enough, but I think England's is the better of the two.

It's tough, I think its really a matter of 'we'll find out'. You definitely have the better spinner though.

Going off topic, did anyone see that Kane Williamson 'bowling' in the test against India. That guy is a chucker if ever I've seen one. Enjoyed the commentators trying to describe his action without calling him a chucker too. I think 'jerky' was the term used.

[Bangin Them In]

Quite agree. Don't think Jimmy will do too well this series. Swanny clearly will be the main danger. It will come down to whether the Aussie batsmen can get after Broad and Finn and put them off thier stride.

Agree here, the pitches will be flat as a witches tit and Mother Teresa will swing more.

Finn is a good shout, bowl short of a length all day long, however we may be judging the Aussies by past standards, the difference is now they can't bat or bowl, which may prove a hinderance.

[Red in Korea]

Agree here, the pitches will be flat as a witches tit and Mother Teresa will swing more.

[The 5th Benitle]

Encouraging warm up game that. Great to see the skipper lay down a marker.
Good to see Australia's gun player and next captain Marcus North struggle too.

[DK]

Blimey DK. That's something I could have typed four years ago. Are you a pom in disguise?

7 years and counting in the UK has to take its toll

[liverbnz]

Agree here, the pitches will be flat as a witches tit and Mother Teresa will swing more.

Finn is a good shout, bowl short of a length all day long, however we may be judging the Aussies by past standards, the difference is now they can't bat or bowl, which may prove a hinderance.

I think Finn will really struggle in this series. Yes it suits the short of a length bowler, but he needs a bit more pace or he'll go for a lot of runs.

Anderson on the other hand has added a lot of control since his last visit down under. If you bowl accurate, you'll always be a danger no matter what you bowl on.

[Bangin Them In]

I think Finn will really struggle in this series. Yes it suits the short of a length bowler, but he needs a bit more pace or he'll go for a lot of runs.

Anderson on the other hand has added a lot of control since his last visit down under. If you bowl accurate, you'll always be a danger no matter what you bowl on.

Anderson struggles when it doesn't go off the straight, has in the past, still bowls 4 balls, only needs 1 an over.

i think Finn can be more accurate and nagging in length, certainly long term.

It's ok though for both, 'caus the Aussies can't bat