The Ashes 2009

[RevdKathy]

What? All these hours and no-one got anything to say?

This morning the Australian team are reminding themselves of the 600 they batted in Cardiff. Straussy is gazing at the heavens and praying those showers don't run into each other. And I have to admit the fat lady is limbering up with some scales.

Can England snatch defeat from the jaws of success? You bet they can if they put their minds to it.

 

[Orac Zen]

I have nothing to say that won't turn the air blue.

 

[Jono]

It is time for the largest successful 4th innings run chase record to be beaten. nay, put over the knee and spanked!

 

[RevdKathy]

As one of the 'experts' has just said on TV, it's a 5 match series - the pendulum has swung from Cardiff, and will quite possibly swing back again before September. Reflect, OZ - it's entirely possible that the next match you will go into with Lee and Watson, while we could be without KP and Flintoff. Which would make for a very different scenario. Not to mention that it's Egbaston.

You Aussies are so used to winning you have no stamina for holding on to hope in the face of despair. Whereas we're highly trained at it.

 

[Orac Zen]

Maybe, but I remember Australian cricket in the 80s. Despair was all we had and hope vanished whenever Border got out. And while we'll never (please God) sink to those depths again I really can't get enthused about a team with Lee (done nothing in England, played no worthwhile cricket since Christmas) and Watson (could probably injure himself getting out of bed) as potential leading lights.

You can divert a bit of my rain to Lord's, please, RevdK.

 

[RevdKathy]

You can divert a bit of my rain to Lord's, please, RevdK.

That has to be the ultimate sacrifice for your country. Forget Freddie having Horse pills and KP on the cortezone... forgoing your rain??

There will be some before the end of play. Trust me.

As for the other, England fear Lee, even if he hasn't done much of late. We feel about him much as you do about KP. Back in '05, it was McGrath, Warne and Lee... and he's the only one left.

'Experts' are suggesting Ponting will bat for two days. They pay these guys?

 

[Zulu Romeo]

So, I guess the morning session will be crucial, especially with showers forecast today. If England are finding it hard to get the runs in, or are rapidly losing wickets, they may as well declare earlier and take advantage of the swinging ball and changing weather conditions to limit Australia's batting time, and try and force a victory. If the batting conditions are good, however, a declaration at or just after lunch is more realistic. But don't give Australia too little time to bat, otherwise it's another morale-crushing draw...

A tough decision, really.

Personally, I think England will get bowled out this morning, making such a dilemma a moot point.

 

[Orac Zen]

You can divert a bit of my rain to Lord's, please, RevdK.

That has to be the ultimate sacrifice for your country. Forget Freddie having Horse pills and KP on the cortezone... forgoing your rain??

Just one big cloud over Lord's. Any more would be overkill.

As for the other, England fear Lee, even if he hasn't done much of late.

They must be the only ones, or they have memories of Australian pitches or something. Lee's record in England is atrocious and he has too little worthwhile cricket behind him to be a real force in this series. Of course, if he proves me wrong I'll be quite okay with that.

'Experts' are suggesting Ponting will bat for two days. They pay these guys?

They need something to fill the dead air, I suppose. Ponting is capable of that - assuming he's not given out caught off his boot again. (Which is neither here nor there; poor decisions happen.)

 

[Zulu Romeo]

As for the other, England fear Lee, even if he hasn't done much of late.

They must be the only ones, or they have memories of Australian pitches or something. Lee's record in England is atrocious and he has too little worthwhile cricket behind him to be a real force in this series. Of course, if he proves me wrong I'll be quite okay with that.

So you're saying he's the Steve Harmison of Australia, then? [Ouch - someone]

 

[Botany Bay]

Back from a weekend of too much good food and red wine, and contemplating continuing the booze-fest into Sunday night before turning on the TV to watch more of this series.

Australia might escape a well-deserved loss - it looks like it's raining cats and dogs there.

Whispers that Freddie might pull the pin after this game, and that Pietersen is going to pull out of the series with injury, so all is not lost.

Lee is rated no chance of playing in the tour match and therefore won't be in the frame for the third test. Surely MacDonald will get a run before Watson, but I guess the tour match is a play off between the two.

The biggest Aussie selection issue is Johnson. Tough call, but I think he might have to sit the next one out for us to stay in the series. This test was lost on the first morning.

 

[RevdKathy]

^ Watching Johnson yesterday, I found myself wondering whether Troy Cooley is still in the pay of the ECB.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Oop - England have already declared, and have set Australia 522 to win in 2 potentially rain-interrupted days.

I still can't help but feel this will be a close one.

 

[Botany Bay]

^ Watching Johnson yesterday, I found myself wondering whether Troy Cooley is still in the pay of the ECB.

2005 must seem a long time ago for poor ole Troy.

Katich plays the sort of shot you see from him once in a decade, and we're 1/17. Freddy looks fired up. Australia will be lucky to make tea.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Flintoff so far this innings: Ov 6.0, M 2, R 6, W 2.

(Yes, strictly speaking his first wicket should have been a no-ball... but not bad for someone with one knee. )

 

[Botany Bay]

Ripping session. Brutal fast bowling, tenacious, gutsy batting, controversy. That's more like it!

Excellent stuff from Freddy and Ponting, and a reminder of how good test cricket is when two champions go at it. My discomfort with Ponting as a leader aside, he is possibly second only to Tendulkar as a modern day master batsman.

Watching him fend off that ferocious spell from Freddy and then get stuck into Broad and Onions was brilliant stuff. I like their plan - see off Anderson and Flintoff then try and murder the rest of them, still, we need rain and lots of it.

As for the controversy over the Hughes dismissal (unfortunately for Australia, Flintoff has Hughes completely sorted out), I really think Ponting should have stayed out of it. Hughes asked Strauss if he caught it, Strauss replied in the affirmative, and Hughes walked off, only to be told to stand his ground by Ponting. Full credit to Hughes, and as usual, no credit to Ponting.

If I was an England supporter I'd be a bit concerned about Flintoff's knee, but the task looks hopeless for Australia when we lose captain gracious.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Lunch on TMS is always entertaining. Today the box featured Rolf Harris talking about his songs, and even giving us a taster of Phil Tufnell's Ashes 2009 song (a reworking of "Two Little Boys" ).


You know, maybe it's the lack of terrestrial TV coverage here in the UK compared to 2005, but there doesn't seem to be as many Brits posting here compared to even 2006-7.

 

[StolenThunder]

The loss of cricket from terrestrial TV has ended my test match watching days until I have enough money for Sky. I've also been using a TV recently that had no Five so no highlights either!

Anyway, bowlers doing their job now.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I'm consoling myself with TMS on Radio 4 LW / 5 Live Sports Extra / online, +/- Red Button video scoreboard. Henry Blofeld FTW.

 

[StolenThunder]

I do enjoy TMS. Not quite the same as a lazy day on the sofa in front of the TV though.

 

[RevdKathy]

The TMS team are also all twittering, if you have net access. I have Sky Sports, and find myself torn between their commentary and TMS. Nass and Beefy in the lounge, Blowers and Aggars in the kitchen. My house is positively crowded.

Oh, and I do believe I can hear the fat lady practicing.