The Ashes 2009

[Orac Zen]

I have dug a soak-away since the last influx, OZ, so the rain worries me rather less.

Good to hear. It wouldn't be at all acceptable for you to have to deal with more flooding.

Don't you wish you needed one of those? I'll try awfully hard to send the rain your way. My garden is drowning.

Thank ye. I don't want a flood. Just rain. I'm not even sure what it looks like any more.

Runs on the board are always a good start and England scored quickly enough against some horrendous bowling that they're fractionally ahead. But I agree with you and BB that so far this has hardly been a series for the ages. A repeat of the near-relentless drama of 2005 wasn't likely but this is almost the opposite.

 

[RevdKathy]

Looks like the Aussies had three shredded wheat for breakfast. It's a wicket per over!

 

[Botany Bay]

Entertaining stuff this morning, but I reckon if I had any hair, I would have pulled most of it out watching Onions and Anderson put on nearly 50

Johnson looks absolutely gone. Australia will be praying he can get in the nets and find his radar this afternoon. Watching Anderson cart him around the park was a sad sight. This was the guy who killed the classy Sth African batting lineup on their turf three months ago. Crazy. Wonder if something has happened behind the scenes?

Potentially tricky hour for Australia on a pitch that is showing a bit more life after the rain. Flintoff to open and give Hughes a bit of short stuff?

 

[RevdKathy]

There are also rumours that some of the Aussies have had problems with that famous opening pair Sam 'n Ella this morning, and are troubled bydifferent sorts of runs. Immodium Plus all round.

I think we'll get a better idea of what this pitch holds now - though just how strong our bowlers are remains to be seen.

 

[Botany Bay]

Ahh that might explain things...poor Siddle looked as a pale as a ghost. Bad timing - they say the dressing room meals at Lord's are superb

A testing afternoon coming up for Mr Cricket, Mike Hussey who will be under the pump to get a score or be replaced by one of the all-rounders. An option that must be in the back of their minds, as that would allow Johnson time to work himself back into form.

Both teams are meeting the Queen as I type this. Suddenly the timing of this outbreak of the runs looks worse and worse

 

[RevdKathy]

The Lord's wicket is supposed to be a bit springier on the second and third day. The Aussie middle order needs to show what it's made of to avoid a follow on. Own up who remembers 1934?

 

[RevdKathy]

Yes, I'm double posting... but Great Googly Moogly!!!

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Australia have been offered the light... and play has been stopped.

Still, 156-8. Wow.

 

[Jono]

Oh crap. Good job English bowlers turning it around. Geez, if they enforce the follow on can Australia get 270 to make England bat again much less the 400+ needed to make it a game?

Even if the batsmen do fire the Aussie bowling attack is down one, main strike weapon out of form and a third possibly ill...only the (likely) end of day two but I really can't see anything but an England victory, a well deserved one at that.

In a few weeks will Australia be looking at day 5 of the first test as the point where they lost the series? Okay, now I'm getting way ahead of myself.

Time to abandon the cricket and hope for greener pastures with the Wallabies who face an All Blacks team tonight on a ground they haven't won on for 15 years! Well, if Australia can lose on a ground they have won on for 75 years surely the universe will balance it out and let the Wallabies win in Auckland.

 

[ATW]

To be honest England are famous at losing it when no one else could possibly lose it. I expect Australia to follow on and still some how not lose this match. It's the English way.

 

[Orac Zen]

Err, yes.

In a few weeks will Australia be looking at day 5 of the first test as the point where they lost the series?

More like the first hour of day 2, where we let the England tail get right away from us. Same thing last night - it's been a thing in Australian cricket for years now (I can even recall McGrath and Warne and co struggling in this area at times) and we no longer have the resources to cover for it. Barring some sort of repeat of the infamous Calcutta Test in '06 (with a better result for us, of course) I don't see a way out of this for us. Very disappointing.

Time to abandon the cricket and hope for greener pastures with the Wallabies who face an All Blacks team tonight on a ground they haven't won on for 15 years! Well, if Australia can lose on a ground they have won on for 64 years surely the universe will balance it out and let the Wallabies win in Auckland.

Sounds good to me. I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[RevdKathy]

*Listens hard*

Nope, I don't hear the fat lady singing yet. Cricket is a five day game, and we're less than half way through.

Then there's that Lord's pitch which is... tricksy (my preciousssss). On Thursday, it put its batting frock on enabling Cook and Straussy to fill their boots. Then yesterday, it dressed down as a bowling track. And fair doos to our bowlers, they came to the party and made the most of it. But today is fine and dry again, and it might not be so easy. It's not impossible that England will narrowly force the follow on, only to watch helpless as Australia repreive Cardiff with four or five hundred, leaving them too many to chase down on a fifth day track.

If Cardiff proved nothing else, it was that 5 day cricket is alive and well, and it ain't over till it's over. I'm going easy on the Merlot till Monday. Well, a bit easy.

 

[Orac Zen]

*Listens hard*

Nope, I don't hear the fat lady singing yet.

That's probably because you're English. But I won't hold that against you (and there's not many I'd say that about).

The rugby result sucked, too. I'm not finding much solace in sport so far this weekend and there's nothing like enough alcohol in this house.

 

[RevdKathy]

Nass had just declared the wicket perfect for batting on today. With all the boffins demanding a follow on, it's definitely not over yet. Couple of days of Punter and Co batting like hellraisers would make this a very different scenario.

Bunch of young men (with cute curly hair) in green and yellow have just told the camera that they're going for the win. Some of you fans still have hope!

 

[Zulu Romeo]

215 all out. Although leading by 210, England decide to bat again - looks like they sense a good batting field today. Maybe they're also concerned about Flintoff's knee too.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

The rugby result sucked, too. I'm not finding much solace in sport so far this weekend and there's nothing like enough alcohol in this house.

I have to wait until Monday night to see how my team will go. It's been one of those years. (And then you look at the AFL and the Saints - to have a season like that would be very nice for the eels)

Really haven't much of this test. Hopefully our bowlers can perform better. If Johnson bowls he did in the first session, he'll replaced. Bring Clark in. Heck even bring in Lee. Not sure if there is a break between tests or not.

 

[RevdKathy]

There's a break, with a tour match I think. Next test not till the 30th. So yes, hopefully you'll have Lee by the next one.

Nasty noises from the com-box about the failure to follow on. If we go on to win, it will be the great decision ever based on having seen the pitch. If not, it will be yet another failure of English nerves. I think it's the price of having a batsan captain - he saw the pitch and fancied it. Mind, if it's damp again tomorrow, he could be spot on.

 

[Jono]

^^ Better then my weekend so far. The Wallabies lost, the Raiders lost, the Aussies are looking not too good in the Ashes. The only joy I've had in the last few weeks is that NSW won SoO on Wednesday.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Lunch now - and look, it's David Mitchell in the TMS commentary box!

 

[RevdKathy]

100-2 - not following on doesn't look quite so clever now. Bopara and KP both looking like there's itching powder in their kit. Most uncomfortable.

On the other hand, today is not a Good Day to be Ricky Ponting. And Aus could use a wicket keeper, now I think about it.