Obligatory Ashes thread

[Agafaster]

X-ray wrote:
@ Agafaster

I dunno what your blokes can do now, but it will be an uphill slog from now on, even if victory is attained. History is not on your side though, because nobody has won the Ashes from a 2-0 starting deficit.

theres always a first time!
I dont think we'll do it either, too much has been lost.
mathematically its doable, but psychologically ? need to pull England up, and the Aussies to lose confidence, which ay gonna appen is it!

I think we should play Panesar at 11 instead of Anderson. and someone needs to reprogram Fletcher that for us to bat to 8, we need to start by batting to 7 first! above all, England need to not be cowed like they used to in the late nineties/early noughties... BRING IT ON!!

-edit-
slight nitpick, but we dont need to win the ashes (though that would be sweet!) just retain them - so a series draw is the what is required. a bit of grit to the last ball is the bare minimum!!

[Agafaster]

@ Agafaster

I dunno what your blokes can do now, but it will be an uphill slog from now on, even
if victory is attained. History is not on your side though, because nobody has won the
Ashes from a 2-0 starting deficit.

actually,
The Aussies did it in the '30s IIRC (1936/7 ?)
won the series 3-2 from a 2-0 start by England.
;-)
still - its a tall order - just have to remember to play until the end this time!

[X-ray]

Well, I stand corrected. The dude on the TV must have said that England has never done it from 2-0 down. Either way, as you say it is a big ask.

[Agafaster]

y'never know though - we may get more luck too - Strauss was apparently given caught in the 2nd inns when the analysis showed the ball didnt touch bat or pad.

to Paraphrase Alex Ferguson: Cricket ? bl00dy hell! )

still-nothing like blind optimism in the face of impossible odds to see us through, eh!

[X-ray]

I see Monty did a good job for your boys, eh? You were right about him.

[Agafaster]

X-ray wrote:
I see Monty did a good job for your boys, eh? You were right about him.

Ta! shame about the rest - good bowling performance (even Harmy came to the party!) undone by poor shot selection - the Aussies were really only bowling good line and length nowt special, but it got the job done - only Pietersen Harmison and (him again!) Panesar had an innings of any real worth.

still if the test ends with the series 3-0 I guess the series sponsors wont be happy!

on the upnote, if we can get Ponting with a 1st ball like the one that did for Langer, and then bat like never before, we COULD turn it around! looking forward to the summer now really !

[X-ray]

Oy yoy yoy, the Aussies know how to bat, innit?

Gilchrist again.

I remember seeing him go on the rampage in Johannesburg in 2002 and I was impressed then. He did it again.

[adz]

Woot!!! Australia won!!! :pint: :-)

[Agafaster]

I hope that was celebration, and not mock surprise! ;-)

in reference to this discussion, conclusive proof that god isnt an Englishman!

on paper, quite a close match between the sides (once Panesar* got a look in), but in reality a miss is as good as a mile. we were shot down in flames in Brisbane, lost it really only on the final day in Adelaide and lost it when Gilchrist made his tonne in almost-record time (Viv's record is safe for a bit then!) despite a magnificent tonne from Cook in Perth.
Still, two more to go!

Happy Christmas Australia!

high points - Freddie's Bowling, KP, Colly and Cook tonnes, Hoggy's 7-fer, Monty's 5-fer (8 in the match)*
low points - Jones either side of the sticks!

*so. it seems Panesar justified Fletchers' decision not to pick him for the 1st two tests. I mean he only got a 5-fer!!  :pissed:

its been interesting!

[X-ray]

Maybe you guys must recruit more South Africans before the next Ashes, if you want the little urn back  :-P