08-08-2005 15:00									#61
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I think maybe they are a bit better with the bat. Flintoff was certainly giving Lee a battering. It's a fair point though. England had a 100 last wicket partnership in their second innings too, if you'd knocked them over quickly it would have been a very different game.

	08-08-2005 15:55									#62
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Think the bowlers are better with the bat now. They were saying how Warne had 2 county centuries this year, and Kasper had 12 first class 50's. Lee has a batting average of 20+ as well i think, so i think they're no mugs.

	08-08-2005 16:03									#63
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To use a footie chant totally out of context: "Can we play you every week?"

A wonderful spectacle and hopefully setting things up for Old Trafford.
Does anyone think that these two teams could ever draw a match? I don't. My brother has tickets for next Sunday - I'll be jealous if it lasts that long. Bloody disgrace not bringing the Ashes to Headingley.

	08-08-2005 16:06									#64
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Even if we lose this series it's the first time for absolutely ages I can remember it being competitive. Which is really good for cricket. I'm sure the Aussies would rather win a close exciting series in which they triumphed over a good side rather than walking all over a bad side and winning easily.

	08-08-2005 16:21									#65
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Well a draw was definitely possible yesterday Different kind of draw though.

	08-08-2005 16:59									#66
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Technically that would have been a tie, which is different to a draw.

	08-08-2005 21:31									#67
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quote: Originally posted by Alexander's Horse It was a great test and the crowd shots were priceless - people with heads in hands, biting their nails, grimacing, groaning but as a former bowler it really makes me cringe to see tailenders get so many - both bowling attacks were guilty of lacklustre tactics. Its offensive and embarrassing to see bowlers last that long. The art of blasting out the tail seems to have been lost. The bowlers of yester year would get rather cross of the tail wagged. They'd work over the tail - one at the head, one at the toes, one in the ribs, one on the hand, one on off stump going away and one spearing in at the stumps. The tailenders would soon start thinking of the dressing sheds and a hot shower. Maybe they are better batsmen today.

I think - as Mike said above - that the batting has got better. I don't think you could argue that Lee (in particular) didn't get a good working-over. England's last-wicket partnership was clean hitting and good manoevering the strike by Freddie, with a dose of poor captaincy from Ponting. Whoever would have thought that an Australian captain could set a field of nine men on the boundary...?

	08-08-2005 23:46									#68
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The pitch was bizarre. On Saturday it was turning like the light-bike race from "Tron". The next day there wasn't the slightest hint of turn. That's just not right.

	09-08-2005 00:34									#69
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Lee supposedly out for the next Test (as well as McGrath). Not many seamers left then is there?

	09-08-2005 02:27									#70
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quote: Originally posted by Lazarus and the Gimp The pitch was bizarre. On Saturday it was turning like the light-bike race from "Tron". The next day there wasn't the slightest hint of turn. That's just not right.

Although we are comparing apples and oranges if the contrast is between the turn our Shane extracted and your bloke. Shane is a leggie and they always get more and Shane is a freak anyway who could get turn from a polished floor. Your bloke got a lot of turn and bounce in the last session but couldn't capitalise on it.

Those 2 balls Warnie bowled to dismiss Bell in the first dig and Strauss in the second were extraordinary. The second is being called the millenium ball. The nation forgave him for marital infidelity after that ball.

	09-08-2005 04:34									#71
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Guessing he means swing off the seamers? Not sure though. Giles doesn't do "magic" balls really i think

	09-08-2005 05:48									#72
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quote: Originally posted by Alexander's Horse Trescothick played a terrible shot to get caught.

He keeps on getting out like that. Standing there, no footwork, and waving the bat outside off stump like a number eleven.

	09-08-2005 05:53									#73
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quote: Originally posted by Alexander's Horse Those 2 balls Warnie bowled to dismiss Bell in the first dig and Strauss in the second were extraordinary. The second is being called the millenium ball.

The Straussbuster delivery turned about 9 feet . Gilo's lucky to turn it 9 inches, bless 'im. Warne'll be lethal at Old Trafford.

	09-08-2005 11:34									#74
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just for fun it looks like we'll bring in another leg spinner to pair up with Warne

	09-08-2005 13:33									#75
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The big difference is that England have players that would get in the Aussie side, before we had good players who wouldn't have disgrced themselves in an Aussie 11 but wern't on the whole good enough to replace anyone. I would think the Aussies would take Freddie, Harmy and Pieterson straightaway.

	10-08-2005 13:18									#76
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maybe Flintoff, maybe

Oh boy oh boy, more cricket tonight

England needs to show they can maintain the intensity because the Australian team is going to come out ready to play. They'll be looking to restore the psychological advantage and crush England utterly.

Expect the Aussies to ruthlessly target the weaker players and work to contain the stronger ones. If they don't do it, Ponting's captaincy will be questioned. We show no mercy on our own players.

	11-08-2005 23:37									#77
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I'm happy with today's efforts. Questions over Strauss and Bell again, but we did all right, and hopefully my brother will see a fair bit on Sunday.
I'm also happy because Today at the Test has just started.
Some decent batsmen still to come, so that's all right.
But was it really worth bringing McGrath back? His figures look awful.

	12-08-2005 00:16									#78
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Bell did alright.

	13-08-2005 02:57									#79
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Australia didn't.

Where did all the Oz posters go?

	13-08-2005 03:00									#80
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Horsie Horsie what's the score

	13-08-2005 05:09									#81
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quote: Originally posted by spartak Australia didn't. Where did all the Oz posters go?

To bed.

Its all part of our cunning plan

	13-08-2005 05:41									#82
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quote: Bell did alright.

and again, that catch at short leg... who knows what happens if he misses it.

Australia will win this test match though.

	13-08-2005 05:47									#83
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How can you people call baseball dull?

	13-08-2005 10:12									#84
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go away

	13-08-2005 14:26									#85
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And Australia haven't a hope in this match. The issue is whether they are saved by the weather or not.

	13-08-2005 14:33									#86
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. Pick injured and out of form bowlers, leave out Mac Gill

. Stick with out of form batsmen like Hayden and Katich no matter what. Pick bowlers who can bat a bit just in case, like now.

. Don't let Vaughn get a big score. Okay, don't let Vaughn get another big score.

. No keeping practice for Gilchrist, old iron gloves is only there to bat and say "good area Shane" .

. Don't support McGrath in the field - he enjoys the extra challenge of having bowl out the English top order and getting LB's from Billy Bowden.

. Don't bowl Warne in the first session, use him sparingly throughout the game. Preferably don't bowl him until the quicks tire or break down completely.

. Employ part-time bowlers to support Warne. Anyone can bowl with our Shane. You want a bowl? Gives out of form batsmen something to do. Bring on Ponting soon.

. Let England score freely, forbid Australia from fielding a third man, its too defensive.

. Let Ricky Ponting set bizarre fields or even forget to move the field because he's a cricket genius and probably saw something that we didn't, or maybe not. We'll never know.

. See if Australia can win after following on or narrowly avoiding the follow on. Its all part of the plan. We think long term with our selections. Valuable lessons will be learned. The team hasn't practiced that for a long while.

. Keep underestimating England, we need to keep our psychological advantage. Have Australian players say silly things around the bat to put the English off. Its really working.

. Yes, a couple of players have been picked for sledging ability alone. You knew there had to be a reason.

. If all else fails, give Dizzy another over, he'll get it right eventually. That's why we picked him.

. If Australia loses, blame the captain, blame the players, blame the umpires, blame the pitch, blame the weather but don't blame us - except Merv, its okay to blame Merv. And Ponting, he's the captain and a selector so we can start a rumour he had more say than Trev.

. Let Merv spend as much time with his tour party as possible. Its good for team morale. The rumour that Merv gave Michael Clarke a friendly poke in the back is unfounded.

. In the event of catatastrophe, remember one phrase and repeat after me - All is forgiven Shane. Have you ever considered a stint as captain son? Can we reach you by phone? Text?

	13-08-2005 18:41									#87
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Please please please give Dizzy anothe rover, or 10. We could use another free 50 runs.

	14-08-2005 05:02									#88
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Please keeping picking that useless wicket keeper. Another 50 for us.

	14-08-2005 20:17									#89
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McGrath is in a pretty sorry state.

Hes barely reaching 80mph and he tries a slower ball at 65? Just let an over go for 13 runs.

	15-08-2005 06:13									#90
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McGrath got 5.