The Ashes

[Sir Alan LCSugar]

Saj Mahmood is just as bad, we really don't have much in terms of fast bowling. It's worrying, whilst in terms of batting, why is a bit part player such as Collingwood playing whilst on form batsmen like Key and Joyce and on a stanger note Ramprakash don't get a look in.

[lafunky xxvii]

Anderson's been an embarrassment now for about 3 years.

He had one amazing series back in the day but since then....Nothing....

At least get someone in who's hungry...

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

And it really doesn't matter how many runs Aus get, just how long they bat for. It's not really worth trying to bowl them out as we want them to bat as long as possible.....

Which is stupid.

Yeah, try to bowl to improve form but that's hardly gonna happen is it...

[lafunky xxvii]

Saj Mahmood is awful. He's got nothing about him, no passion, he gets smashed about a bit and then he drops his head.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Plunkett seems to have some desire which is nice to see. Talented bowler...

[Sir Alan LCSugar]

Plunkett and Broad are our future, if we don't fuck them over first. I heard they are trying to remodel Broad's action, just so he'll be like everyone else probably. The last England bowlers (except Freddie and Si Jones) to really really want it are Goughy and Cork. I want to see some Brett Lee emotion, show us they care.

[lafunky xxvii]

I like Broad but I'm not a big fan of Plunkett. He just doesn't seem to have anything special about him, no amazing pace and he doesn't swing it that much. I think Mahmood has more to offer than Plunkett but he's fucking awful so I don't know what we should do.

[Dan]

Pfft.

We only need to get 648.

[lafunky xxvii]

Yeah. A quick triple hundred from Pietersen and we're laughing >_>.

[Sir Alan LCSugar]

Declared earlier than i expected, it's going to be a tough time judging by the pitch i saw on BBC an hour hour. HUGE cracls.

[Dan]

Here we go.

England to lose by over 500?

[Sir Alan LCSugar]

I'm hoping Fletcher and Freddie tried to light a fire under them with a rousing speech, including that if they bat like morons again (Strauss, what a crap shot) there places will be in danger. A few of the Ashes winners are cruising on the fact that they are just that. But soon enough they'll be Ashes losers if their not careful.

[Mongrel]

This will fuck England for the rest of the tour. They make the pitch look like a minefield, then the Aussies come out and make 1-220 with only a close run out.

Get rid of Anderson and Giles for Lewis and Panesar. It is a joke that Mahmood is in the squad and Lewis isn;t, you may as well have Kabir Fucking Ali.

[lafunky xxvii]

It's because he has years of county experience. It's logical if you think about it.

[Plubby]

In positive news for England: Rain is coming, and Ponting is injured.

We declared when Langer got to 100, I think that was always the intention.

[DFF]

In positive news for England: Rain is coming, and Ponting is injured.

We declared when Langer got to 100, I think that was always the intention.

What's the weather forecast like for the last day?

You know, we could do this. If Pietersen and Jones can stay in for about 2/3 of the day then we'll have a fighting chance of getting the draw.

Edited November 26, 2006 by Týr Are Better Than You

[Plubby]

They predict rain at some point in the afternoon.

[9 to 5]

That would be nice.

[Dan]

Game over.

[DFF]

1013: Gilo, accelerating like a 10-tonne barge, gets off the mark with a single, nudging Lee into the covers to bring up England's 300. Big, boomeranging wide down leg by Lee. Jones forces Lee through the covers for two. Punter fields, eschewing the dive, but looking pretty mobile nonetheless. Jones laces a half-bunger through the covers for four before flicking another ropey old ball away for four to mid-wicket, all run. 311-6

1009: It's as if Pietersen's dismissal never happened - the Barmy Army are still having it in the stands, singing 'we're going to win 4-1'. The Aussies may be better than us at cricket, but we're far funnier. McGrath into the attack, his heel's obviously not that bad. Jones, playing well back in his crease, is almost trapped in front by McGrath. Jones' target will be getting a few runs to justify his selection - he flashes one to the backward point boundary before forcing through the covers for a couple. 299-6

1002: WICKET England 293-6 (Pietersen 92)

Pietersen defends the first ball of the day from Lee and Lee takes the new conker second up. Obviously wanted to get a loosener out of the way with the old one. Disaster for England - KP gone, flicking a half-volley on leg-stump straight to Martyn at short mid-wicket. Whoops-a-daisy Martin Haysey, as the Highbury faithful used to sing. Gilo in next and he survives the over.

0959: KP and Jones are in the middle. It's virtually an all-England crowd - very few Aussies in, they clearly think it's done and dusted.

Gotta love the BBC Live Text Commentary...

EDIT: And there goes Jones...

Edited November 27, 2006 by Týr Are Better Than You