5th Ashes test v Australia

[Jeff]

Wicket for Broad, 90-2

 

[Jeff]

Watson and Katich both out, two new batsmen still to face a ball.

 

[Billyjof]

It's going to be a long day of my lazy arse parked on the couch.

 

[glyn]

Two brilliant pieces of fielding see ponting and clarke ran out!! Just when it was getting flat

 

[glyn]

Can't believe how quiet it is on here......you'd think everyone was watching the cricket or something ;-)

278/5, the Aussies have battled well all day

 

[Tamworth Fox]

England won.

Well done.

 

[bocadillo]

England won.

Well done.

Tamworth Fox: a man of few words (very few).

 

[Billyjof]

Great result, I was worried this afternoon.

 

[glyn]

Absolutely brilliant, and all done before work tomorrow.

Never thought they would turn it round after Headingley. Funny old series with England stealing it if you look at the stats. But we won enough sessions at the right time. Australia will probably not make wholesale changes, they are a developing team, and could have won with the spinner in the side.

We need to not sit on our laurels and make a few changes ready for the next 4 years and focus this time on trying to beat everyone and not just an average Australia side in 2010 and 2013. We're still just a mid-table test side.

 

[FoxCovert]

Brilliant today, watched every ball. Great celebrations at the end. Did anyone see the guy in the crowd with Leicester City shirt on with shades perched on his head, youngish chap, wondered if it was anyone who comes on here.

 

[Brauny Blue]

Superb

England still have plenty to sort out though. Too many players didnt do the bizz in the series, the middle order especially being poor.
Anderson averaged over 40 per wicket with his bowling, and Cook basically had a mare.
On the good side, Pietersen will come back in for one of those middle order failures, and Trott also deserves a go.
Broad looks like he could fill Freddies boots, and Strauss performed brilliantly through the series. The captain certainly surprised me, and i'd admit that i thought his appointment was a negative one.
Glad he proved me wrong.

Now just need to avoid another 5-0 thrashing in oz next time:icon_bigg around.

 

[fcukcov]

Lovely Stuff

 

[Cate Fox]

Brilliant today, watched every ball. Great celebrations at the end. Did anyone see the guy in the crowd with Leicester City shirt on with shades perched on his head, youngish chap, wondered if it was anyone who comes on here.

saw him on the highlights show on Ch 5 and wondered the same thing :icon_lol:

 

[fcukcov]

saw him on the highlights show on Ch 5 and wondered the same thing :icon_lol:

I saw him on sky.

 

[PFKAKTF FOX]

Fantastic result and performance. However I really this result does not paper over the cracks and I hope the selectors are brave and make some fresh and exciting changes to the side.

I think it is time that Bell and Colly are left out. I would retain Cook as I believe he has the class and temprament for Test Cricket and will come good again. Trott IMO has the guts, temprament and technique to fill the much troubled No 3 position, I would use this opportunity to bring Bopara back into the side but bat him at 5 where I believe he would flourish.

Broad has shown he can step up to fill Flintoff's position at 7, and IMO now is the time to blood Rashid at No 8 and start to play with two out and out spinners, whenever possible, with Onions offering an alternative if an extra seamer is required.

My starting XI for the Winter would be as follows:

Strauss (c)
Cook
Trott
Pieterson (If fit)
Bopara
Prior
Broad
Rashid
Swann
Anderson
Harmison

 

[Durham Fox]

It was only in Cardiff where Collingwoods performance saved the first test and shifted the momentum towards England.

 

[PFKAKTF FOX]

It was only in Cardiff where Collingwoods performance saved the first test and shifted the momentum towards England.

I wouldn't disagree, but that has been the problem with Colly, one or two good scores followed by a run of poor scores and just when pressure is mounting for him to be dropped he manages a couple of decent knocks. From a consistency point of view and long term IMO it is time for him to make way.

 

[Redditch Fox]

I think that the series has been a bit of an anti-climax.

Neither of these sides was that good and certainly this is one of the very poorest Australian touring sides in my long memory.

We've built up these Ashes tests into the be all and end all in terms of the 5 days game and I worry about the overall future of test match cricket.

I would give a 5 test matches iconic status to all the series with South Africa and possibly India to try to get some sense of balance. otherwise. we will be trying to build the game on a home series against the Aussies just once every 4 years. Not a viable approach.

On the England team: Iv'e never been that convinced about Collingwood as a test player - excellent bits and pieces one day player - but I'm afraid that this series win will paper over the cracks.

 

[PFKAKTF FOX]

I think that the series has been a bit of an anti-climax.

Neither of these sides was that good and certainly this is one of the very poorest Australian touring sides in my long memory.

We've built up these Ashes tests into the be all and end all in terms of the 5 days game and I worry about the overall future of test match cricket.

I would give a 5 test matches iconic status to all the series with South Africa and possibly India to try to get some sense of balance. otherwise. we will be trying to build the game on a home series against the Aussies just once every 4 years. Not a viable approach.

On the England team: Iv'e never been that convinced about Collingwood as a test player - excellent bits and pieces one day player - but I'm afraid that this series win will paper over the cracks.

Spot on Redditch, both sides are in transition and it was more of a case that at present England perhaps have a more balanced side than the Aussies. I think the fact that the Aussies are 4th and we are 5th in the test rankings are a pretty fair reflection, on a positive note the very fact that both sides were in transition contributed to what was an entertaining and competitive series, although in comparison to 2005 the cricket was nowhere the quality or intensity.

 

[Fox From The Hudd]

I can't help feeling The Aussies lost this series more than we won it.

They really should have won in Cardiff where they played us off the park and it was poor first innings performances that lost them the two games at Edgbaston and The Oval - their rearguard performances in those games were of the highest quality.

If you look at the stats in their crudest form both teams scored virtually the same amount of runs Aussies 2886 vs. England's 2866 whereas as Australia toook siginificantly more wickets 84 vs. 71!

But having said that who cares we beat them and that's the only stat that matters!