The Ashes - warning: contains Silly Point

[Paul Cooper]

Abject bowling today, and then we go and lose those two wickets before that wonderfully soft Welsh rain descended.

I’m currently looking at my £25 ticket for Cardiff in the morning, and a hotel room that must be canceled by 12 noon if I want my money back.

Mmmm, I think I’ll set my alarm for 6 a.m. and check out the Met Office before deciding to go or not.

Thought that you were optimistic booking for the 5th day. I hear that remarkably the 5th day was sold out in advance.

Hopefully that is why the groundsman prepared a flat wicket. We have lost 2 wickets, but a perfect time for Kp to get a big 100.

[SmileyMan]

Told you so: England win or a draw, nailed on!

[GodalmingYellow]

Given the pitch and the feeble Aussie bowling, it's either ours or a draw. Depends if we can get rid of these two with the new ball tomorrow and then try and skittle the rest of them during the day.

As for KP, it's clear that his new strategy is to play the first 50 balls gently to get himself in, then turn on the taps. Fair enough - he's not an innings builder, he's more a shock troop to turn around an innings. There's no point criticising it, because a) he's always played like that, it's won us plenty of games, and he's not going to change, and b) he doesn't listen anyway.

That's a joke isn't it?

If the weather plays no part, we'll be lucky to save this game. I suspect we'll be saved by the forecast downpour in Wales tomorrow.

Told you so.

[theox]

Given the pitch and the feeble Aussie bowling, it's either ours or a draw. Depends if we can get rid of these two with the new ball tomorrow and then try and skittle the rest of them during the day.

As for KP, it's clear that his new strategy is to play the first 50 balls gently to get himself in, then turn on the taps. Fair enough - he's not an innings builder, he's more a shock troop to turn around an innings. There's no point criticising it, because a) he's always played like that, it's won us plenty of games, and he's not going to change, and b) he doesn't listen anyway.

That's a joke isn't it?

If the weather plays no part, we'll be lucky to save this game. I suspect we'll be saved by the forecast downpour in Wales tomorrow.

Told you so.

We were very lucky. The only batsman who did their job in the second innings were Collingwood, Anderson, and Panesar and two of them aren't batsman.

Why are we so bad at simply staying at the crease?!

[ty cobb]

Given the pitch and the feeble Aussie bowling, it's either ours or a draw. Depends if we can get rid of these two with the new ball tomorrow and then try and skittle the rest of them during the day.

As for KP, it's clear that his new strategy is to play the first 50 balls gently to get himself in, then turn on the taps. Fair enough - he's not an innings builder, he's more a shock troop to turn around an innings. There's no point criticising it, because a) he's always played like that, it's won us plenty of games, and he's not going to change, and b) he doesn't listen anyway.

That's a joke isn't it?

If the weather plays no part, we'll be lucky to save this game. I suspect we'll be saved by the forecast downpour in Wales tomorrow.

Told you so.

I don't remember there being a downpour in Wales yesterday - did I miss something?

The pitch gave nothing to the bowlers, players who got their heads down and played sensibly stayed in.

On a 5th day pitch not being able to get rid of Anderson and Monty shows how dead it was - it wasn't as if they were even troubled!

[GodalmingYellow]

I don't remember there being a downpour in Wales yesterday - did I miss something?

You don't recall the rain disruption on Saturday? Did you even follow the match?

The pitch gave nothing to the bowlers, players who got their heads down and played sensibly stayed in.

On a 5th day pitch not being able to get rid of Anderson and Monty shows how dead it was - it wasn't as if they were even troubled!

I seem to recall their very mediocre attack and part time spinner getting enough from the pitch to take 19 of the necessary 20 wickets, whereas ours managed a total of 6 wickets.

Next you'll be telling us that Rob Duffy would have taken the wickets and scored the runs.

[ty cobb]

I don't remember there being a downpour in Wales yesterday - did I miss something?

You don't recall the rain disruption on Saturday? Did you even follow the match?

The pitch gave nothing to the bowlers, players who got their heads down and played sensibly stayed in.

On a 5th day pitch not being able to get rid of Anderson and Monty shows how dead it was - it wasn't as if they were even troubled!

I seem to recall their very mediocre attack and part time spinner getting enough from the pitch to take 19 of the necessary 20 wickets, whereas ours managed a total of 6 wickets.

Next you'll be telling us that Rob Duffy would have taken the wickets and scored the runs.

I was actually at the first two days, although making use of the very good range of drinks on offer maybe I didn't follow it as much closely as I could have. But yes you're quite right the rain on Sat did end up saving us.

Still think it was a rubbish wicket for the bowlers though, we got ourselves out rather then they got us out.

[GodalmingYellow]

I don't remember there being a downpour in Wales yesterday - did I miss something?

You don't recall the rain disruption on Saturday? Did you even follow the match?

The pitch gave nothing to the bowlers, players who got their heads down and played sensibly stayed in.

On a 5th day pitch not being able to get rid of Anderson and Monty shows how dead it was - it wasn't as if they were even troubled!

I seem to recall their very mediocre attack and part time spinner getting enough from the pitch to take 19 of the necessary 20 wickets, whereas ours managed a total of 6 wickets.

Next you'll be telling us that Rob Duffy would have taken the wickets and scored the runs.

I was actually at the first two days, although making use of the very good range of drinks on offer maybe I didn't follow it as much closely as I could have. But yes you're quite right the rain on Sat did end up saving us.

Still think it was a rubbish wicket for the bowlers though, we got ourselves out rather then they got us out.

I agree with that. If the ECB wanted a turning wicket on the grounds of the Aussies being weak in that department compared to us, what Glamorgan produced was way too slow, making turn too easy to deal with.

[theox]

So, does anyone feel its likely we will beat the Aussies at Lords?! Apparently we haven't done so in the last 18 attempts.

[GodalmingYellow]

So, does anyone feel its likely we will beat the Aussies at Lords?! Apparently we haven't done so in the last 18 attempts.

The Lord's pitch has been much better and faster since they re-did the drains about 8(?) years ago, so the chance of a reuslt in recent years has been improved.

However, the weather is likely to prevent a result again, with tomorrow forecast as a complete washout.

So if we are to win, we will need to score and take wickets very quickly.

In my view, when we play to our potential, we have a better test side than Australia. It's the inconsistency which is the problem.

[Snake]

So there we go, a captain’s innings and given Flintoff’s massive contribution to the team on and off the field in the last 24 hours (and I hope he makes fuck all money selling his memoirs) it means that with the weather forecast we have it’s going to be a draw again - but not as good as the draw in Wales, I’ll bet.

All to play for in the 3rd test now.

[Ascension Ox]

So there we go, a captain’s innings and given Flintoff’s massive contribution to the team on and off the field in the last 24 hours (and I hope he makes fuck all money selling his memoirs) it means that with the weather forecast we have it’s going to be a draw again - but not as good as the draw in Wales, I’ll bet.

All to play for in the 3rd test now.

Er hold on, the weather forecast is not that bad. I reckon, on balance, that was a good effort by England today.

Plus I'm going on Saturday and won't be held to ransom by your gnomic witterings.

[Snake]

I prefer to twitter rather than witter these days.

Enjoy the rain on Saturday.

[Isaac]

Saturday looks alright weather wise doesn't it? Today might be a bit dodgy.
Anyway it's a bit early to be calling it a draw already, England probably missed out somewhat but until the aussies have a bat it's not easy to tell.

[GodalmingYellow]

Play will be lost today and on Sunday. A draw is almost certain unless a batting collapse occurs by one side or t'other.

England were again let down by some poor batting. Collingwood in particular played a dismal stroke. With Strauss' innings, England might be in all sorts.