Australia v England, 5th Test, Sydney, January 3-7, 2011

vilkrang wrote:Heard Bell being interviewed earlier saying he wasn't sure he hit it, which at the time I thought was bollocks, but after seeing the highlights he did seem like he wasn't sure straight after the decision was made.

I just can't imagine a player going for the review in that situation if he knew he'd hit it.

The channel nine commentators were woefully one-eyed, saying how Bell "Knows he's hit that...he just wants to try and get away with one..."

This was shortly after Phil Hughes had clearly and belatedly tried to claim a catch that he knew he hadn't caught, and they were silent when all that was going on.

Jingoism aside, Bell either suspected or knew he hit it and was lucky with the review. Hughes probably knew he hadn't caught it but got rather too caught up in the team appeal. Neither was very honorable, but not all that dishonourable either. Ultimately, Australia came off worse because Bell should really have been out whether or not he felt the ball on bat. That's about it. Let's not get all Botham/Daily Mail about it.

I think we on Flaming Bails should all wear halos. We are above all that.

Or a nimbus will do.

ever hopeful wrote:

Dello wrote:

ever hopeful wrote:

Dello wrote:Oh Cookles, what a damp squib of a demise.

200 lead is off the table now. 150-odd if the tail wags a bit.

Hopeless! (in both senses). Why don't you just say we're going to win everytime we get a few runs together, and then post a gloom-and-doom prediction everytime we lose a wicket....oh wait, that's what you were doing.

Carry on then...

Well, Bell was "out" straight after - 200 lead would certainly have been off the table then.

Incidentally, I backed the draw. Never once said we're going to win. But, you know, details...

Sorry, I should have checked. You really are an incorrigible pessimist, aren't you.
Do you think they've got any chance at all of getting past 500?

Never claimed I wasn't.

However, occasionally my posts aren't entirely serious...

ever hopeful wrote:Jingoism aside, Bell either suspected or knew he hit it and was lucky with the review. Hughes probably knew he hadn't caught it but got rather too caught up in the team appeal. Neither was very honorable, but not all that dishonourable either. Ultimately, Australia came off worse because Bell should really have been out whether or not he felt the ball on bat. That's about it. Let's not get all Botham/Daily Mail about it.

I'd reckon many of us have been on both sides of it. I can clearly recall being given out caught behind when I knew the ball hadn't touched anything. The bowler, a friend of mine, remains convinced (15 years later) that I cut it in half. I've appealed for catches taken by the keeper from 1st slip without a shred of doubt with the batsman equally adament I was wrong. Bell had doubts & therefore he was entitled to have it referred. If the camera wasn't god enough to detect the nick, assuming there was one, so be it. Get on with the game.

So to put this game into perspective - England are 216 ahead after being gifted 143 runs to Cookie and 45 to Tinker = 188.


So morally, Aust are only 28 behind with 3 wickets to take this morning.

I reckon we are a chance of a moral victory here.

Good luck with that.

Couple of balls have really died and trickled to the keeper.

Think it'll be hard for England's seamers to come up with 10 wickets - need this pitch to start taking some turn.

Dello wrote:Couple of balls have really died and trickled to the keeper.

Think it'll be hard for England's seamers to come up with 10 wickets - need this pitch to start taking some turn ..

Did you mean:

Think it'll be hard for England's seamers to come up with 10 wickets by the close - need this pitch to start taking some turn if they're to clean this up tonight" ?

And now a couple have kicked up from a length.

JGK wrote:So to put this game into perspective - England are 216 ahead after being gifted 143 runs to Cookie and 45 to Tinker = 188.


So morally, Aust are only 28 behind with 3 wickets to take this morning.

I reckon we are a chance of a moral victory here.

Blimey! What with all the Ashes fuss, I forgot all about the Moral Ashes Tournament. Remind me who the holders are.

Australia, of course due to the moral Victory at Cardiff in 2009.

Hope Prior isn't left stranded/gets out. Will be a fantastic century if he gets it.

JGK wrote:Australia, of course due to the moral Victory at Cardiff in 2009.

Actually that was our moral victory, so we won the series 3-1.

There's no point in England hanging around here. May as well go for quick runs and get bowling when we're already 244 ahead.

Henry wrote:There's no point in England hanging around here. May as well go for quick runs and get bowling when we're already 244 ahead.

Nah, grind them into the dust. I'm loving every minute.

Good to see 2 20/20s and 7 ODIs to come. That won't be at all anti-climactic.

Yeah, mark me down for Team Grind.

I'd prefer a win, myself. There's showers forecast for today. Even if England declared now Australia wouldn't have enough time to get ahead and set England a decent target. An England win or a draw are the only options in this match.

Yeah, winning the match is the icing on the cake but we can afford to bat and bat and make sure there isn't even a Headingley 1981 reversal as a possibility. Winning a series in Australia, doesn't matter too much if it's 2-1 or 3-1, Captain Cautious can keep going!

Would anyone be able to PM me a link?

Thankings you.

JGK wrote:So to put this game into perspective - England are 216 ahead after being gifted 143 runs to Cookie and 45 to Tinker = 188.


So morally, Aust are only 28 behind with 3 wickets to take this morning.

I reckon we are a chance of a moral victory here.

aka an Indian victory!

JGK wrote:Australia, of course due to the moral Victory at Cardiff in 2009.

No way. India never lost that one.

Or any one.

Not really.

Ask Karti if you're in any doubt.

vilkrang wrote:

JGK wrote:Australia, of course due to the moral Victory at Cardiff in 2009.

Actually that was our moral victory, so we won the series 3-1.

Turn it up. We flippin' murdered you in that game.