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

Basil wrote:Right boys - look after the shop for the next four hours will you?

On it.

Now I know i'm in danger of being an optimist but I think we have the series win in the bag guys...

And more like a slapper than a kipper I'd have thought.

Unless you meant kipper as in caught napping.


EDIT: That wasn't for Lever.

JKLever wrote:Now I know i'm in danger of being an optimist but I think we have the series win in the bag guys...

You shaggin turncoat! Who is going to guard The Cloak of Scepticism now??

356, and only one wucket left.

Is it enough??

Australia 200-1 for the win. Will it get up to the dreaded 500?

Aus should be able to bat this out, not a bad deck still.... just scoreboard pressure really.

Ah FFS, they've already shown Adelaide highlights this series, why would they put us through that again.

JKLever wrote:Aus should be able to bat this out, not a bad deck still.... just scoreboard pressure really.

Phew! That's more like it. Thought aliens had taken over yer brain for a minute.

Come over here for a hug.

TMS pointing out that this Pom score is their joint-highest ever Test innings in Oz.

Is that true?

Yes.

Punter must have mixed feelings about the 636-9.

Henry wrote:Has a team ever won three tests in a series by an innings?

England did in their 5-0 victory over India at home in 1959 winning the 1st (Trent Bridge) by an inns & 59, 3rd (Headingley) by an inns & 173, and the 5th (Oval) by an inns & 27 but I'm sure there must be several other examples.

I think England have beaten their record for the highest total without a double century - previous record - 629 (Amiss 188, Denness 118, Greig 106) v. India at Lord's in June 1974. The overall Test record is 692-8d (Lara 179, Hooper 127) by WI v. Eng. at The Oval in August 1995 - might be a bit of a struggle to overhaul that in the present innings but looking at the current Aussie bowling you never can tell.

Someone tell me when the Adelaide highlights have stopped please...

I mean FFS, do Aus broadcasters ever show highlights of Headingly 1981 twice in the same series? Or even ever?

vilkrang wrote:Someone tell me when the Adelaide highlights have stopped please...

I mean FFS, do Aus broadcasters ever show highlights of Headingly 1981 twice in the same series? Or even ever?

To be fair, how often did the English broadcasters show highlights of Headingley 81 during breaks of play in the 90s.

Henry wrote:

vilkrang wrote:Someone tell me when the Adelaide highlights have stopped please...

I mean FFS, do Aus broadcasters ever show highlights of Headingly 1981 twice in the same series? Or even ever?

To be fair, how often did the English broadcasters show highlights of Headingley 81 during breaks of play in the 90s.

I'm talking about the English broadcasters showing Adelaide, not the aus ones....

Ah, I see.

Hmm. I guess watching those highlights will help make this victory that much sweeter.

Henry wrote:Ah, I see.

Hmm. I guess watching those highlights will help make this victory that much sweeter.

I've turned them off. Subjected myself to the horror earlier in the series, no desire to repeat it.

Still on.... It's like turning on to see a really f**ked up disturbing horror film...

But worse.

vilkrang wrote:Someone tell me when the Adelaide highlights have stopped please...

I mean FFS, do Aus broadcasters ever show highlights of Headingly 1981 twice in the same series? Or even ever?

Hmm, I watched a lot of that Ashes series but didn't actually see much of the Adelaide Test (was travelling around the Whitsunday Islands at the time). Never realised that it was a shocking umpiring decision against Strauss that sparked the collapse.


We'd still have lost the series heavily, but the umpire review system might have evened things out a bit in that series, to 4-0 maybe. Strauss got quite a few shockers I seem to recall. Plus Pietersen was given out to McGrath at the Gabba when it wouldn't have hit another set and at the MCG Symonds and Hayden (3 times) benefitted from umpiring howlers before going on to make centuries.

As a further response to Henry's question Australia, ironically, have achieved three innings victories in a series on at least 3 occasions, v. the Windies in 1930-1, the Saffies in 1931-2 and against the Indians in 1947-8.

Was enjoying watching Swann bat so much I decided to stay up for the end of the England innings. Will be p!ssed off if we lose a wicket first up now.

Especially when I fall asleep in my 9am meeting tomo.

Yet another shocking session for the Aussies. Johnson's figures look embarrasing for the so-called spearhead of the attack.

A couple of random thoughts - has Englands batting ever been stronger?

A quality top 6 who all average 40+, a wicket-keeper who smashes it to all parts at 7, a seam bowler who can more than hold a bat at 8, a counter attacking number 9 who averages 24 and gets them at a S/R of 80+. Even our number 10 has a FC average of 18, and Jimmy at 11 is doughty and has played his fair share of gutsy knocks and is a reliable night-watchman.