England v Australia, 1st Test, Cardiff, July 8-12 (II)

Don't believe it for a second, if Australia are well on top by close of play today this weather will mysteriously move on...

JKLever wrote:

Merlin wrote:Rain in July isn't of monsoon intensity here Trev ... yep, even in Wales ... so don't count on it !

One problem, however, is that, despite being adjacent to the River Taff, the old Sophia Gardens did not drain well nor quickly enough.

So FFS, bring it on RainGod.

No need to play for the draw yet FFS...

We could yet bowl Aus out for 485 and be well in the game still, sometimes teams that have a great start never take full advantage.

Just need to tighten up the bowling and hope for a bit more turn & swing today.

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Ok, we're farked..... bring on the monsoon

I was going to scroll down and post something like "OMG, Lever in being optimistic" shock. Then I saw the last bit......

Weather warmer today, apparently. That [i]should[i] help England swing the ball.

I suppose the Aussie plan has to be ... accumulate, hit away the bad balls, and hope for as (generally) unpenetrative bowling as yesterday. ~ From 600, hit out and declare (or be bowled out if necessary) around the middle of tomorrow. Then - with a lead of about 250/280 - bowl out a demoralised England out in the remaining 4.5 sessions.

Cause the maximum demoralisation, a plummet after England seeming to be in a goodish position, from which an already not exactly overwhelming England will not come back in the series. ~ Exactly as in Tests 1 & 2 in 2006/07.

Obvious plan.

So, FFS use your loaf and pull your finger out James (and if not injured, Sturat) and let the ball do the talking. Follow Pidge's "bore them out with accuracy around the offstump/corridor of uncertainty" strategy, rather than trying a Curtly or Allan Donald on this slow pitch. ~ As mentioned above, the story of this game, and this Ashes, is still to be written. ...

Yeah, go italics.....

I think the story of this ashes was written yesterday when England only managed to get one wicket.

Question is, could Harmy or Onions have done a better job ?

Henry wrote:


I was going to scroll down and post something like "OMG, Lever in being optimistic" shock. Then I saw the last bit......

I used up my optimist quota yesterday when I said that 12.5 on an England win was outrageously long...

Red (for once) has it partly right, that the usual Jeremiah-meets-Jonah Old Testamental lamentations and witterings of various Aus supporters in the last couple of days has been exposed by Katich and Ponting's batting.

Although it should be recognised that that clothes-rending ritual is just the standard stimulus-response misery show. whenever Aus play a Test.


And in fairness, they weren't to know that the Jim and Stu show would be quite so weak.

Naeem wrote:I think the story of this ashes was written yesterday when England only managed to get one wicket.

Question is, could Harmy or Onions have done a better job ?

As I said above, it depends how England (and Australia) take it from here.

It seemed to be all over in 2005 after the Lord's thumping.

Naeem wrote:I think the story of this ashes was written yesterday when England only managed to get one wicket.

Question is, could Harmy or Onions have done a better job ?

Dunno about that, but Rashid would have done sh!t loads more than Monty IMO ... yeah, despite him being only 21 and inexperienced. Leg spinner hitting the rough outside the left handers off stump ... and Oz have 4 of the buggers.

Monty - for me - hasn't 'gone on' ... even if he does miraculously pick up a five-fer today.... he's same old, same old.

Jeez you guys are harsh on old pudding arm.

26th double century partnership for Oz 2nd wicket in all Tests. First in England (& Wales) since 1975:

200+ Partnerships for Australian 2nd wicket

Well batted.

But still (way) too easy, sadly (for Poms).

Naeem wrote:I think the story of this ashes was written yesterday when England only managed to get one wicket.

Question is, could Harmy or Onions have done a better job ?

Freddie already took Harmy's wicket.

JGK wrote:Katich looks a goodish bet for most runs:


Most Series Runs
Ricky Ponting 6
Phillip Hughes 6.25
Kevin Pietersen 6.5
Andrew Strauss 8
Michael Hussey 8.5
Michael Clarke 9
Alastair Cook 10
Ravi Bopara 10
Simon Katich 10
Paul Collingwood 13
Brad Haddin 17
Andrew Flintoff 21
Marcus North 21

For the record, I didn't get anything on Katich.

Let me get this out of the way ..

s. broad is not ashes* material

*ashes as in something momentous in history .. now yawnathon.

Like you GAF....

well .. i can give atleast one.

This is rubbish from England.

The cricinfo guy is going off:

80.4
Anderson to Ponting, FOUR, good god. That's a shot of absurd class and authority. Cover-driven with textbook elegance. If you catch the highlights this evening, you'll know what I mean. Beautiful

zzzzzzzzz

joke of a pitch

Ponts is tormenting Bjelke - one edge half a metre in front, then another flies through to his left.

Has KP's fielding improved exponentially since he last played Oz, or is placing himself in the spot usually saved for the best fieldsman in the side just an outrageous piece of rank-pulling?

The One wrote:zzzzzzzzz

joke of a pitch

Ah, we have an expert opinion.

Ah we have taipan WUM-ing again.

Aye a pudding of a pitch, but let's face it .... England's bowling (apart from Fred's) is high quality crap and the two in right now are seeing it BIG.