The Ashes 2009

[Worthy4England]

Fantastic score now.

Boycott reckons that 370 was a good score that could possibly set up a win and we're well in excess of that now.

Yesterday was definitely Englands day no matter what anyone says!

At the risk of upsetting the great man, our 1st innings was ok, but will be best judged after their first innings...I can see a possibility that it looks "not quite as good" when they're finished...

[BWFC_Insane]

Fantastic score now.

Boycott reckons that 370 was a good score that could possibly set up a win and we're well in excess of that now.

Yesterday was definitely Englands day no matter what anyone says!

At the risk of upsetting the great man, our 1st innings was ok, but will be best judged after their first innings...I can see a possibility that it looks "not quite as good" when they're finished...

Of course but any score over 400 hundred in England ain't bad. Its up to the bowlers now to do their job!

[Worthy4England]

Fantastic score now.

Boycott reckons that 370 was a good score that could possibly set up a win and we're well in excess of that now.

Yesterday was definitely Englands day no matter what anyone says!

At the risk of upsetting the great man, our 1st innings was ok, but will be best judged after their first innings...I can see a possibility that it looks "not quite as good" when they're finished...

Of course but any score over 400 hundred by England ain't bad. Its up to the bowlers now to do their job!

I've corrected what you meant to say

What I'm saying is, is indeed that 400+ gives you a good something to bowl at, but it's only a good total if their team don't score 600+ on the same track...

[BWFC_Insane]

Fantastic score now.

Boycott reckons that 370 was a good score that could possibly set up a win and we're well in excess of that now.

Yesterday was definitely Englands day no matter what anyone says!

At the risk of upsetting the great man, our 1st innings was ok, but will be best judged after their first innings...I can see a possibility that it looks "not quite as good" when they're finished...

Of course but any score over 400 hundred by England ain't bad. Its up to the bowlers now to do their job!

I've corrected what you meant to say

What I'm saying is, is indeed that 400+ gives you a good something to bowl at, but it's only a good total if their team don't score 600+ on the same track...

If the spinners bowl properly no way is this a 600+ track.

Mind thats relying on Panesar to be consistent. Oh you may have a point.....

[superjohnmcginlay]

Fantastic score now.

Boycott reckons that 370 was a good score that could possibly set up a win and we're well in excess of that now.

Yesterday was definitely Englands day no matter what anyone says!

At the risk of upsetting the great man, our 1st innings was ok, but will be best judged after their first innings...I can see a possibility that it looks "not quite as good" when they're finished...

Of course but any score over 400 hundred by England ain't bad. Its up to the bowlers now to do their job!

I've corrected what you meant to say

What I'm saying is, is indeed that 400+ gives you a good something to bowl at, but it's only a good total if their team don't score 600+ on the same track...

If the spinners bowl properly no way is this a 600+ track.

Mind thats relying on Panesar to be consistent. Oh you may have a point.....

And Broad not to give loads of runs away like he is doing.

[Worthy4England]

And Broad not to give loads of runs away like he is doing.

Well there's a surprise....

[superjohnmcginlay]

We're struggling. Our bowling attack's fooking pish.

[BWFC_Insane]

We're struggling. Our bowling attack's fooking pish.

Afraid it was my main fear.

Broad is a 3rd choice bowler and we're opening with him.

Anderson is wank when its not beaming all over the place.

Flintoff can't bowl long spells consistently (or at least shouldn't).

Panesar is inconsistent and generally wank IMO!

Swann is a good bowler but hardly a genuine strike bowler.

When the pitch isn't doing much Flintoff is our only genuine strike bowler and he can only bowl so much!

Far cry from Harmison, Hoggard, Jones and Flintoff!

[superjohnmcginlay]

Anderson 8.0 0 35 0
Broad 10.0 0 52 0
Swann 10.0 5 17 0
Flintoff 6.0 2 15 1
Panesar 5.0 0 17 0

Bowling figures at tea. Not too clever except for Flintoff.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Anderson 8.0 0 35 0
Broad 10.0 0 52 0
Swann 10.0 5 17 0
Flintoff 6.0 2 15 1
Panesar 5.0 0 17 0

Bowling figures at tea. Not too clever except for Flintoff.

When the Boston Red Sox only had two decent pitchers the fans used the refrain "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain". It's beginning to look like some inclement weather could be helpful in this test.

[Worthy4England]

Anyone still not considering the possibility that this is a 600 track?

Edit: Oh and while we're at it - anyone still want to tell me that Anderson and Broad are world class?

Double Edit: Oh and Tango, I know there's another team out there making it difficult for them - that's the idea behind team sports

[superjohnmcginlay]

Pray for rain.

[Tombwfc]

Anyone still not considering the possibility that this is a 600 track?

Edit: Oh and while we're at it - anyone still want to tell me that Anderson and Broad are world class?

Double Edit: Oh and Tango, I know there's another team out there making it difficult for them - that's the idea behind team sports

I think Anderson is, although he's not doing my case any favours today (though he's on now, so maybe he'll do something). Broad isn't and will never be, if he couldn't bat he'd never be anywhere near the England team. I'd gladly trade whatever runs he got today for Harmison bowling now.

The pitch best start crumbling quickly, otherwise this one is going to trundle on to an inevitable draw. It might be turning, but it's so slow even if you play the wrong shot and look like missing it, you could get back up, go for a coffee, come back and then play it away.

[Worthy4England]

Anyone still not considering the possibility that this is a 600 track?

Edit: Oh and while we're at it - anyone still want to tell me that Anderson and Broad are world class?

Double Edit: Oh and Tango, I know there's another team out there making it difficult for them - that's the idea behind team sports

I think Anderson is, although he's not doing my case any favours today (though he's on now, so maybe he'll do something). Broad isn't and will never be, if he couldn't bat he'd never be anywhere near the England team. I'd gladly trade whatever runs he got today for Harmison bowling now.

The pitch best start crumbling quickly, otherwise this one is going to trundle on to an inevitable draw. It might be turning, but it's so slow even if you play the wrong shot and look like missing it, you could get back up, go for a coffee, come back and then play it away.

I'll give you Anderson as being "sometimes good enough" at the top level (Aus and the Saffers) but only occasionally world class. Broad, I've always had me doubts about....

[Bruno]

Anyone still not considering the possibility that this is a 600 track?

Edit: Oh and while we're at it - anyone still want to tell me that Anderson and Broad are world class?

Double Edit: Oh and Tango, I know there's another team out there making it difficult for them - that's the idea behind team sports

I think Anderson is, although he's not doing my case any favours today (though he's on now, so maybe he'll do something). Broad isn't and will never be, if he couldn't bat he'd never be anywhere near the England team. I'd gladly trade whatever runs he got today for Harmison bowling now.

The pitch best start crumbling quickly, otherwise this one is going to trundle on to an inevitable draw. It might be turning, but it's so slow even if you play the wrong shot and look like missing it, you could get back up, go for a coffee, come back and then play it away.

I'll give you Anderson as being "sometimes good enough" at the top level (Aus and the Saffers) but only occasionally world class. Broad, I've always had me doubts about....

They will be world-class, but only if we win the Series

[Worthy4England]

Anyone still not considering the possibility that this is a 600 track?

Edit: Oh and while we're at it - anyone still want to tell me that Anderson and Broad are world class?

Double Edit: Oh and Tango, I know there's another team out there making it difficult for them - that's the idea behind team sports

I think Anderson is, although he's not doing my case any favours today (though he's on now, so maybe he'll do something). Broad isn't and will never be, if he couldn't bat he'd never be anywhere near the England team. I'd gladly trade whatever runs he got today for Harmison bowling now.

The pitch best start crumbling quickly, otherwise this one is going to trundle on to an inevitable draw. It might be turning, but it's so slow even if you play the wrong shot and look like missing it, you could get back up, go for a coffee, come back and then play it away.

I'll give you Anderson as being "sometimes good enough" at the top level (Aus and the Saffers) but only occasionally world class. Broad, I've always had me doubts about....

They will be world-class, but only if we win the Series

There's a whole debate about "form" v "class" I'm sure

[Lord Kangana]

Anderson has always had a suspect action and suffers terribly from inconsistency. Putting the Lancs allegiance to one side, I'm not really convinced he's a front-line test bowler. He does it now and then,but its not frequent enough. In keeping with my usual pearls of wisdom, I'm now expecting a fivefor off him.

[Worthy4England]

Anderson has always had a suspect action and suffers terribly from inconsistency. Putting the Lancs allegiance to one side, I'm not really convinced he's a front-line test bowler. He does it now and then,but its not frequent enough. In keeping with my usual pearls of wisdom, I'm now expecting a fivefor off him.

Think I'm sort of there too.

His series averages against top sides is indifferent to say the least

Saffers 2003 - 40ish
Saffers 2005 - 75
Aussies 06/7 - 83
Sri Lanka 07/08 - 84
Saffers 08 - 34
India 08 - 54
Windies 08/09 - 38


Broad is just up at about 40 overall...with a couple of good series against pub teams.

[jimbo]

Think Boycott summed it up in a line today - it's not that England's bowlers are any worse or doing any less, they are in fact better. It's just that Australia are batting a hell of a lot more sensibly and making good bowling look average. It's one of those tracks from the looks of things that if you apply yourself it'll take something special to get you out. Sadly we didn't do that batting and are now paying the price.

[Worthy4England]

Think Boycott summed it up in a line today - it's not that England's bowlers are any worse or doing any less, they are in fact better. It's just that Australia are batting a hell of a lot more sensibly and making good bowling look average. It's one of those tracks from the looks of things that if you apply yourself it'll take something special to get you out. Sadly we didn't do that batting and are now paying the price.

Think there's plenty in that Jimbo, but even on the flattest of shirt fronts, you've sometimes still got to mix it up to buy a wicket, like Johnson did with Bopara. Boycs will generally point to the fact that no-one has batted anything like as good as he could - as per.