The Ashes 2009

[Montreal Wanderer]

435 is starting to look like a not so good total

The total was fine, its the fact we have a shite bowling attack thats the problem.

"ooo it didn't swing so we couldn't take any wickets".

Bowlers who can only bowl when the ball is swinging shouldn't be in test sides IMO.

Why can't we have people who can bowl threatening line and length consistently even whent he conditions aren't favouring bowling?

Broad is not a front line test bowler.

Anderson isn't much better unless it swings.

Flintoff should be first change bowler.

We need two proper openers. Without that our attack will be toothless unless it beams around all over the show!

Such as? You were naming names up until your main point.

Presumably they may not exist, Bruce, because the proper ones have other citizenship. Not that I have a clue - the last live test I saw, Brian Statham opened the attack with Freddie Trueman.

[Bruce Rioja]

435 is starting to look like a not so good total

The total was fine, its the fact we have a shite bowling attack thats the problem.

"ooo it didn't swing so we couldn't take any wickets".

Bowlers who can only bowl when the ball is swinging shouldn't be in test sides IMO.

Why can't we have people who can bowl threatening line and length consistently even whent he conditions aren't favouring bowling?

Broad is not a front line test bowler.

Anderson isn't much better unless it swings.

Flintoff should be first change bowler.

We need two proper openers. Without that our attack will be toothless unless it beams around all over the show!

Such as? You were naming names up until your main point.

Presumably they may not exist, Bruce, because the proper ones have other citizenship. Not that I have a clue - the last live test I saw, Brian Statham opened the attack with Freddie Trueman.

Exactly, Monty. We can all say that we need two proper openers, but what do we do? Magic them in from the ether? If they don't exist then we have to do what we can with what we have and spouting ideology hardly helps. Had we put the Aussies in after winning the toss rather than having chose to bat then the ball would've been moving for our attack on Wednesday instead and it'd have been them bowling flat 85/90 mph balls at us on Thursday. Still, hindsight and all of that.

[bw@bw]

435 is starting to look like a not so good total

The total was fine, its the fact we have a shite bowling attack thats the problem.

"ooo it didn't swing so we couldn't take any wickets".

Bowlers who can only bowl when the ball is swinging shouldn't be in test sides IMO.

Why can't we have people who can bowl threatening line and length consistently even whent he conditions aren't favouring bowling?

Broad is not a front line test bowler. correct

Anderson isn't much better unless it swings. wrong

Flintoff should be first change bowler.correct

We need two proper openers. Without that our attack will be toothless unless it beams around all over the show!

[Horza]

[jimbo]

I missed all yesterday's play because I was playing. I'm glad. Can't really say much else.

[Tombwfc]

I missed all yesterday's play because I was playing. I'm glad. Can't really say much else.

I'd arrange a game for today aswell if I were you. Well, until Lunch anyway.

Any predictions? I'm actually going for England trademarked 'plucky defeat'.

[Lord Kangana]

Complete batting collapse, all over by tea time.

[TANGODANCER]

Megson out. Oh......

[Worthy4England]

So we discussed the bowling at some length and (hopefully) established that knocking over the New Zealanders doesn't make you world class.

Anyone want to talk about the batting?

[TANGODANCER]

So we discussed the bowling at some length and (hopefully) established that knocking over the New Zealanders doesn't make you world class.

Anyone want to talk about the batting?

Got to give some sizeable credit to the Aussies and Ponting in particular. They're on foreign turf and competing, as always , like tigers. A draw will seem like a loss to them and a very lucky escape for us. I'd love to see us win on an equal footing without praying for rain to intervene. Let's get this one over with a lucky draw at best and concentrate on giving them some competition in the next one.

[Tombwfc]

So we discussed the bowling at some length and (hopefully) established that knocking over the New Zealanders doesn't make you world class.

Anyone want to talk about the batting?

Amazing how all the stick seems to be focused on KP, when there's a good few batsmen in that line-up who are consistently found wanting against the really good sides. Alistair Cook hasn't got a hundred against a decent side since the last Ashes.

The problem with the batting is, I don't see who's banging on the door. Shah is all over the place in International cricket and I'm in better form than Ian Bell. At least with the bowling you can say there's Onions, Harmison, Rashid and Sidebottom knocking about with some form of International experience.

Micheal Vaughan must be thinking he should've left it a fortnight.

[TANGODANCER]

"Hanging on" takes on a whole new meaning. Maybe Collingwood should be promoted to opening bat.

[Tombwfc]

I feel like I do when the Whites are 1-0 up with 20 minutes to go. Agonisingly waiting to be put out of my misery.

[Verbal]

MBE? Give collingwood a fecking knighthood in the art of irking aussies.

God, a draw hasn't felt this good in a while.

[TANGODANCER]

MBE? Give collingwood a fecking knighthood in the art of irking aussies.
God, a draw hasn't felt this good in a while.

Aye, Ricky P was a bit frustrated at the end. Credit to the tail end and plaudits to Collingwood. Pressure must have been intense at the death so well done Swann, Anderson and Monty too. Touch of the great escape, but it's a four test Ashes now. Bring on Lords.

[Little Green Man]

[Tombwfc]

Amazing, and proof (if ever was needed) that Test cricket at is best is a million miles ahead of what 20/20 could ever hope to be.

I've been critical of Brigadier Block in the past, but I'll not say a bad word about him from now on. I thought he'd blown it at the end, but otherwise an absolute hero. Credit to Swann, Jimmy and Monty too. If only the openers had shown that kind of bottle.

If Anderson isn't world class and needs shipping out, what the feck does that make Mitchell Johnson? He's ranked third in the world and, regardless of what his figures show, was all over the shop when it really mattered today.

Anyway, well done (in the end) England, feck off Ponting.

[TANGODANCER]

Hey, LGM, your fame's spreading. They even named a brewery after you.

[Bruno]

Some sort of victory when none was deserved.

Anderson reaches 50 tests since his last duck, can't ask fer more.

[Prufrock]

As I've said before, I don't get cricket at all, but feck me, scabbing a fluke of the ozzies is sweet at anything. Sat massively smashed, not knowing quite what was going on but cheering every block. Ace.