creeeeeeeekeeeeeet

[Bruce Rioja]

Well, if this game had decided the series would they have packed in for light in those circumstances?

[thebish]

Shithouses

well - the Oz begging to go off for light surely puts all that whining about negative play into context...

hypocritical feckers..

1. whining at broad for not walking
2. whining at England for negative play

whinging shithouses...

[thebish]

Well, if this game had decided the series would they have packed in for light in those circumstances?

you have to imagine they would have... them's the rules!

[Worthy4England]

Well, if this game had decided the series would they have packed in for light in those circumstances?

Well the offer of light would still have been made. A side doesn't have to "take" the offer. Had it beed 204-9 and series deciding, then England may well have taken the light instead.

[thebish]

Well, if this game had decided the series would they have packed in for light in those circumstances?

Well the offer of light would still have been made. A side doesn't have to "take" the offer. Had it beed 204-9 and series deciding, then England may well have taken the light instead.

I don't think any offer is made anymore, Worthy, is it? Isn't it directly down to the umpires?

[Bruce Rioja]

Well, if this game had decided the series would they have packed in for light in those circumstances?

Well the offer of light would still have been made. A side doesn't have to "take" the offer. Had it beed 204-9 and series deciding, then England may well have taken the light instead.

Ah, but the light isn't offered anymore. The umpires decide. Why it's no longer offered to the guys that are having a lump of leather-bound cork hurled at them at 90 mph I've absolutely no idea.

[Worthy4England]

Well, if this game had decided the series would they have packed in for light in those circumstances?

Well the offer of light would still have been made. A side doesn't have to "take" the offer. Had it beed 204-9 and series deciding, then England may well have taken the light instead.

I don't think any offer is made anymore, Worthy, is it? Isn't it directly down to the umpires?

Actually - yes. That's correct.

[Bruce Rioja]

Thought that the boo-ing of the umpires and especially of Clarke was absolutely disgusting.

[TANGODANCER]

What a cracking entertainment. Bit disappointing in the end (I was watching the text and the highlights at the same time), but we had the series won anyway and I'm convinced we'd have got the runs today if we'd played on. Great entertainment right through and some terrific cricket. Bit sorry for the crowd to be robbed of a finish, but there you go. At one time just winning the Ashes was a major event, now we want whitewashes.

Well done the lads. Great performance right through the series. Well done the Oz too for competing so well even after having lost.

[Worthy4England]

Thought that the boo-ing of the umpires and especially of Clarke was absolutely disgusting.

Yes, but always likely given that we got carted off with 4 overs to go, a result still possible, Clarke hassling the Umpires and the floodlights on.

The Aussies had plenty to say when the reverse happened at OT.

[William the White]

Thought that the boo-ing of the umpires and especially of Clarke was absolutely disgusting.

Yes, but always likely given that we got carted off with 4 overs to go, a result still possible, Clarke hassling the Umpires and the floodlights on.

The Aussies had plenty to say when the reverse happened at OT.

Indeed - so fair does - but for weather the series was 'likely' to have ended 4-1. We could have put up with that.

Well done to Clarke for declaring when he did. He took a real risk. After the abysmal Friday crawl, we got a final day to restore the faith.

[Worthy4England]

Thought that the boo-ing of the umpires and especially of Clarke was absolutely disgusting.

Yes, but always likely given that we got carted off with 4 overs to go, a result still possible, Clarke hassling the Umpires and the floodlights on.

The Aussies had plenty to say when the reverse happened at OT.

Indeed - so fair does - but for weather the series was 'likely' to have ended 4-1. We could have put up with that.

Well done to Clarke for declaring when he did. He took a real risk. After the abysmal Friday crawl, we got a final day to restore the faith.

Only three months until the stay-up-all-nighters in Oz. Can't wait.

[Wandering Willy]

Well, if this game had decided the series would they have packed in for light in those circumstances?

Well the offer of light would still have been made. A side doesn't have to "take" the offer. Had it beed 204-9 and series deciding, then England may well have taken the light instead.

Ah, but the light isn't offered anymore. The umpires decide. Why it's no longer offered to the guys that are having a lump of leather-bound cork hurled at them at 90 mph I've absolutely no idea.

Think the idea is that the fielding side can't see the ball either so they make it umpires call taking any bias out of it.

Any roads, well done England and well done to the Aussies for having the guts to try and make a game of it today.

[TANGODANCER]

Thought that the boo-ing of the umpires and especially of Clarke was absolutely disgusting.

Yes, but always likely given that we got carted off with 4 overs to go, a result still possible, Clarke hassling the Umpires and the floodlights on.
The Aussies had plenty to say when the reverse happened at OT.

Aye, usually the batting side claiming for light not the bowlers. "See in the dark" S.A.S type visors next?

[Bruce Rioja]

Thought that the boo-ing of the umpires and especially of Clarke was absolutely disgusting.

Yes, but always likely given that we got carted off with 4 overs to go, a result still possible, Clarke hassling the Umpires and the floodlights on.

The Aussies had plenty to say when the reverse happened at OT.

It wasn't Clarke that took them off for light, it was Clarke that tried to make a game of it. Those there doing the booing should have realised that their money could have been far worse spent today.

[Harry Genshaw]

Not a massive cricket fan but I do find this kind of thing annoying. Surely either discretion should be allowed for the umpires or its the batsmen's call?

Just out of interest - when was the last Ashes series in England that didn't have any interruption for rain? I imagine there cant have been many

[thebish]

Thought that the boo-ing of the umpires and especially of Clarke was absolutely disgusting.

nowt wrong with booing clarke! not his place to tell the umpires what to think about the light... not really fair to boo the umpires, though - they didn't have much choice... (although, in a ay - they did - as it was them who had set the light level by the level they went off earlier in the test...)

[Bruce Rioja]

Thought that the boo-ing of the umpires and especially of Clarke was absolutely disgusting.

nowt wrong with booing clarke! not his place to tell the umpires what to think about the light... not really fair to boo the umpires, though - they didn't have much choice... (although, in a ay - they did - as it was them who had set the light level by the level they went off earlier in the test...)

Well, I disagree with booing anyone anyway, but Clarke tried to make a game of it today. Booing anyone ever is, to me, piss poor.

[thebish]

Thought that the boo-ing of the umpires and especially of Clarke was absolutely disgusting.

nowt wrong with booing clarke! not his place to tell the umpires what to think about the light... not really fair to boo the umpires, though - they didn't have much choice... (although, in a ay - they did - as it was them who had set the light level by the level they went off earlier in the test...)

Well, I disagree with booing anyone anyway, but Clarke tried to make a game of it today. Booing anyone ever is, to me, piss poor.

^booooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!

(too obvious?)

[BWFC_Insane]

Clarke didn't try to make a game of it to suit the crowd. Lets get this straight. He did it because Australia haven't won a test in is it 10 or 11 attempts and as a team and he as captain are under pressure from a disgruntled Aussie media and set of fans.

They'd lost the series and so had little to lose going for it.

Let's get into perspective this supposedly fantastically brave and if you believe Warne 'positive' captain who is heralded by Warne as the second coming or something was getting his bowlers to bowl down the leg side, waste time and complain about the light with no close catchers when they needed 6 wickets. They still could have won the test. Not so 'brave' and 'positive' then was he?