| Banquo 17.07.2005 05:36 |
With only 4 days to go till England take on the Ausses in Cricket's Ashes what are your predictions? I think it will be very close but I am pleased that Pieterson has been given a chance I still think its a huge gamble to not select the experienced Thorpe with balls coming in from Brett Lee and McGrath. England's bowlers look sharp Harmison still continues to excite me and Freddie Flintoff has come on leaps and bounds after being an over-weight piss head he's now one of countries brightest hopes. Who says fairy tales don't happen! The battle of the two captains will be interesting Ponting is a better batsman than Vaughan but I also think Vaughan is a better Captain. Whatever happens it will be very good and I'm going (weather permitting) for a 3-2 win for England. |
| Ozzy Queen 17.07.2005 05:57 |
well australia haven't been playing their best lately. But as ou said Brett Lee is in fine form. And Warne is back so i think that australia may have the upper hand. |
| eggy 17.07.2005 06:02 |
I think we have a chance but with the poor show we put in the last ODI my optinism has faded slightly. It's a really good XI though, and if 8 or 9 perform really well the same days we can win it. Ashley Giles is really dependable with bat and ball which gives us a strong tail and a good bowling line up when Harmi and Hoggard are firing correctly. I reckon we'll win 3-1 with the rain saving us on one occassion. If we didn't pick England to win we deserve to be shot! |
| agneepath! 11994 17.07.2005 06:19 |
Having Pieterson and Flintoff in the same team worries me. Both play a similiar game - so 30-3 could easily become 50-5. But this is by far the best england team in years. Key contest: england bowlers vs Gilchrist. He is by far the most dangerous Test batsman in the world. You haven't bowled out the Aussies until you get Gilchrist out. Aus 250-6 with him in can become 400 all out. If they can contain him - they have a decent chance. |
| Penetration_Guru 17.07.2005 10:46 |
I think next summer with England slightly more experienced and Australia even older, this migh have been even. This summer is too soon. Australia to have won the series by the end of the fourth test. |
| Sir Archie 'Tiffany' Leach 17.07.2005 17:19 |
Looking forward to taking a tenner off young Flashman after Australia retain the Ashes and I keep the bragging rights for a couple more years. |
| dimcyril 18.07.2005 09:19 |
england to win saying that i thought the lions would beat the all blacks 3-0 i was wrong but it'll be a great series hopefully, much more competative than the last few series. i think thorpe should have been in the squad his average is very good against australia |
| eggy 21.07.2005 07:04 |
well they are well and truly under way now. Come on boys. Four early wickets, lets hope we build on this! |
| eggy 21.07.2005 11:12 |
Sodding Glenn McGrath! Was happy as pie at work for once, until the last 30 mins. |
| Banquo 21.07.2005 13:11 |
I know what you mean Eggy. Everytime I left my computer at work and come back another wicket had fallen. What's going on? |
| Penetration_Guru 21.07.2005 13:56 |
Normal service has been resumed. |
| iGSM 22.07.2005 02:46 |
Boo, ya fucking Pommy pricks. Yeah, sorry. Needed to get that off my chest. As you were. *sings 7 for 92* |
| dimcyril 22.07.2005 06:52 |
iGSM wrote: Boo, ya fucking Pommy pricks. Yeah, sorry. Needed to get that off my chest. As you were. *sings 7 for 92*i've often wondered, if australia is so bloody great, as they like to remind us, why is seemingly the entire youth population of australia working in bars in london? |
| iGSM 24.07.2005 08:18 |
We don't want to disturb the balance of all the backpackers in Australia. 'Ey mate, bum a fag off you?' 'No, go home' Anywho I think we now realise that England/English press made a tiny mistake about saying Australia is on the way out. h0h0, ownned Marcus Trescothick. |
| eggy 08.08.2005 12:53 |
Well as no one else seemed interested about probably the best game of cricket I have seen ever... What a match. 3 and a half days of awesome tension. We had the box seat from Thursday lunch till Sat morning. Then after a morning of throwing it all away super Fred hit that super knock which put us right back in it. Then after some good bowling we almost lose it to some awesome displays by Warney and Brett Lee. 2 fucking runs, the moment I was ready to throw in the towel we got the wicket. I really thought after Simon Jones dropped that catch it was all over. 1 - 1. I have to say I think the Aussies are favourites for Old Trafford but I reckon we can win the series 3-2 with a thriller at the oval, where I shall be attendance! |
| Penetration_Guru 08.08.2005 13:25 |
England must get the next win. If they go behind again that will be that. My prediction still lives... |
| iGSM 09.08.2005 01:32 |
God, that fucking cunt Geriant Jones CAN catch. Who of thunk that? The other Jones can't...and Kevin Peitersen is having a bit of trouble keeping 'em in the hands too. Good win, England. Good win. |
| dimcyril 09.08.2005 10:10 |
yes twas very exciting. probably the best game i've ever seen [i just about remember headingly '81 too] are lee and mcgrath both out of the test at old trafford? or is it a bit of australian mind games? |
| iGSM 09.08.2005 10:36 |
McGrath has an ankle injury of some sort and Lee has an infected knee. God, Australia have called up Stuart Clark - the man with no neck (heh, Gladstone Small anyone?) I wish I was alive for 'Botham's Match'. Every Ashes book I read I dread reading '81. Although I do like the 500-1 chance that Lillee/Marsh bet on. |
| Mrs.Taylor 11.08.2005 17:47 |
I predicted that we would win the last 2nd Test with just a couple of runs to go ... OK, I didn't WANT it to be like that but I DID predict it ;o) And today Michael Vaughan finally remembered what that length of willow in his hands is for ... |
| agneepath! 11994 11.08.2005 18:19 |
Yep... i had forgotten just how good Vaughan was. Pieterson's got to learn to bat out time. He played a silly shot. Congrats to shane Warne on 600th wicket... although i'm sure Murali will go well past 700. It was nice to see the Aussies rattled. Dropped catches, no-balls and misfields. |
| Mrs.Taylor 12.08.2005 08:01 |
Agneepath! wrote: It was nice to see the Aussies rattled. Dropped catches, no-balls and misfields.Makes them seem almost human ;o) |
| eggy 28.08.2005 13:45 |
Fucking hell! My heart is still beating. Don't like to make it easy for ourselves! Which some one would give Shane Warne a broken arm. Least we cannot lose the series now, even if we don't win the ashes by not winning at the oval. Let's do a rain dance in ten days!! |
| Bob The Shrek 28.08.2005 13:52 |
Edge of the seat stuff, eh, young Eggy! This has been a great series so far - especially as we are 2-1 up LOL. Looking forward to the Oval and hoping we don't play for a draw - torrential rain for 5 days would be a blessing though ;-) |
| agneepath! 11994 28.08.2005 14:44 |
Interesting to see Ponting rattled after his run out. Sportmanship isn't so easy when your under pressure and losing. |
| agneepath! 11994 28.08.2005 14:45 |
iGSM wrote: Boo, ya fucking Pommy pricks. Yeah, sorry. Needed to get that off my chest. As you were. *sings 7 for 92*Your're not singing anymore.... |
| Banquo 28.08.2005 14:51 |
How good was that then? I've never seen Giles and Hoggard bat like that and I probably won't again. I was confident but after Pieterson and Flintoff went I was a little concerned. But 2-1 to England all bodes well for the final test. Hope its as good as the last 4. |
| brENsKi 28.08.2005 16:00 |
the oval is a great batting strip - no matter what the groundmsmen do to it ....you could bat on that wicket in november and you'd stills core runs so it's all in england's hands now...bat first and for a 1+½ days and you get a draw it doesn't turn, it doesn't change the oval is steady...batfirst, bat sensibly and you draw (at worst) |
| Bob The Shrek 28.08.2005 16:10 |
I hope Duncan Fletcher makes Pieterson do some catching practice. I was not a particularly great cricketer - average bowler, shite batsman (highest score ever: 17 LOL) - but at least I could catch a ball. |
| agneepath! 11994 28.08.2005 16:25 |
yep... agree about Pietersen. Geraint Jones.... not too sure about him. He batted well first innings.... bottled it today though. He s got to improve his keeping. |
| agneepath! 11994 28.08.2005 16:28 |
<font color=green>Bren<font color=orange>ski wrote: the oval is a great batting strip - no matter what the groundmsmen do to it ....you could bat on that wicket in november and you'd stills core runs so it's all in england's hands now...bat first and for a 1+½ days and you get a draw it doesn't turn, it doesn't change the oval is steady...batfirst, bat sensibly and you draw (at worst)agree about the Oval. But England have got to look to win. No point even thinking about drawing - thats when teams lose badly. England's batting worries me. Bell, Pieterson, Flintoff look good on paper but.... |
| Mrs.Taylor 30.08.2005 19:04 |
I was supposed to be going to Michael Vaughan's benefit match tomorrow at Leeds. When we decided this, the plan was to buy the tickets on the gate - no problem. Who would have known when we took that decision that England would have played out of their skins and interest in cricket would have gone thru the roof. So unfortunately now I'm not going to watch the Michael Vaughan's England XI (most of the Ashes side, plus Darren Gough and some others) take on a Yorkshire XI (including Matthew Hoggard) :( |
| Banquo 11.09.2005 06:27 |
Before the result comes in whether its England or the Aussies can I just say that this Test Series has been probably the best I've ever seen. I can just remember Beefy in '81 but I was too young to appreciate it. But this has been fantastic. Freddie's been amazing, for a fat Aussie tosser Warne has been mesmerising, Vaughan's fielding tactics unauthordox but obviously work and Tony Greig's voice which sounds as smooth as silk. I'm at work tomorrow. But I'm going to try and get the afternoon off to watch the end. |
| iGSM 11.09.2005 09:40 |
Warne? A fat tosser? He's quite lithe now. Sexified if you will. I'll be singing. I'll be singing 'Come on next year, you Pommy fuckers' to the tune of Please Mr Postman. Anyway yes. I agree that it was time to have Australia beaten over a five test series. The other times Australia has lost/drawn a series it's been over 3 test (India '01, N/Zealand '01/02 and India '03/04) I managed to get Warne's signature the day before the test where he made 99 started...yeah.. just so? |
| eggy 12.09.2005 12:49 |
Well well, If it wasn't for bad light yesterday we'd have won 3-1. LOL. |
| Banquo 12.09.2005 14:03 |
YES!!!!!!!!!!!! Even got the afternoon off work so was able to settle in and watch probably one of the best innings I've seen by Kevin Pieterson. |
| Sir Archie Leach 13.09.2005 12:50 |
Bah! I thought the Ashes was about England (and Wales) against Australia. Bloody World XI versus Australia more like. However the 'silver lining' should be Liverpool not being awarded 'team of the year' by the Beeb. Oh for small mercies. P.S. If you see that slacker Flashman tell him I'm off to Zante with his £10 to indulge in some filthy stuff in bars. |