Tips for the 4th Test, starts 25 Aug in Nottingham

[usalion]

Well, assuming there is no weather problems, we will have a result, as neither side is capable of batting for much more than a day- certainly not 5 or 6 sessions.

Don't think the Aussie attack will rip apart the Poms- Strauss, Trescothick or Flintoff is very likely to fire for them, and then we'll have to see how our quicks handle the old ball.

BUT- it is time for our batsmen (2 of them, anyway) to stand up and be counted, like Punter did in the last test with his superb knock. Assuming no changes, I'm picking the BNG (even with his sore delicate parts) and Martyn to do the business to guide australia to a big enough lead that the Poms cruymble in their second dig.

AUSSIE to win, by lunch on the fourth day

[Bartram_Class]

Aussies to win early on 4th day.

Centuries from Hayden, Ponting and Martyn.

Australia 600

England 245 and 280

[Showbag]

England to win for me. :( I think that we are just not playing with enough fire and venom to knock them off their pedestal. I like the introduction of Tait, but I don't believe that our batsmen have shown enough to provide England with a total big enough to keep them out of the game, like we have done so easily, so many times. Because it is not coming easy this tour, they have shown an unwillingness, (with the exception of Ponting in Old Trafford) to change our boundary-driven ways.

I hope that I am wrong, but, the future is now for Australian cricket. If we can't win this series there will be a different philospohy on selection from the end of this series.

Australia to bat first and make 330, England to reply with 380, then bowl Australia for 260 and make 210 in the fourth.

[johnnyhoward]

Poms should win. They are playing the better cricket by a mile and while I hope Shaun Tait does well, it's always a risk with the Ashes on the line, to chuck in a wayward youngster. Good to see the selectors finally taking a punt though, next we need to get rid of Katich.

[eddiesmith]

England 589
Australia 329
England 2/200

Match Drawn due to rain

[weevil]

I am very much expecting a dramatically improved performance from the Australians, particularly if Pigeon is at full fitness.

I think the English are very much riding a confidence bubble. But in the back of their minds they will know full well that they have been playing against an undermanned and underperforming Australian team.

The Australians have now had time to regather their thoughts, restructure their attack and regain their focus.

If the Australians really fire the English bubble could burst and the game could face a dramatic ‘back to reality’ turnaround. That said I don’t expect the English just to lie down and die.

Pointless to try to predict individual performances or specific outcomes, but I do think there is going to be a very distinct turn around in this match.

[Copernicus]

Hard to say until the first day rolls around. If the Aussie batsmen pull their fingers out they'll make life very hard for the poms, but the english have been bowling well and have the advantage of being able to rotate their attack significantly. Having Tait in will be an interesting inclusion - if he can unsettle the poms and make them have a few doubts there could be a collapse or two on the cards. I just hope he doesn't bowl Lee-like pies, but I think he brings a little more fire and brimstone variety to the attack than Lee does.

Should be a good game - I'll tip the Aussies purely because I'm biased, and I reckon they'll turn it around now that they've had a few days off to rethink their approach. The batting practice some of the players received against Notts may have helped, too.

[- PC -]

Australia to win lunch day 5 ..but not after some scares.

Tait to get 6 for the match in a nice debut

[dogs105]

England 589
Australia 329
England 2/200

Match Drawn due to rain

Perhaps they should have enforced the follow-on then!

That Vaughan is a shi_house captain. :rolleyes:

[Ray Nolan]

Draw, the rain will again deny England. :(

[usalion]

Forecast for Nottingham:

Thursday: Cloudy. Some light rain is likely. High 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

Thursday night: Cloudy with light rain early...then becoming partly cloudy. Low around 45F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

Friday: Partly cloudy skies in the morning will give way to cloudy skies during the afternoon. High 62F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 60s and lows in the upper 40s.

Sunday: Cloudy. Highs in the low 70s and lows in the low 50s.

[andrewb94]

I'll be backing these, I think Martyn is due for a big score

Match drawn @ 2.80
Tres to score runs than Hayden @1.95
Martyn to be leading run scorer for Australia @ 6.00
Hoggard to be leading wicket taker for England @ 5.50

[Arsene Wenger]

Tough game to pick it.

its like Arsenal going to play Spurs at the lane -- ie Arsenal = Aussies and spurs = poms and them both sets of supporters disliking eachother alot!!

I think despite theyre improvement we will still be good enough to at worst hold out for a draw !!

[starz]

England to win toss and bat

England 179 (Lee 4/76, Tait 3/47)
Australia 425 (Martyn 104, Gilchrist 87*)
England 380 (Warne 4/65, Lee 3/80, Pieterson 140)
Aus 4/136 (Hayden 70*)

Finished session 1 day 5

[~GURU~]

Auzzies to win because of there awesome record here.

But rain could be the deciding factor :(

[lifelike_]

Ponting to win the toss and bat

Australia 443 (Hayden 114, Martyn 112, S Jones 5/98)
England 388 (Strauss 94, Bell 67, Tait 4/59)
Australia 7/309 dec. (Ponting 66, Langer 51, Flintoff 3/34)
England 249 (Vaughan 104, Warne 4/86)

Aus to win by 115 runs

Has all the makings of a great test, providing the rain doesn't come :(

[silky-smooth]

If there is rain about and the pitch seesm to be suiting the batters, unless some generous declarations transpire, it looks to be heading towards a draw.

If Tait plays, I think he'll take four wickets. Martyn to break the silence with a century. Langer and Punter to score plenty of runs, also.

[Ljp86]

Forecast for Nottingham:

Thursday: Cloudy. Some light rain is likely. High 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

Thursday night: Cloudy with light rain early...then becoming partly cloudy. Low around 45F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

Friday: Partly cloudy skies in the morning will give way to cloudy skies during the afternoon. High 62F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 60s and lows in the upper 40s.

Sunday: Cloudy. Highs in the low 70s and lows in the low 50s.

Looks like a draw may be likely because of rain again. :(

[Mikes4]

Australia 328 (Hayden 106, Warne 58, A Flintoff 4/79)
England 281 (Vaughan 79, G Jones 68, Kasprowicz 5/48, Lee 1/102)
Australia 301 (Ponting 110, Hayden 78, A Giles 5/92)
England 202 (Strauss 67, Lee 3/91, Warne 3/30)

Aus to win by 146 runs

Lee as our new ball strike bowler to bump his average up to about the 36 mark.

[starz]

England to win toss and bat

England 179 (Lee 4/76, Tait 3/47)
Australia 425 (Martyn 104, Gilchrist 87*)
England 380 (Warne 4/65, Lee 3/80, Pieterson 140)
Aus 4/136 (Hayden 70*)

Finished session 1 day 5

...

[eddiesmith]

...

Need a miracle to get the rest right :D

[apollo_creed]

Need a miracle to get the rest right :D
You'd need a miracle to get anything right :)

[Tazza_20]

its gonna be a close finish, i think the aussies will pull it off though in a thriller. If not, it will be a draw. Its gonna be tough for the aussies to get the wickets though without my man Mcgrath so I could be wrong

[munsonned]

England to win toss and bat

England 179 (Lee 4/76, Tait 3/47)
Australia 425 (Martyn 104, Gilchrist 87*)
England 380 (Warne 4/65, Lee 3/80, Pieterson 140)
Aus 4/136 (Hayden 70*)

Finished session 1 day 5

Could be pretty close if you swap the Aussies and the Poms from the first innings!!!! :(

[Renegade]

Aussies to win early on 4th day.

Centuries from Hayden, Ponting and Martyn.

Australia 600

England 245 and 280
Comedian of the week! :D