Can we win?

[Fansquad]

England 362 & 452/9d
Australia 363 & 91/3 (20.0/110 ov)

Australia require another 361 runs with 7 wickets and 90.0 overs remaining.
4.03 run rate required.


This is a bigger task than the one set for us against the Paki's in Tas.

I just get the feeling that we dont have enough overs to do it...and its probably 50 runs to much. And we probably have lost 1 to many wickets.

Gilly needs to make a 150 again.

 

[ozzult]

If anyone can do it, it's Steve Waugh's Australian Test side.

 

[Fansquad]

I just get the feeling if Bichel can make a hundred ( I know its alot to ask). But It will give the side a whole lot of confidence and will starve the poms of an early wicket tommorrow.

 

[Briedis]

Considering we lost two wickets that we shouldn't have and that Andy Bichel seemed to have few problems batting - I think the likes of Martyn, Love, Waugh and Gilchrist will be able to score the runs tomorrow.

Englands problem is that Caddick and Hoggard bowled well for the first 10 or so overs, but the English bowling went off the boil after that. Dawson will get smacked tomorrow if he doesn't bowl well - he may prove to be the matchwinner for the Poms if he bowls well.

I reckon the Aussies are still a big chance.

 

[NICK THE PIE MAN]

Nah

 

[Zombie]

Originally posted by Briedis
Considering we lost two wickets that we shouldn't have and that Andy Bichel seemed to have few problems batting - I think the likes of Martyn, Love, Waugh and Gilchrist will be able to score the runs tomorrow.

Englands problem is that Caddick and Hoggard bowled well for the first 10 or so overs, but the English bowling went off the boil after that. Dawson will get smacked tomorrow if he doesn't bowl well - he may prove to be the matchwinner for the Poms if he bowls well.

I reckon the Aussies are still a big chance.

If 2 of Martyn, Love or Waugh can both stay around for decent totals then it should be easy. 4 runs an over aint too many, especially with Gilly coming in later in the day.

As long as the middle order doesn't crumble we should win it.

 

[EagleBlue]

Can win if Gilchrist goes in next

 

[CharlieG]

Can we win? Most definately.

Will we win? Most unlikely.

 

[Desredandwhite]

We have enough class to do it - but it's going to need perseverance, concentration, and an unbelievable bucketful of luck.

Before our innings began, I had England/Draw/Australia at 40/50/10.. but now I reckon it's slipped england's way 60/35/5

 

[Zombie]

Originally posted by Desredandwhite
We have enough class to do it - but it's going to need perseverance, concentration, and an unbelievable bucketful of luck.

Before our innings began, I had England/Draw/Australia at 40/50/10.. but now I reckon it's slipped england's way 60/35/5

I highly doubt it will be a draw, it will be a result either way, it is most unlikely that Australia will bat out the day without making the 350 required.

 

[dr nick]

i say a draw is very unlikely. for steve waugh, i dont reckon there is a difference between a loss and a draw at this stage of a series. it's either going to be a whitewash or not. 4-0 or 4-1, meh, the difference is negligible. it's 5 as opposed to 4 wins the aussies are after.

 

[jim boy]

The odds according to http://www2.coral.co.uk/online/go_bet.DisplayEvents?id=20&p_group=14231&p_group=dummy are

Australia 9/1
Draw 9/4
England 2/5

 

[BT]

I reckon Bichel will go for it tomorrow, he has nothing to lose. If he and Martyn are there at lunch we're a chance. Send Gilly in next & let him have a go.

Love & Waugh can do the battling for a draw if Bichel & Gilchrist don't come off.

I reckon the Poms will win but I don't think a draw is out of the question. Dawson's looked garbage all tour & Harmison is very inconsistent. Not entirely convinced about Hoggard either. Caddick is the key man.

 

[dr nick]

Originally posted by BT
I reckon Bichel will go for it tomorrow, he has nothing to lose. If he and Martyn are there at lunch we're a chance. Send Gilly in next & let him have a go.

Love & Waugh can do the battling for a draw if Bichel & Gilchrist don't come off.

I reckon the Poms will win but I don't think a draw is out of the question. Dawson's looked garbage all tour & Harmison is very inconsistent. Not entirely convinced about Hoggard either. Caddick is the key man.

im not going to count on bich to stick around, but mind you it would be great if he did. i'd be very surprised if gilchrist was pushed up the order. we need batsman who can stick around for extended periods and rotate the strike. if gilchrist gets promoted it will be because the run rate is starting to slip.

draw very underpriced IMO, but ive been wrong before!!


by the way, australia are no longer the official world champions

 

[Groucho]

I admire the optimism of some people here but there isn't the slightest chance that we can win this game. Needed to be about 0/130 at stumps to even have a sniff. We'll be lucky to get within 200 runs. 5-0,4-1 who cares!

 

[Briedis]

Originally posted by Groucho
I admire the optimism of some people here but there isn't the slightest chance that we can win this game. Needed to be about 0/130 at stumps to even have a sniff. We'll be lucky to get within 200 runs. 5-0,4-1 who cares!

I must admit that I care more about this test now than any of the others simply because there is a contest!

I reckon we are still a chance to win it, need a couple of big partnerships to do it but I reckon we have the personel. Steve Waugh loves this types of challenge, Love has already made plenty of runs against the Poms this summer (including a double-ton) and Gilly can do pretty much anything on his day....

Tomorrow will be a good test of this Aussies teams ability to pull one out of the fire. It's been a while since they were under any sort of pressure to win a test.

 

[dr nick]

will be interesting to see how some in this side respond to some heated pressure. ponting as i suspected, much like the indian tour, wilted. hope martyn can shoo away the demons that haunted him when the south africans turned it up at the SCG, and love has never been tested like this before.

 

[wagstaff]

Originally posted by nicko18
will be interesting to see how some in this side respond to some heated pressure. ponting as i suspected, much like the indian tour, wilted. hope martyn can shoo away the demons that haunted him when the south africans turned it up at the SCG, and love has never been tested like this before.

The way the Australian side has reacted under pressure has been interesting.

They have been made to work for enormously long periods in the field since the 2nd day of the Melbourne Test; made more strenuous by Waugh's decision to follow-on so the side had to spend over 2 consecutive days in the field.

You could see the frustration getting to the side after Tea today, which is why I think the decision to drag out the English innings for so long was a good move on Hussain's part. The way Gilchrist spat the dummy when decisions went against them over a bunny like Harmison showed how tired and frustrated they were.

I think it's this mental tiredness on the Australian's part which will be the main factor - as well as the pitch and the increased confidence of the English players - that will see an English win or draw being the only realistic results tomorrow.

 

[hourn]

WIth the batting line-up we have and the bowling line-up they have, we are always a slim hope of winning no matter what, but odds are we won't.

 

[bluechampion]

a chance.

The team (Steve Waugh and Adam Gilchrist mostly) posted 170 runs in the final session on Friday.

Now, conditions are very different, and the situation is more pressure-packed, but there's a chance. England are most potent with the new ball, but their bowlers are easily dominated. As log as we keep scoring quickly, and don't lose any more than two wickets, we're a shot at having a go at the total. All we need is one big partnership (like the Langer Gilchrist one in Hobart).

It's hard, becaus eyou don't know how the pitch is going to play. So, it's relaly a case of who handles the pressure best. And if that's the case, you've gotta like Australia.