First blood....

[NICK THE PIE MAN]

Well we have drawn first blood.
Great performance, i hope that was a huge reality check for the british press.

one down, two to go.

 

[GOALden Hawk]

What a caning! Let's hope Nasser is out for a little while as well. Fantastic team performance, all the bowlers did well (especially Dizzy and Warnie) and all the batters bar Hayden and Punter did well (special mention to Gilly, Marto and Tugger).

Going to be a pleasant week at my soccer club...it's full of poms and Richmond supporters!

 

[dees01]

How weak are England. That was pathetic. But a very good performance by the Aussies!

 

[QT]

After "that" post of mine during the Indian Tour , i will not comment on the Ashes series this year

 

[joshhem]

They only thing I have to complain about is the time that they play......I don't get any sleep anymore

 

[Darky]

Originally posted by GOALden Hawk
What a caning! Let's hope Nasser is out for a little while as well. Fantastic team performance, all the bowlers did well (especially Dizzy and Warnie) and all the batters bar Hayden and Punter did well (special mention to Gilly, Marto and Tugger).

Going to be a pleasant week at my soccer club...it's full of poms and Richmond supporters!

That's hard on Hayden! 35 off 41 balls, wasn't it?

 

[GoEagles]

Great win to the Aussies! Even better to see Warney getting back with the wickets

Do you guys reckon Punter will be feeling under pressure if he doesn't perform in the 2nd test? He failed in India, had an outstanding one day series in England, failed in the 1st innings of this test match.

 

[Darky]

Originally posted by GoEagles
Do you guys reckon Punter will be feeling under pressure if he doesn't perform in the 2nd test? He failed in India, had an outstanding one day series in England, failed in the 1st innings of this test match.

I don't think the selectors will make a second change to the batting line up, especially considering Australia made 576.

Ponting's form on the tour has been nothing short of outstanding, and given that Langer has been droped out of the squad, Ponting will be given a patient run to secure the #3 spot which has probably been his destiny since breaking into the Aussie side a few years ago.

 

[Bernie]

Lining up the ducks !

There is NOTHING better than watching Dizzy destroy middle and lower order batsmen - they just turn away as the ball sears into their softer parts. Loved that spell before lunch. The commentary was good - "... the pitch seems to be playing up .. " well, it would when you bowl 90mph+ !!! And poor old Glenn was reduced to 'holding up an end'.

If the English groundsmen prepared a fast pitch ( not good for gate receipts ), we could see some of the lowest totals ever put together. Lee was really trying to get his yorker going to the left hander - amazing how many English batsmen are left handed .. still spooked by Warne ! - and it nearly came off a few times. Remember some of those last summer to the Windies ?

I did warn some of my English friends that , even though we got beaten in India, it was a very close series and , if Waugh had played for a draw in Calcutta ( not enforcing the follow on ), we could have ground out the result. But we don't play like that any more - and look at the incredible cricket that comes from that attitude. That Slater / Hayden opening stand just blew away all self-doubt in about 1/2 hour and then it was up to the batsmen to plunder.

What must come out of this series for Australia is a successful Ponting at no. 3. With that position filled, it all makes sense. He must look to Steve to see exactly how you play test innings - tough it out , win the arm wrestle and accelerate to 100. I'm hopeful that it will all work out well.

Roll on Lords. We've always has success there so ...

 

[Dipper]

Bunch of Pr1cks

You know I thought that if we had all our top players fit & in form,if Gillespie & Lee weren't fit for the series then we might have a chance.But with our best batsman injured, now our captain's injured & the replacement batsmen were an absolute joke I mean Ward & Afzaal just look like walking wickets we're looking as sh1t as we were a couple of years ago.
However bad you are though there is no excuse for this kind of gutless display it annoys me so much to see such phsycologically weak people with so many technical deficiencies putting on the three lions & repsresenting my country.
Even Gough & Cad**** who usually can be relied upon to keep it pretty tight & threaten to get the batsmen out were shocking for long periods of the game.What we would give for a Steve Waugh to get amongst this shambles & tell a few home truths.