Poms playing for the draw this series

[Mitchell Madness]

obvious at this stage, no hurry to score runs

This is a return to the 2005 series in which they won 2-1, going off when the light was "bad," or known to everyone else around the world as a light fluffy cloud floating infront of the sun


No doubt if this was australia doing what the poms are, the british press would be filthy

 

[King Elvis]

It's soft, but you can't really blame them.

If they had more balls, they'd be going for our throats, but you know they're still terrified that we can pull magic out of our arses to ruin them.

 

[Underdog]

In this situation, I'd be playing for the draw too.

 

[Rave Slave]

Which is more demoralising? England declaring soonish and watching Australia go 1-150 odd and having to spend their bowlers energy or just batting on and completely exhausting and demoralising the Australian attack whilst notching up 650. If I was England I'd say bugger the declaration and bat this thing out. The match has no result written all over it. The wicket may as well be a strip of concrete.

 

[Spook]

Their run rate in the 3rd Innings of a test was higher than ours in our first innings. We also had 2 or 3 back on the leg side and a sweeper on the off from about 250 on.

Run rates
Eng 1sr: 3.38
Aus 1st: 3.03
Eng 2nd: 3.40

And you are blaming the Poms... For **** sake we had our chance to take it up a gear but we didn't.

Cook and Trotts partnership was 0.5 more runs an over more than Hussey and Haddins; and they were still trying to save a test while we were pulling away.

 

[Gak Attack]

We would of done the same, why even offer Australia the chance at winning any game they don't deserve to win?

 

[eddiesmith]

lol, so England ordered the flat pitch did they? Since Tea on day 2- Tea on Day 5 the score was about 6/900 between the 2 sides and England should have been gifting Australia a nice easy chase?

As for bad light, learn the rules before making stupid comments

 

[big_e]

Which is more demoralising? England declaring soonish and watching Australia go 1-150 odd and having to spend their bowlers energy or just batting on and completely exhausting and demoralising the Australian attack whilst notching up 650. If I was England I'd say bugger the declaration and bat this thing out. The match has no result written all over it. The wicket may as well be a strip of concrete.

That's what I would have done, too. The argument might have been to give them a crack at running through our top order again while we were just playing for time, but in reality, you should never give a sucker an even break and the Poms have just given an out of sorts opposition captain some free battign practice. Not a smart call, Mr Strauss.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

That's what I would have done, too. The argument might have been to give them a crack at running through our top order again while we were just playing for time, but in reality, you should never give a sucker an even break and the Poms have just given an out of sorts opposition captain some free battign practice. Not a smart call, Mr Strauss.

You could say that we did that with Strauss though. He has been in rubbish form this year and our bowlers have let him get right back into his comfort zone with all their short wide crap.

The English team had every reason in the world to make sure this match was secure to them. They don't have to win the series and they were on the back foot for the first couple of days. This will count as a win for them in terms of morale boosting and so it should.

 

[whats_at_stake]

You could make an argument that Australia was playing for the draw as after Day 3 they bowled terribly to force a draw...

 

[frankrizzo]

I thought strauss got the declaration just about right.

Forcing a win on this pitch was almost impossible but they gave themselves a small chance while simultaneously shutting us out of the match.

 

[mattymac]

yeah i thought it was a pretty sound declaration. they just saved the game why would they put it on the line again? they had no realistic hope of bowling us out on that deck. no incentive to make a 'game-on' declaration. could've been alot more demoralising for us though if collingwood stuck that catch off swann and they got a crack at huss and clarke

 

[frankrizzo]

Also let's face it when you make 1/500 and the pitches are most likely all going to be 5 day perfect revenue raisers you can sit back and wait for the desperation from the other team who have to force something to win back the ashes.

Like it or not England are already bossing the series, they bowled without luck then absorbed the pressure and gave it back to us with interest.

 

[linda]

You could say that we did that with Strauss though. He has been in rubbish form this year and our bowlers have let him get right back into his comfort zone with all their short wide crap.

The English team had every reason in the world to make sure this match was secure to them. They don't have to win the series and they were on the back foot for the first couple of days. This will count as a win for them in terms of morale boosting and so it should.

I think you may be mistaken about the form of Strauss

 

[amer]

England playing for the draw, as opposed to Johnson playing for the lulz?

 

[holybishop]

Which is more demoralising? England declaring soonish and watching Australia go 1-150 odd and having to spend their bowlers energy or just batting on and completely exhausting and demoralising the Australian attack whilst notching up 650. If I was England I'd say bugger the declaration and bat this thing out. The match has no result written all over it. The wicket may as well be a strip of concrete.

Aha do you honestly think England are somewhat demoralised or that Australia are less demoralised because Ponting got a bit of a hit with the bat? The media are still going to tear into Ponting come this morning, while England will still have a smile on their faces. And Strauss giving his bowlers a bit of a bowl aint a bad thing. What energy are they going to lose in just a session that they cant make up for come Adelaide. England's bowlers hadnt bowled since day 3 so I can see the sense in Strauss giving them a session just to make sure they dont lose their touch with a long gap between bowling spells.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

I think you may be mistaken about the form of Strauss

This year, even after scoring that ton, he is averaging 34.66 with this last score as his first ton in 9 test matches. Does that sound like good nick to you?

 

[Rave Slave]

Aha do you honestly think England are somewhat demoralised or that Australia are less demoralised because Ponting got a bit of a hit with the bat? The media are still going to tear into Ponting come this morning, while England will still have a smile on their faces. And Strauss giving his bowlers a bit of a bowl aint a bad thing. What energy are they going to lose in just a session that they cant make up for come Adelaide. England's bowlers hadnt bowled since day 3 so I can see the sense in Strauss giving them a session just to make sure they dont lose their touch with a long gap between bowling spells.

You're preaching to an English Australian who is more than happy to see a tightly contested Ashes. I just personally thought England should have batted out the day and completely drained morale out of the Australian bowling attack. They never looked like displacing Cook or Trott and even if they did the pitch was as flat as a tack so they wouldn't have bowled England out in the day.

Regardless, Ponting's in strife. Knowing the Australian selectors however, if and/or when the time comes Clarke will be the new replacement which IMO is completely undeserving.

 

[SebastianVettel]

I was a bit staggered they actually declared in the end. You were never going to get a result on that track once it flattened out, so I'd have just kept batting and really rubbed Australia's nose in it and kept them out in the sun for another session. Would've been demoralising and tiring with the second test just around the corner.

As it is, they've handed back a bit of the momentum they had IMO.

 

[HeavyPop]

This year, even after scoring that ton, he is averaging 34.66 with this last score as his first ton in 9 test matches. Does that sound like good nick to you?

He has hit 3 hundreds in the 4 games he has played here, so yes I would say he is in good form.

 

[linda]

This year, even after scoring that ton, he is averaging 34.66 with this last score as his first ton in 9 test matches. Does that sound like good nick to you?

He was playing against the superb Pakistan bowlers on pitches and in conditions that were incredible for bowling


I watch all his innings and yes he is in good nick

 

[Doodlesweaver]

He was playing against the superb Pakistan bowlers on pitches and in conditions that were incredible for bowling


I watch all his innings and yes he is in good nick

If you include his series against SA and Bangers (that's a year for you), he's averaging less than that. He hasn't been in good nick till he got to Aus and scoring runs against the two worst sides in Australia, the Warriors and the Redbacks (and I'm allowed to say that as I follow the Warriors) doesn't mean anyone's in form. Scoring runs against the Warriors with their decimated attack is like scoring runs against Derbyshire.

 

[linda]

If you include his series against SA and Bangers (that's a year for you), he's averaging less than that. He hasn't been in good nick till he got to Aus and scoring runs against the two worst sides in Australia, the Warriors and the Redbacks (and I'm allowed to say that as I follow the Warriors) doesn't mean anyone's in form. Scoring runs against the Warriors with their decimated attack is like scoring runs against Derbyshire.

Sorry you are wrong

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Sorry you are wrong

About what? About his averaging about 33/34 for a year up to the last test match? What's wrong about saying he's been in poor form when he has been?

You can be as big a fan of a player as you like, but there is no point in saying he's been in good nick when he hasn't been.

Well, unless you are Andrew Hilditch fantasizing about Hussey and North. Then anything is fair game.

 

[FreoBulldog]

It's a good job they weren't trying to win then.