The Ashes

[Righteo]

I quite like the English crowds with their singing and carry on. Heaps better than Australian cheers, which are usually something like repeatedly shouting the name of your side out loud and clapping three times.

The Barmy Army are basically football hooligans yeah but them aside and the odd trumpeter they're more subdued than Aussie crowds.

 

[Rob]

Sensational attempt to save the boundary there, most polite of applause. The English crowds are probs still more rambunctious than West Coast ones though.

Less booing though.

 

[Kram]

Ok time for a bag of lollies and chips run to the shops.

 

[ydraw]

The Barmy Army are basically football hooligans yeah but them aside and the odd trumpeter they're more subdued than Aussie crowds.

I saw with the Barmy Army last time Warne played against the Poms in Perth, they were quite funny and entertaining, not like hooligans at all. Even went and had a drink with them at lunch in the pub across from the WACA.

Obviously the bloke with the Jimmy Saville costume has had to come up with a new gimmick since then!

 

[Kram]

Need to make them pay for that drop.

 

[Steinfreo]

Now Bell has dropped the ashes. Shameful.

 

[Righteo]

I saw with the Barmy Army last time Warne played against the Poms in Perth, they were quite funny and entertaining, not like hooligans at all. Even went and had a drink with them at lunch in the pub across from the WACA.

Obviously the bloke with the Jimmy Saville costume has had to come up with a new gimmick since then!

Ok hooligans is definitely too harsh, I did mean it more in the chanting sense. The Poms are a good-spirited bunch generally even when losing.

 

[estibador]

Just got home and saw the score. Is this pitch expected to be a road or are we actually batting well against decent bowling?

 

[ydraw]

Expected to be a road, but that doesn't matter a lot with our bowlers. Only Hazelwood is really a seamer, Starc and Johnson take their wickets with swing and bowl a lot of yorkers, to which the pitch conditions are pretty irrelevant.

 

[Righteo]

Just got home and saw the score. Is this pitch expected to be a road or are we actually batting well against decent bowling?

Mostly the former with a touch of the latter. Few chances have gone begging for the Poms in the last 5-10 overs. Warner was looking great and then got overambitious and threw his wicket away.

Really hope Rogers can convert this time.

 

[Quokka]

Big toss to win, if the wicket is ever to do anything it'll be late and after a good bit of use.

 

[gaskin]

He looked like he was getting anxious that over from Ali but it's good to see Rodgers finally get there.

 

[Righteo]

Great stuff from Smith and Rogers, can up the ante a little now.

 

[poshman]

Definitely a good time to win the toss this test. A big century from Smith would be huge for the series. Would have been nice to see Warner go on and would be good to see Clarke etc to notch a decent score and get form. Great opportunity coming in under minimum pressure now.

 

[ydraw]

Must win this test from here.

 

[Freoforever86]

What a delicious score to wake up with.

Hopefully our bowlers find it a bit easier out there when they get the chance.

 

[Taylor]

I hope this pitch completely falls apart after tea tomorrow.

 

[ImperialPurple]

You know what I'm getting a little tired of?? These bloody flat tracks that mean if you don't win the toss and get to bat first, then you're pretty much stuffed, and can only hope for a draw at best. We saw it this last summer here in Australia, and now we've seen it in the first two Tests in England. Where's the juicy wickets, the pace and bounce? The swing? Something for the bowlers to make it more of an even contest, that doesn't hinge completely on who wins the toss. You don't want to see a batting team routed for 100 runs, but geez we'd all be whining if Cook had won the toss and we were watching Root and co killing us again...

I suppose one of the captains could do a Cotchin to spice it up a little.

 

[Taylor]

How many catches did English miss, was it three?

 

[Spirit Level]

****en stoked after that days play.

The ECB should be ashamed though, treating a great ground like Lords with that embarrassment of a pitch

 

[XXRL]

Agree regarding the importance of winning the toss and the lifelessness of the pitch.

They really need to change the rules in Test series so they only have one toss at the beginning of the first test and then 'winning the toss' alternates from then on.

 

[youmewe]

Agree regarding the importance of winning the toss and the lifelessness of the pitch.

They really need to change the rules in Test series so they only have one toss at the beginning of the first test and then 'winning the toss' alternates from then on.

This proposal would be the blueprint for manipulating match results.

If the home team knows they'll be batting first in the next match they'll prepare a dry, flat pitch which will break up late - select two spinners and score 400+ in the first innings.

If they know they'll be bowling first they'll prepare a green, seaming pitch and select an extra pace bowler.

 

[XXRL]

This proposal would be the blueprint for manipulating match results.

If the home team knows they'll be batting first in the next match they'll prepare a dry, flat pitch which will break up late - select two spinners and score 400+ in the first innings.

If they know they'll be bowling first they'll prepare a green, seaming pitch and select an extra pace bowler.

True.

They don't know whether they'll be bowling first necessarily, as the opposition captain would still have the option, but yes, point taken.

 

[Righteo]

Why is there rugby shite on my TV screen?

 

[Taylor]

Proper channel nine. Rodgers just got hit on the head, medicos on field, back to the game, boom boom two fours in reply.