Fourth test

[Productivity]

I don't know if there allready is a thread - if there is apologies to it's creator.

Congratulations English. I'll fill this out later tomorrow (today?) - I have a stats test tomorrow (today?) and I'm going to bed.

[ShadesWolf]

What a match. I have no nails left.......
MY nerves are shot to pieces...

[Craterus]

It was a great test. Enjoyed the last 15 minutes (4th day) especially.

[Azi Tohak]

~:confused:

Azi

[Strike For The South]

`silly euros and there silly cricket ~:cheers:

[InsaneApache]

`silly euros and there silly cricket

Ye Gods man...Euros and cricket!!!!!!...go to bed immediatley and wash your mouth out with soap ~D ......

The English tee up a spectacular 4th test, may the best team triumph.

[Productivity]

The English tee up a spectacular 4th test, may the best team triumph.


Hopefully the umpires will stop making rubbish decisions as well. Katich's wicket was ridiculous.

[Divine Wind]

Hopefully the umpires will stop making rubbish decisions as well. Katich's wicket was ridiculous.

Lets hope Pietersen puts on his catching gloves too. Six dropped catches...SIX!!

All good though, cmon England! ~:cheers:

[ShadesPanther]

`silly euros and there silly cricket ~:cheers:

to be accurate its silly English and there silly cricket

[Productivity]

Lets hope Pietersen puts on his catching gloves too. Six dropped catches...SIX!!

He does have some issues doesn't he.

[King Ragnar]

`silly euros and there silly cricket ~:cheers:

I wasnt aware that all of Europe played Cricket :dizzy2: , silly americans and there silly comments.

[Papewaio]

Congrats England ~:cheers: My nights looking after the newborn have been a lot more enjoyable!

[Roark]

to be accurate its silly English and there silly cricket

To be even more accurate, it's a thoroughly Australian sport, but we allow other members of the Commonwealth to have a go as well. ~;)

Anyway... Congratulations, you Pommies. An exciting continuance to an already brilliant series.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

`silly euros and there silly cricket ~:cheers:

Oh, come off it. I don't normally watch cricket, but even I found this test extremely exciting.

[Mount Suribachi]

What a test match!

What a test series!

I could barely watch last evening. I had a giant ball of ice in my stomach, my legs were shaking, it was awful....still the right team won in the end ~:)

Kudos to Lee and Warne, with bat and ball they were the players who made it close, that spell of Lee's at the end, and that ball to remove Flintoff :o one of the best deliveries I have ever seen.

As for Katych, yep he got a shocker of a decision, the worst of the series. But both sides have been on the wrong end of umpiring decisions. And England have suffered plenty in the past at the hands of Australia. The better you bowl, the more chances for taking wickets you create, the better your chance of getting an umpiring decision your way. I still remember the last ashes tour, Atherton was stumped off Warne (at Trent Bridge ironically, I was there). It went to a 3rd umpire, the replay clearly showed that Atherton was just out, it also clearly showed that Warne had overstepped - a no ball that the umpire had missed - but the 3rd umpire can't call no-balls and so Atherton was given out. There was nearly a riot).

Now all we need is rain at the Oval for 5 days! Though I feel this series is not quite over yet...if McGrath returns and Jones is out, it could all be very different. The last 3 test matches the aussies have been on the ropes and they haven't stopped fighting. Or should I say Warne hasn't stopped fighting ~;) The sooner he retires the better, he's a champion player, and easily man of the series so far. In fact, he was my man of the match as the player who made it so close.

[Divinus Arma]

I don't know if there allready is a thread - if there is apologies to it's creator.

Congratulations English. I'll fill this out later tomorrow (today?) - I have a stats test tomorrow (today?) and I'm going to bed.

wtf? ~:confused:

[ShadesWolf]

`silly euros and there silly cricket ~:cheers:

Now wouldnt it sound better as Silly Yanks and there world series ~;)

[ShadesWolf]

Its was a wonderful match and has been an excellent series.
My concern is now for Jones as he is an intergral part of the team. He keeps the pressure on as the ball starts to get older. I suggest in the same vain as warne does.

The out and out quickies have fun with the new battle and then in short spells where are warne and jones do the majority of the bowling....

A question for you Aussies...

Why are you only going into matches with 4 bowlers. You have been found out time and time again in this series ?

[Duke of Gloucester]

Yes, It has been a fabulous series so far. What a shame England lost so tamely in the first test! I think this is a big difference between the two sides. Both are capable of getting ahead of the other. England may be slightly better at this because they have managed it three times, but once they are behind, Australia just don’t give up. Once they have saved a test match and twice they fought back almost enough to win. If we want a thriller for the fifth test, I think we need to wish for the initial advantage to go to England again, although it would be interesting to see what happens if England are asked to fight back – have they gained enough confidence to do so now?

Australia can use four bowlers for one reason. They have one bowler who they can absolutely rely on to bowl all day if needed, to be threatening and economic. This means they can rotate bowlers at the other end, and as long as two of them are effective, they can expect to bowl sides out. The problem they have now, with McGrath injured, is that they only have fast bowler who has been good enough. Maybe McGill should play regardless of whether the Oval pitch will take spin.

A question for the England selectors is whether they can continue with Geraint Jones. Although he made some useful runs in the first innings, he had an absolute shocker Yesterday, dropping a catch, missing a stumping and messing up a run out and then getting out in a stupid way to fully expose the tail. We were lucky that the Australians lost their nerve and that Giles and Hoggard held theirs. Is he good enough and should you change a winning team?

A great series as I said, and I am so glad that Australia did not win. It would have ruined Headingley 1981.

[Mount Suribachi]

Yes, It has been a fabulous series so far. What a shame England lost so tamely in the first test! I think this is a big difference between the two sides. Both are capable of getting ahead of the other. England may be slightly better at this because they have managed it three times, but once they are behind, Australia just don’t give up. Once they have saved a test match and twice they fought back almost enough to win. If we want a thriller for the fifth test, I think we need to wish for the initial advantage to go to England again, although it would be interesting to see what happens if England are asked to fight back – have they gained enough confidence to do so now?



everyone forgets that we came steaming in on the first day and bowled Australia out for 190 and roughed them up good and proper with hostile fast bowling. They were in trouble then, but McGraths opening spell dragged them back. Even then, we were only 20 odd runs behind after the first innings, it was the 7 dropped catches in the Aussie 2nd innings that meant were chasing 370 rather than 250 odd that was the difference.

[InsaneApache]

It would have ruined Headingley 1981.

Truly a classic....as this will be known as in twenty-odd years from now.

[English assassin]

Fantastic match. I was having to follow it on text updates as I was at the Reading Festival, if anything it was even more tense than watching it would have been.

I wouldn't drop Jones, and not just because he is a Kent man and that's my side. (Well, obviously with a name like that he is Welsh, but he plays for Kent.) He's not had a good series to put it mildly, but the team has been good enough to be on top in three out of four tests. For the last test of the series I would say don't rock the boat.

Unless he has a blinder at the Oval he should forget about touring this winter though IMHO.

I thought Ponting's whining about the substitute fielder was a bit pathetic too, especially since Jones was actually off injured at the time. Would Richie Benaud have done that?? Still, surely a sign that the pressure is getting to him, which has to be good for England.

Hats off to Shane Warne though, truly one of the all time greats. I wish him well in a commentating career and hope it starts as soon as possible... ~:)

[Geoffrey S]

A classic test. I was sitting at the edge of my seat throughout the last innings, particularly when Flintoff and Pietersen were out. It's a shame Geraint Jones screwed up so badly, and I still think Pietersen needs to perform better. Collingwood needs to be included again methinks.

[Mount Suribachi]

I would take Jones on the winter tours, plus the best of the pack of young keepers out there, let them fight it out for the spot. But he can't keep on missing chances, it means we have to take 14 wickets every innings, not 10. Test average of 33 or not, 4 extra wickets every innings is a lot...

[Sjakihata]

`silly euros and there silly cricket ~:cheers:

nothing to do with europe mate, but the commonwealth. :book:

[Craterus]

Cricket is played in Europe, but I don't think they play nationally.

My uncle introduced cricket to Germany. I am not lying. He was teaching English in a university, and he missed playing cricket which was his favourite hobby back in England. So he taught his students how to play the game so he could play.

Then, the game spread between universities, and they started having matches with each other. Then the sport grew in popularity and was being played all around the country (not very often though).

[King Edward]

C'mon Fellow Pommes sing it with me!!

EVERY WERE WE GOOOO!!!

PEOPLE WANNA KNNOOOWWW!!!!

[Wishazu]

Cricket`s Coming Home, Its Coming Home, Its Coming

Crickets Coming Home.

[Duke of Gloucester]

Listen, we still have to win, draw or tie the last test. Anyone making a confident prediction about that has not been watching the previous four games.

Craterus, tell your uncle that in 50 years time when we lose to the Germans at Cricket for 18 years in a row, it will be his fault. ~;)

[dessa14]

the dutchies have a one-dayer team, that competes in the world cup.
i think with the introduction of 20/20 cricket, cricket will spread alot better and beat baseball out of some of the asian countries, as 20/20 cricket is really exciting while baseball will always be super boring, regardless of how many homeruns are hit.
i don't like the way the english are playing this test series (cough specialist fielder substitute cough) but we are playing terribly for no reason at all, the australian team is a good team, yet we're playing like shit.
thanks,
dizzy
thanks,
dizzy

[English assassin]

i don't like the way the english are playing this test series (cough specialist fielder substitute cough)

cough get over it cough Its in the rules, and IMHO its not being abused. Even if a bowler comes off at the end of a long session for a quick bit of physio (and as I understand it that's not what is happening) if that means each team has a better chance of keeping their best players in the team for a full five match series instead of picking up an injury I say go for it. I want to see players like McGrath play, (and get beaten, hopefully) I don't want to see a load of donkeys because the world class players are stuffed. And if you are allowed a substitute, and you are, who would you pick? Someone who can catch and throw, surely.

Anyway truth be told it makes naff all diference to the result and its just Ponting having a hissy fit because he is staring defeat in the face IMHO.


but we are playing terribly for no reason at all, the australian team is a good team, yet we're playing like s***.

Is it considered possible down under that maybe Australia are still a very good side playing well, its just the Poms are better?

[Craterus]

Commentators were saying that Australia have been at the top of the pile for a long time and this could be the change-around.

[Duke of Gloucester]

Let's wait until we are counting chickens, not eggs.

[Roark]

Congrats to England on a killer Test. The bowling attack was awesome.

I honestly don't know what the big deal is with the substitute specialist fielder. Jonesy was in hospital getting X-rays... England didn't whinge after Brad Hodge took 2 catches (when Clarke was off the field at Old Trafford with a bad back).

I would suggest that Ponting's mob concentrate on their own game. They need to get their act together. They're better than this.

[King Arthur]

anyone else sad to hear in England that the 'voice' of cricket Richie Benaud will no longer grace our tv........
and i would also in the same breath like to damb the ECB for allowing all cricket to go to Sky and therefore no more cricket on free to view television.