[Archived] The Ashes

[Flopsy]

1) Unlucky and well played Australia, deserved a win

2) Well done Collingwood, Anderson, Swann and Monty

3) Told you the pitch wouldnt be a raging bunsen and would be a disgrace

4) This is the weakest Australian bowling attack i have ever seen

5) Which shows how poor our top 4 played

6) Johnson was ad disapointing as he had was hyped

7) Roll on Thursday

[1864roverite]

You're a fool.. plain and simple..

Well done to England on the draw.. Colly played a real gritty innings

Is that a sore reaxtion akin to that of Ponting moaning on tv ?

I know England got out out of jail and I know that the Aussies outplayed England over the 5 days.

Australia didnt become the best team in the world by playing fair and within the rules, they bent them and remoulded them. So my mate, whats wrong with another team doing to them what they have done over the past 10 years?

sore loser cobber, and that after YOU DREW a game, how will you feel should England actually nick a test ?

[stuwilky]

I thought Ponting's appeal for the "catch" when everyone else was claiming lbw particularly comical.

As was his reaction to the drinks being brought on at the end.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

You're a fool.. plain and simple..

Well done to England on the draw.. Colly played a real gritty innings

You blew it big time, I could get Panesar out bowling with a pineapple. Never mind son, better luck next time.

[AussieinUk]

Is that a sore reaxtion akin to that of Ponting moaning on tv ?

I know England got out out of jail and I know that the Aussies outplayed England over the 5 days.

Australia didnt become the best team in the world by playing fair and within the rules, they bent them and remoulded them. So my mate, whats wrong with another team doing to them what they have done over the past 10 years?

sore loser cobber, and that after YOU DREW a game, how will you feel should England actually nick a test ?

Who is sore? I have no problem in the draw.. Most Aussies on here predicted the draw a few days ago...

I respect the teams we play, as the history of my posts on this website have demonstrated over the last 6 odd years of being here. I have been on most overseas tours with the Australian cricket team (with the exception of SA, SI and Pak), so I have a pretty balanced view of opponets and the game...

I don't condone the attitude of certain individuals in the Aussie team, I guess that may come from dominating the game for so long.. I don't know.

You on the other hand, sound like you have a certain chip firmly on one shoulder.. To be honest you're starting to sound like our resident anti-Australian racist (we won't mention names eh? )

[Ozz]

The game got better and better through out, as a watchable match. The last two session were compelling viewing. Australia will obviously be gutted by not grabbing the win, but you gotta take 20 wickets to win, it is that simple. Doesn't matter how many runs you get if you don't bowl the oppo out twice.

England better realise we are not playing the Windies still and expect to win with 400 odd first up, then roll the average batting over-Aussie even without the superstars of last time are all tough termite, and won't go without a real stomping on.

It was plain to see though this afternoon that had they had a Pidge or Warne to toss the ball to the match would not have lasted into the last session-this is what they are missing.

Just hope England don't think they are world beaters again now.

[T4E]

you gotta take 20 wickets to win, it is that simple. Doesn't matter how many runs you get if you don't bowl the oppo out twice.

Spot on. I feel for Aus but I need to withdraw my previous comment about them deserving to win. Everyone comes in to a test knowing you need to take 20 wickets to win. They didn't manage it, so they didn't win. Simples.

[broadsword]

Spot on. I feel for Aus

NEVER!

Don't give em an inch, never feel sorry for em

[jim mk2]

I feel for Aus .

Are you feeling ill ? Never feel sorry for that lot.

God truly is an Englishman after that escape.

England were bloody awful for 4 days and only played properly when their backs were to the wall. Must be the Dunkirk spirit or something in the national psyche.

Collingwood deserves a medal for his near 6-hour vigil but the other top-line batsman should hang their heads in shame. Pietersen should be read the riot act and given one last chance.

Ponting's post-match comments show what an arsehole he really is. England did waste time and he would have done exactly the same.

On to Lord's where England usually lose. My only wish is they put up a far better show than in Cardiff.

[Flopsy]

McGrath isnt bowling and he was the main problem for England at Lords.

I think Cook needs the riot act before KP Jim, what with him scoring less runs than everyone else and not having an excuse such as a good ball, or a abd umpiring decision.

Onions for Monty for Lords I guess. If we play Harmison, then we really dont deserve anything

[broadsword]

Collingwood deserves a medal for his near 6-hour vigil

OBE?

[1864roverite]

There is no chip Aussieinuk and as for racist ? Dont think you could ever link me to that kind of behaviour.

What I might be guilty of is wanting England to win whilst wanting them to bury the Aussies with a heavy defeat. That didnt happen to day because we got lucky. My comments about the Aussies not being able to hack the sportmanship are coming home to roost because everyone else seems to have noticed it.

Quite rightly, one cricket fan picked up on the over excessive ponting calls for catches when the lbw's were a mile off. You didnt hear Strauss and co whingeing about that in the after match press conference and furthermore they didnt tell everyone they were going to the ECB to register their complaint.

The chellenge for England was to ensure they didnt lose the first test. That objective was secured with a gutsy draw. Now, the momentum should be with us slightly as the Aussies wallow in self pity.

Thursday makes for an intereting toss-up.

Gooday Blue

[grizfoot]

This test match reminded me very much of an Ashes test match from 2005 were England dominated but just couldn't get the final wicket. Think it was the rain affected Old Trafford test match (might be wrong though).

This test match was much the opposite with the Aussies fully on top throughout the match I'd say. England were indeed lucky to come away from the match with a draw, it must feel like a defeat for the Aussies. Got to give credit to Collingwood and the lower order for grinding out the result, however it does question what the top four batsmen were doing if the lower order can bat seemingly well and they can't.

I don't like the rule about having a cut-off time they should just say there's a maximum amount of overs you can bowl in a day. Otherwise you get situations were team's can waste time and effectively gain an edge. If they set the number of overs in stone there would be none of this gamesmanship that we saw a little from England in the final session. Although to be fair to them Monty and Jimmy didn't waste too much time at the end, although I was screaming for them to have a wander down the pitch and do a little gardening they seemed content to just get on with things.

[T4E]

You're right griz, it was the 3rd test at OT. Very similar.

[stuwilky]

Ponting "I dont want to make that big a deal of it"

Did anyone point out to Rickey that 25% of his interview was about it?

"the spirit of the game"

Huge appeals for nothing? Catch claims that werent?

[neekoy]

Now, the momentum should be with us slightly as the Aussies wallow in self pity.

Dribble.

Well done England on "saving" the test, Ponting is quite right to talk about the time wasting tactics, nice to see no one even mentioned though with his closing, "it is not the reason we didn't win though". Which is once agin quite right.

Australia took 19 wickets and this is the worst Australian bowling team ever? Bloody hell Flops. They couldn't get through Collingwood who having massive limitations is the grafter you needed.

It would have been nice to see England go for a result, over a full days play to go and they could ahve taken the initiative and given Australia 100 or so runs to chase in the final session.

Anyway, I hope England take this kind of negative mental attitude into all the tests, you won't be able to hold out forever especially with both Lee and Clark available for LORDS.

[Sydney Rovers]

That was unexpected. Fair to say if Warney had been playing we would have been finished by tea.

Actually a better captain would of seen the result turn in Australia's favour.

[neekoy]

Actually a better captain would of seen the result turn in Australia's favour.

That's a bit harsh, he was very attacking, had sometimes 7 men around the bat, the ball just didn't fall.

[LeftWinger]

It's looking like a draw at the moment, but I suppose it depends how the pitch holds up. I still think it could be tricky batting last - Panesar might yet play a decent part in this game.

Not exactly how I pictured it - but I was pretty much spot on with this prediction

[dave birch]

I'm still waiting for the ball to turn square.......

I'm also amazed that Hauritz managed to take as many wickets as the entire England team.

[ffan]

Dribble.

Well done England on "saving" the test, Ponting is quite right to talk about the time wasting tactics, nice to see no one even mentioned though with his closing, "it is not the reason we didn't win though". Which is once agin quite right.

Ponting totally back tracked. He knew what he said was wrong and immediately tried to back out of what he said.

What about Pontings tactics of going up to the umpire with the ball out stretched in the palm of his hand appealing, even though the umpire had already given not out. Did more or less the same thing in the warm up match.

I have no problem with Ponting, brilliant batsmen and good captain but what you said is absolute...."dribble"

[RibbleValleyRover]

When was the last time we beat Australia at Lord's? Wasn't it 1934?

If they can't take any positives or form into the next test then heads should roll, they completley pummelled us for four days.

[Flopsy]

Ponting would have a point about the 'Spirit of Cricket' if he:

1) Wasnt a monkey faced gimp; and

2) Hadnt stood Mid Pitch and called Swann an 'effing c...'.

So you'll forgive me for ignoring this distraction exercise. Sydney Rovers is right. A good captain would not allow two tailenders to last 69 fairly untroubled deliveries

[pg]

NEVER!

Don't give em an inch, never feel sorry for em

That's the difference...we Aussies actually feel sorry for you guys

[Boz]

Ricky Ponting, fantastic batter, but has badly let himself down with his captaincy and his reactions yesterday. Marcus North bowling at the death? Anybody remember Kasprovich gloving to England's premier strike bowler at Trent Bridge.

Did he speak about gamesmanship? Putting aside his appealing, the sledging that he has been aparty to under his leadership, and he wishes to comment upon gamesmanship? I am staggered.

I look forward to seeing Ponting's team continue to bowl at the same rate per hour in all the remaining tests.