This thread is getting derailed in very big hurry!! Can't you feel the love Ah.. bless cricket

Sorry Abbey, but I don't go for these back door shenanigans. Sure I'm flattered... maybe even curious.... ...but the answers no!

You guys are going to love this. So I win my qualifier on Sunday 4-1. After the game, my opponent sends me this : Just remember, you didn't beat me, the fouled up game engine gave it to you. And then this : I just read your "news item" and you are such a liar. You weren't superior on the field until my best IM was injured. You won because the game engine sucks, not because you had any superiority AT ALL. Disgusting display of ego is all you have. This was my reply : Hatstats rating : 286 to 215 Star ratings : 61.5 to 49 Gamealyzer Prediction Balwyn Rovers 5 - 2 Autumn Bonfires Analyzed using HT-Gamealyzer (hattrick.daleycomputers.net/gamealyzer) A CHPP app by Elkabong Have a nice day PS how old are you? Her reply (I've since found out that she's 55 year old woman who has completely alienated every other player in her series!) The fact remains that my best IM and my best scorer were both out of the game before you went ahead of me. You beat my 8 players with 9 of yours, and you brag how great you are? I was disgusted at the game engine which has sucked for a long time, but your 'news' posts proved that you didn't even know it. Maybe some day they will make the game engine work so that there is some relationship between how good a team is and the results. Until then, don't brag. I'm older than you are. And : Analyzed using HT-Gamealyzer (hattrick.daleycomputers.net/gamealyzer) A CHPP app by Elkabong It's also interesting that you have access to something like this when I don't. Are you someone special or do you just know the right people? Nothing like a fair game here, is there? (end) Boo - hoo -hoo!

This was posted by the US weather service (NOAA?) They are probably the only government dept. that can't be criticised, as they certainly gave an accurate forecast. URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA 413 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005 EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE KATRINA CONTINUES TO APPROACH THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME WALL AND ROOF FAILURE. HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT. AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK. POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS. THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE KILLED. AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS. LAZ038-040-050-056>070-MSZ080>082-290300- ASSUMPTION-HANCOCK-HARRISON-JACKSON-LIVINGSTON-LOWER JEFFERSON- LOWER LAFOURCHE-LOWER PLAQUEMINES-LOWER ST. BERNARD-LOWER TERREBONNE- ORLEANS-ST. CHARLES-ST. JAMES-ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST-ST. TAMMANY- TANGIPAHOA-UPPER JEFFERSON-UPPER LAFOURCHE-UPPER PLAQUEMINES- UPPER ST. BERNARD-UPPER TERREBONNE- 413 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

Yeah I know. All those poor souls in Australia descended from Anglo-Saxon stock.... Poor short pasty ginger turnips Thankfully I don't have an ounce of English blood in me

Of course we're good at whinging.... ...you guys taught us everything we need to know

Langer??

Yeah, they're not too shabby!

Now you're getting it

Flopys - you can't win everything all of the time can you? Besides, we have to let you guys win every now and then just to keep you interested

MacGill's efforts against Essex would be a worry. Here is what I said in another forum about MacGill : The last time he bowled against England in 2002-03 at home : Melbourne test : 1st innings : 36 overs, 2 for 108 (wickets of Hussian and Dawson) 2nd innings : 48 overs, 5 for 152 (wickets of Trescothick, Vaughn, White, Foster and Caddick). Sydney test : 1st innings : 44 overs, 2 for 106 (the wickets of Caddick and Hoggard) 2nd innings : 41 overs, 3 for 120 (Butcher, Caddick and Hoggard). Overall : 169 overs 36 maidens 486 run 12 wickets 40.50 average best figures of 5-152 In 169 overs he only claimed four batsman. The English aren't afraid of MacGill, and considering that the Oval is now one of the fastest pitches in the world I don't think he'll be playing.

Absolutely not!

Come to Chapel St in Melbourne on a Friday / Saturday night and they're there for everyone to see Or venture to any suburban shopping mall for that matter

Symond's problem is that he's often away playing ODIs and thus hasn't had the chances to score heavily in Sheffield Shield cricket. If you want to play test cricket for Australia, you have to make runs in Sheffield Shield. Historically that is the way it has worked. Symonds last three seasons for Queensland : 7 matches 516 runs @ 39.69 2 matches 112 runs @ 37.33 5 matches 262 runs @ 43.66 They are 'OK' figures, but not enough to get himself a #6 position in the test team. I would like to think that Symonds could have the same impact at Test level that he has had in the one day arena over the past few years, but I'm not sure if will happen.

As a sci-fi geek, I've started dabbling in Ian Bainks lately...quite impressed too.

Symonds failed in the test series in Sri Lanka : Two matches - averaged 13 with the bat. A Symonds 2 4 0 53 24 13.25 44.53 - - 4 - Bowling : A Symonds 2 24 4 85 1 85.00 1-68 Mind you, I agree that he would be better suited to English conditions, both with the bat and ball. As Neekoy says, the current Australian team has beaten Sri Lanka, India and New Zealand away in the last two seasons. They don't turn rubbish overnight. Rather, a combination of key injuries, some form loss, and some fantastic bowling from the English means that we are 2-1 down in the Ashes. But no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater just yet.

Just thinking that was long as Flintoff and co. outperform Sven's bunch of under-achieving numpties on the world stage, cricket will have the upper hand in many hearts of people throughout England. Everyone loves a winner.

You've confused me now Jones has made more runs in the series but Gilchrist has been better behind the stumps. If the series go by without Gilchrist cutting loose once I'll feel a bit short changed. But on the other hand, we've seen plenty of big hitting from Warne, Lee and Flintcroft, so I guess it's not too bad.

Now you're just being silly He's dropped two catches all series? And missed one stumping? How many has Jones missed this series? What about byes?

Shaddy - you wouldn't seriously consider dropping Gilchrist would you?!?! He's a keeper remember - not a batsman. Although he does average over 50..runs he makes should be regarded as a bonus..not taken for granted. As long as he's taking catches and stumpings he's doing his job.

Actually, I thought Daar had a great first test, and Billy was looking a bit rattled by the end of the Manchester test! Daar didn't have a great test at Trent Bridge though.

well mate....5 bowlers, 7 batsmen....and half a keeper, well so far this test series...half a keeper is all we need to be infront of your lot! 342710[/snapback] That's cause we've only been playing with two and half bowlers and about four batsmen Regarding the use of TV replays at grounds. I'm actually surprised that they give slo-mo replays at the grounds, as in Australian grounds you don't get a contentious LBW decision replayed five times after the event. You'll probably get one replay and that's it. But surely it makes sense to start the replay AFTER the batsman has actually left the field? I'm beginning to think that with the current level of technology and the hysteria surrounding some of the decisions, that on-field umpires will be obselete within a decade. And all decisisions will be made by TV/computer. Whilst on the one hand, this will slow down the game, on the other I think it will encourage walking. More batsman will walk after snicking it because they will know that they'll just look silly standing there when in ten seconds the TV replay will clearly show them to be out. It may also stop excessive appealling. For the same reason, the fielding side are going to look stupid jumping in the air for everything, when a TV replay 10 seconds later shows the batsman got nowhere near it. Of course, there are implications for the future of umpiring and for lower grades of cricket... ...but if you really worried about the future of umpiring you wouldn't have invented 'hawkeye' would you?!

Yeah, was thinking along similar lines last night Blueboy. When Ponting has to have over the urn at the end of the series, I hope he does it with good grace and say that he lost to a very good team. Unlike Richie Richardson who spat the dummy saying that it was the worst Australian side he had ever played against when they lost a series for the first time in over a decade. BTW another aspect of the cricket in the UK that I really enjoy is the party/dress-ups aspect Darth Vader and Chewbacca at a cricket match!!

Any word yet on whether or not Jones will be fit for the last test? England's superior attack has given them the advantage, and if he misses the last test it wil be very interesting to say the least to see what effect it has on the English team balance. They are currently playing with five bowlers, seven batsman and half a keeper! I think Langer has consistently played well this series, along with Lee and Warne. He's taken a lot of stick, endured lots of physical punishment, but has never really given his wicket away. Current team averages : Australia - battting (M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 50's 100's Catches Stumpings) RT Ponting 4 8 0 324 156 40.50 59.34 1 1 3 - MJ Clarke 4 8 0 310 91 38.75 55.65 - 2 1 - JL Langer 4 8 0 289 82 36.12 55.36 - 2 2 - SK Warne 4 8 0 249 90 31.12 72.59 - 1 2 - SM Katich 4 8 0 247 67 30.87 47.59 - 2 2 - B Lee 4 8 3 152 47 30.40 65.23 - - 2 - England - batting ME Trescothick 4 8 0 355 90 44.37 62.72 - 3 3 - KP Pietersen 4 8 1 301 71 43.00 66.88 - 3 - - A Flintoff 4 8 0 322 102 40.25 77.77 1 2 3 - MP Vaughan 4 8 0 270 166 33.75 60.53 1 1 1 - SP Jones 4 6 4 66 20* 33.00 67.34 - - 1 - AJ Strauss 4 8 0 263 106 32.87 56.80 1 - 4 - Australia - bowling (Matches O M R W Ave B-B 5WI 10 WM SR Econ) RT Ponting 4 6 2 9 1 9.00 1-9 - - 36.0 1.50 SK Warne 4 176.5 29 551 28 19.67 6-46 1 1 37.8 3.11 GD McGrath 2 81 14 283 14 20.21 5-53 2 - 34.7 3.49 B Lee 4 148.1 18 640 19 33.68 4-82 - - 46.7 4.31 England - bowling SP Jones 4 102 17 378 18 21.00 6-53 2 - 34.0 3.70 SJ Harmison 4 138.3 20 462 16 28.87 5-43 1 - 51.9 3.33 A Flintoff 4 160 22 577 19 30.36 4-71 - - 50.5 3.60 MJ Hoggard 4 98 13 376 12 31.33 3-70 - - 49.0 3.83 AF Giles 4 137 17 502 10 50.20 3-78 - - 82.2 3.66

Time for Vaughn to enforce the follow on now..