ENG v AUS First Test: Cardiff

Draw.

Shame if the Aussies could of been got out for somewhere around 350/400 we could of had a belting game on our hands.

Shame Ponting turned up, as he's feckin' good when he does.
I can tell Katich is gonig to annoy the shite out of me in this series...
 
I think Australia can still win this. Unless there's rain.
 
Thoroughly underwhelming start to the Ashes. The pitch is a joke.

The second session on the first day was as bland as it gets. Not particularly good bowling, and slow scoring caused by the lack of pace in the pitch. Today it seems to be offering more to the batsmen, which is a development that never helps a test match as a spectacle.

Bring on the T20.
 
Looks like I didn't miss much. I can see lots of wickets falling tomorrow...... Yawn
 
Utd heap said:
I can tell Katich is gonig to annoy the shite out of me in this series...
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He'll go on a Justin Langer type run where he averages 70 odd for a good stretch.

He was Bradmanesque against some very high quality bowling in the Sheffield Shield last time out.
 
I'm not a massive cricket follower but what has Ponting done to deserve such disdain? Winning aside. He seems boring in interviews but hardly hateable.

Finding feeble skippy jokes unfunny seems a poor qualification since I'm fairly sure that he may just have heard one before.
 
Utd heap said:
Draw.

Shame if the Aussies could of been got out for somewhere around 350/400 we could of had a belting game on our hands.

Shame Ponting turned up, as he's feckin' good when he does.
I can tell Katich is gonig to annoy the shite out of me in this series...
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Katich is the key for us, he's become a fantastic batsman over the last few years. And Ponting always scores well in the first test of any series, after that though he may disappear.

I think we'll need at least 500 if we're going to have a chance of taking this one away. Either that or we scrape to 500 and somehow rip through their line-up in a day.

All signs are pointing to a draw at this stage.
 
Spoony! said:
On a track like this 450 isn't as great as it sounds. If Aus get over 500, they could be in a good position to win the game.
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I agree the Aussies have shown that this is a batters pitch and after yesterday they should post a score of 500+ maybe close to 600.
They will want to get a big first innings lead.
The only problem for them is the weather , it is forcast solid rain for Sat and on off for Sunday.
The thing is I thought most of our bowling was quite good ,Broad was a bit wayward but got it together a bit , Flintoff was OK his first spell was the best.
Ponting is a master at not getting out, maybe one of the best batsmen I have seen .
Hopefully our bowlers will come out blazing this morning and get 6-6 wickets before Lunch.
 
Wibble said:
I'm not a massive cricket follower but what has Ponting done to deserve such disdain? Winning aside. He seems boring in interviews but hardly hateable.

Finding feeble skippy jokes unfunny seems a poor qualification since I'm fairly sure that he may just have heard one before.
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You must have missed quite a lot of his utterances Wibble.

You had to be there mate. It wasn't that he found my 'feeble' comment unfunny, it actually made him angry, quite possibly because he knew it contained a modicum of truth. Different reaction.
Brett Lee thought it most amusing and although that may not be a good thing it showed Ricky up quite badly.
 
@ Freddie

"ARE YOU HARMISON IN DISGUISE" :D



And boy do we need to get a wicket with this new ball, we're withering away out there.
 
Ponting looks in imperious form. Wouldn't be surprised to see him get a double. Hasn't been troubled in the least.

Its almost certainly a draw especially with the weather forecast for tomorrow.

Pity.
 
Boycotts his usual cheerful self at the minute. lol

I know matters are Usain Bolting away from us here but damn he's miserable.
 
Good early wickets those, let's hope we can get some bowling momentum together now and hit 'em hard.
 
peterstorey said:
The boring Yorkshire twat speaks exactly as he batted - grudging and joyless.
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He he, you've summed him up perfectly there Pete.

England's bowling is looking a bit feeble at the minute, they'll glad of the poor weather outlook for tomorrow.
 
horselesspaul said:
Much as I hate to agree with uber Tory Sir Ian Botham, I think Strauss is making some fairly average captaining decisions at the moment. Pressure galore right now, don't hold back for fear of going for a few runs.
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I think Strauss is a poor captain,his decisions are strange at best and some are just wrong.
We may be glad of the poor weather tommorow,I cant see us saving this with 5 days play,I can see the Aussies wanting a 300-350 lead ,and hopeing to bowl us out and they not having to bat again
 
North needs to get out for Australia to have a better chance. Haddin scores fast.
 
I think they'll win this. I was fearing the worse after we got 400+, which sounds silly - but considering the pitch and the RR of the England innings, it didn't put England in an unsurmountable position. And it's about time something is done about flat decs. Most TM surfaces are awful, thesedays. I wonder how much of it has to do with sponsors.
 
Spoony! said:
And it's about time something is done about flat decs. Most TM surfaces are awful, thesedays. I wonder how much of it has to do with sponsors.
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Yes i wanted to ask someone about this, i mean after the shockers we had in the West Indies as well. Granted Panesar and Swann haven't done themselves any favours, but wasn't this pitch supposed to offer more than we could have hoped for and then some?
 
Batsmen have walked off. Game's going to be a draw. I hope the other matches are more entertaining.
 
Nick 0208 Ldn said:
Yes i wanted to ask someone about this, i mean after the shockers we had in the West Indies as well. Granted Panesar and Swann haven't done themselves any favours, but wasn't this pitch supposed to offer more than we could have hoped for and then some?
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I think they've got flatter and flatter over the last decade - perhaps even longer back. It's a batsman's game. I would've loved to have seen the likes of KP to have played a couple of decades ago, on green tops/uncovered pitches.
 
must say broady has been pretty shite in all his spells. a bit like my missus.. and bit too wide a bit too short for my liking. you gotta feel for harmy, bowled his socks of for england A last week. deserved the call up. hughes looked uncomfortable against harmy. i'd have selcted him for that reason alone. get rid of the opener cheaply and it sets the tone for an ashes series. harmisson would have been charging in and chomping at the bit to displace hughes again.

so whats the state of play ? reckon australia will bat most of the day out, probably try and score heavy after tea then put england in for a few before the close of play.

be interesting to see what the track does tomorrow as it has already shown signs of breaking up. swann needs to step up to the plate and justify his selection as englands number 1 spinner. i thought he bowled too defensive today. if you select 2 spinners they have to deliver, and in all honesty they should on a day 4 turning track
 
brewlio said:
must say broady has been pretty shite in all his spells. a bit like my missus.. and bit too wide a bit too short for my liking. you gotta feel for harmy, bowled his socks of for england A last week. deserved the call up. hughes looked uncomfortable against harmy. i'd have selcted him for that reason alone. get rid of the opener cheaply and it sets the tone for an ashes series. harmisson would have been charging in and chomping at the bit to displace hughes again.

so whats the state of play ? reckon australia will bat most of the day out, probably try and score heavy after tea then put england in for a few before the close of play.

be interesting to see what the track does tomorrow as it has already shown signs of breaking up. swann needs to step up to the plate and justify his selection as englands number 1 spinner. i thought he bowled too defensive today. if you select 2 spinners they have to deliver, and in all honesty they should on a day 4 turning track
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Cant see there being much play today ,forcaset rain all day in Cardiff , which will pot the game in a no win state.
If there is no rain I would suspect Australia would bat till maybe tea and put on another 200-250 and then try and bowl England out cheap.
 
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