So can England finally win the Ashes or at least make a good effort? What do you think of the fairly predictable squad?
I'm surprised that Gough is going and Thorpe. No room for Cork and Tudor. If England are going to do well then they have to make massive totals, and I'm not sure if the middle order can do it. But, I'm optimistic that Jones and Harmison can bowl well along with Andy "odd job" Caddick.
― jel -- (jel), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 09:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
we'll get battered unfortunately
― chris (chris), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 09:32 (twenty-one years ago) link
― gazza, Tuesday, 10 September 2002 09:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
― RickyT (RickyT), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 09:42 (twenty-one years ago) link
If only we could combine the England and India teams, we'd have a chance then.
Vaughan, Trescothick, Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Stewart, Flintoff, Harbhajan, Kumble, Caddick, Hoggard: Could beat the Aussies.
― jel -- (jel), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 09:55 (twenty-one years ago) link
It's predictable.
Cork shouldn't have gone, since if he can't really swing the ball anymore over here, he sure as hell won't do it there. I would have taken Tudor as he has taken wickets against the Aussies before and surely *one day* will get some consistency, BUT he's been crap this summer, so I'm not too bothered. I would have taken him instead of Harmison, who I would have put in the Academy on stand-by. You can guarantee plenty of injuries, so all the pace bowlers selected will get maybe get a chance.
I would have taken Ramprakash instead of Crawley - Ramps would have done better than Crawley this summer AND has scored well vs Australia in the past.
The big problem is the spin 'attack'. Giles and Dawson are the best we have, but not good enough. We will need one or both of them in Sydney, where Aus will play Warne and MacGill, but how much cricket will they play before that test? It's funny how the best spinners (the two above, Kumble, Harbhajan, Murali) get turn on ALL surfaces, yet our spinners need a grippy track. I thin k Vaughan has the potential to be a useful back-up spinner, but we really must develop someone who can rip people out on all surfaces. That also gives your pace attack a rest and keeps them fresh as a spinner takes some of the load.
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 09:56 (twenty-one years ago) link
Key : technique looks good and didn't disgrace himself with the bat, but those three dropped catches at Headingly will have made the management worry about his ability under pressure. You can't afford to drop catches in tests!
Shah : No chance. Too loose.
If a young player had to go - I'd say take Joyce (Middlesex) or Troughton (Warwicks). Hopefully they'll be at the Academy anyway. Or Rikki Clarke.
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 10:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
We really shouldn't take John Crawley as the Aussies will eat him alive (after that hundred he couldn't get high scores for the remainder if the India series) but hopefully, if all goes well for Thorpe, he won't get in anyway.
top six: trescothick, vaughan, butcher, hussain, thorpe and flintoff with stewart as keeper.
I agree with Dr. C. Though Ramprakash isn't a test player really he can somehow bat well against the aussies (crawley is good against spin but has weaknesses against fast bowling, both don't quite have the temperament).
Either that or robert key.
but the bowling is the worry. It will prob be caddick/hoggard/giles and either jones/harmison.
we won't beat the aussies until we get a top fast bowler (jones harmison are unknown quantities) and a really good spinner (giles isn't quite that). Does anyone believe that Gough will be fit? and even then match fit. I'd like to think so but the chances aren't good.
I'd love to see the Aussies beaten but I'm afraid it will be something like 3-1 to australia but out batting is better since they came here (we had a few injuries, lets not forget) but still, unless the bowlers really have a plan and have the form and ability to carry it out i can't see it.
the best we can hope for is that it stays competitive right up to sydney.
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 10:23 (twenty-one years ago) link
Not that I care, really. My mood is affected hugely by England's performances at football, and I love us to do well there, but in any other sport, perhaps especially in cricket, I simply find it funny when England are well beaten. Actually, maybe it's just cricket and rugby, because it's generally former colonies who beat us at that, and to a lefty that gives a bit of satisfaction. (Obviously getting beaten by a Caribbean side or India or New Zealand at football would be terribly upsetting, on the other hand.)
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 17:01 (twenty-one years ago) link
― jel -- (jel), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 17:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
― jel -- (jel), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 20:21 (twenty-one years ago) link
I am, however, upset that my cousin, James Kirtley, isn't going. he seems to be only considered a one-dayer. Shame really.
― Mark C (Mark C), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 20:29 (twenty-one years ago) link
― ken c (ken c), Friday, 5 January 2007 01:24 (seventeen years ago) link
― South Yarra Gangsta (patog27), Friday, 5 January 2007 01:26 (seventeen years ago) link
― NOES (Haberdager), Friday, 5 January 2007 01:30 (seventeen years ago) link
― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Friday, 5 January 2007 01:51 (seventeen years ago) link
http://www.ocp.org/en/products/books/images/remembrance-cvck02.jpghttp://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40112000/jpg/_40112663_read270.jpg
farewell ;_;
― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Friday, 5 January 2007 01:52 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Friday, 5 January 2007 09:49 (seventeen years ago) link
― South Adelaide Gangsta (patog27), Friday, 5 January 2007 09:58 (seventeen years ago) link
― Johnney B English (stigoftdump), Friday, 5 January 2007 11:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― Matt (Matt), Friday, 5 January 2007 11:39 (seventeen years ago) link
Neutral : Bell, Strauss, Collingwood, Cook
Disappointing : Flintoff, Anderson
Disasters : Mahmood, Giles, Tres, Jones, Harmison
While most of the batsmen had one or two decent scores, the collective failure to grind out big partnerships when they were really needed was the probably the worst problem of the tour.
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Friday, 5 January 2007 11:47 (seventeen years ago) link
Enhanced: Collingwood, Bell, PanesarNeutral: AndersonDisappointing: Read, Jones, Pietersen, Strauss, Cook, Flintoff, Harmison, Mahmood, Giles
Are there really any disasters? In each match, yes, but in the series as a whole I don't think anyone deserves to descend below disappointing. And I don't know how you think Pietersen enhanced his rep - he didn't score much compared to previously, he showed himself to be tactically naive and unpopular with his teammates. And Read? What am I missing here?
― === temporary username === (Mark C), Friday, 5 January 2007 11:55 (seventeen years ago) link
lol never mind ey.
― ken c (ken c), Friday, 5 January 2007 11:55 (seventeen years ago) link
― South Adelaide Gangsta (patog27), Friday, 5 January 2007 12:04 (seventeen years ago) link
Bell was infuriating - he needs to turn those 50's into match winning scores. When it REALLY mattered he failed.
Anderson was nearly in the distater category for me. He only avoided it by bowling pretty well in the last match. But look at his figures in the first two tests - dire. Series figs of 5 wickets at 80!
I forgot Hoggard - I'd say Neutral. We know that he gives his all every game, and he did. The 7-109 was a great effort.
Read - kept well. Alright didn't make runs. But he's no more a number 7 than Jones.
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Friday, 5 January 2007 12:05 (seventeen years ago) link
Bell was infuriating but he surprised me with some of his performances. On balance maybe neutral makes more sense. Hoggard neutral bordering on good, I think, again compared to expectations and because he didn't give less than 100% at any time.
― === temporary username === (Mark C), Friday, 5 January 2007 12:11 (seventeen years ago) link
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Friday, 5 January 2007 12:23 (seventeen years ago) link
I've been supporting Read for a long time, hence the sadness.
― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Friday, 5 January 2007 14:39 (seventeen years ago) link
????? Apart from that double hundred he was abysmal. Although Warne's sledging of him the other day was fantastic.
― Venga (Venga), Friday, 5 January 2007 22:31 (seventeen years ago) link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY980BLPmJw&eurl=
― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 17:55 (seventeen years ago) link
― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 18:12 (seventeen years ago) link
http://i26.tinypic.com/2ajucf4.jpg
― The Bends by Radiohead (imago), Saturday, 11 July 2015 12:11 (eight years ago) link
belter of a catch by cook
― Eric Burdon & War, On Drugs (Cosmic Slop), Saturday, 11 July 2015 13:34 (eight years ago) link
Aus on the ropes
― holger sharkey (Tom D.), Saturday, 11 July 2015 13:51 (eight years ago) link
... and out
― holger sharkey (Tom D.), Saturday, 11 July 2015 16:08 (eight years ago) link
well that was enjoyable. particularly the watson dismissal and review.
― Fizzles, Saturday, 11 July 2015 17:09 (eight years ago) link
Nevill looks like the goods
― yuoowemeone, Friday, 17 July 2015 14:46 (eight years ago) link
Happy knack of getting umpires to give him not out, you mean?
― The Bends by Radiohead (imago), Friday, 17 July 2015 14:48 (eight years ago) link
Ha maybe! On your side Stokes is a fucken UNIT in the field
― yuoowemeone, Friday, 17 July 2015 14:51 (eight years ago) link
flippin heck
― Drop soap, not bombs (Ste), Friday, 17 July 2015 16:07 (eight years ago) link
King Boy Pato might return to ILE tonight!!
― The Bends by Radiohead (imago), Friday, 17 July 2015 16:14 (eight years ago) link
It's well poised for a heroic fight to the draw, tbf
― gawker's psychotic monkeys (imago), Friday, 17 July 2015 19:27 (eight years ago) link
aye right
― Eric Burdon & War, On Drugs (Cosmic Slop), Friday, 17 July 2015 19:32 (eight years ago) link
Not quite how things panned out tbh.
― This Year's Model Victim (Tom D.), Sunday, 19 July 2015 15:56 (eight years ago) link
predictable. Bell will maybe be the one dropped as he's been shit for a year now
― Eric Burdon & War, On Drugs (Cosmic Slop), Sunday, 19 July 2015 16:02 (eight years ago) link
hales should have been picked befre Lyth but i see them giving him another chance.Ballance i dont think will be dropped as he has been very good the past year. I wouldnt meddle with the rest of the team.
2 out of the top 4 might need to go - but i dont see it happening.
― Eric Burdon & War, On Drugs (Cosmic Slop), Sunday, 19 July 2015 16:04 (eight years ago) link
stoked to see Steven Peter #Devereux Steve Smith go up on the honours board
― never heard of this Mark Knobfler bloke (King Boy Pato), Monday, 20 July 2015 12:22 (eight years ago) link
also: lol england forever
bumping in case the englanders missed this thread or something
― never heard of this Mark Knobfler bloke (King Boy Pato), Tuesday, 21 July 2015 08:13 (eight years ago) link
almost too much, this
― imago, Thursday, 6 August 2015 10:49 (eight years ago) link
actually nah
Ponting with the finest commentator's merk of all time there
― imago, Thursday, 6 August 2015 10:55 (eight years ago) link
can you be fined for failing to prepare a competitive team?
― the lion tweets tonight (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 6 August 2015 11:01 (eight years ago) link
Aus to make 600 on the 2nd innings.
― xyzzzz__, Thursday, 6 August 2015 11:03 (eight years ago) link
6 for Broad!
― Neil S, Thursday, 6 August 2015 11:12 (eight years ago) link
think you'll find that's 7
― the lion tweets tonight (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 6 August 2015 11:15 (eight years ago) link
fuck off get fucked
― Eric Banta (King Boy Pato), Thursday, 6 August 2015 11:27 (eight years ago) link
big century from nath lyon coming up, I can feel it
― Eric Banta (King Boy Pato), Thursday, 6 August 2015 11:28 (eight years ago) link
nice work for a shit bloke
― Neil S, Thursday, 6 August 2015 11:39 (eight years ago) link
need some focus from the batsmen now, think we'll need a lead of 50 or 60 to have a chance of saving this test
― the lion tweets tonight (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 6 August 2015 11:40 (eight years ago) link
fastest time any team has been bowled out in the first innings of a test match ever apparently.
― Fizzles, Thursday, 6 August 2015 12:09 (eight years ago) link
https://twitter.com/rameshsrivats/status/629260282594877440
― ledge, Thursday, 6 August 2015 12:32 (eight years ago) link
poor show from England for that last wicket
― the lion tweets tonight (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 6 August 2015 12:33 (eight years ago) link
Just spent 5 minutes explaining the score to a guy at work, incredulous doesn't really cover it, "What... you mean...60... Australia are out... but .... what time is it... but they've only been playing... did you say 60... how many wickets did he take?" etc
― The Tony Hart Land (Tom D.), Thursday, 6 August 2015 12:46 (eight years ago) link
They batted like England did in Oz. Cant say I saw it coming.
― Cosmic Slop, Thursday, 6 August 2015 13:38 (eight years ago) link
no this was much worse
― Neil S, Thursday, 6 August 2015 13:41 (eight years ago) link
they will now fear Broad like we do johnson. Every innings they play now they will wonder if it could happen again, just like England did after the west indies debacles when we were out for 51 and 46 i think?
― Cosmic Slop, Thursday, 6 August 2015 14:46 (eight years ago) link
8-15 is just staggering figures. We will be talking about that in 30 years!
― Cosmic Slop, Thursday, 6 August 2015 14:47 (eight years ago) link
totally! already have double the runs with 3 wkts down.
― xyzzzz__, Thursday, 6 August 2015 15:20 (eight years ago) link
yeah Root is putting the hammer down a bit. Broad was actually the only player apart from Stokes who came out of the 13-14 series with much credit- he took something like 20 wickets at 28 which in the context was pretty great.
― Neil S, Thursday, 6 August 2015 15:25 (eight years ago) link
Root making more runs than the entire aus eleven. #notSayingMuch
― xyzzzz__, Thursday, 6 August 2015 16:08 (eight years ago) link
Such an awesome humiliation. But there will be national enquiries and a couple of cricket academies to be set-up and they'll be back :-(
― xyzzzz__, Thursday, 6 August 2015 16:09 (eight years ago) link
quite a few players in their last ashes i think
― Cosmic Slop, Thursday, 6 August 2015 17:14 (eight years ago) link
well that didn't go too badly
― Neil S, Thursday, 6 August 2015 17:46 (eight years ago) link
In their last Ashes? Just Clarke, Rogers and Voges from this game, surely. MAYBE Shaun Marsh, MAYBE Lyth if he drifts from the reckoning. *MAYBE* Lyon but they'll need to find a gun spinner pronto. Mitchell Johnson will definitely be back for one last crack in Australia
― imago, Thursday, 6 August 2015 17:53 (eight years ago) link
Oh, Ian Bell. MAYBE.
Anderson might not play Ashes cricket again either I guess
― Neil S, Thursday, 6 August 2015 17:54 (eight years ago) link
Not playing in this match though, is he? They'd have been 30 all out tbf
― imago, Thursday, 6 August 2015 17:56 (eight years ago) link
well yeah but he's "first on the team sheet" and similar cliches
― Neil S, Thursday, 6 August 2015 17:57 (eight years ago) link
fucking straya
― yuoowemeone, Thursday, 6 August 2015 21:56 (eight years ago) link
Lets get it done today guys gotta a busy weekend to enjoy.
― xyzzzz__, Friday, 7 August 2015 10:29 (eight years ago) link
"Australia have got a big task in front of them, but this match is not over yet."
gotta love McGrath
― the lion tweets tonight (Noodle Vague), Friday, 7 August 2015 11:01 (eight years ago) link
the most one-eyed of one-eyed Aussies
― Neil S, Friday, 7 August 2015 11:02 (eight years ago) link
got to lunch without a wicket
she'll be right
― Eric Banta (King Boy Pato), Friday, 7 August 2015 12:40 (eight years ago) link
another dropped one
starting to feel the england choke tbh
― Eric Banta (King Boy Pato), Friday, 7 August 2015 13:43 (eight years ago) link
aw how cute
― imago, Friday, 7 August 2015 13:49 (eight years ago) link
double century for david "dave" warner at least
― Eric Banta (King Boy Pato), Friday, 7 August 2015 13:51 (eight years ago) link
drop him 6 more times and maybe
― imago, Friday, 7 August 2015 13:54 (eight years ago) link
and keep kool moeen ali bowling
― Eric Banta (King Boy Pato), Friday, 7 August 2015 13:57 (eight years ago) link
one of the best "lol england" moments this series
― Eric Banta (King Boy Pato), Friday, 7 August 2015 14:10 (eight years ago) link
worried about my ticket for tomorrow now :-(
― Neil S, Friday, 7 August 2015 14:38 (eight years ago) link
for Australia, it's just a warm up for the Bangladesh series, really
― Eric Banta (King Boy Pato), Friday, 7 August 2015 14:46 (eight years ago) link
I'd be worried about that, the Tigers gave SA a bit of a run for their money recently
― Neil S, Friday, 7 August 2015 14:49 (eight years ago) link
Guy I work with was claiming Bangladesh are the best team in world cricket at the moment. He is from Bangladesh though.
― The Tony Hart Land (Tom D.), Friday, 7 August 2015 14:49 (eight years ago) link
Pato's gone to bed
― imago, Friday, 7 August 2015 14:54 (eight years ago) link
― Neil S, Friday, 7 August 2015 14:55 (eight years ago) link
poor old clarkey, being interviewed by shane warne
― imago, Saturday, 8 August 2015 11:01 (eight years ago) link
the same shane warne who wouldn't have lost an ashes series if he hadn't dropped one catch
the most important thing is The Devereux Era begins as of today and if you thought the Taylor/Waugh/early-Ponting years were tough on the world, well, just wait...(until we get a batting lineup)...
― Eric Banta (King Boy Pato), Saturday, 8 August 2015 14:05 (eight years ago) link