The Ashes

[simmo]

totally wrecked myself for the past five nights staying up to watch it.

It was totally unbearable last night. Couldn't watch in the end and lost all my fingernails.

Great finish to the game even though we lost. :doh: :sad: was stoic end from Haddin and Pattison. Well done boys took it right to them.

Could recommend a few things to the team for next time.

Now just to catch up on some sleep for the next game.:zzz2::zzz2:

Still think we can do it just got to break their spirit you could see it waned a few times.

[AstralTraveller]

Yes great finish and great drama despite the result. Over the years Australia has been on the wrong side of some titanic struggles and I just console myself that 'cricket was the winner'. Of course we've been on the right side of some too and that just feels really good.

It seems that England's issue is the 10th wicket. They're pretty good at wickets one to nine but then seem to struggle. Perhaps Clarke will move himself to 11 to see if he can get a few runs. :shrug: :D

[Exfso]

Yep an interesting struggle, looks like Cowan has to go, maybe bite the bullet and give Mad Dog Warner a go. Apparently he is heading away to play for the A team this week, so that may not be an option. Middle order is a worry though..

[Ric]

Oh so close :doh:

It was a good showing by some of the lads, that should build their confidence for the second test.

[FJA]

That was so close, a good test match which could have gone either way. It was nerve-racking to listen to (it's on Sky TV here, which I don't have so I listen to the BBC's Test Match Special on digital radio) especially when it got down to you needing 15 more runs and England needing one wicket.
Some idiotic 'experts' were writing Australia off before a ball was even bowled but, as an England fan, I know that's a stupid thing to do. Australia never know when they're beaten so, if this match was anything to go by, it should be an entertaining series for both sets of fans. :thumbsup:

[clive milne]

I'm not sure how the English cricket team can claim that win with any sense of pride or achievement in light of the poor sportsmanship displayed by Stuart Broad.

[astroron]

As usual in these circumstances selected amnesia comes into being.
It was only a couple of years ago that Ricky Ponting said, nobody walks,play to the umpire.
That's exactly what happened here.
You play the game by the rules.
Also note that a Aussie player was given out by the umpire which was overturned by the revue umpire, nobody complained,they just got on with the game.
As Michael Clark said he has to use his reviews more sensibly.
Don't waste them.
All in all things work out even in the end.
Cheers:thumbsup:

[simmo]

Yeah throw in the mad dog, let him off the leash with a shot of rabies and couple of beers for good measure. :tasdevil:

After having only Agar to relieve us by actually showing some inspirational belting of the ball he could be the one to weaken the English resolve with some 20/20 inspired batting.

Where will the review system stop? umpires off the field? Technology has made it hard to hide even for the cricketers themselves it seems.

[toc]

It was a great effort to get so close - honestly Im not sure how they will put enough runs on the board to beat the poms in the remaining games though - the battling is just so brittle. We were really saved by two titanic last wicket partnerships.

[astroron]

One of the reasons we have the review system,was that the players wanted it.
They just don't like it when it goes against them. :mad2:
Cheers:thumbsup:

[FJA]

English batting can be just as brittle and I think this series - and the one immediately following in Australia - will be closer than people on both sides think.
England have a much better team than back in the 90s and Australia, although they're not the side they were in the 90s, are no mugs either but, as much as the Aussies will have taken confidence from that match, so will England in getting so close to losing but ultimately winning.
I just hope Anderson can stay fit as he's the best bowler in the England side.

[Dennis]

There must be something in the drinking water in the UK….with Murray and Wimbledon, The Lions Rugby Tour, 1st Test, all the medals at the 2012 Olympics and I watched an ITU World Cup triathlon recently on a cruel course in Kitzbuhel and the Brits came home 1st in both the elite men and women.:thumbsup:

Go the Poms!:)

Cheers

Dennis

[goober]

We always lose the close ones - I still remember Thommo and Border at the MCG... argh. 3 runs.

We need to bat first at Lords for a day and a half to wear Jimmy down :)

[simmo]

Not the best test I've seen, just a little depressed:sadeyes:. Hats off to the English side they played well above us.

We shouldn't be to harsh on our boys as it wasn't so long ago that England were in the same situation. At one point they were a young side that didn't do very well but those guys have matured into the side we see today. The Australian side should do the same and start with a young side and expect to spend some time losing until they mature. Maybe Clarke should step down as captain to free himself up to what he does best, bat.

Not all doom and gloom, there is still three to go and I'm always an optimist. We didn't lose the last one by much.

[Baddad]

Hi Simmo,

I hear ya'. I believe that would be a good thing. Clark passing over the captaincy and doing what he does best. Batting.

I have nothing against Clark's strategies. He is good at placing the field. His failing is he is not assertive. He does not have a confident air about him and therefore fails to instill confidence in his players.

Kym Hughes was of similar stuff. Border took the reins and the team became more aggressive in their playing style. Not winning at first but the seed was planted. Nurtured along by Taylor and blossoming under Waugh.

Those three captains played to win. "Get 'em, or get out."

A great team was handed to Ponting. The rot slowly set in. Ponting also a great batsman and captain strategist, but not aggressive.

Under the former captains Border, Taylor and Waugh; the Australians came under the media eye with their incessant sledging targeting the opposition. Under Ponting and Clark this reduced to almost non existent.

I am not suggesting that they should increase the abuse. It was an indicator of the confidence of the Aussie team at the time. It is not there now.
One of the most important constituents of a successful team is to have a captain who can conjure up confidence and motivate the team, while maintaining discipline on and off the field.

This is not an idle opinion that is uninformed or inexperience. I played a number of team sports and some I was either captain or vice captain. The players looked to me for assurance, for authorization and leadership.

I do want to reiterate at this point that I do not dislike Clark or Ponting. They are great players and as captains, great strategists. They simply lack in some necessary leadership skills.

There are better choices. Selecting captains on mainly their batting ability is not wise. Those of you who know of Douglas Jardine. He was not a great batsman. He was a leader. He was successful. However his methods were, "Its just not cricket" Which led to his demise.

Douglas Jardine is an illustration of my point. Its just that JD over did it and its the leadership that made that English team so successful that year.

Cheers:)

[AstralTraveller]

The thing is the captain has to be able to hold his place in the team for at least a series. There aren't too many of them. Most the batsmen are on thin ice and most of the bowlers will either be rotated or injured.

[Baddad]

Yes that is the case David. However, changing the captain may improve everyone's performance. It certainly would not be any worse.

Never change a winning team, always change a losing team.:D

Cheers:)

[Ric]

I'm always the optimist

we're 2-0 and on the mat (insert Rocky music here) :lol:

The boy's are on the comeback and it will be 3-2 :thumbsup:

[simmo]

So close. Well done to our guys they took it to the poms this time. If it hadn't rained we would have been right in it the way the guys were bowling.
Well done to England for winning the ashes again but by gum your going to have to play well from now on to save some face.

Come on, Aussie, come on. ;)

[Ric]

Blooming English summers. :mad2:

I reckon we had that one.

[simmo]

Oh Australia what happened? :sadeyes: went to bed at 1/100 :D and woke up to all out and England has won :sad:.

One thing for sure is I fully one hundred percent cannot stand the drs. This must go down as one of the slowest test series I've ever watched. Give the decisions back to the on field umps even if they stuff it and just get on with it. We are only human after all.

Please commentators tell us what is going on in the crowd. There was something going on for quite a while before Rogers got out that had the crowd cheering, singing and booing for ages and the commentators acted like nothing was going on. So frustrating not knowing what was going on specially as it seemed so funny to the crowd.