The Ashes Thread.

[Bobcock]

cyrille.... you description of me on TD is spot on....... ask pseudolus... unfortunately you don't accept PM's

[pseudolus]

cyrille.... you description of me on TD is spot on....... ask pseudolus... unfortunately you don't accept PM's

.....very true. Although I still think you are playing a crafty double bluff though. To be fair though, you do not overly gloat when your sides defy your pessimism and win.

[Bobcock]

Maybe I'm just a bit older than a lot of you and have been watching this cycle of victory and defeat for longer.....

[pseudolus]

But that's a little bit like going to the fun fair and only going on the Tea Cups because you have ridden the crazy rides in the past! The deeper the lows, the sweeter the highs and all that.

[Bobcock]

Achhh... running around taunting people for no reason is silly.....

Ramming home the point to people in denial is much more fun, that's why I always end up in conflict with a certain nation...........

[kingwilly]

it's like the Bledisloe Cup doesn't exist these days.....

Which cup?

Yeah. I truly hope that Australia lose the ashes at the culmination of this test, and bounce back to a brilliant performance in the last test.

I hope so too, not least because I bet a bottle of Single malt per test. (with a fekking Scotsman!)

[pseudolus]

it's like the Bledisloe Cup doesn't exist these days.....

Which cup?

Yeah. I truly hope that Australia lose the ashes at the culmination of this test, and bounce back to a brilliant performance in the last test.

I hope so too, not least because I bet a bottle of Single malt per test. (with a fekking Scotsman!)

Well if Aus does toss it up before blaming the umpire, the wicket, the weather, and everything else.... you can try fobbing him off with this.




"heh Jock, you only said a bottle of single malt, but you didn't specify what kind of malt....". Wait until you have yours from him safely in hand first though.

[Little Chuchok]

I really thought that the Aussies would beat the pommies. I mean, how could a team that had just drawn a series with the Kiwis 1-1, go on and decimate our neighbours like this?

It's a funny game, cricket...

[cyrille]

Because losing one game wasn't indicative of much, and the Aussies arrived vastly overconfident.
They didn't even give their first choice bowling attack a second game to adapt to the vastly different English conditions. They thought they were going to steamroller England - which made yesterday all the more sweet.

[Little Chuchok]

^I've always disliked Pup. Most of the Aussie caps like Tubby and AB were first class blokes. Punter was a bit of a dick, but a good Captain none the less.

[Bobcock]

AB... there were some great moments yesterday with him in the crowd.....

[Wally Dorian Raffles]

Hey Michael Clarke, is it really wise to admit you were trying to hit the skin off the ball when your team (remember you’re the captain and all that) is 5/21 after 36 deliveries on the first day of a Test match.


Oh, you want to admit that in your press conference anyway? Okay, go right ahead, but be prepared for the shitstorm that follows.

FULL FOURTH ASHES TEST SCORECARD

On the topic of shitstorms, can we get sweary in columns about the Aussies’ performance yet? When your team gets rolled for 60 on the first morning of a Test, surely it’s time supporters can throw the toys out of the cot?

It was a juicy wicket? 4/274 begs to differ.

After three Tests of talking it up; first the Aussies, then England, then Australia again, it’s become clear that the second Test match was more anomaly than normality.

I was convinced the Aussies would respond in solid fashion after a drubbing at Egdbaston, just like they did at Lord’s.

Knuckle down lads. The ball’s swinging, so it’s probably not the time to try to heave your third rock over cover for six. We’re not in St Kitts anymore.

I was wrong.

Time to throw those toys, Aussie fans.

The alternative is rally behind our lads, and watch the second morning of this Test match dutifully, as if we’re still a chance.

We might have done that, you know, if Michael Clarke hadn’t uttered the following words to the press after the first day’s play at Trent Bridge:


“I was thinking ‘If he pitches it up I’m going to hit it as far as I can’. I watched guys around me get out trying to defend and I thought, like I’ve always said, the better the bowling the more aggressive you’ve got to be. You live by the sword, you die by the sword.”

Choice quotation.

Also intensely arrogant. Or stupid. You know, I can’t really tell which.

Geoff Lemon on White Line Wireless likened Australia’s first innings to a Foie Gras factory, and suggested the authorities be called in, such was the number of malnourished ducks waddling back to the pavilion in creams.

Note that England wear white, and no ducks were harmed by them.

In a word, Australia’s performance was braindead and arrogant. Every dismissal reeked of bad attitude and shocking decision making.

The 11th stupidest thing to happen was Michael Clarke telling the collected press that he tried to belt Broad, who had four for bugger all at the time, over extra cover to practically giftwrap the beanpole his five-fa.

You live by the sword, you die by the sword – it’s the grossest of false dichotomies.

What about living by the shield, and not dying at all?

Clarke was on a hiding to nothing by fronting the media after a capitulation of that magnitude. He did it with good grace; probably too much good grace, and too much honesty.

What he actually said mightn’t measure up with our expectations of what he should have said, or compare with what Steve Waugh or Allan Border might have said. I won’t get stuck into a guy for speaking his mind, which is something all too rare in modern sport.

As supporters, though, we have the right to expect a fight. What we got was one free-punching pugilist, and another with his gloves by his side.

All the stuff about staying positive and still being in the Test match… well there’s something to be said playing a straight bat to the media, I just wish our players hadn’t played a straight bat to so many balls outside off stump.

It’s called a leave.

Ashes: Where does arrogance end and stupidity begin? | The Roar

[cyrille]

I'll say one thing you're right about, wally..Mitchell Jonson's batting. Yesterday he was by far the most technically correct Australian batsman on view.

I mentioned that brain dead Clarke quote earlier (I realise you don't really read the thread. )

Extraordinary to think that at 10:30 the skippers pep talk to his batsman might have been 'hit the ball as hard as you can. Hit it harder if it's good.'

[pseudolus]

Yesterday he was by far the most technically correct Australian batsman on view.

[Bettyboo]

Johnson is a good batsman, and with support can bowl well, spectacular spells, but in a weak team, he doesn't have the support and space to produce his best. Haddin should never have been dropped, him and Johnson at the crease together yesterday could've put on a ton and turned the match; they've done it before...

So, Clarke will be gone, and some of the management will be toast too.

Is Smith still the best batsman in the world?

Thusfar, excluding one game, it has been a poor tour by the Convicts; were they the world No.1 coming into this series? Are they still? According to this, Convicts rank at 2, England at 6:
ICC Rankings - Reliance ICC Test Cricket Ranking | ICC Cricket

I've spent an hour or so reading through the Convict papers online; very enjoyable. Hope the CKBs give them an absolute pasting (again).

[daveboy]

Best headline this morning: Throw another wimp on the barbie.

[cyrille]

They were the second best test team in the world behind S. Africa at the start of the tour, I believe.

But clearly no. 1 by a distance in their own minds.

[daveboy]

R.i.P skippy

[Bettyboo]

To be fair to the Muppet, he gave a decent enough interview here.

Clarke: We need to keep fighting | Video | Watch TV Show | Sky Sports



The games in this series have been quite extreme insomuchas everything has gone ones teams way (every edge, every catch, etc), then the others, then England's again, and yesterday England's way again. You do create your own luck, and teams play well and get on a roll (the opposite of what we did last tour in Convictland), but yesterday was a day that proved God is English (with a tad of Welsh in him).

Over the last 3 series (which I've pretty much watched all of), there hasn't been much between these two teams, imho, despite extreme results at times.

[klong toey]

Felt sorry for the Australian supporters at the match yesterday when the camera focused in on them their faces summed up how most Australians must have felt.

[daveboy]

I don't sorest bunch of bad losers you could wish to meet.

[Bruce Bayliss]

Extras to go in at first drop in the second, I'm thinking.

Yes he scored well...haven't heard of him before

[Bruce Bayliss]

the Aussies arrived vastly overconfident.

They always do

[pseudolus]

Extras to go in at first drop in the second, I'm thinking.

Yes he scored well...haven't heard of him before

A very humble guy. He said the his prominence at the top of the innings scoring was a team effort.

[kingwilly]

I don't sorest bunch of bad losers you could wish to meet.

As opposed to all you good sports, eh DB?