Thread: The Ashes

Never turn up drunk, but gradually get happier and happier as the day goes on. (depending on the game of course)
Life sounds sweet for you MM, enjoy the moment and go with the flow.

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

so what is up with trescothic?
i thought it was women issues but fletcher was apparently willing to fly the kids and wife over.
is he simply bonkers?

just a big girlie blouse really....

Life sounds sweet for you MM, enjoy the moment and go with the flow.

and speaking of big girlie blouses... he's only watching it on TV .....

not going to the game.

that should go without saying...

^ well let me know when u do... there's always a good chance i'll be there...


BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY - They've dropped the Mullet!

AUSTRALIA named a 13-man squad today for the first Ashes Test in Brisbane, including fast bowling hopefuls Shaun Tait, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson.
The three pacemen are all vying for what appears to be one spot alongside senior pacemen Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee in the team for the Gabba Test starting next Thursday.

All-rounder Shane Watson was also named and is likely to be part of a five-man bowling attack, including champion spinner Shane Warne.

Veteran opener Justin Langer retained his place despite the strong form rush of NSW's Phil Jaques.

Australian chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said the squad reflected a mix of proven players and the future of the country's Test team.

"We've picked a very strong squad which reflects the fact that Australia has been successful at international level for some time,'' said Hilditch, who announced the squad in Melbourne.

"We are showing faith in those players who have contributed to that success, while at the same time injecting some youth into the squad with the inclusions of Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait.''

By naming 13 players, including the three quicks, the selectors have given the opportunity for Tait to secure a spot by bowling well against England this weekend.

Tait rattled the tourists with his express pace when playing for the PM's XI in the tour-opening one-dayer in Canberra last Friday and will challenge them again when he plays for South Australia in a three-day tour match at Adelaide Oval starting tomorrow.

Hilditch said the squad reflected one of the strongest starts to a domestic season by young talent in recent memory.

"It reflects the development of Mitchell Johnson in the past 12 months, some eye-catching fast bowling from Shaun Tait and the performance of Stuart Clark in South Africa and since his return from injury domestically,'' he said.

The selectors will finalise the final XI in Brisbane next week, in the lead-up to the Test after they view local conditions.

If he gets the nod, Johnson will make his Test debut in Queensland, his home state.

"The selection of the final XI will be a tough decision and will be made in Brisbane after assessing the conditions and the pitch,'' Hilditch said.

"We intend to pick the best balanced side to represent Australia against England.

"We believe this is a squad capable of winning back the Ashes.

"As far as Shane Watson is concerned we see his inclusion to the Test squad as an exciting development for Australian cricket.

"Shane has an outstanding first-class record with the bat, averaging over 45 and his bowling ability gives us the flexibility in our attack that we have been looking for.''

Apart from the four younger quicks, the selectors stuck with the group of players which have helped Australia win 11 of its 12 Tests since it lost the Ashes in 2005.

Langer will again open with long-term partner Matthew Hayden despite the strong form of Jaques this domestic season.

Damien Martyn will bat at No. 4, while Mike Hussey will play his first Ashes Test at No. 5.

Glenn McGrath will play his first Test in over 10 months, having spent most of this year out of cricket while his wife Jane battled cancer.

Hilditch said Langer deserved another opportunity as one half of Test cricket's second most-successful opening pair.

"Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden as an opening partnership have been one of the most successful partnerships in Australian cricketing history,'' he said.

"Matthew had a great international season last year and is in fine touch this year.

"Justin has started the domestic season strongly, averaging over 70 so far and he scored an unbeaten hundred against Tasmania in Western Australia's recent Pura Cup clash.''
Australian captain Ricky Ponting said his side had a good mix of youth and experience.

"This series is going to be huge, we've all been waiting for it for 14-15 months and the crowds around Australia have been exactly the same, there's been huge anticipation for this series and the players are really excited about getting to Brisbane and getting our preparation under way,'' he said.

With all Australia's key players fit, five players who took part in Australia's last Test, in Bangladesh in April, dropped out of the side.

They were Jaques, Michael Clarke, Stuart MacGill, Dan Cullen and Jason Gillespie, who scored 201 not out in Chittagong.

Australia will keep all 13 players in Brisbane until the first morning of the match, when the 13th man will be released to return to his home state.

Australian squad
Matthew Hayden
Justin Langer
Ricky Ponting (Captain)
Damien Martyn
Michael Hussey
Shane Watson
Adam Gilchrist
Shane Warne
Brett Lee
Stuart Clark
Mitchell Johnson
Glenn McGrath
Shaun Tait

I predict a double century at least here....

^ absolutely ! oh and congrats on the neat little 50 there MM, this will definatetly gather momentum.....

until england lay over and day on around about day 2.5 and all piss off home tails between their legs..

700 win in limited overs cricket

A 700-run win during a limited overs cricket match, and not one six - how's that?
Indian schoolboys Shahbaz Tumbi and B. Manoj Kumar have not just rewritten, but chewed up and spat out, the record books after scoring a mammoth 721 runs from 40 overs during an under-13s tournament on Wednesday.
If that wasn't enough, their team, St Peter's High School, went out and bowled the opposition, St Philips High School, for 21 runs, described as a "meagre total" on the Hyderabad Cricket Association website.
The openers' unheard-of run-rate of more than 18 an over was achieved, remarkably, without either hitting a six. Tumbi scored 324 not out from 116 balls, including 57 boundaries, while Kumar scored at a slightly slower pace, managing 320 not out off 127 balls, featuring 46 fours.
The 721-run total, during an inter-schools tournament at the Gymkhana Grounds in Secunderabad, eclipses the previous partnership record of 664, held by India's cricketing god Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli.
Three records were broken during their stand: highest total, highest stand and highest margin of victory - in any form of limited-overs cricket at any level.
The BBC reported that several television channels reported live as the pair received cash rewards and prizes by the school management and other well-wishers, while a media frenzy has now descended on the school.
"We went in to the field with only one thing in our minds. We will have to play all 40 overs, score big and make a name for our school," Shahbaz told the BBC.
"We only came to know of the scale of our achievement after we returned to the pavilion.
"Having broken the school record of Sachin Tendulkar, we also want to go up to his level of playing and one day play for India."
Manoj added: "We first thought of scoring a century, then a double century and finally the third one.
"When we were about 64 runs short of breaking the 1998 record, the coach told me about it and we scored it in six overs."

Wow - thats quite impressive.

Whats the bet the poms will try and sign them up for the ashes saying that their great great grandmas 2nd cousin was english?

...that's a killer....you do stand up?

Originally Posted by Bobcock

you do stand up?

Who? Where?

Sorry I dont understand the question.

I think he's trying to say .... do you stand up to piss

Originally Posted by kingwillyhggtb

Originally Posted by MeMock

Originally Posted by Storekeeper

You know what you get when you load a cricket player up on steroids ?

No. What DO you get when when you load a cricket player up on steroids?

he's gonna say a baseball player, cos the bigger and tuffer and meaner??


I hope i didnt scare him off..... i did add a wink at the end to indicate i was joking....

Wazzup fellas ... you got it dude ... spot on. A damn baseball player ... and a very wealthy baseball player at that.

The only good thing in baseball is the fights. The rest of the game is crap.

Not having an inferiority complex ... I can see the beauty in most sports even though I'm a seppo.

I must tell you though that in most sports that countries under the crown tend to favor ... I tend to root for the Aussies.

I don't know why ... really I don't ... but the Aussies just seem so down to earth ... while the English just seem so ... well, determined to bring everybody else down to their level.

So ... I hope the Aussies kick some ass in the Ashes.

Originally Posted by Storekeeper

So ... I hope the Aussies kick some ass in the Ashes.

One doesn't 'kick some ass' in the Ashes, old boy. Good heavens! Whatever next?

Yes we will simply defeat them in good humour

SK - for the sake of this thread I will from now on consider you an hounary aussie.

^ how about we call him a kiwi - that almost that same.....

(Do) you do stand up (comedy)?

In good humour.....LOL...from the team whos selectors were telling them they played the last series with too many smiles.....

from a team who regained the Ashjes based on a policy of Captain Grumpy and his Grumpy Men

Some of the Aussie sides of the late 80's early 90's, were the most positively unpleasant teams en masse I have ever seen tour England.

Fucking effective policy mind you....

Don't call him a Kiwi....you'd have to pay him dole.

getting back on track... the warm up games are not very encouraging.
even if the batsmen surprise us by scoring 350 plus runs, i don't see where the 20 wickets are going to come from.
panesar has done nothing yet and they are sorely missing Simon Jones.

I think our attack is just not on a par with the Australians in this series. lets hope some of the new blood lets them down as we'll get no change from Warne or McGrath.

I think we'll lose the series sadly, but then again....there is still some optimism here

Originally Posted by Bobcock

I think our attack is just not on a par with the Australians in this series. lets hope some of the new blood lets them down as we'll get no change from Warne or McGrath.

I think we'll lose the series sadly, but then again....there is still some naive optimism here

umm - yes i agree.

Originally Posted by Bobcock

(Do) you do stand up (comedy)?

Thanks for clearing that up - I'm a bit thick ya know!

Originally Posted by kingwillyhggtb

umm - yes i agree.

Oi! Thats enough out of you!

^ you sure ur not a bananna bender?