The Ashes Tour 2013

[David48]

What's happening now guys?

I have the commentary on the background ... but hearing talking heads and not the slashing willow of the English ...

[Bangkokhatter]

What's happening now guys?

I have the commentary on the background ... but hearing talking heads and not the slashing willow of the English ...

Plenty of rain unfortunately

[7by7]

They've taken an early lunch; but it's still raining.

[cardholder]

I certainly agree with Butchers comments,after the Lords test we seem to have gone backwards and have let Australia build into a good looking team A combination of poor captaincy, poor team selection and very defensive batting mean we will travel down under as underdogs, You would not have thought that after the Lords test.

Having said that, is criticism fair when we have won the Ashes already ?

I, for one, shall be happy to see England start this winter as underdogs ..

[theblether]

I certainly agree with Butchers comments,after the Lords test we seem to have gone backwards and have let Australia build into a good looking team A combination of poor captaincy, poor team selection and very defensive batting mean we will travel down under as underdogs, You would not have thought that after the Lords test.

Having said that, is criticism fair when we have won the Ashes already ?

I told you already that the team wasn't bothered about these games, they'll pay it lip service and nothing else. The selections are Captain Cook messing about a wee bit possibly doing favors to some or having a look at who's in the frame for the next series. These teams would not have been fielded, this mentality not seen if these Tests meant something.

The last Test was a made for TV farce, there is no way that match would have been allowed to continue if the Ashes were on the line. Even Cook would have been begging for the match to stop as the vilification for winning the Ashes in those circumstances would have followed him for life.

It's mental to suggest that England will travel as underdogs. They will travel as favorites as even the bookmakers will be seeing these tests as indicators of nothing. The primary risk to England in the Winter is not getting the mentality right again. We had plenty of decent teams and good cricketers during the dark years, they're continual failures and appalling collapses started and finished between their ears.

Butcher would have been unable to tell the truth, that England have taken their foot off the pedal, as he knows that some people resolutely refuse to see what is happening right in front of their eyes. The series ended at Lords, this match is just for statisticians.

[Basil B]

Now if they had the 5th test at Edgbaston, they would have been playing all day

[7by7]

The last Test was a made for TV farce, there is no way that match would have been allowed to continue if the Ashes were on the line. Even Cook would have been begging for the match to stop as the vilification for winning the Ashes in those circumstances would have followed him for life.

Yet again, you prove you know nothing about international cricket.

England did win the last test and with it the Ashes; instead of merely retaining them.

No vilification of anyone anywhere; except in your mind.

You only have to look at the England teams reaction when the last wicket fell to know how much it meant to them.

The series ended at Lords, this match is just for statisticians.

You really don't know what you are talking about.

After Lords England were 2-0 up with three to play! Far from over.

You have made it perfectly clear that you have no interest in this series; so just go away and leave this topic to those of us who do.

Edited August 24, 2013 by 7by7

[7by7]

Play has been abandoned for the day; so, barring a dramatic morning tomorrow with England losing their last 6 wickets for less than 46 runs and following on, it's a draw.

But the forecast for tomorrow isn't good.

Though there may be enough time for Bell to get a fourth century. Making him the fourth man to achieve this feat in an Ashes series; though he'll have to be a lot more positive in his playing than he was yesterday. Hopefully, once the follow on target has been reached, Cook will loose the shackles and let Bell go for it.

The three who have already done this are: Sir Donald Bradman, Wally Hammond and Herbert Sutcliffe.

Despite the weather, this test has been worth watching for the superb innings by both Watson and Smith. Here's hoping Bell can make a third such display in this game tomorrow.

Edited August 24, 2013 by 7by7

[theblether]

I did observe that was a made for TV ending. Any fair person watching that match knows the match should have been halted. Australia should have been back out on the last day chasing 80 runs or so with the remaining tailenders. From memory they still had 3 wickets standing at 7.00pm, it would not have been an impossible ask, unlikely, but not impossible.

Anyway, maybe it's time for a rule change. Maybe it's time for the Ashes to be awarded only to outright winners. This idea of a draw being a form of victory is arcane. There would have been no celebration after the third test as all it would have meant is that the series could not be lost. The victory was still to be earned.

You would see a totally different attitude then, England would have went into the fourth test with their tails right up, and Australia would have set out to defeat them, and again in the fifth test, knowing that a drawn series denies the Ashes to England too.

Victory should come from victory, not from drawn test series.

[Basil B]

I did observe that was a made for TV ending. Any fair person watching that match knows the match should have been halted. Australia should have been back out on the last day chasing 80 runs or so with the remaining tailenders. From memory they still had 3 wickets standing at 7.00pm, it would not have been an impossible ask, unlikely, but not impossible.

Anyway, maybe it's time for a rule change. Maybe it's time for the Ashes to be awarded only to outright winners. This idea of a draw being a form of victory is arcane. There would have been no celebration after the third test as all it would have meant is that the series could not be lost. The victory was still to be earned.

You would see a totally different attitude then, England would have went into the fourth test with their tails right up, and Australia would have set out to defeat them, and again in the fifth test, knowing that a drawn series denies the Ashes to England too.

Victory should come from victory, not from drawn test series.

1st Test England won

2nd test England won

3rd test Drawn

4th Test England won

5th Test looks almost certainly going to be a draw...

Therefore England win 3-0, certainly is not a drawn series, even if for some miracle, Australia was to win tomorrow it would be 3-1 you certainly can not call that a draw either.

P.S.

I am not gloating, we will only have the ashes for a few months, and I certainly think the English selectors need to do some serious navel gazing before November.

Edited August 24, 2013 by Basil B

[7by7]

Blether, the more you post, the more you show your ignorance.

On the fourth evening at Chester-le-Street it was the umpires' decision that the light was good enough, provided England used their spinners, Swann and Root, until the light improved.

Which it did within a matter of minutes; after just 3 overs apiece from Swann and Root. (You probably don't know this, but 6 overs of spin don't take very long.)

Everyone at the ground knew this was going to happen; they could see the bright sunlight just minutes away.

To have taken the players off the field for bad light only to bring them out again a few minutes later when the clouds had passed over would have been ridiculous. The umpires knew it, the players knew it, the spectators at the ground and on TV knew it, those listening on the radio knew it, the radio and TV commentators knew it.

It seems the only person who didn't know it is you.

The rules allow either the batting or fielding side to ask for an extra half hour be added at the end of the day's play if a result seems likely that evening. Cook did so.

He wasn't concerned about pleasing the TV people. He was concerned with winning the game and, rightly, felt that not taking the extra half hour could give the Aussie batsmen time to rest, regroup and come back to score the 75 runs they needed the next day.

Clarke and any other captain in the same position would have done exactly the same thing.
Not a 'made for TV ending' at all; that rule has been in place for many a year.

After Australia were 3-0 up with 2 to play in 2006/7 did they sit back and think "We've won the Ashes back, might as well not bother now."

Did they hell! They wanted to hammer us 5-0, and went on to do so.

Similarly, England were 2-1 up, with one drawn, in 2010/11 going into the last test. Did they think "We needn't bother; win, lose or draw this test we retain the Ashes."

No! They won that final test by an innings!

In this series, there was very mild celebrations by England at the end of the Old Trafford (not Lords!) test. The real celebrations came after Durham when England had done more than simply retain the Ashes; they had won them.

But I take back what I said earlier, i.e. "go away and leave this topic to those of us who do," though.

If you want to continue giving us all a laugh at your expense by proving how little you know about or understand test cricket in general and Ashes cricket in particular; carry on posting your rubbish.

Edited August 24, 2013 by 7by7

[7by7]

I am not gloating, we will only have the ashes for a few months, and I certainly think the English selectors need to do some serious navel gazing before November.

Don't be so fearful.

The pitches in this series have, let's be honest, been rubbish.

The harder, faster pitches in Australia will suit the England seamers much better than the rubbish they've been presented with here; though the Australian bowlers will find them more to their liking, too.

But it's the English batsmen like Cook Trott, Pietersen and Prior, who will find life Down Under much easier. They like the ball to come on to the bat, which it hasn't really done in any of these games.

It wont be the walkover many were predicting before this series; it will be hard fought and it wont be easy for either side.

I'm very much looking forward to it.

[BookMan]

I am not gloating, we will only have the ashes for a few months, and I certainly think the English selectors need to do some serious navel gazing before November.

 

Don't be so fearful.

 

The pitches in this series have, let's be honest, been rubbish.

 

The harder, faster pitches in Australia will suit the England seamers much better than the rubbish they've been presented with here; though the Australian bowlers will find them more to their liking, too.

 

But it's the English batsmen like Cook Trott, Pietersen and Prior, who will find life Down Under much easier. They like the ball to come on to the bat, which it hasn't really done in any of these games.

 

It wont be the walkover many were predicting before this series; it will be hard fought and it wont be easy for either side.

 

I'm very much looking forward to it.

Broad and swann are going to clean up on oz

[Basil B]

Don't know, I still feel England are not at there best and Australia are improving.

Yes the pitches probably do not help when wickets are hard to get and both teams can dig in and slog it out for nearly two days on their first innings...

[theblether]

It would have been difficult for the scenes at Old Trafford to be as jubilant for a quite obvious reason.The players were in the dressing room. If they had been on the pitch you would have seen something different.

[Bangkokhatter]

I certainly agree with Butchers comments,after the Lords test we seem to have gone backwards and have let Australia build into a good looking team A combination of poor captaincy, poor team selection and very defensive batting mean we will travel down under as underdogs, You would not have thought that after the Lords test.

Having said that, is criticism fair when we have won the Ashes already ?

I told you already that the team wasn't bothered about these games, they'll pay it lip service and nothing else. The selections are Captain Cook messing about a wee bit possibly doing favors to some or having a look at who's in the frame for the next series. These teams would not have been fielded, this mentality not seen if these Tests meant something.

The last Test was a made for TV farce, there is no way that match would have been allowed to continue if the Ashes were on the line. Even Cook would have been begging for the match to stop as the vilification for winning the Ashes in those circumstances would have followed him for life.

It's mental to suggest that England will travel as underdogs. They will travel as favorites as even the bookmakers will be seeing these tests as indicators of nothing. The primary risk to England in the Winter is not getting the mentality right again. We had plenty of decent teams and good cricketers during the dark years, they're continual failures and appalling collapses started and finished between their ears.

Butcher would have been unable to tell the truth, that England have taken their foot off the pedal, as he knows that some people resolutely refuse to see what is happening right in front of their eyes. The series ended at Lords, this match is just for statisticians.

More nonsense, can you please try and refrain from telling me anything.

[7by7]

It would have been difficult for the scenes at Old Trafford to be as jubilant for a quite obvious reason.The players were in the dressing room. If they had been on the pitch you would have seen something different.

Keep going; not laughed so much in years!

At the end of the Old Trafford test (not Lords as you originally said) the England players came out for celebration of sorts with the remaining spectators.

Having actually won rather than just retained the Ashes the celebrations at Chester-le-Street were a more jubilant affair.

If you're going to comment you should at least watch or listen to the games, or if that's not possible read the match reports.

You may at least then be able to get the order in which they were played correct!

Edited August 25, 2013 by 7by7

[Chicog]

theblether, when you are in a hole, the best approach is to stop digging.

[Basil B]

Due to heavy overnight rain, play not expected to start until after lunch, possibly the players will agree to an early lunch.

What then England just slogging it out and try and beat Australia's 492?

[7by7]

Though there may be enough time for Bell to get a fourth century. Making him the fourth man to achieve this feat in an Ashes series; though he'll have to be a lot more positive in his playing than he was yesterday. Hopefully, once the follow on target has been reached, Cook will loose the shackles and let Bell go for it.

The three who have already done this are: Sir Donald Bradman, Wally Hammond and Herbert Sutcliffe.

Despite the weather, this test has been worth watching for the superb innings by both Watson and Smith. Here's hoping Bell can make a third such display in this game tomorrow.

Is what I'm hoping for.

[7by7]

Inspection by the umpires scheduled for 11:00 BST, but the ground is saturated. Unlikely to be any play before lunch.

[7by7]

Shane Warne on Sky has just made an interesting suggestion:

Clarke makes an offer to Cook. Declare your innings now, we'll go out and bat for 30 or 40 runs then declare. You then go out and see if you can get that target.

Botham's reaction? More likely to see a squadron of pigs over The Oval!

Of course, such an arrangement for is nothing new. The most (in)famous example being the 5th England/South Africa test at Centurion in 1999/2000.

The game was ruined by rain, entering the final day only 45 overs had been possible with South Africa 155 for 6.

On the final morning Cronje and Hussain met before the start of play and agreed to make a game of it.

A target of 250 from 70 overs was agreed. When South Africa reached 248 for 8, Cronje declared; both teams then forfeited an innings leaving England a target of 249 to win the Test, which they did with two wickets left and only five balls remaining. It ended South Africa's 14 game unbeaten streak in Test cricket.

It later emerged that Cronje had accepted money and a gift from a bookmaker in return for making an early declaration in this test.

Hussain was not involved in that and agreed to Cronje's suggestion only to provide some entertainment for the spectators.

Edited August 25, 2013 by 7by7

[7by7]

Inspection by the umpires scheduled for 11:00 BST, but the ground is saturated. Unlikely to be any play before lunch.

After the inspection, play now scheduled to start at 11:30 BST.

Well done to The Oval ground staff.

[Basil B]

Inspection by the umpires scheduled for 11:00 BST, but the ground is saturated. Unlikely to be any play before lunch.

After the inspection, play now scheduled to start at 11:30 BST.

Well done to The Oval ground staff.

Well it has started and England did not declare.

England now 263-4, England need only 30 to avoid the follow on,still Australia may get the 6 wickets before then, But me think we are more likely to see 7x7's squadron of flying pigs over the Oval.

Edited August 25, 2013 by Basil B

[BookMan]

3-0 series result to England

I guessed 3-1 at the start of the series. Certainly would have liked to see an one Aussie win

[Basil B]

Clarke makes an offer to Cook. Declare your innings now, we'll go out and bat for 30 or 40 runs then declare. You then go out and see if you can get that target.

If England was to declare before reaching 293 could not Clarke force the follow on?

[7by7]

He could, but I doubt Cook would agree to that.

Agreeing to a set target is one thing; risking an innings defeat quite another!

Not going to happen, though.

[Bangkokhatter]

Would be nice if the captains agreed to make a game of it and try and get a result. If not will be a rather boring day. Agree with Bothams comments though.

[7by7]

293 for 5, follow on avoided.

No sign of any declaration, and Prior and Bell being more positive this morning.

Don't think it will be a boring day if this continues; I'm sure Bell wants to get his record equalling fourth century.

Edit; Bell's out, so that's not going to happen.

Edited August 25, 2013 by 7by7

[Bangkokhatter]

I think Bell can be happy with being man of the series, no other serious contenders in my opinion. Looks like Prior's getting some runs at last.