Ashes in Australia 2013/14

[anat0l]

Ugh! I saw U9 and immediately the picture of 9 business awards flashed before me ... :shock:

Aaaahhh serfty, you're a crack-up....



For a moment there I didn't know if two Aussies just donated their wickets or England were having the rare cross in the boxing match which stops the flurry of uppercuts.

Then Bailey unleashes a flurry of runs like he was T20ing it... and Clarke declares with 503 required by the English.

 

[a330j]

...now for some fun head cracking...before we roll them by tea

 

[TonyHancock]

I'm still puzzled to think what is so different between then and now, given the shoe is on the other foot....

Confidence! I think Darren Lehmann has made quite an impact as coach. It is very evident that he has brought some of the old fashioned values back to the Australian team.

Despite being a "pom" I am enjoying the way Australia has played, both here and in Blighty. It shows that there is more to winning than a regimentation and diet.

England have been in decline all year. The rot started in New Zealand when the batting was awful. NZ were unlucky not to win the series there. In England the luck went England's way in a series that was much closer than the final score suggests. Only Ian Bell batted with any distinction for England.

I think Australia has had the bigger share of luck in this series but then again they have also completely outplayed England in every aspect. Michael Clarke has been a bold captain and a leader. Alistair Cook has been robotic.

Well looks like England is back to being rubbish again!!

 

[JohnK]

Match could be all over before stumps today.

 

[anat0l]

5/251 at stumps.

A very naive mathematical extrapolation would suggest that England actually have a better than fair chance of winning the match.

 

[moa999]

Very naive.
But they have done better than expected. At least some confidence might make the last two tests interesting

 

[markis10]

Very naive.
But they have done better than expected. At least some confidence might make the last two tests interesting

Better than expected is probably over 300, given Broads issues they are effectively 6 down.

 

[JohnK]

My predictions are going terribly. Just as well I am not betting.

5/251 at stumps.

A very naive mathematical extrapolation would suggest that England actually have a better than fair chance of winning the match.

If Pietersen and Bell were still out there they would have had some chance.

Could be all wrapped up by lunch tomorrow. Weather looks like their only saviour now.

 

[Warks]

The way the tail has been batting so far it shouldn't last much longer. The New Zealander will sell his wicket dearly but Prior and the rest will probably just throw the bat like they did last Test. Prior got lucky and got 69 but it's a long way to go from here.

Was listening to the ABC most of the day and they were quite critical of the time wasting by Cook et al. Drew Morphett timed how long it took between overs at one stage as Cook had a long chat with Anderson and then had to walk all the way back to slip. That took 1 minute 20 seconds. Of course that was the over when Bailey took 28 from what turned out to be the final over! It must have been some chat...

 

[QF WP]

I Had the joy of listening to the ABC Radio commentary yesterday as I saw clients on the Southside and last client at 2pm at Benowa. Driving was made a lot easier by all the fours and sixes....plus English wickets in the afternoon. Good to see some backbone by Stoke - but KP, as usual, couldn't control himself. Nice catch by Harris, just like all those drills

 

[anat0l]

England need 175 to win with 4 wickets in hand.

If someone presented that challenge to almost any team in the world, you'd actually believe that is plausible to achieve.

Stokes is rearing a good innings for himself.

 

[NM]

England need 175 to win with 4 wickets in hand.

If someone presented that challenge to almost any team in the world, you'd actually believe that is plausible to achieve.

Stokes is rearing a good innings for himself.

And they only need to score at a rate of around 2.8 per over, so not impossible that they could achieve the impossible! Wonder what odds are being offered? And remember that Broad has a foot injury.

 

[anat0l]

And they only need to score at a rate of around 2.8 per over, so not impossible that they could achieve the impossible! Wonder what odds are being offered? And remember that Broad has a foot injury.

Bottom line - the Australians better start attacking hard.

I wonder if Broad will "run" or they will grant him a runner.

 

[TonyHancock]

To put things into perspective the highest fourth innings total to win a test match is 418.

Only once in Test History has a side scored more than 500 in the fourth innings of a Test match.

It is just a matter of patience. My money is on an Australian victory before Tea.

 

[anat0l]

Have to admit, if the English pull off a win at Perth, there will be at least two very embarrassed parties: the Australian cricket team, and the English press.

 

[JohnK]

We should win this one but I would love to see England win if only for the look on Warner's and Johnson's faces.

We will be playing a real cricket team soon.

 

[NM]

With Stokes now gone (for 120), I expect TonyH is on the money and history is not to be re-written today.

 

[anat0l]

With Stokes now gone (for 120), I expect TonyH is on the money and history is not to be re-written today.

Depends on which history you are considering.

If Australia win, we will finally have that bl**dy urn back! It's been far too long out of Australian hands.

 

[QF WP]

Now 9/352, so the fat lady must be warbling by now

 

[straitman]

Depends on which history you are considering.

If Australia win, we will finally have that bl**dy urn back! It's been far too long out of Australian hands.

It's all over.

.... and the urn never actually comes here anyway.