THE ASHES

[pants]

All right ladies and gents, we have 10 tests between now and January 2014.  We have an England team who is looking good, although had a shaky tour of the shaky isles.  We have an Australian team who has been written off as the worst to tour England ever (the last Australian team to be called that was the 1989 team, who ended up winning 4-1) who have just sacked their coach, got a questionable batting line up, and a skipper who is a great batsman but has a dodgy back.

So hows it going to play out?  After the first session things seem even, maybe a nudge towards England - 2/98 - Cook gone, Trott is looking dangerous, and that pitch is going to be ugly on the 4th and 5th days...

[K9]

I look forward to this girl being in the news again:



 

[Shannow]

Finally some real sports discussion! I'm just glad I'm going to be in Oz so I can finally watch some of this (along with State of Origin III).

That 1989 team though......this team certainly ain't them. '89 team was legendary (Border, Taylor, Waugh! Healy, Hughes, Boonie! good times, good times) and kicked almost two decades of Australian cricket dominance.

C'mon Aussie but I'm not fond of our chances.

[sickrubik]

What's next, a thread about curling?

[Shannow]

What's next, a thread about curling?

Die in a fire. 

6 for 205, not a great start for the Pommies, still hows the pitch supposed to hold up?

[Paelos]

I take it this is the long version and not the 20s?

[Shannow]

5 days baby!

Hrrm 8/213...this one probably ain't going that long..

Correction 9/213..:D

[Shannow]

Also interesting that you mention the 89 team which featured Chris Broad (and I remember him KILLING us in '87) who's son Stuart is on the '13 team.

[pants]

Well that was one hell of a day.  The pitch didn't look to be a minefield, but both batting lineups seemed to make it so.

And now the Australian hopes are on the steady shoulders of Steve 'Im in the team to have fun' Smith and Phil 'my technique is fine, honest guvnor' Hughes.  Saint Siddle, come and save us again!


And yes Paelos, this is the real deal, 6 x 5 x 10 = 300 glorious hours of cricket!

Edit: Yeah, I do like the father-son thing of the Broads in the two teams.  The fact that Stuart is such a great pantomine villain to hate is even better.  I was at the Gabba for the last series in Australia, and got to see Siddle's opening hat trick.  Broad was one of the victims then, and the sending-off was beautiful :)

[Shannow]

Holy Christ Agar.

[Paelos]

Is it 5 matches? Are there draws?

THE RULES OF THIS ARE INSANE.

[Shannow]

Is it 5 matches? Are there draws?

THE RULES OF THIS ARE INSANE.

6 matches, and yes draws.

Correct, it is insane...and glorious!

[pants]

This is one hell of a match already.  It will be interesting to see if this is the start of a glorious career for Agar (or St. Ashton as the interwebs has christened him), or if he'll become a trivia question.

Damn I'm tired at work today - this is going to kill me if it keeps up.

[Bunk]

What's next, a thread about curling?

Give it time, wrong season. My home rink is being used for Roller Derby this time of year.

So how many people have been bowled over in the wickets so far?

[K9]

This Agar kid is pretty good eh?

[Paelos]

I read the recap of Day 2. I still have no clue what's going on, except Agar apologized for not getting a century, and some guy named Anderson is pretty good.

[IainC]

Is it 5 matches? Are there draws?

THE RULES OF THIS ARE INSANE.

Cricket is basically like baseball or American Football but with all the boring bits cut out.

[Paelos]

That seems a little bold considering they have tea in the middle of a game.

[K9]

Welcome to civilisation

[ghost]

Is it 5 matches? Are there draws?

THE RULES OF THIS ARE INSANE.

Cricket is basically like baseball or American Football but with all the boring bits cut out.

Wait...baseball has boring bits?

[Trippy]

Yeah pitching changes.

[Shannow]

Is it 5 matches? Are there draws?

THE RULES OF THIS ARE INSANE.

Cricket is basically like baseball or American Football but with all the boring bits cut out.

Wait...baseball has exciting bits?

Fify.


Oh and fucking broad was out.

[Paelos]

Who won?

[K9]

England won the first test in a close game. Four tests remain in the series.

[Paelos]

Oh so this isn't even close to over.

Good lord. 

[K9]

Don't worry, it'll finish sometime before the Cowboys kick off yet another 8-8 season.

[Khaldun]

Chivalry (the cricket version) is dead, it seems.

[Paelos]

Don't worry, it'll finish sometime before the Cowboys kick off yet another 8-8 season.

I'm feeling ambitious this year. It's gonna be 9-7!

[eldaec]

Hmm, getting nervous again, yesterday did not look like a low scoring wicket, I'd say England need 350 to be happy with a first innings.

Also, I don't know what Bell is putting on his cornflakes but he should keep doing it. Always felt he has been overrated in the past.

[eldaec]

Hmmm, 361 not a disaster, but Australia must fancy batting on this wicket.

Broad handy with the bat again.

[eldaec]

OK I was wrong, Australia 74/4.

Also, is DRS really so hard to use? Just don't appeal when you know you are out for Christ's sake.



Edit:
86/5 and TMS is starting to talk about the follow on.

[Paelos]

I'm guessing 74/4 is bad? It sounds bad.

[K9]

94/7, whelp

[Paelos]

So beyond somebody going a century, this is probably over.

[eldaec]

They each get another innings, but second innings are usually lower scoring because the wicket deteriorates.

They need an England batting collapse and then a record breaking batting performance.


108/9