76 comments

  1. Roger on #

    That’s not optimism, that’s delusion. Your lads will not win.

  2. Justine on #

    If we get rid of bloody Pietersen, then mop up the tail, then score at 5 an over, we totally can too win! No wuckers.

  3. Justine on #

    And there goes Collingwood. What a great selection he was!

  4. woofy on #

    that does me for the day, sod the radio, time to get the tv on I say.

  5. jonathan on #

    it’s tea. it all comes down to the next five to seven overs. if england are all out, it’s on. if they bat more than seven overs, it’s over.

  6. Justine on #

    I have complete and utter faith.

  7. jonathan on #

    you may need it . i don’t want to take anything from pietersen – sure he was dropped three times – but he’s played well. but for us to win, we need it to become on day cricket. if they can get giles out quickly, or even pietersen, then we’ve got a chance. gilly may also have to find form quickly.

    oh, and let’s not forget, these guys have to come home, hit the showers, and then get ready to play the rest of the world. should be good.

  8. Justine on #

    Woofy: lucky bastard with a television with live non fuzzy coverage.

  9. jonathan on #

    heh heh. so, turns out no-one’s got more than 260 in the fourth innnings here. if the lead passes 250 it’ll be very tough. if it’s under 250, i’ll be staying up late.

  10. Justine on #

    Not one day cricket. It needs to be Twenty20! A draw is no good to us we have to go out and out and go for the win. Losing is the same for us if we draw.

    Damn, you know what I mean.

  11. jonathan on #

    i do. 250 in 40 overs. six per over. if they open with gilly and ponting, it could happen. assuming it doesn’t get dark. also, england may go slow with their bowling and that would be the killer. we’ll see…

  12. Justine on #

    Doesn’t matter if it gets dark. Surely they wouldn’t take the light now?!

  13. jonathan on #

    well, here we go. warnie has the ball. game on.

  14. jonathan on #

    it’s not light. when they hit the final hour, the poms only have to bowl 15 more overs. so, they go slow up to the final hour, then bowl the final 15.

  15. Cheryl on #

    pops in briefly – internet connection is upstairs, tv is downstairs – can’t take my eyes off the game, who knows what might happen!

  16. Justine on #

    Dastardly dastardly bastards.

    You know, sometimes three wickets seems like a lot . . .

  17. jonathan on #

    hey cheryl! i know, it’s pretty compelling. i’m pretty happy i’ve got the hdtv card on the pc at the moment. and yes, three wickets is a lot, or nothing much. it could take an hour, or an over.

  18. Justine on #

    At least you have a tellie with the cricket on it!

  19. jonathan on #

    ooh, punter is risking it with lee. sheesh.

  20. Cheryl on #

    something to bear in mind. in a 1-day game there would be floodlights. when australia get to bat the light will be failing, there will be no lights, and they’ll be looking at flintoff and harmison at full speed.

  21. Justine on #

    He’s hoping Lee will knock Giles unconscious.

  22. jonathan on #

    not unconscious. just over. and yeah, it will be tough. but then, if you let things get to this stage, it’s going to be hard. this is the ashes, after all, and we won’t get ’em back till 2006 if we lose ’em.

  23. Justine on #

    Plus you can’t score off a bouncer.

  24. Justine on #

    I mean one that goes way over your head.

    Bring Warne back on! From both ends!

  25. jonathan on #

    yeah, you can.

  26. Justine on #

    But not high enough to be called wide.

  27. Justine on #

    I’m starting to think that Stuart McGill might have made a diff . . . Him bowling in tandem with Warne is a combo that was very successful and not used nearly enough.

  28. jonathan on #

    possibly. or they could have just held their catches. no matter the result today, and i think the result is becoming more evident, there are players who got on the airplane to travel to england for this tour who won’t wear the baggy green again. it’s just a matter of how many of ’em.

  29. Roger on #

    It’s over. You can’t win from here.

  30. Cheryl on #

    i seem to remember pietersen hooking a couple of lee bouncers for six…

    mcgill might have been goood, but i would have played symmonds – plenty of bowling options, and he can bat (including in the gloom at old trafford)

  31. jonathan on #

    now, now roger. give it another thirty minutes, then you can say that. and never forget, this is cricket. i’ve seen sides bowled out for 27, and sides score at six an over. it’s very difficult to say you can’t win. it just becomes harder and harder.

  32. Justine on #

    I’m ignoring you, Roger.

    I don’t see how Ponting can retain the captaincy. But these selectors have proved themselves very reluctant to drop anyone.

  33. Cheryl on #

    hmm, even rod marsh is starting to sound like he’s given up.

  34. Justine on #

    Chery: Plus Symmonds is cute.

    Several kind of sort of almost didn’t quite carrys in that over . . .

  35. Justine on #

    Rod Marsh is an old grump. Plus he’s the one that trained you lot up. Bloody traitor.

  36. jonathan on #

    i’ve wondered why they haven’t recalled symonds. with gillespie’s career over, and wossisname the 12th man going the same way, they’ll need bowlers. i think the coach will lose his job, and likely damien martyn too.

  37. jonathan on #

    justine, i’d agree about punter too. he may struggle to keep the captaincy. the only thin on his side is, there’s no likely replacement.

  38. Justine on #

    No matter what we have a lock on player of the series . . . Who can they give it to but Shane Warne?

    Yes to all those sackings.

    i’d also give a guernsey to whathisname that bowler who’s paying for one of the counties and doing really well right now.

  39. Cheryl on #

    just what i was going to say. clarke may make a good captain one day, but there’s no obvious replacement in the team other than gilchrist, who is himself getting on a bit

  40. Cheryl on #

    and yes, symmonds is cute

  41. Justine on #

    Were it me I’d give it to Warne. Doesn’t matter how old he is. he’s by far the best cricket brain we have. So even if he’s only captain for two years. He’d reshape the side and show them what real captaincy is.

    Of course, that would never happen.

  42. jonathan on #

    gilchrist or langer are possibilities. lee is a bowler, and his place isn’t rock solid. katich isn’t a definite either.

    here’s a question. langer has said he wants to tour england next time. how long do you think warne can play on for. i could see two to five years, if he wants to.

  43. Cheryl on #

    shane watson is a possibility for new blood

  44. Cheryl on #

    warne will play as long as his body holds out. he’s practically a cyborg already

  45. jonathan on #

    warne may be a cricket genius, but he’s a PR basketcase. it’ll never happen because he’s not a role model.

  46. Justine on #

    Me, I reckon Warne’s got another five years easy. Remember Bobbie Holland he was a fine test bowler in his forties.

    I mean Warne’s playing the best cricket of his life right now. But if he has one bad test at this age they’ll sack him like they did to Waugh. Ageist bastards.

  47. Justine on #

    That drives me insane. It’s why Keith Miller never got the captaincy despite being a superb captain of NSW. I spit at PR.

  48. jonathan on #

    they won’t sack warne. as long as he wants to play, and can produce the goods, he’ll play on. they have had batsmen to spare, but where are the strike bowlers. i have the feeling we may see mcgrath and warne together for at least two more years. and yeah, warne could physically play on. wonder if he will.

  49. jonathan on #

    i agree with you. if i wanted a moral leader, i wouldn’t look to a sportsman or a musician. but it seems to be part of the gig.

  50. Cheryl on #

    the radio commentators are now speculating on whether vaughan will declare to see if he can win the game

  51. Cheryl on #

    whee, another pietersen six!

  52. Justine on #

    If Warne were English he’d have been captain for years. Why are our cricket selectors so much more uptight then there’s?

    I don’t look for moral leadership from anyone. Most of us can figure out that stuff on our own, thank you very much.

  53. Cheryl on #

    and another… 250 up

  54. jonathan on #

    i think that’s it. a 260 lead, three wickets still to get. maybe 30 overs to go, and pietersen is slogging. hats off to england, who have played so much better than any of us thought they could. whatever else may be said at home, they deserved to win, simply by playing well. and at home? let the night of the long knives begin.

  55. Cheryl on #

    if warne were english they’d never have let him play, believe me. they had enough trouble with tuffers.

  56. Justine on #

    Yeah they would. A bowler of his class? Yeah they would. They’ve been desperate for years.

  57. Cheryl on #

    ah, they’re taking warne off. game over

  58. jonathan on #

    so, justine, i know you’re off south of the border, and cheryl, you always seem to be on the move, but i’ll see you back here October 5 for the first of the Rest of the World games, and on October 14 for the test.

  59. Justine on #

    Oi! I haven’t conceded! We could launch an army of red ants at them! They could all trip and fall back on their stumps!

  60. Cheryl on #

    sounds like a date

    who’s going to world fantasy? we can bore the American stupid.

  61. jonathan on #

    lol. if i hear that england were attacked by a might horder of spitballs, i shall know who to thank.

  62. Cheryl on #

    i’m sure that red ants are not legal as substitute fielders

  63. jonathan on #

    i think we’ll all be there, yes? i have a wedding to attend october 8, my littlest’s birthday october 14, then i’m on the plane october 24. a week in oakland, then on to wisconsin. and all during the break in the cricket.

  64. Cheryl on #

    i’m flying out to CA on oct 26. can’t get to madison until friday but staying ’til monday.

  65. Justine on #

    At WFC yes. Me and Scott’ll be there. But the other cricket dates I’ll be in Mexico without internet access in the house and a novel to write. So I won’t be able to join you, but feel free to use this blog. I’ll try to post something appropriate for you.

  66. jonathan on #

    well, i’ll be in oakland from tues oct 25 till tues 1 nov, cheryl. may or may not see you there. justine, have a great time in mexico. see you in madison (and don’t forget the galley ). now, i’m off to finish peeps, and then to bed.

  67. Cheryl on #

    have just been for a celebratory cup of tea. g’night jonathan. mexico sounds fun, but i can’t afford to be away from the internet for long.

  68. Justine on #

    Pietersen bowled at last . . .

  69. Cheryl on #

    to quote tony grieg, “the south african selectors must be kicking themselves right now.”

  70. Justine on #

    Yup, that was mighty retarded of ’em.

  71. Cheryl on #

    i guess they didn’t want to have a player who wears pink t-shirts and dyes his hair.

  72. Justine on #

    Idiots. When will people stop being so destructively conservative? It doesn’t matter what a cricketer looks like. Or whether he’s unfaithful to his wife or whatever. As long as he’s really bloody good and doesn’t break the rules of cricket.

    Not that I’m advocating infidelity, mind.

  73. Cheryl on #

    all sports are run by stupid old men in blazers. often these are people who were middling-good professionals in their day, and who resent the celebrity status and high pay of modern players. until these idiots die off (and always assuming that the next generation don’t turn out to be just as daft) we are stuck with them.

  74. Justine on #

    Maybe they’re the ones we should set the red ants on?

  75. Cheryl on #

    now that does sound like a good idea…

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