The Ashes 2010/2011 thread

[JoeMercer'sWay]

I can see Steve Smith & Doug 'The Rug' playing in Adelaide at the expense of North & Johnson.


Funnily enough, North looks like Australia's best spinner to me. :)

I think they'll take Doherty out and bring Smith or Bollinger in. They wont drop Johnson because they think hes class, when hes actually a bag of shite. I think they will stick with North because he could chip in with runs and is probably their best spinner and thats including Smith who like Johnson is massively overrated. Doesnt spin the ball much and i can see our batters going after him and smashing him all over the place if he plays.

-- Sun Nov 28, 2010 12:58 pm --

well done Cook and Trott for batting on after Strauss's stupid sudden urge to audition for Strictly Come Dancing before tea yesterday.

Game's safe now virtually, scores like 30/40 from the likes of KP, Prior and/or Bell and 20 odds from Broad, Swann etc. would add up to enough runs anyway, so barring a complete and utter horrific collapse we're alright, looking for Cook to make a 200 and Trott to make his 100 tomorrow.

If Cook does make 200 and Trott goes on to make a century then theres every chance we could win this. If they get in and score at around 4 an over and then push on with about 10 overs before they declare and try to push the rr up to about 6 then we can put them in and have a right go at them. Anything could happen tomorrow but id rather we just guaranteed a draw 1st and then see how things are

i don't think Cook or Trott can score at 4 an over, but if either get out then KP on a flat wicket can just have a license to smack it, and I think even if he got out cheap it wouldn't be a disaster, just a punt at getting quick runs on the board, but also if he did get a quick 50 it could give him all the confidence in the world and bring him back into form.

 

[u2fme2]

a supperb come back last night,
l

 

[niall_mcfc]

Cook and Trott can easily score at 4 an over. They scored slowly today because they didnt want to take any risks and rightly so. Also they should start off slow tomorrow and get themselves in again and if the message comes from Strauss and co that we should push on then i have every confidence in Trott and Cook being able to smash quick runs. Just have a look at their 1 day form last season for their counties, Cook was smashing 100s and very quickly and in the t20s Trott was Warwickshires main man and is definitely capable of scoring very quickly.

 

[jimharri]

If Cook does make 200 and Trott goes on to make a century then theres every chance we could win this. If they get in and score at around 4 an over and then push on with about 10 overs before they declare and try to push the rr up to about 6 then we can put them in and have a right go at them. Anything could happen tomorrow but id rather we just guaranteed a draw 1st and then see how things are

Spot on. It's so hard to come back from behind in Australia. Top priority is the draw which would be a fantastic result given the Aussies' record at Brisbane down the years (no defeat since the late eighties, I think). If we can get 250 ahead shortly before tea, then send in the Aussies and try to rattle them (mentally, not physically. Then again....); maybe get four or five of them out before the end of play. I can't see us bowling them out on that pitch in little over a session, unfortunately.

 

[mat]

A draw would be a great result for England and would deflate the aussies who thought they had it in the bag after day one. That psychological edge could help Strauss bring the Urn back to Lords.

 

[mcfcliam]

Great fightback.

 

[PistonBlue]

Rather than being a great fightback I just think what we're seeing is the better side taking control of things. Our position going into our second innings was totally false, there's no way on earth the Aussies deserved a 200 run lead.

I don't see us winning the game, but a draw gives us the momentum. It bodes well for the rest of the series. I still think we'll win 2-0

 

[kippaxwarrior]

A draw would be a great result for England and would deflate the aussies who thought they had it in the bag after day one. That psychological edge could help Strauss bring the Urn back to Lords.

Well the original urn never leaves Lords anyway................... ;-)

 

[ancoats]

dont give them anything

just go out and bat all day forget the win its not there just take the draw
you could easy lose if you give them a score of 250 plus on a flat wicket with 25 overs after tea then your asking for it

keep them in the field all day let them feel the heat plus you need our bowlers to rest its going to be a long hard ashes this winter/summer
they have done good this test and bowled alot of overs england went with only 4 bowlers and took a chance with the pitch

bat all day take the draw it will hurt them aswell

 

[nijinsky's fetlocks]

A draw would be a great result for England and would deflate the aussies who thought they had it in the bag after day one. That psychological edge could help Strauss bring the Urn back to Lords.

In a nutshell.
The convicts were already opening the VB's,and this will hurt them big time.
No need for mad histrionics - let them chase the game,and put the shutters up if necessary.
This shows what you can achieve with circumspect,percentage batting,and realising that in test cricket you don't need to whack every other ball into a different postcode,or average 8 an over to impress the cheerleaders into waving their pompoms.