OK, it's 2-0 after 2, but:

England batted particulary well in the second innings at the Gabba.

England just about managed to bat Australia out of the game in the first innings at Adelaide.

Had Giles not dropped Punter...

Hoggard has bowled like a trooper.

Flintoff will be well rested for Perth

All it will take for England to roll us in the next Test is five solid days of cricket, sans brain exploasions. So far we've been very lucky, let's keep a lid on it.

quote:

Originally posted by The Supreme Emperor of Planet Zog:
So far we've been very lucky, let's keep a lid on it.

you've been the better side. Bragging rights are yours...

Lets hope England win this next match to keep hopes of retaining the ashes alive. I want this series to be decided at Sydney. If England are only 1 behind when they go to Sydney, they would still be able to retain the ashes.

Zoggy, JK, you're both right to a point.

Undoubtedly, Aus have been the better side overall, but it's also true to say that they have rode their luck better than we have.

Three tests to go, it's a mountain - but we've shown that we *can* bat - the real problem has been our bowling. Monty & Saj can't do any worse than Giles and Harmison/Anderson (and IMHO, as the senior bowler by a mile, Harmison's the bigger disappointment, I'd personally chop him of the two).

Sadly, can't see changes being made, so no difference in results either .

quote:

Originally posted by Growler:
Zoggy, JK, you're both right to a point.

Undoubtedly, Aus have been the better side overall, but it's also true to say that they have rode their luck better than we have.

Three tests to go, it's a mountain - but we've shown that we *can* bat - the real problem has been our bowling. Monty & Saj can't do any worse than Giles and Harmison/Anderson (and IMHO, as the senior bowler by a mile, Harmison's the bigger disappointment, I'd personally chop him of the two).

Sadly, can't see changes being made, so no difference in results either .

Ironically, England have the type of bowlers that are more likely to exploit the WACA pitch. You need 90 MPH guys who hit the deck hard. So Flintoff, Harmison and Anderson are the type of blowers you want.

It ain't over yet.

Champagne remains steadfastly in the fridge door at the Zoggian Palace.

SP, in which case, Mahmood is, if anything a bit quicker than Anderson.

Is the WACA qenuinely bouncy, or "I'll sit up at a nice height for you to slap me everywhere" bouncy ?

quote:

Is the WACA qenuinely bouncy, or "I'll sit up at a nice height for you to slap me everywhere" bouncy ?

Locals say it has become the latter..a trampoline they call it. But a strip that has not been used before is being prepared; the groundsman says he is trying to prepare an "old style" WACA pitch...so it's anyone's guess how it will play.

Yes, Anderson is just the type of bowler I want on a fast track - a crap one

quote:

Originally posted by Richie NY:
Yes, Anderson is just the type of bowler I want on a fast track - a crap one

I believe it was you guys who were praising after he made a glorious start to his testcareer. Now all of sudden, he is ncrap. A good does no become a bad one overnight.

Also, the reason why Fletcher does not play Mahmood is because he is fearful he will cost 5/6 an over, as he has already shown in his brief international career. Some players just cannot make the step up to international cricket.

I have never praised the guy in my life, in fact I've been one of his harshest critics on here, so get your facts straight.

A glorious start to his test career? I don't recall that

Lid firmly screwed on. No celebrations here unless we go 3-0 up in Perth or remain 2-0 up after Melbourne.

Three draw wickets are looking good right now.

If England get Vaughan / Strauss at the helm and play Panesar I reckon this could still get quite close.

I am kind of hoping England draw or win at Perth so that the MCG match is a live rubber...

Strauss at the helm? He's not exactly playing well at the moment. I don't think having the captaincy would help matters.

I suppose it is fair to point out that teams have come back from 0-2 before.

quote:

Originally posted by Silly Point:
Also, the reason why Fletcher does not play Mahmood is because he is fearful he will cost 5/6 an over, as he has already shown in his brief international career. Some players just cannot make the step up to international cricket.

Not necessarily touting Saj, but he has been exposed mainly in ODIs.

Doesn't stop Hoggy being a decent Test bowler ...

quote:

Originally posted by NSNA:
I suppose it is fair to point out that teams have come back from 0-2 before.

Liverpool FC?

quote:

Originally posted by NSNA:
I suppose it is fair to point out that teams have come back from 0-2 before.

How many time has Autralia lost two (or three) out of three Tests in Australia ? Have they ever done it after being 2-0 up ?

Closest I can remember recently is India 77-78 where Oz won the first two narrowly (Bris 12 runs, Perth 2 wkts), were well-beaten in the third (Melb, about 250 runs), absloutely walloped in the fourth (Syd, an innings) and won the decider in Adelaide by about 45 runs after setting a target of nearly 500.

Didn't Aus win an Ashes series after losing the first two, in the Bradman era?

quote:

Didn't Aus win an Ashes series after losing the first two, in the Bradman era?

36/37 ...the explanation I heard for that was that Oz was the better team who got the worst of the weather in the first two Tests and England got the worst in the last three ...that series had the reversed batting order Test

Nice to hear some of this after the day I had of waking up in darkness to EMO ANGST. I forget that it's still technically a live series. Hahaha.

It's surprising to hear so much negativity from the Aussies, although they were genuinely rubbish in the first innings and only won back due to Fighting Spirit and the absence of English Collapse Disease. After seeing the higlights I could slap Pietersen for that shot he got out to.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael H.:
Strauss at the helm? He's not exactly playing well at the moment. I don't think having the captaincy would help matters.

Andrew Flintoffs Captaincy is not the problem with England. The first step for England should be to start replacing players who aren't pulling their weight in the team for change.
Ashley Giles is past his use by date, especially for Ashes tours in Australia. Like I said before this series started, if Australian batsmen can handle a bowler like Murali better than most then Pommies shouldn't kid themselves how useful Giles is likely to be in Australia.
It's also clear enough that Harmison is only half as talented as many Poms like to believe. The pea hearted sook is a one dimensional bowler and hasn't learn't a lot since his last trip to Australia at all. If the wickets don't offer assistance to Harmison he is out of business.
James Anderson completes the trifecta of English bowlers who have been found out on this tour.

quote:

Originally posted by Josh C:
If England get Vaughan / Strauss at the helm and play Panesar I reckon this could still get quite close.

People are clutching at straws with the rubbish talk about Strauss's Captaincy. England did not win every game when Strauss was Captain anyhow and the fact that the guy isn't having a great series with the bat himself is hardly the time to make him Captain again.