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THIRD TEST, DAY FOUR
England fights back brilliantly; 3/185 after Collingwood was shot out by Stuart Clark. Australia has clamped down scoring since tea. Last few overs: . 1 . . . . | . . . . . . | 1 . . . . . | . . W .
A few of questions, if I may.
Is Australia winning?
England require another 348 runs with 7 wickets remaining.
Is the above doable by England?
If the above is doable, do you not have hard implements with which to beat the brains out of the ‘Mother’ Country? OR, is that ‘not cricket’?
“Cricket - a game which the English, not being a spiritual people, have invented in order to give themselves some conception of eternity.” - Lord ( Baron) Mancroft
Nah, they wont get the runs, they have scored just over 200 odd today and they will need another 300 tomorrow. They’re not scoring fast enough, admittedly they may up the rate tomorrow, but at the risk of losing the series entirely.
From the looks of it currently, they may well bat all through tomorrow for a draw as well.
Although I wouldn’t mind so much as it would keep the series alive.‘Chickenshit’ Hoggard out first ball. AlphaMike sings quietly to himself (to the tune of ‘C’mon Aussie, C’mon, C’mon) - ‘Piss Off Hoggard, Piss Off, Piss Off’.
Posted by AlphaMikeFoxtrot on 2006 12 17 at 05:38 AM • permalinkEl Cid
Is Australia winning?
England require another 348 runs with 7 wickets remaining.
Is the above doable by England?Witness the beauty of cricket, and why this match remains exciting after 4 days, with 1 to go.
Yes, Australia is ‘winning’. England at stumps (close of day’s play) need about 295 runs, with 5 wickets remaining. It is possible to score that many runs in a day but you’d have to say its very unlikely, because:
* They have only 5 wickets left, and as you get towards the ‘tail end’ of their team, they are bowlers (who must bat), not specialist batsmen. BUT they still have one very good batsman in, and a couple who can ‘throw the bat around’. Also-
* The required run chase has never been achieved by any team, anytime in over 130 years of cricket. I think the highest 4th innings score ever to win a test is 400 or less.
On the other side, the wicket is an odd one, because it is not changing very much going into the 5th day. As we say “not much in it for the bowlers” so far. Its natural (thin/dead) grass covered turf, so it usually cracks and dusts up at bit by the 5th day, helping the bowlers who exploit the irregularities. And the Australian bowlers will be getting tired having been out in the heat all day today.
I think the Aussies will prevail, but I’d like to see the last specialist Pom batsman out pretty early tomorrow.
If the Poms are still batting at the end of tomorrow, not having passed the Aussie total, then its a ‘draw’, which would be a piss-poor and disappointing result (and a minor miracle for the Poms).
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 12 17 at 06:00 AM • permalinkPlus the Aussies are attacking - if we win tomorrow, we win the Ashes; the Poms are just grimly hanging on. I’s always back an attacking tream versus one just hanging on.
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 12 17 at 06:02 AM • permalinkIt’s funny. As G. McGrath was coming in to bowl to one A. Cook I said to Dad, “England are going to get these, no-one looks like getting out”. The ball moved away a bit to the off side, caught the edge and was taken behind by the keeper. Two balls later, Hoggard lost his off stump. Then McGrath beat Flintoff twice with screamers to end the over.
Moral of the story: I know nothing about cricket.
Posted by Matthew Lawrence on 2006 12 17 at 06:26 AM • permalinkDeclaration was too early.
Das Kapitan Ponting should have batted through until half an hour before lunch today, set the Poms 700+ to make, then slowly, slowly ground the Poms into the dirt, and then spit on the remains. Bugger “gentlemanly behaviour”.
I think it was SCD who quoted earlier in another cricket thread about grinding the old enemy down and mentioned “blood & spittle flecked lips”.
A man after my own heart. I would be proud to shout you a beer, Sir.
Posted by Pedro the Ignorant on 2006 12 17 at 06:37 AM • permalinkAnd, BTW, that clean bowl of “Chickenshit” Hoggard for a duck was the absolute epitome of the concept of Karma.
You will live to regret that wide ball to Gilly over and over, Hogster.
Posted by Pedro the Ignorant on 2006 12 17 at 06:42 AM • permalinkWell I’m not watching. I think cricket, along with most sports (not golf), is as boring as bat shit. (Why do people say that? Is it because it’ll take the paint off cars?) Nevertheless I enjoy reading the comments from people who are excited by the game and, frankly, I’ve learned more about how the game should properly be played from reading the explanations of it given here to our Yank cousins than I ever knew before. And, of course, I want us to win, especially against the Poms. But I also feel sorry for the Poms in a “how the mighty have fallen” sort of way.
Golf isn’t boring? I guess the Pope really isn’t Catholic, the sky isn’t blue and the moon really is made of cheese.
Posted by Matthew Lawrence on 2006 12 17 at 06:50 AM • permalinkAs far as golf is concerned, I will bow to the opinion of Winston Churchill (OK, he was a Pom, but that’s OK with me):
“A good walk ruined”
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 12 17 at 07:07 AM • permalinkThanks, Pedro.
I actually can’t stand it when commentators etc say they want a close contest, with a good showing by the Poms etc.
If I want to see exciting cricket, I’ll go see Australia Vs West Indies, preferably in Barbados.
If I want to see a highly technical game, a duel between bat and ball, I’ll go and see Australia Vs India, hopefully in Madras.
If I want to see a game where the other side give to the Aussies as good as the Aussies dish out, I’ll go see Australia Vs South Africa, definitely at the MCG on Boxing Day.
But when its the Poms, and the Ashes are at stake, I want to see 3 day matches with the Poms humiliated and crushed, anywhere, anytime. Close bloody contest my arse. “No quarter!”
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 12 17 at 07:25 AM • permalinkYeah. There’s something Poms that makes you want to see them bashed to a bleeding pulp, set on fire and urinated on from a substantial height. A while back I was barracking for a brave Pakistan team against the Aussies. From memory quite a number of others around here were doing the same.
Can you imagine a similar sentiment extended to the Poms? Just because they happen to be the underdogs with their backs to the wall fighting valiantly against overwhelming odds?
Not bloody likely. Whisper words of derision. Let them weep.
This is the Ashes, I don’t have time for pain, the only pain I have time for is the pain I put on fools who don’t know what time it is.
Posted by ZombieXXXXking on 2006 12 17 at 08:16 AM • permalinkI thought the ASCII art was 1.618’s schtick.
Posted by Rob Crawford on 2006 12 17 at 09:45 AM • permalink#17 Stop Continental Drift
Well said! I agree with your opinion here
I’m looking forward to today’s play which I will be watching sneakily at work then home in time for the last session
Posted by aussiemagpie on 2006 12 17 at 10:58 AM • permalinkThat noise you hear in the background is the England team praying for rain… not that likely in Perth, though, is it?
Posted by Kim du Toit on 2006 12 17 at 02:11 PM • permalinkGrimmy has asked for very pertinent clarification of some cricket rules from an American’s point of view here.
I’ve attempted to explain here.
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 12 17 at 08:37 PM • permalink
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I think everybody is watching the match, Tim. England are 3/223 now.