England v Australia - 5th Test (THE DECIDER!)

[fat_mike]

there should be no excuses for this series loss other than we were totally outplayed by a much more enthusiastic, younger and more skillful side.

england have been absolutely brilliant this series. the bowling has been superb from jones and harmison. flintoff has been absolutely devastating and is an absolute shoe in for man of the series. none have come ven close enough.

australia need to go back and look towards the future, certain players dont deserve their spots in the current squad and we need to see some change. ricky pontings captaincy has left a little to be desired at times.

i cant see anything but a draw from this match and an england series win. very very well deserving series win.

 

[El Diablo]

Safety wasn't the issue anyway. Rudi said it was "unfair" .

Pity that isn't in the rules though.

 

[Twizzle]

one day, two innings to be played

I cant see a result happening from here

 

[waltzing Meninga]

No way is there going to be a result. The only slight glimmer of hope is if we bowl them out somewhere between lunch and tea, and chase around 200 in the long final session. They would have to open with Gilly and show some great batting.

Any further stopages in play today will secure a draw for England

 

[Scott]

No way is there going to be a result. The only slight glimmer of hope is if we bowl them out somewhere between lunch and tea, and chase around 200 in the long final session. They would have to open with Gilly and show some great batting.

Any further stopages in play today will secure a draw for England

I would say that if the weather is good, then that is a very very good possibility. Don't give it away yet Aussies? You are still very capable of winning this game

 

[aussies1st]

We have two guys with over 1000 wickets. One bowler that got 6 wickets on a flat pitch. The other guy will surely be back to his best. Its a big ask but its possible. Teams have collasped before, if England will we will find out.

The first session is the key if Aus can get 5 wickets there then its game on if not then England win the Ashes.

 

[Kiwi]

Safety wasn't the issue anyway. Rudi said it was "unfair" .

Pity that isn't in the rules though.

It may have been the "wrong" reason to come off, but they still should have come off anyway, so the right choice was made in the end.

 

[waltzing Meninga]

It may have been the "wrong" reason to come off, but they still should have come off anyway, so the right choice was made in the end.

There was absolutely no danger in that light. It wasn't as if it were dark. It was just slightly gloomy. The county game a few miles away were bowling seamers all day. It was just that there was a slight disadvantage to the batting team so they came off. Which is not in the rules.

FFS Michael Vaughan hit glen Mcgrath for 2 consecutive boundries off the back foot. Surely the light can't be too bad. Just because Warne was bowling well they left. I wonder if they would have come off if warne bowled a long hop and it got hit for 4.

 

[aussies1st]

2 spinners bowling, how can that be unsafe? The batters should be able to pick it up. The only harm to the fielders would be a big shot by the batter. But if they can do a big shot obviously there is nothing wrong with the light.

 

[Raider_69]

im not bagging england for taking light, any half smart captain in the situation would, but im bagging the moronic umpires who offered light to them whilst we bowled spinm if your a batsman and get injuried from a spinner you shouldnt be playing test cricket IMO

Vaughan was smart to take light
the umpires are raging morons for offering it, particually when Vaughan was able to see the seams well enough to hit a few crisp bounderies

 

[waltzing Meninga]

When is the ICC going to take these decisions away from the Morons in the middle?? It is obvious they can not handle any decision making at the easiest level. All they had to do was read the rule book and say "hey these guys are bowling 50mph, theres no danger to the batsmen lets get on with it".

Whether it be their ego's or just in-competence I'm not sure, but untill we get umpires with half a brain these decisions need to be taken out of their hands and placed with the match referee after consulting the rule book and both captains.

These incidents are just bad for cricket fans. Especially those that payed their hard earned money to get to the game and see some cricket.

 

[Scott]

So who is going to make these decisions then? Mr Speed all the way from Dubai?

 

[anjado]

everyone is blaming the umpires
but australia didnt have 2 spinners operating
they had McGrath and Warne the first time
and if the light is worse the second time they would have to offer it to the batsmen
and its McGrath's fault for bowling a bouncer in the previous over

 

[El Diablo]

Clarke was replacing McGrath.

 

[aussies1st]

Actually Clarke had replaced McGrath already. He had already bowled 2 overs.

 

[waltzing Meninga]

everyone is blaming the umpires
but australia didnt have 2 spinners operating
they had McGrath and Warne the first time
and if the light is worse the second time they would have to offer it to the batsmen
and its McGrath's fault for bowling a bouncer in the previous over

Were you even watching the game??????

 

[El Diablo]

obviously not

12.1 Clarke to Trescothick, one run, full and on the stumps, squeezed
through fine leg
12.2 Clarke to Vaughan, one run, flat and on the pads, flicked through
square leg for a single
12.3 Clarke to Trescothick, no run, short of a length and outside the
off, driven towards cover
12.4 Clarke to Trescothick, two runs
12.5 Clarke to Trescothick, one run, flat and on the pads, worked
through square leg
12.6 Clarke to Vaughan, no run

 

[anjado]

im talking about when they went off for bad light the first time dickheads
not the second time

 

[anjado]

im talking about when they went off for bad light the first time dickheads
not the second time i know clarke bowled the 2nd time
im talking about the first time they went off for bad light
and if the light deteriated the second time they had to be offered the light

 

[El Diablo]

when they went off the first time Bowden signaled a spinner had to come on so Clarke started warming up to replace McGrath then they decided to go off.

Why tell them to bring on a spinner then when they do offer bad light?

They stuffd up.