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Well, thought I'd start a thread for the Last Chance Saloon, aka The Oval Test. Feel free to vent your frustration or express your joy.

England have won the toss and will bat. First thing has gone right. No spinner for the Aussies on the grounds they didn't need one at Headingley (grrr. mutter. grumble). Bopara out, Bell up to three, Collingwood to four and Trott in at five, Flintoff back at seven for his last Test. He'll want to go out with a bang. Let's hope it's not his knee.

Aussies not changing a winning side.

OI!!!! we're on delay here mate don't give too much away.!!!!!! I'ts only just started ....hang on ...........

OI!!!! we're on delay here mate don't give too much away.!!!!!! I'ts only just started ....hang on ...........


:)

You mean, win or lose, I have the chance to torment you all through the game by knowing what's happening five minutes before you?

O gosh...:sneaky:

If it rains hard enough England might fluke a draw.

Morning Barman. Hoping for better than a draw.

Single off the first over. Strauss batting with great caution, Hilfenhaus a little wide so the single was off the last ball of the over, the first ball Strauss played at.

Emgland 12-1. Cook goes for 10.

Aussies have found a flaw in his technique and exploited it (Inswinger to left hander). He'll be of limited use until it is sorted.

56-1 at drinks. Clouding over and some light drizzle. Shouldn't amount to much and it's due to be pleasant this afternoon.

England recovering a bit after the loss of Cook. Drinks breaks are always a bit risky though - the break in concentration often leads to a wicket.

The pitch looks to be cutting up a bit. Unusual for the Oval, but we're told this isn't like the Oval pitches of old. Why not, we wonders. They were good pitches.

108-1 at lunch. Strauss 50.

131-2. Strauss went to a good one from Hilfenhaus with the score on (I think) 126. Hilfenhaus has been the bowling find of the series for Australia.

Bell has his fifty, but it's a loooong time since he's made 100. Collingwood is a battler, but not a natural talent of the class of, say, Bopara. Can he battle it out on a true pitch that would normally suit a natural talent like Bopara? It's the sort of true pitch that could reward Bell. He won't get many better opportunities and he's a quick scorer if he stays around. 100 or out by tea, at a guess.

Ooops. Strauss' wicket was a clear no-ball.

167-2. Steady progress by England.

180-3 at tea. Collingwood gone. Bell and Trott have since put the anchors down so my prediction of Bell out or 100 by tea has proved completely wrong.

Bell gone first over after tea, so I was almost right. Great. Still only one 100 in the series so far. The Aussies will probably all get 100s on this track. Or more.

282-7. Have resorted to misery eating and self-harm.

Clodhopper;1232588 wrote: 282-7. Have resorted to misery eating and self-harm.


Very sad listening to Flintoff's cameo innings. Sounds as if he never settled to the bowling at all.

Very sad listening to Flintoff's cameo innings. Sounds as if he never settled to the bowling at all.


Mitchell bowled well to him. My impression was he was trying to bat responsibly but being Freddie couldn't resist the shot. Last game emotions may have played their part as well.

Well gosh! You go out for a while and Broad takes 4-25 and Swann is 2-15. Immediately put plasters on self inflicted wounds and put away the vodka and sleeping pills!

Clodhopper;1233009 wrote: Well gosh! You go out for a while and Broad takes 4-25 and Swann is 2-15. Immediately put plasters on self inflicted wounds and put away the vodka and sleeping pills!


Is that good then?:-3

Still class cricket as rounders with only 2 ends.:p:wah:

YOu guys watching now?:yh_rotfl

Morning Fuzzy. Yes, I'm watching. Been a grim grind this morning, but fascinating stuff. 134-3, lead by 306 with 7 wickets in hand.

England attacking a bit just recently. Every run doubly valuable on this pitch. 100 partnership between Trott and Strauss just come up. Immensely valuable partnership, pushing the game further away from the Aussies.

Still class cricket as rounders with only 2 ends.


Burn the heretic.:p

No game is a more searching test of character.

England lead by 400. It's goodbye Freddie for a cameo 18. Broad appears to be taking a liking to North - three fours off the over.

Now it's a case of putting what? fifty or 100 runs more? to the remove the game from any possibility of hope from the Aussie point of view and leaving ourselves two days and part of a session to knock them over and regain the Ashes!

Whooda thunkit?

Lead of 462 at tea, Swann biffing North around the park.

Should England declare at tea, or bat on for an hour or so and get to 500, then bowl at the Aussies for the last hour?

Bat on for an hour. They're Aussies and should therefore be left no sniff of hope.

Trott century on debut. Lead 518. Ok, time to declare and have a go at the Aussie openers.

On the other hand, I stand watching England batting like this for a while longer! :-6

In tihs test definatily England wins. Because batting order is very strong compare to AUS. Seris England's.

England have scored 2 centuries in the series so far with Australia taking (I think) 7. Its not so much how many runs you score but about taking all 20 wickets. The pitch hasnt done quite what was expected, its even stabilised a bit.

Australia have done exactly the right thing and come out fighting. No point in trying to drag it out for two days. The pitch will eventually play up and do all sorts. Get the runs under your belt as soon as.

England must concentrate on taking 10 wickets and not setting a defensive field to save the runs. Just go for it

In tihs test definatily England wins. Because batting order is very strong compare to AUS. Seris England's.


Hello Sesu. :-6

I am very worried by the English batting line up. If Strauss fails, everyone fails. We have some talented players, but no clear 3, 4, 5, and number 2 is looking a bit shaky.

Snowfire: It's possible the pitch will just flatten out. But with turn like this Swann ought to chew his way through them. Ought to...

Harmison, Anderson and Flintoff need to step up to the plate. There's big run makers all through the Australian order and they need to be bombed into making mistakes....Jeez, my granny could play those three. They don't seem to have enough fire in 'em, considering the importance of this game!

Harmison, Anderson and Flintoff need to step up to the plate.


Agreed. It's as though they aren't sure how they should bowl on this. Flower has a lot of work to do overnight by the look of it.

Bowl Swann pretty much unchanged and rotate quickies at the other end is my first thought.

Still just smiling here & not saying much as yet.

Doesn't look to good atm but stranger things:driving:

Still just smiling here & not saying much as yet.

Doesn't look to good atm but stranger things


I know. I'd be a lot more comfortable if we'd knocked over either opener. Katich by preference. But I've got this nightmare vision of a Ponting 200....(augh!) :wah:

Still, all it will take is one good England session and the Ashes are ours....

To coin a phrase: "It ain't over 'til Mrs K frowns and says a lot."

"It ain't over 'til Mrs K frowns and says a lot." :wah::wah::wah:

wow humour on a Sunday morning.

wow humour on a Sunday morning.


Still Saturday night here, if you see what I mean. Glass of wine and peruse of the boards then bed. Ready for a frazzled day tomorrow.:wah:

ahh yes about the wine .....:-3 you're talking to miss hangover at the moment

Nope. Just a glass before bed. And I stuck a thread up so I'm sort of hovering a bit.

Clodhopper;1233460 wrote: I know. I'd be a lot more comfortable if we'd knocked over either opener. Katich by preference. But I've got this nightmare vision of a Ponting 200....(augh!) :wah:

Still, all it will take is one good England session and the Ashes are ours....

To coin a phrase: "It ain't over 'til Mrs K frowns and says a lot."


I like it:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

We're down to the second last day of five five day games and it's all still in the balance. Ashes cricket. There's nothing quite like it.

Goodnight!

86-1. First wicket at last! Katich padding up to a Swann arm ball.

And Broad just got Watson trapped on his crease. 90-2.

Breathing a bit easier. Ponting got a good reception, too.

You should at least explain what the game is all about mate, Americans dont play this game (not daft are they). Hope you dont mind if i post a simple version so all the foreigners can understand all the excitement and get involved.

Cricket Explained.

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side thats been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay all out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!

Simple really.

Ah yes. Haven't seen that in a while.

Also that cricket is a game invented in England requiring five consecutive days of good weather...

Popped off briefly and two wickets have gone - one to a Freddie direct hit run-out.

Australia 227-4. Pitch looks to be easing, but still plenty of turn. Pity we're dropping all the catches off Swann.

Lovely stumping of North by Prior off Swann. Ball really turned and bounced and North was left agonisingly unable to stretch back the necessary half inch.

236-5

Ooooh! four wickets while I went for a walk and did my shopping. Ashes nearly regained.

And won!

Yippee!

Cue celebratory beer. :-6

Bad luck Australia. This wasn't the greatest series ever, but it went down to the wire. No, we've just got to retain the Ashes in Australia...Can't wait!

Me neither:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

Congrats Clodhopper, i can tell it means something to you.

well done tottenham :yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

i mean england beating west ham and being top of the league

i mean winning the ashes :-6:-6

Regaining the Ashes AND Chelsea winning. Life doesnt get better than that

Oh, no congrats to me. I did nothing. But yes, the Ashes are special. Test Cricket is special and the Ashes are the pinnacle of Test cricket because of the history between the two countries, playing this game. You might enjoy this link:

BBC SPORT | Cricket | When Lily Allen met Aggers

Clodhopper;1233575 wrote: Oh, no congrats to me. I did nothing. But yes, the Ashes are special. Test Cricket is special and the Ashes are the pinnacle of Test cricket because of the history between the two countries, playing this game. You might enjoy this link:

BBC SPORT | Cricket | When Lily Allen met Aggers


Couldnt agree more. I'm a purist. One day and 20/20 are fun but nothing comes close to test cricket

As for Lily, there may be a chance for me then. She likes her men on the larger side and a little older.

Give us a ring Lil

farmer giles;1233573 wrote: well done tottenham :yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

i mean england beating west ham and being top of the league

i mean winning the ashes :-6:-6




Hey, this is a thread about cricket not sad old spurs, win a couple of games and you think the league is all yours.:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

Snowfire;1233576 wrote: Couldnt agree more. I'm a purist. One day and 20/20 are fun but nothing comes close to test cricket

As for Lily, there may be a chance for me then. She likes her men on the larger side and a little older.

Give us a ring Lil


this is the only lilly that would be interested in you ...he liked a "ding" bat :yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl



YouTube - Dennis Lillee uses Aluminium Bat! (Cricket )

Farmer Giles: Well, if you want to call Dennis Lillee a puff that's up to you. :wah:

Ok, he had the moustache.

Hmm. Dennis baby, is there anything you aren't telling us?