4th Test Thread

KevIRL

England have named an unchanged squad of 12 for the test.

Let the build up begin!

Royale with Cheese

Hmmm, It's hard to picture the Aussies not getting their act together. England will have to play extremely well (again) to win. I dunno, I just don't have a good feeling about this one.

mike65

Englands record against the Aussies at Trent Bridge is frankly bad. However the head of the ground staff is apparently doing his best to get results for
the swing bowling and little for spinners (ie stop Warne!)

Mike.

RuggieBear

so who's this new bowler the aussies have? Believe he was battering the Northants batsman....

Harry2001

RuggieBear wrote:

so who's this new bowler the aussies have? Believe he was battering the Northants batsman....

Tait? he is fast and likes hitting batsmen, this will be a huge test for him today and hopefully he gets hammered

Oh yeah and McGrath is out injured again

RuggieBear

he's got a real no ball issue hasn't he....."raw" isn't the word for him

Harry2001

Yeah he's got a weird action, very low to the ground on delivery

RuggieBear

jaysus...another no ball played on.....lee looked gutted

Harry2001

RuggieBear wrote:

jaysus...another no ball played on.....lee looked gutted

Oh man that was funny I though he was going to cry

arbeitsscheuer

Straussy was kinda unlucky wit that dismissal - the odds of hitting it down so that it hits your toe and then bouncing straight up and into the hands of a slip have gotta be astronomical. Probably shouldn't have been playing the sweep shot in the first place, but in his mind he must've been thinkin' that he'd got above it enough for an edge like that to make no difference. Pity, it was a nice partnership.

Loved Vaughan's response to his first ball though, smacked Warne for a boundary. Nice way to say hello...

Nick C

Great start by England. They have to make hay in this test, as the chances of winning the toss again must be slim. They must aim for 500 plus, and put real pressure on the Aussies again.

Shame about the rain.

Nick

RuggieBear

looks like another draw

arbeitsscheuer

RuggieBear wrote:

looks like another draw

Why the long face?
If England draw this, it comes down to the oval. Where England have a great record. And pretty much every analyst/expert/statistician/man-and-his-dog that I know said that if we could keep the series all square going into the Oval test, then we'd hav one helluva great chance.

I know, I know, England started this test well, but this pitch ain't doing much and the Aussies could easily run down any total we make. Certainly, their bowlers look thoroughly anaemic right now, but their batting line-up is much stronger than their bowling and they have strength all the way down the order.

Anyway, it's Nottingham. In late August. Frankly, I'd be surprised if we get a day of uninterrupted cricket.

I wouldn't mind a draw, meself...

DMC

A draw would help, but a test match in England in September is unchartered water, look at the Champions Trophy last year, no two days are the same.

Flintoff and Peitersen at the crease, and they take the light. England 229/4 at the close.

mike65

Gah! Pity about the last wicket nearly a good days work. Does anyone know why the test schedule is such that the last test is in the Autumn?

Mike.

arbeitsscheuer

Presumably so's they could fit in all those ODI's and the *cough*meaningless*cough* natwest series in earlier in the Summer.

Dunno tbh. Makes no sense to me either.

RuggieBear

mike65 wrote:

Gah! Pity about the last wicket nearly a good days work. Does anyone know why the test schedule is such that the last test is in the Autumn?

Mike.

madness. :mad:

WellyJ

The last three tests are in the autumn actually.

And yes its pretty stupid to be honest.

Thought England were lucky to end the day only 4 down to be honest with some of the chances OZ wasted, two bad drops and Hayden missing that run out too. Tomorrow should be a good days cricket if the rain stays away.

RuggieBear

australians are dropping a lot of catches....very strange.

Royale with Cheese

Ok just want to say that August is NOT in Autumn, sorry but people who think that are one of my pet hates.

Hopefully England will get somewhere near 400 and have a good bowl at the Aussies, like somebody said before a draw suits England fine here so I doubt they'll be pushing all that hard during the test, especially if there are more rain breaks.

WellyJ

"Astronomically, it begins with the autumnal equinox (around 23 September in the Northern hemisphere, and 21 March in the southern hemisphere), and ends with the winter solstice (around 21 December in the Northern hemisphere and 21 June in the Southern hemisphere). However, meteorologists count the entire months of March, April and May in the Southern hemisphere, and September, October and November in the Northern hemisphere as autumn. An exception to these definitions is found in the Irish Calendar which still follows the Celtic cycle, where Autumn is counted as the whole months of August, September and October."

Where do we live

RuggieBear

pieterson is caught behind

DMC

Just to carry on the Seasons debate, I think you will find that February is often a more colder month than November, so for me, its Sept, Oct, Nov for Autumn. Likewise, August is a more settled month than May, so June, July and August are summer. 5 days left

Anyway... 150 partnership between Freddie and GO Jones. 391/5

mike65

Freddie on 99 as I write Warne nearly got him. Anyway 405 for 5 and England in the box seat.

Mike.

DMC

A Flintoff not out 100

mike65

And he's out! Still a great knock.

Mike.

Harry2001

Shame for Jones getting out on 85, classy knock though and should silence his critics from a while at least

450/8 - 500 looking doubtful now

Brian017

477 all out

Skitbra

21/2. Australia in trouble here. Great.

mike65

Ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

The Aussies are turning to dust!

22-3.

Mike.

RuggieBear

22/3

looks like they may need warne to rescue them again