I'm only 45 miles west of ya & i can understand 'em


But then i am an Englishman


Totally agree with you there Jon.It would be good to come away with the win if possible.Just wonder though if England mist a trick sending Harmison back to Notts.He had a rather good day,he took 6-20 today.


yours wecrookie

He's in form but then so is Onions - in fact I heard his county stats are the best for any bowler available to England. Harmy's a more immediately aggressive and dangerous bowler though, he'd maybe have got a wicket or two in the slow afternoon session.
The interesting thing is, I'm not sure they'd have wanted to take any more wickets. The pundits at end of play were saying that England would be quite happy not to have got Aus all out as things stand. This way - in theory at least - they get to bowl at the tail end of the Australian team tomorrow morning and get some idea of what the conditions are like for bowling and make a decision about whether to make Aus follow on or not. if they'd had better bowling and skittled Aus out by say 6PM tonight, the English openers would have had to go out in fading light on a bowling-friendly wicket, as we'd possibly have lost a couple of late wickets and handing the initiative back to the tourists.

Jon

I can see the sense in that .It's just nice to see the Aussie's suffer

I hope the weathers is cloudy until we roll them over and then we get plenty of sunshine



yours wecrookie

why have we not enforced the follow-on? CRAZY

Presumably, given the slight trouble they had getting the tail out, they decided it's more of a batter's wicket than it was yesterday. The theory presumably is this way they get to make some runs on a wicket that's not entirely knackered and then get to bowl at the Aussies when it's finally shot. Bat until maybe just past tea, get a lead up above 400 so they effectively can't lose, then have a day and a bit to have a go at the Aussie batters to see if they can get them out. The question fundamentally comes down to this : do you want to bowl on the last day or bat on the last day? It's generally considered better to be bowling rather than chasing a big target.

However, it's generally also thought that enforcing the follow on is the more aggressive move; the Australian commentator on TMS (Greg Chappel?) put it this way - 'If you've got your foot on someone's throat, why would you take it off?' It doesn't really matter much if the wicket is deteriorating if you've only got a total of say 150 to chase.

So overall it's not a clear decision either way. There's method in both approaches and I'm sure Strauss will get get slaughtered for deciding this way if they don't win. I'm sure if he'd decided the other way and they didn't win, he'd get slaughtered then too .

Jon

'Old on, I've just realised this is only day three .

That makes it more the right decision. Bat for a good day or so, build a lead nearer to 500 and have a day and a half to get at the Aussies. if they'd enforced the follow on they'd have had a long time to bat on the rough end of the wicket, which is a more risky proposition.


Jon

England made it to a lead of 521 (score of 311 for 6 with Prior not out on 61) by the end of play yesterday and declared before the start of play today. That means we have two days remaining and both side's objectives are clear

England - bowl the Australians out for less than 521 runs
Australia - score 522 runs

if time runs out before either side has reached their goal the game will be a draw. Which would probably be as big a moral victory for Australia as the result at Glamorgan was the England.

I have a feeling the highest ever 4th innings total in test cricket is significantly less than 500 (googles) . Ooh actually I'm wrong. The highest 4th innings score is 652(!) by England(!) in 1939 (oh). The highest 4th innings score in what you'd describe as 'the modern era' is 451 by NZ against England in 2002 and they went on to lose the game anyway - ouch.

And it's already 34-2 with both Aussie openers out! Hughes really is having a nightmare tour so far. Ponting and Hussey are at bat, and how long these two last is probably the key to whether England will win the test or not.

Jon

Ponting is definitely the key here. If he goes, the Aussies haven't got a prayer.

When it was first announced that Strauss hadn't enforced the follow on I thought he had gone barmy, but it does seem to be the right choice.

Well Ponting has gone for 38


So it's all over now is it jon



yours wecrookie

Well as much as an England fan can be, I'm pretty confident.

Well, you know, counting chickens and all that. it could rain for the next day and half. However, I think that pretty much kills any thoughts Australia might have had of winning the game - it's now a question of whether they can hold out for a draw.

Whoo, Hussey's gone as well, good catch at slip off Swann. The Aussies are actually in serious trouble here.


Jon

Blimey, what a couple of days. Great Saturday (although I would have liked our batting to have been a bit better). Sunday morning was an absolute beauty. Then, a very difficult afternoon. I haven't been to Lord's since 1991, so I can hardly remember what it was like then. However, I'm not sure it was that great a venue. The atmosphere really wasn't that great to be honest. Not much banter, no fancy dress or banners allowed in, etc.

Haddin's Gone!!!

Awesome start from Fred.

freddies the man, frigging fantastic bowling 90mph+ pin point accuracy

Clarke gone. Things definitely looking up, although the tail is definitely capable of wagging.