Ashes - England v Australia - 2009

[Notebook]

Hope he made a good choice, its getting overcast and windy here in London.
Thats lunch, 57-0.

N.

 

[tblaxland]

I'm not much of an expert on UK weather, but looking at the Met Office data there is a front coming in from the SW but it looks pretty weak, and weakening. Shouldn't cause much more than a bit of increased cloud by my reckoning (although I'm here doing a rain dance for all I'm worth ).

 

[Notebook]

Yes, about 90% cloud cover here, still dry though. Might gat some rain tommorow.

N.

 

[tblaxland]

Oh goody, we got Cook out on his first ball after lunch! FoW 61/1.

 

[Notebook]

RAIN STOPS PLAY Eng 311-6 Scratch that - it's now raining quite heavily, and the umpires lead the jog to the pavilion. Great session from England - if that is it for the day, they lead by 521 with two full (albeit probably rain-affected) days to go.

N.

---------- Post added 19-07-09 at 10:55 ---------- Previous post was 18-07-09 at 18:36 ----------

1051: Breaking news - England have declared. Australia have two days to score 522 to win.
N.

---------- Post added at 19:04 ---------- Previous post was at 10:55 ----------

AUSTRALIA SECOND INNINGS

1839: Play isn't officially over for the day - they're waiting until 7pm - but I'd be staggered if we get any more. I've been staggered before, mind.

BAD LIGHT STOPS PLAY Almost as much as a relief for England as for Australia, to be honest - this match feels like it's not far off evenly poised now. 125 to Clarke, 80 to Haddin, a partnership of 185 - and we'll come back on Monday with the Aussies needing 209 to win with five wickets left. Gulp...

I don't know if the BBC tx goes outside the UK, but if any one is interested this is usually a live feed:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/8157281.stm

N.

 

[Arrowstar]

Cricket has to be the only sport I can think of that spans multiple days per match and where the scores reach up into the multi-hundred values.

 

[Notebook]

Indeed, and often its a draw!

N.

 

[tblaxland]

Gulp...

I'm not quite sure who you are gulping for there. If Australia win this I'll [insert inappropriate action here]. I can get $1.45 at the TAB for England - I think that is pretty good money given that it does not look like there is any rain on the way.

 

[Notebook]

Not my gulps, I just copied the last comments from the BBC page. Saves me having to think...

Good weather at the mo, nice blue skies, bit of alto-cirrus, and Heathrow is throwing them out like its shelling peas. Must be fleeing our swine-flu.

Hope its a good one.

N.

---------- Post added at 18:51 ---------- Previous post was at 08:07 ----------

Gone quiet again.....

Flintoff inspires England victory


Second Ashes Test, Lord's (day five):
England 425 & 311-6 dec beat Australia 215 & 406

N.

 

[tblaxland]

Gone quiet again.....

I've been sleeping, I figured a loss wasn't worth staying up for

Congrats on the win.

 

[Notebook]

That was a good five days, looks like Flintoff is going out with a bang.

Thats it for a week and a bit, bet there's more surprises coming up.

N.

 

[tblaxland]

It looks like Edgbaston will be wet and slow. I'm not expecting a result here since I think the bowlers will struggle to find either the wicket or the time to take 20 scalps. The weather looks like it will clear in time to get some play in on the first day.

Cricinfo stats analysis: http://www.cricinfo.com/engvaus2009/content/current/story/416754.html

---------- Post added at 16:20 ---------- Previous post was at 10:51 ----------

Weather's looking grim: http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/hourbyhour/UKXX0018

---------- Post added at 18:02 ---------- Previous post was at 16:20 ----------

I just got an email from my uncle. He describes: "Birmingham is wetter than an Incontinence Conference..."

 

[Notebook]

England endured a frustrating first day of the third Ashes Test, seeing two sessions of play lost because of a wet outfield - and then watching Australia hit 126-1 in the 30 overs that were available late in the day.
Shane Watson, making his Ashes debut and opening in a Test match for the first time, replaced the out-of-form opener Phillip Hughes and hit a fine unbeaten 62, with Simon Katich the only man out. He fell lbw in Graeme Swann's first over for a rapid 46.

 

[Notebook]

Play was abandoned without a ball being bowled on day three of the third Ashes Test between England and Australia at Edgbaston because of persistent rain. Umpires Rudi Koertzen and Aleem made the decision after an inspection at 1430 BST by which time huge puddles had formed on the outfield.
England will try and resume on 116-2, 147 runs behind, on Sunday although the forecast is again for rain.

---------- Post added 02-08-09 at 11:10 ---------- Previous post was 01-08-09 at 15:05 ----------

Play starts at midday.

N.

---------- Post added at 13:06 ---------- Previous post was at 11:10 ----------

Lunch:

1302: WICKET Collingwood c Ponting b Hilfenhaus 13, Eng 159-4
Dreadful shot two balls before lunch - wide, swinging, and Colly has a slash - edged straight to second slip. They'll take lunch there, and it's been Australia's amended session - England still 104 runs behind...

1232: WICKET Strauss c Manou b Hilfenhaus 69, Eng 141-3
Short, fast - pings off the shoulder of Strauss's bat, and that's a straightforward snag behind the timbers. The skipper's gone.

---------- Post added at 17:44 ---------- Previous post was at 13:06 ----------

1724: WICKET Broad c & b Siddle 55, Eng 376 all out
Broad tries to dish out a similar punishment to Siddle but doesn't quite hit the sweet spot and the Aussie quick takes the return catch above his head. Tommy F's back in the chair now, so it must be wicket o'clock.

---------- Post added at 18:41 ---------- Previous post was at 17:44 ----------

1836: WICKET Ponting b Swann 5, Aus 52-2
AAARRGGHHHH!


N.

---------- Post added at 19:43 ---------- Previous post was at 18:41 ----------

1930: CLOSE Aus 88-2
Watson on strike. Anderson angles two in - defended with straight blade; big in-dipper pushed nervously to mid-on. Lifter over the top of Watson's lid; away-dipper that beats the batsman and then a full bunger that raises Watson's ire. Smashing day again, and we'll go to the final day with all sorts of possibilities. Australia are 25 behind with eight wickets in hand. It's beautifully poised...

 

[tblaxland]

It's beautifully poised...

Maybe for England :dry:. England have a chance of a win here and Australia's aim for today will be to try to bat through at least two sessions, or less if the rain keeps coming. Its doable, and it will be an important psychological victory for Australia if they can pull it off.

 

[Notebook]

Looking forward to it, the weather looks good, well, reasonable.
Three thousand tickets left at Edgbaston, if anyone can make it, only £25. Might be worth it...

N.

---------- Post added at 19:19 ---------- Previous post was at 08:31 ----------

England were forced to settle for a draw at the rain-hit Edgbaston Test and will move on to Headingley on Friday with a 1-0 lead.

Third Ashes Test, Edgbaston (day five):
England 376 drew with Australia 263 & 375-5


N.

 

[tblaxland]

Did you get there?

A positive outcome in the end for Australia, I think, and it will give them confidence going into Leeds. Perhaps we will be looking at a draw series?

 

[Notebook]

No, didnt get there, only chance of this series as well, shame.
Too close to call I'd say(but I would wouldn't I) depends on who's fit as much as anything.
I don't mind it being close, miss-matched teams just gets boring.

N.

 

[Notebook]

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has been ruled out of the fourth Ashes Test at Headingley because of a knee injury. full story to follow.

England (from): Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Matthew Prior (wk), Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Graham Onions, Stephen Harmison, Ryan Sidebottom, Jonathan Trott
Australia (from): Ricky Ponting (capt), Shane Watson, Simon Katich, Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke, Marcus North, Graham Manou (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, Phillip Hughes, Brad Haddin (wk), Andrew McDonald, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark

Shame, hope he makes the last one.

N.

 

[tblaxland]

Shame, hope he makes the last one.

Yes, it would be nice for English fans and Flintoff, alike. I'm really looking forward to this test so I might have a late night ahead of me.

---------- Post added at 19:50 ---------- Previous post was at 18:35 ----------

A good start for you chaps thus far: England won the toss and decided to bat.

---------- Post added at 20:23 ---------- Previous post was at 19:50 ----------

Oh yeah! Siddle strikes early: Fall of wicket: 11/1 (3.6 ov); Partnership: 11 runs, 4.0 overs, RR: 2.75 (Strauss 3, Cook 5)

---------- Post added at 20:49 ---------- Previous post was at 20:23 ----------

And it gets better: Fall of wicket: 16/2 (6.4 ov); Partnership: 5 runs, 2.4 overs, RR: 1.87 (Bopara 1, Cook 4)