Ashes 2010/11

[peter w]

Stayed up until lunch time and I thought that Trott was very very lucky. Lots of edges and a simple catch put down. maybe I'm being hyper-critical as being a Warwickshire fan I want to see him and Bell succeed whenever they play more than the rest. Hopefully it will give him a bit of confidence.

I'm still worried by our batting though. Our first inning's total over the past year or so is just over 300 which is down on all other team's average by about 60 runs or so. We need to start the next test a lot better and so to get us into a better position with runs on the board should the Aussies crumble under pressure and collapse - which they did a couple of times in 2009. They are under all manner of pressure at home from their media and if we get our noses in front we could well walk away with the series quite comfortably.

[VillaZogmariner]

I don't think I've stopped drinking since Saturday night!

I personally wouldn't have put them in at all, at the time I thought 297 off 41 overs is just a tad too tempting for them and they'd look to put a quickfire 50 odd on and take it from there.

A draw though, after the state we were in after the first innings, is a fantastic result. I expect Adelaide to finish the same, and from there it's looking more and more in our favour.

Oh, and Ricky, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE continue with Johnson, Siddle, Doherty and Hilfenhous as your attack!

[cheltenhamlion]

Johnson was particularly shit

[PaulWinch again]

Well that was a great fightback by us. Superb batting. Highlight of the day was when a bit of needle was going on between Anderson and Watson and Warne asking Michael Holding had ever been like that, and he referenced kicking the stumps out of the ground. Holding said 'put it this way, Aston Villa offered me a contract.'

[beness]

Well that was a great fightback by us. Superb batting. Highlight of the day was when a bit of needle was going on between Anderson and Watson and Warne asking Michael Holding had ever been like that, and he referenced kicking the stumps out of the ground. Holding said 'put it this way, Aston Villa offered me a contract.'

 Think it was something to do with a reference to umpires favouring the West Indies on LBW decisions. I think he said it came up at Edgbaston one year and his reaction had Aston Villa on the phone offering a contract. Think it was Shane Warne who then said, you mean you lost your cool? Holding said the stumps went a long way. It went along them lines anyway. It was early in the morning you know.

[TopDeck113]

Great fight back that will have sent the Aussie selectors back to the drawing board.

[Dave Cooper please]

Oh, and Ricky, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE continue with Johnson, Siddle, Doherty and Hilfenhous as your attack!

Yep.
In this test neither side looked like taking 20 wickets, okay so Siddle got a hat-trick and Finn got a 6-fer but both were chucking pies down a horribly flat pitch most of the time, but I know which attack I'd prefer, Anderson on another day would have wiped through the Aussie lower order, never have I seen such good bowling take no wickets. Broad can, and will, bowl better, and this was a pitch that only Warne might have got spinner wickets on, Swann will get plenty of wickets in this series.

Australia have to win the series to regain the Ashes, at some point they have to prepare match winning pitches, we have the best bowlers and the best top order batsmen.

[TheTimVilla]

I loved this, from cricinfo: Let (Marcus) North come out and publicly target Strauss for the rest of the series; let Mitchell Johnson concentrate on aiming for the pitch.

[KevinGage]

Haven't seen too much of the other chap they've called up but Bollinger has always looked lively anytime I've seen him play. Surprised he didn't make the first test TBH.

They could go for Bollinger in place of the largely ineffective Hilfenhous, still keep Johnson but use him as a strike bowler. With the hope that the others keep it tight enough.

He was dire in the first test but he's the type of bowler who if he gets it right can nail a handful in pretty short time.

If he plays, England should be looking to target him though, get on top of him and create further doubt. They were expecting him to be their go to guy this summer, the bloke who would lead the attack. Smashing him out of it altogether would make the Aussie public and media turn against their side even more than they have done at present.

[Bosco81]

Bollinger played for Worcester a few years ago and was absolutley garbage, he got picked for the Aussies not long after getting back home.

[OzVilla]

Tbf, Bollinger has improved a lot over the last 18 months but whether he's improved enough to spearhead their attack (now that Johnson looks a doubt) i'm not so sure.  Less zip than Siddle but does a bit with the ball.  Like the others (and Engalnds bowlers though) he'll get stuck on flat tracks.

Personally, If I were them I'd probably still stick with Johnson for one more Test and see how he goes, swap Bollinger for Hilfenhaus and go from there.  If they did drop Johnson their tail becomes alot longer in the batting stakes also.  There's a chap called Harris whose a good bolwer who is in form but untried at this level - bats a bit too.  McDonald is still injured or else I think they might have gone for him. Doherty is also a worry for them as his record is very ordinary. 

Aussie press has been hammering them which is good to see.

England - as you were.

[VillaZogmariner]

From what has been said by Ponting in the press over here I think they will be going with Harris, probably over Johnson.

[taylorsworkrate]

Wonder if they might leave a bit of life in the pitch,

At some point they have to produce a pitch that makes a result probable.

Trouble for Australia is if it's seamer friendly, then a bowler like Anderson could have a field day.  If it's spin friendly then it would be a no contest in our favour.  They simply do not have a test quality spinner.

Your move Australia.

[Bosco81]

I hope they stick with Johnson, I've got a tenner at 5/2 on him being the Aussies top wicket taker in the series.

[Warren Aspinall]

I hope they stick with Johnson, I've got a tenner at 5/2 on him being the Aussies top wicket taker in the series.

You'll probably get longer odds for that now.

Personally I think the outcome to this series is down to England from here, if we play well we win.