The Convicts Return

[philipl]

The Australians took the light twice when offered.

Presumably the light was a factor in the extremely dramatic Australian collapse today- five wickets going down for ten runs I think.

Very likely that there will be no further play today.

[Manchester Blue]

I find it amazing that anyone can seriously expect them to play when they don't need to and the light is obviously bad. People can call them soft all they want but if the light was ok the umpires wouldn't offer it. Of course it's frustrating for the Aussies but it's the same for both teams. We would have loved to have carried on all night at Old Trafford but rules are rules.

[Tris]

It is actually very dark here in London - almost pitch black in fact.

Can't even see accross the road.

Shame. In fact now it's raining too.

Should probably abandon the match right now and take the convicts straight to Heathrow for the evening flight home.

[Manchester Blue]

Back out in 5 minutes

[Timmy]

oh the joy of bad light

[Blueboy Downunder]

manchester blue - mate, if the aussies had of played better in this series or if they was even winning the series at this point then they or any other australian fan would not be complaining one little bit. i have noticed that what they (the aussies) have been doing since it has looked like the ashes is slipping away with every passing minute...is that it seems they are complaining about anything and everything and trying to pass the buck at every opportunity and they can take their captain as a prime example...

come on england, ###### do em!!!!

[grizfoot]

It's kind of a bad thing it's gone to last day. Cause i'm gonna miss it now

[Flopsy]

not long till the winter tour.

Is it Pakistan first before Christmas and then India after Christmas or vica verca?

[den]

England should win it now. Whatever the result though, the lads have had the measure of this Australian side from the second test onwards.

England have bowled better and batted better. The signs for the Aussie selectors are worrying. Unless there's some talent back in Oz that's ready to be unleashed, this side isn't going to improve beyond what they are now.

This series isn't a fluke result. The chances are, that given another series, England would come out tops again.

[grizfoot]

Anyone see the Aussies when they came back on after bad light. All wearing sunglasses

[Manchester Blue]

John Buchanan summed it up to me when interviewed. He was asked if they regretted coming off for bad light. He said he didn't feel they had suffered to much because of that but had lost it today with their batting. He did pay credit to the bowling of England. With today being overcast it was clear the Aussies needed to build a lead to put pressure on England for tomorrow. Thanks to some great bowling they were not able to do that. Still a bit nervous for tomorrow but think we have enough batting to hang around long enough to put the game beyond the Aussies.

[Manchester Blue]

Great news that Lancs got promotion back to the 1st division of the County Chamionship today as well.

[neekoy]

Well I guess it is time to concede the Ashes are on their way to England

Well played England, through excellent bowling, Flintoff, luck and umpire decisions going your way you have deserved your series win.

They really have proved they are a good team on their own soil and I will be the first to admit it

See you in 2 years, we can't wait

Now back to the footy for me

[Neil Weaver]

Well I guess it is time to concede the Ashes are on their way to England

Well played England, through excellent bowling, Flintoff, luck and umpire decisions going your way you have deserved your series win.

They really have proved they are a good team on their own soil and I will be the first to admit it

See you in 2 years, we can't wait

Now back to the footy for me

346230[/snapback]

Odds at the time of writing :

Aus 7/1

Draw 1/10

Eng 14/1

Yep it should be a draw, but there's going to be pretty much a full day's play today (Mon) so I really don't think Aus are totally out of this. If we don't bat until about tea, the cons have a decent chance. Got to be worth a fiver at 7/1.

Neekoy, glad to see you've finally seen the light , those umpire's decisions have pretty much evened themselves out you know - Collingwood, Langer in the first innings of this one for example.

[neekoy]

The Aussies are out of it, don't waste your five quid

In THIS circumstance they have themselves to blame, they had a perfect opportunity to make some runs and put England under the pump on the last day, they failed and England win the Ashes.

Now for some changes starting with Buchanan out and Marsh in

The most dissapointing player in this series has been Clarke for me, he has been totally unreliable in pressure situations. I tipped him to be a success story at the start of the series but he has failed miserably.

We are going to have to agree to disagree about the 'evening out' of decisions, yes they have probably 'evened out' for this test and the result will show that. As far as the rest go it is all history now anyway

[Korean John]

Well I guess it is time to concede the Ashes are on their way to England

Well played England, through excellent bowling, Flintoff, luck and umpire decisions going your way you have deserved your series win.

They really have proved they are a good team on their own soil and I will be the first to admit it

See you in 2 years, we can't wait

Now back to the footy for me

346230[/snapback]

You couldn't quite do it, could you Neekoy? Decent attempt though, maybe you'll get better as you have more practice.

As for being the first to admit that England are a good team, you're hardly the first , many Australians have been saying so for a while now - usually with more and wit than your good self

[Scotty]

No matter what the Neekoy numpty says it's not quite over yet. England still have to bat until around tea tomorrow to make the game totally safe - assuming the weather doesn't intervene again. Warne, Lee and McGrath will be giving it one last effort and it won't be easy for England.

However, all the momentum in this test has now switched in England's favour thanks to a blistering bowling spell by Flintoff and Hoggard. Ok, they had conditions to suit, but they still had to put the ball in the right areas and they did it superbly. The Aussies had the chance to put England under pressure but, yet again, they weren't up to it.

England deserve to win the Ashes, they've been far and away the better team in the series, and now they've just got to perform for one more day to do it. C'mon boys.

[pg]

Ah, so the only way that England could win the Ashes for the first time in over a decade was not to turn up at all

"Oooh... it's big scarey Michael Clarke sending left-arm spin whizzing past my ankles at 10 mph!! Oooh er.... I'm scared!!!!"

[neekoy]

Jeezaloo, I even get a bagging for praising your momentous occasion.

I said well done England, they have taken advantage of everything that has come their way through the series.

I never said I was the first to admit it, I have admitted (which I refused to do previously) that they are a good team on their own soil against an out of form Australian team.

Scotty, they are over. The numpty comment needs to shoot straight back at you if you think otherwise.

[Manchester Blue]

Ah, so the only way that England could win the Ashes for the first time in over a decade was not to turn up at all 

"Oooh... it's big scarey Michael Clarke sending left-arm spin whizzing past my ankles at 10 mph!!  Oooh er.... I'm scared!!!!" 

346255[/snapback]

As the umpires confirmed it's not a case of being dangerous simply unfair. Why should England bat in conditions like that when today will be clear. You seem to forget the world's best bowler at the other end PG. Hard enough to play in normal circumstances but in murky conditions just impossible. It doesn't have to be dangerous simply not good enough light play properly. Marsh even came out and admitted that they were not conditions for playing test cricket in.

[philipl]

If ever there was a vindication of coming off for bad light, it was Australia's batting yesterday. Would they have lost eight wickets for less than 100 had it been bright sunlight yesterday having got to 260 odd for 2? There was great bowling granted but it is still a batting paradise.

So much so, I would take Neekoy's concession even though it is premature.

However, a certain Shane Warne will keep all of us on the edge of our seats in an extremely tense, nervous and competitive final day. Warne will take at least five wickets today- get your money on it.

If England are about 220 all out late in the afternoon session. We are in for some of the most exciting cricket in history in the gloom this evening.

Just hope there is no rain and we get a full day.

[pg]

As the umpires confirmed it's not a case of being dangerous simply unfair.  Why should England bat in conditions like that when today will be clear.  You seem to forget the world's best bowler at the other end PG.  Hard enough to play in normal circumstances but in murky conditions just impossible.  It doesn't have to be dangerous simply not good enough light play properly.  Marsh even came out and admitted that they were not conditions for playing test cricket in.

346269[/snapback]

Steady on Manchester Blue - was just having a nice fish

After all, why should Chesh and Jim have all the fun

phillipl - relax. You've won. There will be no miracle come-from-behind Lazarus-esque Aussie resurgence. I reconciled myself that fact a month ago.

England have won the Ashes - congratulations

Now all you have to do is to beat Pakistan away, win you next home series, and then retain the Ashes in Australia in '06-'07 to be crowned as World Champions.

The last test has been a bit of a let down, and the weather has become too much of an influence lately. That, along with Gilchrist's form with the bat, have been my only gripes from what has otherwise been a fantastic and memorable series.

Best ever?!? Dunno about that. Australia in India in 2001 was pretty amazing as well.

[Flopsy]

Yeah its about time Warne did something this series, hes been useless so far.

What Austrailia need is for Lee and McGrath to bowl as well as they can (Warnes a given)

What England need to do is to CONCENTRATE and defend the good balls and punish teh bad ones - no airy fairy wafts from Messers Vaughan and Pieterson please.

Also its about time Bell and Pieterson actually proved that they are worthy of a test place and get some good scores, we know they can, do they?

[pg]

What England need to do is to CONCENTRATE and defend the good balls and punish teh bad ones - no airy fairy wafts from Messers Vaughan and Pieterson please.

346286[/snapback]

AKA 'not choking'

Don't worry - your guys are getting better at it!

What is the current forecast for today?

[Flopsy]

Full days play - probably stopping about 6ish due to bad light, although there should be an extra half hour for the weather delays and an extra half hour if the bowling captain believes that he can bowl the batting team out and win the game

So I think its a 7 o'clock finish if Austrailia are batting and need another 60 runs to win and have 2 wickets left

So 6.30 finish at the latest then