The Ashes 2010/2011

[Monkey Nuts]

Well it was easy in the end!! An innings victory as predicted!!!

Superb from England. From the very first over of the match we had the Aussies on the back foot and never, ever let up the pressure.

Shame about Broad, but we have back up bowlers to do the job for the rest of the tour.

So Juniortubed - how are Aussies gonna win a match for your 3-1 prediction to work?? They could bowl from now until Xmas and not get 20 wickets the way they're going

[moidoid]

Hmmm, Monkey, you appear to be psychic.

What a huge victory and utterly dispiriting for the Aussies. I don't see them coming back from this.

[Juniortubed]

Woah let's be careful, would everyone please touch wood when they make Ashes related comments!

If I were Andrew Strauss I would be trying to keep as grounded as possible and just be trying to keep my team going at this pace.

But take heed, our opposition is Australia....in Australia....and we are England.

No one wants an England victory more than I, and I generally think we really have the Aussies on the back foot here, this test series does feel different to others as England just look so dominant......I just can't help feeling that's exactly what Australia thought after Lords 05....

[Simon-JG-hr]

What I really like about this England team is that, (a) they were totally dominant display in Adelaide (in every single aspect of the game, and pretty much every session of the game), and (b) aside from that, they managed to pull a draw out of the bag at the Gabba. That was a game which England had no right whatsoever to draw, but the reslove was unbelievable. There were certainly shades of the last wicket stand in Cardiff in that defensive manoeuvre. It's not just a team that can win, it now appears to be a team which can draw when the odds are stacked hugely in favour of a sizeable loss.

That's not to say that this will be a walkover, I don't want to know what the wounded Aussies will be like in Perth, but they have lost Katich and have no top drawer opener to replace him.

[nicwing]

I hear on Her Majesties BBC that the former slimmer of the year, follicularly challenged tweaker of the crimson rambler Shane Warne is threatening to come out of retirement to save the dirty diggers.

Should be a giggle seeing him fielding in the deep!!!

[Monkey Nuts]

I think it's time to bring this thread up again!!

Another good nights work from England in the field to get the Aussies out for 268, and a nice start at 29-0. I managed to watch the first few hours play and I thought Tremlett was very impressive, but the rest didn't actually bowl as well as they have previously in this series, but we still picked up wickets pretty regularly.

The wicket looks pretty decent, so hopefully the batsmen will carry on where they left off from the last two innings and get us a good 1st innings lead.

[Simon-JG-hr]

Listened to parts of the match on TMS in bed, got up to watch Strauss and Cook open up. Boy does Strauss look out of touch... Cook's looking like a truly class act though - as you would if your series average was around 235...

This should be winnable - but let's hope the batting line up can do another job on the Aussie attack. Wouldn't want to waste this opportunity. Still a lot of cricket to come, obviously, but let's be optimistic.

[Juniortubed]

All I can say is that in my prediction the Aussies were supposed to win one.....so far I am correct!

[moidoid]

The Ashes feel a lot safer after that performance today.
All that hand-wringing over the last few days for no good reason...we're just better than the Aussies!!!

[Aussiewaz]

[moidoid]

Tom Fordyce | 09:42 UK time, Sunday, 26 December 2010


Melbourne, Victoria
First the good news for Australia: Michael Clarke, struggling all series, was his side's top scorer. Phillip Hughes, under enormous pressure, was just four runs back. Graeme Swann failed to take a single wicket.


- Sorry Warren but we're going to be enjoying this one for a while!

[Aussiewaz]

Tom Fordyce | 09:42 UK time, Sunday, 26 December 2010


Melbourne, Victoria
First the good news for Australia: Michael Clarke, struggling all series, was his side's top scorer. Phillip Hughes, under enormous pressure, was just four runs back. Graeme Swann failed to take a single wicket.


- Sorry Warren but we're going to be enjoying this one for a while!

LOL. Go for your life mate & enjoy it. The Aussies have been at the top too long and need to be taken down a peg to make them earn their money for once.

[Juniortubed]

I'm sorry but the Australians have been their own downfall in this test, bowling short and wide on the cut consistently to left handers? Did they expect them to tickle it?!

[Aussiewaz]

I'm sorry but the Australians have been their own downfall in this test, bowling short and wide on the cut consistently to left handers? Did they expect them to tickle it?!

Indeed. Ricky Ponting has been pressured to resign. Time will tell if his ego gives way. After his rant at the umpire today I'm ashamed of him.

[Simon-JG-hr]

Well, I think that calls for a cigar, another innings victory and retaining the Ashes for the first time in 24 year.

As for Ponting, I wouldn't be surprised if he resigns after this game - the pressure is clearly getting to him and his game is suffering as a result. Hopefully he won't be remembered for the dire finale to his captaincy (not just this series), as his record is one to be justifiably proud of (though a few years with Warne and McGrath in your bowling line-up certainly helps to bolster the numbers...)