HAHA TAKE THAT U OZZIES (page 19)

PaulJ

*feeling foolish* and admitting I know nothing about cricket......

Paul of the ashamed class

tijkmo

oh well...ozzies shaved it in the end

but englands openers will not collapse like again this summer

and glen mcgrath will not repeat that bowling spell

(although im not so sure about that last comment)

ozziepost

Magnificent McGrath crushes England's top order 3:09 AM July 22
Australia's world-beating cricketers, led by champion fast bowler Glenn McGrath, have shown why they have dominated the game in recent years by ruthlessly crushing a spirited start by England in the first Ashes Test at Lord's in London.
England were cock-a-hoop at 6 without loss at tea having dismissed Australia for 190. But by stumps they had been reduced to 7 for 92 and it could have been worse after McGrath tore through the English top order, taking five wickets to leave the hosts at 5 for 21 in the 17th over.
The first of those was McGrath's 500th in Tests, making him just the fourth bowler in Test history to take 500 wickets behind team-mate Shane Warne (583), Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (539) and the retired West Indian Courtney Walsh (519).
Marcus Trescothick took the honour, albeit unwillingly, when he was caught by Justin Langer in the slips for 4 in the first over after the break. It started a remarkable purple patch for the veteran in which he took 5 for 2 from 31 deliveries.
Later in the same over McGrath sent England's other opener Andrew Strauss on his way, caught at first slip by Shane Warne for 2.
England's captain Michael Vaughan followed soon after, edging a ball which kept low onto his stumps for 3. Ian Bell, a 23-year-old playing in just his fourth Test, did his average of 297 plenty of damage when he also played on for 6.
McGrath took his fifth when a sharp off-cutter bowled Andrew Flintoff for a duck to leave England at 5 for 21.
A year ago his career was in the balance, but on the first day of the most anticipated Ashes series in years, McGrath had crushed England's top order and with it, quite possibly their spirit. He finished the day with 5 for 21 from 13 overs.
Kevin Pietersen and Geraint Jones put together a 58-run stand for the sixth wicket before Brett Lee's pace proved too much for Jones and he was out for 30, caught behind by Adam Gilchrist after trying to dab a short ball into the leg side.
Then Lee struck again, removing Ashley Giles - who had earlier been caught off a Lee no-ball - with the last ball of the day when he trod on his wicket.
"There's probably a little bit of variation in the wicket," McGrath told a news conference. "The guys who hit the deck hard, [Steve] Harmison and [Andrew] Flintoff, I thought they bowled well today.
"I learned a little bit from that. I just tried to hit the deck on a good length. Once I found it what suited for me was a slightly fuller length.
"It probably came down the slope a lot more today than the other times I have bowled here. I just tried to keep the ball in the right area."
Harmison said short-pitched bowling had been part of the team's strategy to force the Australia batsmen on to the back foot.
"I bowl to get people out, not to hurt them," he said. "You don't bowl Australia out for 190 if you don't bowl well."
Harmison also paid tribute to McGrath's performance. "He bowled a little fuller than we did," Harmison said.
Devastating start
Earlier, the red-hot English pace attack, led by the menacing Steve Harmison, left the Australian batting in tatters.
Harmison bowled a vicious opening spell, his sustained pace proving too much for the Australian top order. He struck Langer above the elbow with just the second ball of the match and went on to hit both Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting in the head, in Ponting's case opening up a cut on his cheekbone.
The tall fast man took just one wicket in that seven-over spell, but came back with four late wickets in his second salvo to finish with 5 for 43 in 11.2 overs.
The tourists went to lunch at 5 for 97 with Harmison, Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff each taking a wicket and Simon Jones chipping in with two.
No Australian batsman was able to dominate, although Langer played some punishing shots in making his way to 40 - Australia's top score.
Warne (28) and Adam Gilchrist (26) played typically defiant and swashbuckling innings while Simon Katich grafted comfortably to 27 before being dismissed trying to lift the tempo as he ran out of partners.
In an amazing first hour there was blood on the pitch, a dropped catch, some sumptuous shots, plenty of frighteningly quick bowling and a measure of guile from the English attack.
Harmison had hit both Australian openers before the first wicket fell.
Hoggard began the rot for the Australians, hitting Hayden's off stump with a beautifully pitched in-swinger to the left hander which passed between bat and pad as Hayden, who was out for 12, attempted to drive.
Ponting's innings was short but eventful. He was dropped off just the second ball he faced, a very takeable chance grassed by Pietersen in the gully - one of two the Test debutant dropped.
Ponting then perhaps foolishly tried to hook Harmison, but got nowhere near the ball and paid for his error.
Australian physio Errol Alcott took some time to stem the blood flow which was probably just as well, given the time it took to repair Ponting's helmet after the ball burst between the helmet proper and the grill.
Repairs to both face and helmet complete, Ponting carried on but it was clear he required some repairs to his psyche as he looked anything but comfortable, especially against Harmison's raw pace.
It was the gangly Durham quick who eventually removed him, Strauss taking a straightforward catch at third slip to dismiss Ponting for 9.
Despite the wicket, Harmison was rested after his seven over spell, bringing Flintoff to the bowling crease. He struck in his first over, Langer skying an attempted pull shot which was caught by Harmison at square leg.
At the other end Jones replaced Hoggard and he struck with his first ball, Damien Martyn edging the ball behind to Geraint Jones for 2.
Michael Clarke and Katich tried to steady things, but Clarke was out shortly before lunch, lbw to Jones for 11.
The shellshocked world champions went to the break at 5 for 97 but Katich and Gilchrist added 29 runs at the start of the second session before Flintoff had Gilchrist caught behind.
The Australian wicketkeeper plays with his own technique - as unusual as it is devastating - but on this occasion it let him down as he drove at a ball wide of the off stump and succeeded only in edging through to Geraint Jones.
Warne rode his luck on his way to a run a ball 28 before being bowled around his legs by Harmison.
Katich went in the same over, skying a pull shot, and Harmison then cleaned up Brett Lee, caught behind for 3, and Jason Gillespie, lbw for 1, to end the innings shortly before tea. McGrath finished not out on 10.
Earlier, Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
Australian selectors named Gillespie ahead of Michael Kasprowicz to join McGrath and Lee as part of Australia's three-man pace attack.
Gillespie overcame soreness behind his knees that troubled him at training this week.
Lee's selection ended an 18-month absence from Test cricket, an ankle injury and the impressive form of Kasprowicz having kept him on the sidelines.
England, who announced their team on Wednesday, gave a Test debut to South Africa-born batsman Pietersen who, after making 91 not out and 74 in two one-day internationals against Australia, was included in place of veteran Graham Thorpe.
Pietersen is one of five members of England's XI - Strauss, Bell, Flintoff and Geraint Jones being the others - who are playing in their first Test against Australia.
England have not beaten Australia at Lord's since 1934.Teams
Australia: Ricky Ponting (captain), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Damien Martyn, Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath.
England: Michael Vaughan (captain), Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones, Ashley Giles, Simon Jones, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison.Source: ABC

What was that again?

PopeOfEruke

Ha! I was right again!

CHOKER!!!

Poper!!!!

tijkmo

155 all out

well i wasnt far off eh

still i think under the circumstances england would have taken that this morning

and it is still cloudy

game on

Well.... big advances in English cricket.... looks like they've advanced from the equivilent of an Australian suburban club side up to a level where they might just challenge one of the poorer performing state teams...

This is a good thing for cricket...

LOL!

Max

tijkmo

zagor...so decided to chip in again have we???

420 to win...if i was a betting man i would back england to do it

420 in over 7 sessions at under 60 a session...piece of cake

openers to get double centuries each...and the rest to mop up

ozziepost

Why not?

Max Divergent

420 in over 7 sessions at under 60 a session...piece of cake

For a competant cricket side, sure... so, England... 7 sessions of batting?? Mmmm... that's 2 & 1/3 days.... last time they batted for a bit over 2 & 1/3 hours....

Mmmm... so far so good for a fine contest.... nothing like two evenly matched teams... yeaah....

What's the world record for the 4th innings for a win? 407? England need... what 420??? Ok... well.... they've gotten to 27 now... very good...

Well... let us hope they get to bat for that two and a bit days... let's have a cliffhanger...

Cheers, Max

HAHA TAKE THAT U OZZIES

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