This reminds me of the Second Test at Edgbaston four years ago when we took the game to the Aussies and scored 400+ in the first innings. And we went on to win that game

435 all out. Very good first session for England though shame Swann didn't get a 50. Great to see England's tail can score runs these days though.

Phil Hughes 13 after 2 overs


fuckin little aussie twat

if monty had managed 6 more if would have been the first time ever, every england batsmen got double figures, 435 is a good score, now we need a couple of quick wickets from swanny, and this test will be firmly in out hands

Bowling to him was poor, too many balls wide of off stump to him, Broad nearly had him first ball mind

Freddie looks fired up - this what the game (and England) needs

Australia 54-0.

Get in Freddie

Freddie
His duel with Hughes could be the highlight of the summer

63-1.

He needs a pint in both hands

would have to be a fecking big pint!!!

I reckon he'd down it as well

Aussies 127-1.

We need a wicket.

Make that 137-1.

Been close a few times, still nip and tuck, canny match

just said elsewhere, thought ponting has looked excellent and after being penned down by swann early on Katich has stuck in and got a 50


well played to them tbf

Aye, I'd let Flintoff have a crack at him after Tea, Broad has been poor for me, couple of four balls every over. Monty looks to be getting a decent amount of turn and bounce now as well

think id be goign with 6/7 overs of freddy straight after tea and probably Swann

Katich looks like he is there to bat for a couple of days, in no rush, Ponting is who we need out

Aye Ponting looks in good touch

Both Ponting and Katich hit centuries. Aussies 249-1 now.

Good match, both sides still well in the game, the convicts slightly ahead on points

not a great day it has to be said

As I said yesterday, this has Draw written all over it.

Hopefully the ball will do a bit more tomorrow so we can limit their run rate and get a few wickets. The forecast is dreadful for Saturday and I think play will start late on Sunday.

We can take a lot of posiitives from the last 2 days. Lets see if the Lords wicket will produce a result.

Of course, if they make 600 by tea tomorrow then put us in to bat, we will be praying that the rain doesn't stop

As I said, the Aussies know how to play test cricket.

436 is a decent score after yesterdays finish, but this is a wicket that should be getting nearer 600.

Pitch had a bit more in it today, good bit of turn for the spinners and it's breaking up a lot so should be a good last day or 2 on it.

The Aussies will probably bat all day tomorrow and declare with a few overs to go and try to get one of the openers.

Looks like the weather will make this one a draw, but it is a problem that a lot of the pitches will be very flat this summer and the Australians know how to play test cricket on those wickets.

Well I thought Katich and Ponting batted excellent, but our bowling was poor throughout. Broad just didn't look threatening and bowled too many four balls and the spin didn't trouble the batsmen, who would normally find the middle of the bat.

This match has draw written all over it sadly, unless one of the teams can spark a collapse. It's normally England's job to collapse...

Looks like it, although if they do end up finishing slightly ahead (around 450-470), that could work in our favour if the pitch turns in favour of the bowlers, we could easily get us a lead of at least 200-250.

But if like you say the Aussies go on to get 600+, pray the rain does'nt stop otherwise we'll be staring at an innings defeat.

well, i not so sure about hoping on the weather, the aussies have got us by our balls and if we keep bowling the way we have been, its gonna be a long day out there today, they wont retire, they will bat through all day, once the total starts getting to 650-700 runs they might declare but id doubt it, long as they leave a day and a half to bowl us out, there is no need for them to declare

Agree that 436 is a decent score but the comment on a 600 wicket flies in the face of all the pundits who have been out on the pitch. Unfortunately the ball was swinging all day for the aussies but never swung an inch for our bowlers yesterday. Combination of 2 possible reasons for me 1. Bothams theory of a duff ball as he said "sometimes they just won't swing" 2. Anderson and Broad trying to bowl too fast, both were over 90 with average in the high 80's this has two key effects, firstly ball much more likely to swing in the mid 80's and secondly accuracy goes to cock which was what let Hughs get off to a flyer. And to be fair although the spinners radar was also off there were several occasions where both Ponting and Katitch could have gone LBW on another day.

First hour this morning is crucial - especially after the new ball, let's hope we get a good one this time, and Anderson/Broad sacrifice a bit of pace for more accuracy and hopefully some swing

if they aint "sure" how to get the ball swinging, they should watch a Sir Richard Hadlee video for an hour or so.

Ponting is a fantastic player on and around leg stump, put it there and he will punish you

On too many occassions we bowled to both Ponting and Hughs strengths, Katty just ground out a really good workmanlike innings.

Agree on Sir Richard though fucking awesome bowler!

The Australians are showing our batsmen what patience, concentration, gritty determination and hard work will get out of a pitch.


too many of our batsmen got in and got out to unnecessary shots, they must be looking at those two and going

Who except Cook, KP, and Anderson would you say went to unnecessary shots? To be fair Ponting could easily have holed out with 3 awful slog sweeps, and Katty with two or three pull shots that fell just short of a fielder. Hughs could have been out first ball and also could have holed out with a couple of poor shots.

Agree that KP plays some stupid shots, however when they come off it's lauded as brilliant and audacious. Got to take the rough with the smooth. If KP's sweep didn't hit his lid it would have been safe, flintoff dragging on to one that stayed lower than it should have done, Broad gets hit on the thigh pad by one that was going down leg side and it somehow drags itself round to hit off stump

well theres three for starters


you know what i mean

Aye but my point is when they come off nobody comments about them, and had we had a bit of luck we could have been talking about Aussies in just the same way.

Funny owld game test cricket, I love it

As Fletch points out, batting on this track is all about patience, as Katich and Ponting proved so brilliantly last evening. It was immensely frustrating for England, but only because they should have played with similar circumspection.



thats what i meant

Good point tightly argued, your still wrang mind

Reet, off to switch 401 on and crack open a few cold ones for the morning session, back later

Looks like the pitch is starting to go

Monty bowling pretty well, Swann overpitching again

4 edges so far this morning, none going to hand though

Katty bowled Anderson, inswinging Yorker

EDIT: missed out LBW in my excitement

Fekin pie chuckers....our bowling attack really is shite

Not any more....

Hussey Edges Aderson to Prior

crackin spell from anderson and freddie



get stuck into the fuckers

Gan on MONTY

Anderson takes about 3mph off his spped and the ball swings both ways, gets up to 89 again and it goes straight.

Freddie deserves a wicket as well

as said before


here we have a problem


RT Ponting notout 150

fuckin get in