Here we go again - 2nd test
Day one to the English team of invalids! Magnificent innings by Vaughn (If you ask a fielder if he caught it and he says yes - you walk, a shrug of the shoulders means I don't know! so you wait for the unpires decision - He was quite right to stand his ground as the catch wasn't clear cut - Nasser Hussein was walking on the faintest of edges to the Keeper (No doubt in my mind because of the Keepers reaction - "Its still in the gloves! AND HE HIT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Round one to the English Batsmen but having 4 No11's looks ominous.
450 looks a good score and considering a side batting first haven't lost the game since the 1960's on this ground it looks like it's going to be be a better gamne than last time.
By my reckoning start of day 2 - Oh, for live pictures!

In reply to:

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450 looks a good score and considering a side batting first haven't lost the game since the 1960's on this ground it looks like it's going to be be a better gamne than last time.

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Yeh, but John............. Don't you know we're just going to 'buck the trend'!!!!!!!

OK, OK.....I'm sorry. Twas quite good today, wasn't it?
No live pictures? You mean to say you've not paid your Australian dollar to Sir Rupert and subscribed to Sky?

Just for you, 306-5. Butch got 22, Stewarts on 8, 'Pad it up' White's on 1

I may 'update' later, depending on how it goes

However, has anyone else noticed how awful the 2nd country are at catching the ball these days?

wez (still revelling.......... no matter how short an amount of time it lasts!)
Still........we've got the Boks to look forward to on Saturday!

'Pad it Up''s gone for 1 ...........308-6

Gillespie's not as daft as (his goatee) looks!

wez(only jealous!)

Can they post a decent score? I think 350 would be competitive...

I haven't gone back through the stats, but just out of curiousity, when was the last time that England actually made a declaration in an Ashes match? (Is that called 'twisting the knife'? )

And just imagine the score if we could catch!

6/324 (12:15pm Adelaide time).

EDIT UPDATE 7/325.. the fat boy got another one. Dawson LBW for 7

Getting sick of editing this post.. 8/325 !

325-8..............twas a looping leg-break!

Fat Get!

Y'know...........I hate him almost as much as Copago does!

wez

Caddick's an Aussie anyhoo!

White nosed/lipped freak!!!!!!

Get ta bed Ozz........it'll all be over by the morning!

25 minutes till Lunch............ 5 hours till breakfast here! I guess I'll just trust my boys to not let us down in the interim.

boo hoo baa haa bee hee buu huu..............£$£$^$%^&££"£!!!!!!! etc.

What is going on with Australian rugby though??

you have no idea Wez, when he got that wicket, (was it Stewart? can't remember) and he was pouting his lips and pumping his fist I could have quite gladly grabbed a bat and whacked him right across the face.

Whoa! That was quite an outburst! I have never been accused of patriotism when it comes to the Australian cricket team .... dont' get me started n Glen McGrath

On an up note, England are showing some form, well, the batters did pretty well. Had to feel sorry for Key ... really wanted him to do well after getting 170 odd against the Aust A team. A couple of big wickets early will do wonders for the bowlers confidence too.

Geez it's all easy in hindsight isn't it. England lost what. 7 for 48 today? Shattering. The top order did well, and i think Alec Stewart held up the mid section. But even coming from me, a good old fashioned pommy basher, l'm sorry the Englishmen didn't cart up a 4-500 score. At least the Aussies would have a reason to bat. Well done removing the openers though. They where looking very dangerous. Haydens wicket is priceless at the moment. Unfortunately for the poms the batting goes down to number 10. The wicket should be true for another few days so I think this will be a very good test match for bat and ball....

It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes.

I think I may be learning my lesson after all these years. Typically, I would have been inspired by England's good performance yesterday to post a message heralding the revival in English fortunes. But I didn't, and as usual England suffered a spectacular decline in form.

Come on you guys - I'm not getting any live pictures - the games start at half past midnight and none of the channels are covering it - I could listen to BBC radio if I didn't have to sleep! Forecast for day 3 as I did so well for day 2!!.. Australia all out for just over 400, England 100+ (2nd innings with 8 wickets in hand)
Q. Anyone else care to forecast the days events? (before the game re-starts)

Fearless forecast for today...
Ponting to continue his run (he is averaging over 90 in his last 7 Tests), and will get a big ton, Martyn to get close, and Gilchrist to get a rapid fire 80+.
Aussies will declare at about 550 at tea, and get 3 English wickets in the last session...

Goddamn Ozzz! That's almost telepathic!

I was listening/watching all day, and I was amazed at how close I got.. I scare myself, sometimes

I must apologise to Damian Martyn... I have the feeling that I jinxed him!

wow!
while I'm here, can you let all us know the Powerball numbers for Thursday night .. thanks in advance!

Ozz. I've got a lazy 50 sitting in my sports tab account, be happy to share the proceeds with you for the right advice

uncanny

You were certainly closer than me Ozz - Having heard the scores before seeing the highlights on TV I thought it had been a run-fest for the Aussies, it didn't appear that way on TV it looked like a good days cricket for your money.

Day 4 Forecast - England Batsman dig in a bit get a bit of a lead and Ian Botham comes back to win the test. Australian batsmen admit to placing bets against themselves winning. (OK - could be all over by tea-time!)

That's the English defeatism weve come to love and expect. I notice the rugby high didn't last long

I like your forecast QC. Are the papers in the UK calling for a return of Sir Ian yet? Athertons over here commentating. maybe he could pad up.

I think the pitch will hold, Warney will bowl a lot of overs but the poms will play him well. The day will belong to the seemers. Dale 3 wickets, McGrath 3, Gillespie 2, Warne 2. England all out just after the tea break.

Sadly, I don't think that Warney will be able to bowl too many overs as it will be all over by lunch. Although is Vaughn can hang in there and keep the strike away from, well, all the other Englishmen, it may even go until tea.

One hour till the start.

If anyones interested (God knows, I'm clutching at straws, as is my want!), England are sort of mounting a bit of a .....er.......um.......mmmmm. .......? Comeback????

It's 88-4 (we've scored 49 runs off 87 balls...hey.......that's good for us!). It's now 93-4 within 10 seconds of my last post. What the bloody hell's going on? Stewie has 36 off 46, Vaughn has 15 off 43, but he has got a knackered shoulder!

Stewies just scored another boundary???????????????

We're only 112 behind

The ton's just come up and I'm feeling faint!

Fancy the convicts declaring on 552.........tsch! As usual, you are a little too over-confident

It looks like you get to bed early tonight, wez.. it is all over

Another failure - playing four No11's (and one of them crocked!) doesn't seem to be a very good strategy(LOL)

Favourite highlight of todays play - Warnes Beamer! (Immediate Apology and acceptance in the spirit of the game - IT HAPPENS and if nobody gets hurt you can all laugh about it)

It can't get any worse can it? - I just want to see a competitive game even if it does result in another Australian Win.

Final thought - was that really RAIN! - Copago you'll be stripping off and getting out there for a shower shortly - I hope!!(LOL-my version)

I'm so confident that England will win the next test, that I'm offering odds of 100-1 against an Australian victory. If you're interested, send your stakes to:

"Islingtonian
The Psychiatric Ward
St Jude's Hospital
London."

Well here we go again - Let's hope it's a real contest this time (a forelorn hope given the lengthening list of injuries). I'm beginning to wonder how many of the injuries are excuses for poor performances, to see so-called injured players going on as Substitue fielders and flinging themselves around seems very strange to me.

Well, I think England's hopes are fading faster than ever with them calling up a bloke that's been playing grade cricket in Melbourne ... and with them saying that the WACA pitch will be as fast as ever I'm predicting that it will only just make it into the third day.

Ozzz? With you as our resident cricket psychic, perhaps you could tell us what is going to happen?

Fingers crossed and here goes...

Brett Lee will get to carry more than a bottle of drink this game at the expense of Andy Bichel. A pity that they cannot both play- the WACA will suit fast bowling. Australia will win the toss and bat first. Hayden will have a rare 'failure', and score only 50.
Steve Waugh will celebrate equalling Captain Grumpy's Test winning captaincy record of 32 by scoring close to 200, Gilly and FatBoy will go crazy in the last session, with both of them endangering the crowd, and Australia will be about 6/380 at stumps...

Newspapers are saying that the attendance record could be beaten, but only if it goes to the full five days; somehow I cannot see that happening!

SportsTAB odds (for a dollar) are:-
Australia $1.25
Draw $4.40
England $13.00
I think that says it all...

I'm just watching the first session now. England won the toss and elected to bat. Big crowd is in. Brett Lee is bowling very fast with movement on a greenish wicket. Bichels out of the side (Queensland bashing again). Why won't they ever bench Sir Shane?

England started to look good until Trescothick snicked one behind off Lee. Woah. Stop press. Waugh has just thrown down Butchers stumps. Bad calling from Vaughan. What a shame. Lets hope Hussain and Vaughan can post a ton each. It's currently 2 for 67. Their going to need at least 450 and a first innings lead.

Hopefuly Ozz's batting predictions will come true when the Aussies pad up..