The Ashes | 4th Test | MCG | Day 3 | 28/12/10

[ads101]

These two guys Clarke and Pointing are Australia's only hope. They've gone about it better than Watson and Hughes. They're seeing off the ball, eating up the overs, not playing anything they don't need to.

[Poison]

BRESNAN GETS PONTINGGGGGGGGGGGG !

:asif!

[Poison]

Game is done now, lets see how long this takes :warne

[AfghanCricketFan]

*** when ever i want to watch one of Aus is gone=(

[Noork85]

Lol funny stuff

[Sanchez]

We would have been well on our way to finishing off the match by stumps if Prior hadn't missed that stumping. Everything's ruined

[Poison]

On another note, RA has been proved correct again :)) Harris injury looks likely to end his career.

[Sanchez]

Just as I type that Bressy you beauty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SAj55]

Wow Bresnan suprising me. I knew he was a decent bowler, but didn't think he was this good.

Well bowled big lad!

[Noork85]

Down to hussey, again

[Sanchez]

If Aus selectors have any sense they'll announce the SCG test as Ponting's farewell test. He deserves that but only that. He's seriously lost it with the bat and he's been an average captain at best.

[pakroyals]

is there a chance that we saw Ponting batting for the last time ? Has Ponting played the last inning of his stupendous test career ?

[Sanchez]

Bressers has Mcgrathesque figures

[SaintAfridi!]

Hussey out for 0!! Bresnan strikes again!!

[Poison]

Hussey fails (he had to eventually) - Bresnan bowling beautifully...this could be an embarassingly heavy loss.

[holldout]

husey gone....wow!!!

[atif.raza]

great bowling this. very impressive by england

[James]

Just woke up.

Simply unreal.

Bresnan. What a monster. Do PakPassion still wish to argue for the inclusion of Ajmal Shahzad ahead of him?

Win tonight?

[Poison]

Seriously...this series has been a mismatch.

[JibranAnsari]

wow wow wow wow wow

[Sanchez]

Bressyyyy you beauty AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[spoiled]

history and the rest in making..get ready for all the talk after the walk

[Noork85]

Peace out. I gotta go cheer myself up

[SAj55]

Bresnan match figures: 5/40 in 24 overs! :O

[Decipher]

Clarke seems to go any minute.

[Sanchez]

Just visited an Aussie cricket forum and they think that ENG is ball tampering hence all the movement ENG have been able to get.
They're really stuffed that their bowlers weren't able to make the ball talk :asif

[James]

He probably won't have time, unless Bresie and/or Swanny play well. I reckon Trott will finish on a nice, average-boosting 170 not out :sachin

:hamster:

[ads101]

Just visited an Aussie cricket forum and they think that ENG is ball tampering hence all the movement ENG have been able to get.
They're really stuffed that their bowlers weren't able to make the ball talk :asif
what's the forum called?

[James]

Just visited an Aussie cricket forum and they think that ENG is ball tampering hence all the movement ENG have been able to get.
They're really stuffed that their bowlers weren't able to make the ball talk :asif

:))) :))) :)))

how about 'your team are crap'

[Sanchez]

Just woke up.

Simply unreal.

Bresnan. What a monster. Do PakPassion still wish to argue for the inclusion of Ajmal Shahzad ahead of him?

Win tonight?

Yes we do sir. Think of all the reverse swing AS might have got in this hot weather. He might have run through the side and the match would have been over by now :sohail:akhtar:wasim

[James]

Ryan is likely to require surgery and will consult a specialist in the next 24 hours," Cricket Australia's Dr Trefor James said. A decision on whether he will bat in the second innings will depend on how close Australia are to saving the game.

Lol.

[Poison]

Really fantastic bowling from Bresnan here. Tremlett dropped a very hard catch just now.

[SaintAfridi!]

dropped!!

[James]

Bah.

[Poison]

Didn't even carry to be honest. And it looked painful lol :))

[Sanchez]

what's the forum called?

And why are you interested? :inti:afridi

[hasanmehmoodkhan]

tremlett is a very very good bowler, i will be surprised if broad is selected over him. tremlett is a billion times better then broad

[James]

Tremlett injured now :facepalm:

Ah well, don't even need eleven players when you have Bresnan :D

[ads101]

And why are you interested? :inti:afridi
I'm not going to troll, honest.

I'm just interested to see what Aussies's reaction is to this.

[Poison]

It's Tremlett's left hand, so no problems with bowling.

[hasanmehmoodkhan]

split nail no worries

[ads101]

tremlett is a very very good bowler, i will be surprised if broad is selected over him. tremlett is a billion times better then broad
hope tremlett takes over from Broad. Broad just isn't a test bowler. Keep him to limited overs.

[hasanmehmoodkhan]

imo, ponting is done as a cricketer and especially captain. he should be dropped and clarke or hussey should be made captain. khawaja should be drafted into the squad

[atif.raza]

So in the middle of the tour, England now have an attach that looks far more superior to the original XI they started with

Anderson, Bresnan, tremlet, Swann much much better than with Clarke and the other guy

[Passion4Pakistan]

Hey Wippy & All....

England Dominating over Aussie Once Again.. :19:

[Sanchez]

I'm not going to troll, honest.

I'm just interested to see what Aussies's reaction is to this.

Here you go, be sure to make good use of it :amir

http://forum.sportal.com.au/yaf_topics3_Cricket.aspx

[tauseefm]

:))) :))) :)))

how about 'your team are crap'

good to see english public\media accepting the fact there is something called 'reverse swing'

[Passion4Pakistan]

Ponting is Playing his Worse Series as a Captain...

[hasanmehmoodkhan]

good to see english public\media accepting the fact there is something called 'reverse swing'

when swann learns he doosra they will accept that too

[ads101]

Here you go, make good use of it :amir

http://forum.sportal.com.au/yaf_topics3_Cricket.aspx
thanks.

There all very angry it seems. Very tough on their team.

On the plus side, their website looks very good. Not as good as Pakpassion of course, but pretty decent. Font's a bit small though.

[Sanchez]

thanks.

There all very angry it seems. Very tough on their team.

On the plus side, their website looks very good. Not as good as Pakpassion of course, but pretty decent. Font's a bit small though.

It's an all inclusive Australian sports website. You can discuss any sport AUS plays. You might have noticed that in the tabs at the top.

[Amir]

What a crappy test. Was hoping for a draw so the last test would be interesting.

[Strike!]

They're just looking so desperate not to get out. :))

[Sanchez]

What a crappy test. Was hoping for a draw so the last test would be interesting.

We enjoyed it sir :afridi

[Ashraful_Rox]

Was expecting a better fight from the Aussies. Sad to see one of the cricketing superpowers going through such a rough patch.

[Strike!]

Commentators already looking forward to the one day series. :))

[Mujtaba_Saeed]

Commentators already looking forward to the one day series. :))

pakpassion virus:farhat

[ads101]

They're just looking so desperate not to get out. :))
This is how they should have played really in the beginning. Perhaps it looks weak, but this strategy is the most effective. Don't play at anything you don't have to, really make the bowlers get annoyed and fustrated. If you go out there and play all your shots and look to score fast, England will just sit back and wait for you to throw it away. You have to make it difficult for England to take your wicket. They have to keep in mind that there's no Glenn Mcgrath, or Wasim Akram at the other end, that they are at home the pitch is flat and if they play sensibly then they shouldn't get out.

If they had taken this sort of strategy from the start they would have seen out the new ball and prevent the number of wickets loss before the end of stumps and make it easier for the middle order to bat (not only will the ball be easier to strike but the bowlers would be more tired).

But as usual some of the Aussie's egos, namely Watson and Hughes just went ahead and played their natural game looking for runs and then got out. Pointing despite his natural aggressive instincts realised this and curbed his aggression. Reason why he got out was pretty much he's so out of form.

This was the scenario, just focus on not getting out. Don't think of the score. Of course with the last two proper batsmen in (and Smith not looking like a proper batsman at all), this strategy of not getting out looks awful now.




Sad to see that the Ashes will be over with one match spare (and this match was a cakewalk really), but I am supporting England, and I'm happy England will retain the ashes.

[Sanchez]

Swanny strikes!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think they should do the sprinkler when they capture the last wicket :yk

[Random Aussie]

Dammit Smith was looking alright there. At least he got 38. This one was over a long time ago, as in on day 1.

[asifp]

Is this the same pitch the Aussies were bowling on?

[Savak]

Score plz, am at office where there is no internet, using BB for updates.

[Free Hit]

score plz, am at office where there is no internet, using bb for updates.

160/6

[asifp]

thats what happens, when you let 5 match winners retire at once. Lack of planning.

[ali_ed2006]

Don't know why, but I feel sorry for Aussies. Sad to see such a champion team made to look like this.

[Robert]

Well, bless my soul. Isn't it nice to have bowling reserves! I never thought Bres was up to it in tests.

Should see the Ashes returned to England tomorrow.

[Random Aussie]

Yep Rob and well deserved too. Your boys have been a class or more above us this series.

[James]

Wonderful stuff. It's not quite over yet though - I will agree with the pundits that are encouraging a 3-1 win, or even a 2-1. Drawing 2-2 would be a disappointment after everything we have achieved up to now - and it's crazy to think that any England fan would have bitten your hand off if you'd offered 2-2 six weeks ago.

Commiserations to the Aussies, you'll be back.

[malakian]

England now have a great bowling squad. Gotta be up there as one of the best teams in the world.

[Savak]

England while a good side are still not as strong as the results have shown. But Anderson has really improved a lot over the last 2 years. But the likes of Finn, Tremlet, Bresnan, Broad will be ok bowlers but without Anderson they will not be as menacing.

Graeme Swann has made the biggest difference to the team. So far he and Anderson are the biggest reason why England have done well outside England as of late.

Looking at England's team right now, they will be almost invincible at home for sure.

One of the reasons why England has emerged stronger than Australia in this ashes is the fact the batters have played out of their skins and risen to the occasion. I mean Allistar Cook, Andrew Strauss, Trott, Pieterson, I mean seriously take a bow.

If u look at England's consistent defeats from 1989-2006, its the batting which let them down while Aussies always batted better. Look at the role reversal now.

The aussies need to embrace the fact that their golden era has ended, they don't the players to demand the excellence that they achieved from 1999-2007 right now. Its impossible, the more they put themselves under pressure the more chopping and changing they will do, the more players will fear for their places and put their own goals above team goals.

I personally get the impression Ponting just wants to scream out aloud to the aussie public "what were u all expecting? I don't have the same team anymore? I cannot win with this current team, you are all expecting too much, plz for god's sakes give me a break".

The Aussie public, media is as much to blame for this ashes debacle as the players/selectors.

[James]

Watson's interviews tonight were depressing, I almost feel sorry for the bloke. Just seems totally lost for words. Building a solid platform in pretty much every innings and being let down by the so-called batting stars of the lineup. Proper team man, and a genuine captaincy candidate in my opinion. He is at the right age - a fighter, and a quality player that I admire.

[Robert]

it's crazy to think that any England fan would have bitten your hand off if you'd offered 2-2 six weeks ago.


I'd have taken that! I thought if we could somehow get to Sydney just one-down, then Swann would square the series and we'd retain the Ashes.

But now 3-1 is on the cards.


Commiserations to the Aussies, you'll be back.

They have to do what they did in 1987 - identify the eleven best players and keep picking them until they come good.

Keep Hughes for the moment, Mr Cricket up to #3, pension Dubya off, drop Watson to #6 where he can bowl more, keep Haddin at #7, always play MJ, keep the admirable Siddle, get Horrors back and stick with him.

[Pakprideuk]

Well England have been far too good haven't they, quality stuff, stayed up last night lol, was just shocking to see the way Aussies played, kind of felt sorry for them, especially Watson who played soo well but just keeps finding was of getting out... his interview at the end of the day was dreadful, he was completely lost, shattered tbh.

England were great, the difference was backup, England had the back up bowlers whereas Australia didn't prepare backup bowlers and batsmen. There was quality to replace Hilfy and Johnson but it was just poor planning and execution from the Aussies.

Going to be a exciting few weeks here in England lol with the media and that.

As for the next test, Ponting take a break, he's past it now.

1.)Watson
2.)Hughes
3.)Hussey
4.)Clarke (C)
5.)Khawaja
6.)Smith
7.)Haddin (WK)
8.)Cameron
9.)Hilfenhaus
10.)Johnson
11.)Beer

Give Siddle a break, he's done enough, bring in Cameron to bowl, the series is lost anyway.

[James]

Mike Atherton - 'Any way out of this for you?'

Shane Watson - silently glares and grimaces as if to say 'F off you gloating pommy tosser'

Ace.

[Sledger]

Watson should be their next captain. He really needs to sort out the problem of getting starts and then getting out though. His bowling is easily negotiated by the better teams so may as well work extra hard on his batting.

[James]

Shane Watson (c)
Philip Hughes
Michael Hussey (vice)
Usman Khawaja
Ricky Ponting
Callum Ferguson
Tim Paine (wkt)
Mitchell Johnson
Nathan Hauritz
Ryan Harris
Peter Siddle

IMO.

[Sledger]

Hughes.. lol.

[James]

He has talent dude, not as much as Hayden or Slater, but he may well go on to score a lot of runs for Australia. His unorthodox technique seems to be his great weakness, but with the right tuition then it can also be his greatest strength. If they keep picking him, I'm determined to believe that he will adjust to this level fully. He looked very impressive today until somebody else ran him out.

[Shaheerthe2nd]

MJ will score a double hundred today off 157 balls.:afridi:afridi:afridi

[Sledger]

No doubt, a very talented player but his technique is just atrocious (really shocking). He needs to go and get some help from someone like Greg Chapell who did a lot for Watson's opening technique and score heavily before coming back in the team. Katich is fine for now, himself and Watson were a very good opening pair until recently.

[AZ]

first ball in 20 mins?

[Sledger]

Yes. 10 am start, local.

[AZ]

great.