The Ashes

wanderlus wrote:
A draw would guarantee retaining the Ashes, but surely we have to thump them from this position?

yes, yes we do

Boycott's commentary on Ch 5 highlights was priceless:-more or less amounted to the repeated phrase: "These Aussies are just rubbish!" Can't argue with that, Sir Geoffrey......

No point in declaring really as there's 4 full days left. Get maximum lead from 1st innings and hence use up time to allow the pitch to deteriorate further. Then employ attacking fields to get 10 wickets without having to worry about runs conceded. If we declare with a lead of say 300 and the Aussies bat well in the second innings and get say 500 (not impossible) then England would be faced with getting 200 in the last innings on a wearing pitch. 
So bat on lads and rub their noses in it!

Hip Priest wrote:No point in declaring really as there's 4 full days left. Get maximum lead from 1st innings and hence use up time to allow the pitch to deteriorate further. Then employ attacking fields to get 10 wickets without having to worry about runs conceded. If we declare with a lead of say 300 and the Aussies bat well in the second innings and get say 500 (not impossible) then England would be faced with getting 200 in the last innings on a wearing pitch. 
So bat on lads and rub their noses in it!

Spot on.

Bat all day tomorrow and put it out of sight.

Ruthlessness is what's required - that's what they'd do.

Set 'em 600 to win and take the psychological upper hand.

(And don't take any chances - like you, I remember England of old. It is still possible that we can fuck this up  )

Agree get as many runs as possible. Was checking the ashes stats earlier and when we win this series the 2 countries will have won 32 series each.

Mark Wood's properly taking the piss out of Johnson.

Fantastic.

Dropping like flies now.

MartinBWFC wrote:Dropping like flies now.

Yup, here we go........

How you doing, bud?

it seems there's still a bit of movement so even if we get bowled out quickly, Broad will be fancying his chances again.

There's plenty of cloud cover about but the forecast is for the sun to come out this afternoon.

We're 275 ahead now.

Cheeky declaration now and stick 'em in while it's still seaming and swinging before it brightens up and stops moving as much, in the hope that we can nick three or four out cheaply?

That would be brave captaincy.

Woo Hoo!

Sir Ian Botham's just suggested we should do what I said 5 minutes ago.

I know me shit, me.......

lets get past a lead of 300 first then think about it i reckon, thats if we make it that far!

Wuss!

Good job you weren't in charge at Agincourt......

I guess the declaration was OK but it seems inevitable that the Aussies will bat a lot better in these conditions and a huge score isn't beyond them I reckon.

Wasn't at all happy with the media attitude when  they collapsed so cheaply in the first innings. Far too much crowing and talking as if it's all over. This is a test match and if history is anything to go by the game is still a very long way from being won.
If the players adopt the same attitude, we're in trouble as the bowlers still have it all too do over again and a cocky attitude won't help, especially if they meet strong resistance.

That's more like it - 4 wickets in 27 deliveries. Still, Clarke is still there and he is a man on a mission.

Th'Aussies will need to score a minimum of 540 runs to stand a chance of even drawing the game, it's almost in the bag.

And yet I'm strangely underwhelmed. Is this the future of Test cricket? Games over in 3 days.

I don't watch the biff bang wallop stuff,but it seems to be having a detrimental effect on the ability to build an innings.

Thrilling,certainly. But I long for the days of Chris Tavare taking a whole day to score 50.

woo hoo!!!

And Clarke's just fallen on his sword.

This day just keeps getting better.

Time to mow the lawn now.

Can't find my safety shoes, so I'll just stick my flip flops on.

See you in half an hour......