[Off Topic] The Ashes Thread

[MyOtherCar]

@Dreylin: is there a difference, or better phrased: what is the difference? It's been 30 years since I ate fish&chips and I only remember eating something greasy from an old newspaper, that to me seemed like fries.

[ruff_hi]

what is the difference between an American fry and a British chip?

Edit: to answer my own question ... http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/8904

It seems that french fries are thin, made from extruded potato / starch while chips are cut from a potato, thicker. Chips are best late at night, purchased from a street side vendor in rolled up butches (or news) paper with salt & vinegar.

[Dreylin]

It seems that french fries are thin, made from extruded potato / starch while chips are cut from a potato, thicker. Chips are best late at night, purchased from a street side vendor in rolled up butches (or news) paper with salt & vinegar.

Possibly with curry sauce or mushy peas. Mmmmmmmmm.

[MyOtherCar]

Tastes differ from country to country

[sunrise089]

Turn report:

Fish and chips eaten. Chips were appropriately British style.

Also, I will be in Belgium next month. Do the savages there really eat their chips with mayonnaise on them?!

[Sullla]

I remember getting chips from street vendors at night many times when I was doing a summer program at Oxford in 2003. They don't seem to be quite as big in London, though of course you can always get chips in pubs. Quality varies a lot from place to place.

I guess this is getting off-topic even for an off-topic thread...

[Dreylin]

Back to the original Off-topic:

Looks like the Aussies have the upper hand now: day2 just ended with Australia reaching 249/1 in response to England's 435 total.

[mostly-harmless]

This is done by shining one side of the ball and letting the other side rough up. The air travels faster across the smooth side of the ball and causes it to move laterally in the air.

Not quite, but I won't hijack this thread any more.

mh

[MyOtherCar]

Also, I will be in Belgium next month. Do the savages there really eat their chips with mayonnaise on them?!

Yep, we savages do. Or a combination of mayonaise/ketchup and chopped onions (chips-special) and even with a spicey peanut sauce and/or mayonaise ('chips-at-war'; frietje oorlog).

Whereabouts Belgium are you going? I live 10 minutes from the Belgium border.

[sunrise089]

Back to the original Off-topic:

Looks like the Aussies have the upper hand now: day2 just ended with Australia reaching 249/1 in response to England's 435 total.

With only 3 days left, and only 12 of 44 wickets taken, isn't the chance for a draw very high? If there is a draw, does that mean Australia keeps the Ashes, or is this first 5-day game not the end of the contest?

EDIT:

Yep, we savages do. Or a combination of mayonaise/ketchup and chopped onions (chips-special) and even with a spicey peanut sauce and/or mayonaise ('chips-at-war'; frietje oorlog).

Whereabouts Belgium are you going? I live 10 minutes from the Belgium border.

I'm taking a pilgrimage

Spoiler:

The wife and I, and three friends, are flying into Zurich, driving to Luxembourg, staying there, attending the Gran Prix, driving to Amsterdam, and then back to Zurich to fly home.

[MyOtherCar]

Francorchamps? Yes, I can imagine one would go there on a pilgrimage:

Spoiler:

But still 180 km from my home

[ruff_hi]

With only 3 days left, and only 12 of 44 wickets taken, isn't the chance for a draw very high? If there is a draw, does that mean Australia keeps the Ashes, or is this first 5-day game not the end of the contest?

The Ashes is the trophy. England must win the Series to win the Ashes. Australia must not lose the Series to retain the Ashes. They are currently playing the 1st (of 5) tests. So, no, this 1st test is not the end of the contest. View it as game 1 in a 5 game series. Also note that dead games (ie the 4th test after Australia takes a 3-0 lead) are still played.

At the moment, there have been 11 wickets out of 40 ... so a draw is looking likely. However, to win, Australia only needs to get 20 English wickets and to have scored more runs. So, if Australia scores 800 in their innings, they can win by getting England out for 364 or less runs. Australia will not need to bat again, just like a home team being in the lead at the bottom of the 9th.

In cricket, there are only 10 wickets per innings, not 11. You need 2 not out batsman to continue batting (40 in total in the game).

[sooooo]

It turned out to be a good day for Australia. England batted positively in the morning, scoring about 100 runs for their last 3 wickets.

But Australia batted very well after lunch, losing only one wicket the whole day and scoring 249 runs. If Australia get a large first innings lead they will be favourites to win.

[Swiss Pauli]

The wife and I, and three friends, are flying into Zurich, driving to Luxembourg, staying there, attending the Gran Prix, driving to Amsterdam, and then back to Zurich to fly home.

How come you're flying into Zurich if you're going to the Belgian Grand Prix?

[sunrise089]

How come you're flying into Zurich if you're going to the Belgian Grand Prix?

Delta had a big sale (actually sort of a price mistake) over here, and flights to Zurich were only $220 round trip. It would have cost substantially more to fly into Amsterdam or other nearby airports.

I figure we can see some interesting things on the way anyways...Zurich itself, drive through the black forest...