[Off Topic] The Ashes Thread

[ruff_hi]

true. Note that I did watch a little of the Ozzie innings but scampered off to bed when the first wicket fell. Then Australia puts on a 100 run partnership!

[ruff_hi]

Australia finally wraps up the 5 wickets it needed (after a very entertaining first session from England ... 165 runs off 24 overs!!). It is now 1-1 with 1 to play. Sooooo and I have 50g riding on the last test ... nice!

[Sullla]

Bah, this is cricket! Odds are your countries will just draw the last test, and it will all be for nil.

[LiPing]

But Australia keeps it if it's a draw...

[ruff_hi]

Bah, this is cricket! Odds are your countries will just draw the last test, and it will all be for nil.

Stop being a results merchant.

The 4 tests so far have been very exciting. Two victories (Australia collapse at Lords and England are clinical in winning, Australia take England apart in nearly every aspect of the game at Headingly) and two draws (England hang on for dear life in the first test and Australia 'escape' after lost time to the weather and England failing to go for the jugular).

So, we come to The Oval, England needing the win to lift the Ashes, Australia just needs a draw but I am pretty sure that Australia actually needs to win the last test to retain their position as #1 on the rankings. I fully expect both teams to play for the win - what better way to not lose by winning!

[ruff_hi]

Day 1 of the 5th (and last) test has just completed. England and Australia are locked at 1-1 from the first 4 tests (and sooooo and I are also locked at 40g-40g). England need to win this test to win the Ashes while Australia will retain them if they get a draw or better. On the other hand, IIRC, Australia must win to retain its #1 Test ranking. And (!), sooooo and I have 50g riding on the result of this match - so, incentives all round.

Assuming that sooooo and I had 25g at the beginning of the day (ie equal chance of winning), then I would say that at the end of the day with England 308-8 (and losing a wicket on the last ball of the day ), then it would be 28g to me and 22g to sooooo (ie Australia with a slight edge).

[ruff_hi]

well - guess I have to change that to 40g to sooooo and 10g to me.

Aust currently sitting at 109/6, still 24 runs short of avoiding the follow-on.

[sooooo]

England looking good at the moment! Over 200 runs lead with seven wickets left on a crumbling pitch.

[ruff_hi]

arggggggggggg ... 50g to sooooo next time I get the game. Well done England. Bloody piss poor first innings effort Australia!

[sooooo]

Wooo! I could barely watch today.

England seemed to win without actually batting well. We did OK, scoring 300 and 400 etc, but not the big scores like australia made. Most of our runs came from numbers 6-9. The main difference was that England only suffered one major batting collapse but australia suffered three of them (1 in a drawn test, the other in the two they lost). You couldn't say that any of our bowlers had consistently good series, but each one of them came up with a good bowling spell on one occasion. And of course surviving that last session in cardiff looks all the more miraculous looking back on it.

[ruff_hi]

I saw lots of stats with Aussie bowlers leading the wicket hauls and the century count was 7-2 in Aust favour ... but England took their chances (sans rain in 3rd test) while Aust let the first test get away ... 10 overs at the death and England survived.

Funny - the only game we won was the one I watched on tellie in Sydney ... I tell you, they should fly me home to watch the TV when the play.