The Ashes (2 Viewers)

[Lhyviathan]

5th Test - The Oval
September 8-12

 

[tasha1188]

yay its on this thursday

 

[HeCtic]

Tour match update:

Essex 1st innings R M B 4 6
WI Jefferson b Kasprowicz 64 102 73 10 1
AN Cook not out 181 288 205 27 1
RS Bopara not out 78 184 157 9 2
Extras (b 4, lb 5, nb 6) 15
Total (1 wickets, 71.3 overs) 338

Damn, we're copping a bit of a pasting here. Hopefully it's just a docile deck, so Hayden and co can find some form.

 

[Constip8edSkunk]

502 for 4... macgilla can prolly kiss his chance goodbye

 

[DRAGONZ]

Oh, these Australians really are a sight to behold.

[sarcasm] I just CAN'T wait to see us lose the 5th Test by an innings and 200 runs . . . [/sarcasm]

 

[Bookie]

Funny, cos unlike other county teams, Essex are no names.

 

[tasha1188]

i cant believe we're gettin our butts kicked by a county team...how embarrasing...good luck aussie coz ur really really really gonna need it on thursday

 

[angelduck]

Its just seems like such a sudden demise, when really bits and pieces of the picture have been there since the NZ's came over and played tests/one-dayers against us. We're coppin an absolute bashing!

Q - does everyone think its bcause most of the team are "past their use by date"?

 

[copious]

just look at the average age of the team, no doubt. They aernt as athlectic in the field anymore, cause they are old. They are gonna turn into dad's army.

 

[angelduck]

yup, how do u think they should rectify this? I recon jsut start the team new, anyone over 30 is out, that way the team can rebuild

 

[Bookie]

They havent got that many star yungsters to chose from though. Jacques and Thornely are alredy 26 I think. They need a wunderkind, but it doesn't look like they'll find one anytime soon. I wonder if Matt Day from Joeys has a chance in the near future.

NSW have got Moises Henriques, I think he's only 18. But he's gotta make it big in Pura....

 

[Lhyviathan]

Woohoo... looks like McGrath will be okay for the decider. Only concern is lack of match practice...

McGrath fit to play at The Oval

Glenn McGrath, the Australian fast bowler, has declared himself fit for the final Ashes Test at The Oval beginning on September 8 after missing the fourth Test at Trent Bridge because of an injured elbow. He had also sustained an ankle injury that made him miss the second Test at Edgbaston.

"It's back to business as usual for the fifth Test. I've made a full recovery and will definitely play at The Oval," McGrath was quoted as saying in The Mail. "It's been frustrating sitting out two of the first four Tests, but now I can get at England in the decider."

Conceding that his prediction of a 5-0 Australian win was wrong, McGrath was confident that Australia would regroup to win at The Oval. "I concede I got my figures wrong in predicting that England would collapse to a 5-0 whitewash in this npower Test series. My statement has proved to be way off beam, but I've lost none of my confidence in backing Australia's ability to retain the Ashes. Come the end of The Oval Test, I believe the precious urn will remain where it belongs - in our hands. Our focus is only on winning the fifth Test. Nothing less than a total triumph will do."

Australia have lost both the Tests that McGrath missed, giving England an unbeatable 2-1 lead in the series. A drawn series will mean that Australia will retain the Ashes. McGrath underwent training on Friday without his elbow causing any problems but sat out of the tour match against Essex as a precaution.

 

[otay]

They havent got that many star yungsters to chose from though. Jacques and Thornely are alredy 26 I think. They need a wunderkind, but it doesn't look like they'll find one anytime soon. I wonder if Matt Day from Joeys has a chance in the near future.

NSW have got Moises Henriques, I think he's only 18. But he's gotta make it big in Pura....

Is Moises gettin many games for NSW? I think we definetly need to bring in players like Jacques and Thornely though and other young guys who are performing. 26 isn't very old man and they could have a good 7+ years in frontof them meaning they would prolly end up playin almost 100 games

 

[copious]

26 isnt bad, but they really need a few guys in their early 20's in the squad. Using the Kiwi's an example, while they aernt setting the world on fire there is plenty of youth in Oram, Mills, The Marshall twins, McCullum and of course Vettori who is still only 24/25.

Theres also Marcus North as well. Anyway theres plenty of depth in the batting, Im concerned with the bowling. While your not expected to produce McGraths and Warnes every generation, we still need someone to step up like Dan Cullen or even Tait. Stuart Clarke is unlucky, if he was in it would be like having 2 McGraths. Bring in Jason Kresja however you spell it, my mate use to play with him lol.

 

[Bookie]

100 tests? Unlikely. You have to start at around 20 to play 100 tests. I dont think Henriques has played any games in first class yet. Wait I'll check.

 

[Smokey_22]

Tom Coopers only 18 - he debuted in the sydney 1st grade final and made 50 against macgill and co.

 

[Bookie]

Nup. No FC games yet. Australia u-19s though.

Last years Aus u-19side;
http://content.cricinfo.com/australia/content/story/125813.html

 

[otay]

100 tests? Unlikely. You have to start at around 20 to play 100 tests. I dont think Henriques has played any games in first class yet. Wait I'll check.

ok a bit of an exxageration, but 80 is feasable which is still damn good

 

[Smokey_22]

If a player wants 100 tests, then 24 is probably the latest (10 tests a year)


Essex 502/4d
Australians 29/0 (4.5 ov)

JL Langer 17 13 3 0 130.77 not out
ML Hayden 10 18 1 0 55.56 not out

 

[Bookie]

Damn 3-dayers, they make no sense.

That Tim Coopers guy might make it big, but theres a few other guys around that age in Sydney Grade, Moises Henriques for one. Theres also last years GPS 1sts Captain; Manjot Singh, who plays for Balmain I think.

Theres a guy at my school who played Sydney 2nds (Uni, i think) last year, and he was 14 then. He made 83 against someone or the other, and had he not been playing school cricket this year, he mightve even cracked 1sts at like, 15.