The Ashes 2009

[Marmora Man]

Woo Hoo - it's about to start.

EXCEPT - it should already be day 4 of the first Test at Lords but, instead, it's three days to go to the first Test in Cardiff! UPside - no argument at home between cricket and the men's final at Wimbledon, downside - the whole rythym of the summer seems a tad out of joint.

Nevertheless, it's the best cricket contest and there's a reasonable chance that the series could end in an England win.

Let's see how it all pans out.

[citizenED]

With the weather we've been having, MM, the whole summer already seems a tad out of kilter. Parched grass at the beginning of July?

[Keef]

I can't wait, hoping to meet up with my aussie mate on Wednesday for some sitting in the pub watching the best cricket competition in the game.

[Sherwick]

Wait a minute. Didn't the first test in 2005 (at Lords) start on the 21st of July (i.e. a good two weeks LATER than this year)?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/fds/hi/statistics/cricket/scorecards/2005/7/11797/html/scorecard.stm

[Brendan]

Yep but more often than not the first test of the summer is played at lords.

This year the Welsh Assembly bunged the ECB some readies to have it in Cardiff. According to the press (and Steve Harmison) they?re going to prepare a flat wicket to try to ensure 5 days play. Cardiff has a reputation of turning from day one though and England has 2 spinners (well 3 if you include Pietersen) as opposed to Australia?s 1.

[Keef]

English aren't the only ones who don't like it.

[Ted Max]

Yep but more often than not the first test of the summer is played at lords.

Not true, I'm afraid. Lords was always the second test of an Ashes series. 2005 and 1977 (Jubilee) were the only times the first test has been played at Lords since 1902.

So Warne should be applauding the ECB for reverting to the grand tradition of having the second test at Lords (where Australia always wins anyway).

[Brendan]

Well there you go.

It is the England and Wales Cricket Team anyway so surely Cardiff should get a test match.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Cardiff is a veritable pissh++e full of crackheads, hoes, skinheads, drunks, hooligans and the floatsam and jetsam which form the scum of the earth.

Horrible place full of horrible people and some of them are Welsh, which, naturally, makes thus human shi++ole even worse...

Not A Fan..(6)

If you do take a day trip on the "Celtic Ranger" make sure you don't run aground in Tiger Bay, sorry Cardiff Bay...Shirley Bassey couldn't get out of that hellhole quick enough....and thats one of the more pleasant parts.....:(

[Keef]

Brett Lee a doubt for the first test.

[matthew123]

Tony.London Suburbs Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Cardiff is a veritable pissh++e full of

> crackheads, hoes, skinheads, drunks, hooligans and

> the floatsam and jetsam which form the scum of the

> earth.

>

> Horrible place full of horrible people and some of

> them are Welsh, which, naturally, makes thus human

> shi++ole even worse...

>

> Not A Fan..(6)

>

> If you do take a day trip on the "Celtic Ranger"

> make sure you don't run aground in Tiger Bay,

> sorry Cardiff Bay...Shirley Bassey couldn't get

> out of that hellhole quick enough....and thats one

> of the more pleasant parts.....:(

Tony what a load of rubbish. Cardiff is a fantastic city, I can only assume you were thrown out of a local pub for asking for a pint of Pride! If any City in the UK is suited for big time Sports it's Cardiff with Sophia Gardens and the Millenium in the heart of the Capital with plenty of pubs, bars and restaurants for fans and of course the odd McDonalds for the visiting Neanderthal.

I believe there are more Cricket clubs per capita in South Wales than any other part of the UK - so why shouldn't they break the stranglehold and bring a Test match to South Wales.

[bigbadwolf]

Halloo Matyou

Hwell I carn ownlee hassume dat judgen by yor porst dat hyou ara Taff boy'o.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

matthew123 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Tony.London Suburbs Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Cardiff is a veritable pissh++e full of

> > crackheads, hoes, skinheads, drunks, hooligans

> and

> > the floatsam and jetsam which form the scum of

> the

> > earth.

> >

> > Horrible place full of horrible people and some

> of

> > them are Welsh, which, naturally, makes thus

> human

> > shi++ole even worse...

> >

> > Not A Fan..(6)

> >

> > If you do take a day trip on the "Celtic

> Ranger"

> > make sure you don't run aground in Tiger Bay,

> > sorry Cardiff Bay...Shirley Bassey couldn't get

> > out of that hellhole quick enough....and thats

> one

> > of the more pleasant parts.....:(

>

> Tony what a load of rubbish. Cardiff is a

> fantastic city, I can only assume you were thrown

> out of a local pub for asking for a pint of Pride!

> If any City in the UK is suited for big time

> Sports it's Cardiff with Sophia Gardens and the

> Millenium in the heart of the Capital with plenty

> of pubs, bars and restaurants for fans and of

> course the odd McDonalds for the visiting

> Neanderthal.

>

> I believe there are more Cricket clubs per capita

> in South Wales than any other part of the UK - so

> why shouldn't they break the stranglehold and

> bring a Test match to South Wales.

I take it you have had no "run-ins" with the "'ardiff" Mob then Matt!...lowest of the low..

When I visited this beautiful City that you describe I was having bricks thrown at me by the local skinheads...and that was the Girls...and I'm not joking, either...

Go to a Cardiff Home game and support the Away side and try to make it back in one piece...:))

[Ted Max]

*Taps gentleman in front gently on shoulder. Notes sweat is leaking through shirt already.*

I say, do you chaps mind awfully, only my niece and I were rather hoping to be able to concentrate on the cricket.

[bigbadwolf]

Tony.London Suburbs Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> When I visited this beautiful City that you

> describe I was having bricks thrown at me by the

> local skinheads...and that was the Girls...and I'm

> not joking, either...

I bet you still ended up shagging one of them eh Tony. One for the away side n all that.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

bigbadwolf Wrote:

Tony.London Suburbs Wrote:...

I bet you still ended up shagging one of them eh Tony. One for the away side n all that.

Absolutely NOT bbw!...they were "mash-up" "butters" and "fugly" all rolled into one...:X

Joke was at one point we "merged" with them and were running with them while they chased any Millwall Fans who were in the distance. We took the chance (just like a Chelsea Match) that none of their mob realised who we were.

The difficult bit was prising ourselves away from them to get to the nearest Station in tact.

Golden Days...(td)

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Just outside Cardiff there is a "Holiday Camp" where the facilities seemed to comprise of one rotten goal post.

It had barbed wire around the Site which we concluded was not to keep potential intruders out but to keep the poor sods who booked holidays there in..larf...

[matthew123]

I've been to Ninian Park a few times but always as a Home supporter and never saw any problems but they were low key matches. Yes there is a definate cultural shift that surfaces amongst City fans when the visitors have a reputation for hooliganism - it's almost like they consider themselves vigilantes, I'd certainly make sure my affairs were in order if I were to visit in Millwall colours.

Having said that this is a Cricket match, the City is fine tuned for dealing with mass spectators (15,000 this occasion rather than the usual 80,000 for Rugby). I'd not expect the Oval to miss out on a Test because of local issues in the surrounding areas or based on my last visit to the New Den with Liverpool in 2004.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Oh! The Cricket?? That will be absolutely splendid, of that I have no doubt!:)-D

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Who's your 'niece' TedMax?

Take care, I was caught playing hooky by a boss once - moral: don't sit behind the wicket in a test match that will be on TV.

[Marmora Man]

Ted Max Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> *Taps gentleman in front gently on shoulder. Notes

> sweat is leaking through shirt already.*

>

> I say, do you chaps mind awfully, only my niece

> and I were rather hoping to be able to concentrate

> on the cricket

Seconded. Gentle murmer of approval runs around the crowd as Tupperware boxes are opened.

[red devil]

BOINK!

*half-eaten stale vegemite sandwich bounces off MM's head*...

[????]

Lee's a big miss for the Aussies but I still think they've too much batting for England, I'm going 2-1 Australia after the best of starts for Englkand in Wales

[Brendan]

Come now enough of this. Tony this is cricket not soccer so there will be no unpleasantness as cricket is a game played by real men.*

*Where the definition of a real man is, being strong, decent and capable, and not, being able to drink 15 pints of Stella and remain awake for long enough to commit assault.

[BigPhil]

And of course all cricket is shown in the Prince Albert with stubbies of VB 2 for 1 when Oz is in bat.