The Ashes 2009

[bignumber5]

never rains but it poors...

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Huzzah!

[Fear 'n boozin]

WICKET! Johnson 63 b Swann 105th over: Australia 404 (Hilfenhaus 3)

We've only bloody won!

[Sherwick]

YOU BEAUTY!!!!!!!!!! :))

THANKS EVERYONE! :)-D

i can't believe it! I don't think I've ever known us being 1:0 up in an Ashes series...

[bignumber5]

and first ashes test won at lords for 75 years!

[red devil]

* tops up Reg's half empty glass*...

[????]

*Heaves sigh of relief that didn't win the biggest part of bet*

[Sherwick]

Have we EVER been 1:0 up in an Ashes series??? :-S

[????]

I think we were originally up in Botham's ashes series but then lost 2...but that's not google checked

[????]

...but I was wrong!

[Ted Max]

Think England went 1-0 up in 1997, winning the first Test in Birmingham, and then got royally horsed for the rest of the series.

[Marmora Man]

Yee Haaaa.

A great win and Ricky Ponting was gracious in defeat.

[Sherwick]

Yep you're right Ted - completely forgot about that series (but had just moved to the USA back then).

We actually won the first and last tests in that series...

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

You're right, MM, Ponting didn't even refer to dodgy umpiring decisions.

[Marmora Man]

Ted Max Wrote:

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> Think England went 1-0 up in 1997, winning the

> first Test in Birmingham, and then got royally

> horsed for the rest of the series.

I was at that match on the Friday - Nasser Hussain's double century was sublime.

[Keef]

Balls, I have been "working from home" all through the ashes so far, until today, when I missed it all!

Oh well, great result!

[Reg Smeeton]

Fantastic stuff. My strategy was to not listen to the coverage this morning to give England a chance to get some wickets, and it seems to have worked.

So now it's Australia versus Freddie's knee and Pietersen's Achilles. Game on.

[Marmora Man]

Keef Wrote:

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

> Balls, I have been "working from home" all through

> the ashes so far, until today, when I missed it

> all!

>

> Oh well, great result!

Channel 5(?) highlights at 7.15 today. Will be worth watching - I was just listening and want to see the final wicket - middle stump knocked over by Swann - what a way to finish a great cricket match.

[ratty]

Listened to TMS from my sickbed this morning (stuck in Pompey with gastroenteritis) - it certainly made me feel a little better!

[Keef]

KP out for the rest of the series. Would love England not to miss him, if only to dent his ego. However, you don't want to lose a player like that for an Ashes series!

[Marmora Man]

Keef - I agree. I did propose dropping KP for the Lord's test, where frankly his offering wouldn't have been missed.

I suppose we have to hope Ian Bell can come up to the mark and that Bhopara does deliver against the Aussies as he did against the W.Indies.

[Windom]

Ah Bell, master of the stylish 30 and then out

[Brendan]

Told you so.

[Sherwick]

Completely disagree with those saying KP is arrogant AND that he 'needed to be dropped'.

What's he ever said that's arrogant? Or, what's he ever done that's arrogant?

I've heard plenty of people *SAY* that he's arrogant but I've never actually heard *him* say anything arrogant.

Secondly, he's our best player consistently over the last 4 years (i.e. since he started playing).

You don't drop your most consistently good player (unless you are mad or an aussie).

Finally, those saying he did nothing at Lords - he was actually involved in critical partnerships in both the first and second innings. His average of 38 in each inning is far below *his* test average, but is only 2 runs below Bell's career test average.

I've been following England since the mid-70s and KP is EASILY our best batsman since I started watching.

[Marmora Man]

Sherwick,

I've been following England since early 70s - not a particularly happy run, but I've enjoyed it!

A couple to compare with KP. Both had consistency on their side.

Trescothick? 14 centuries and 29 50s in Test Matches - tho' admittedly his record against the Aussies wasn't that great (no centuries and, I think, 7 50s in about 14 matches).

Graham Gooch (Essex player, my team ? that?s better). 20 test centuries, including about 6 against the Aussies, 46 50s. First class average of 49.

There's plenty of anecdotal evidence that KP plays for the glory of KP. I suggested dropping him for Lords only - he did nothing special that any other no. 3 / 4 batsmen couldn't do.