Things that matter

[Sean]

England 7-10
Aus 13-5
Draw 4

I didn't get to see any of the cricket last night so I logged in here knowing that Gob would have posted the scores. I nearly had a fit when I started reading that post...

[MajGenl.Meade]

...and I nearly had a fit when I turned on the TV tonight to watch the last couple of overs.... what did Oz do with that team that we've been playing for the last month? I want those guys back!

[Gob]

ROTFLMFFAO!! Nice one Sean!!

[Gob]

The Aussies make a stand!!!

Third Test, Old Trafford (day two):

Australia 527-7 dec v England 52-2



Australia continued to dictate the course of the third Test as captain Michael Clarke posted his highest Ashes score before Peter Siddle made early inroads into England's reply.

Clarke made an imperious 187 and was backed up by half-centuries from Steve Smith, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Starc in Australia's first-innings 527-7 declared.

Siddle then removed Joe Root and nightwatchman Tim Bresnan to leave England 52-2 at the close of the second day.

Captain Alastair Cook survived two near-misses to reach 36 not out, with Jonathan Trott on two.

On a pitch offering little to the seamers but plenty to the spinners, England were reliant on Graeme Swann, who took advantage of considerable turn to take 5-159, his 17th five-wicket haul in Tests.

Stuart Broad's 200th Test wicket aside, it was a difficult day for the England pace attack.

James Anderson was particularly innocuous on his home ground, recording his worst Test figures of 0-116 two days after being described as the best bowler of his era by Pakistan legend Wasim Akram.

I've said for weeks now that they are over using James Anderson.

[Gob]

England strike back!

Third Test, Old Trafford (day three):

Australia 527-7 dec v England 294-7

Kevin Pietersen scored a crucial century as England edged towards avoiding the follow-on during a gripping day of Ashes cricket at Old Trafford.

Pietersen's 113 and half-centuries from Alastair Cook (62) and Ian Bell (60) hoisted the hosts from a perilous 64-3 to 294-7 against Australia at the close of day three, 233 behind and 34 short of the follow-on target.

Ashes 2013: Kevin Pietersen buoyed after Old Trafford century

With rain forecast for Sunday and Monday, Australia's chances of forcing the victory they need to keep their Ashes hopes alive may hinge on whether they can take England's last three wickets cheaply on Sunday morning and ask them to bat again.

After Jonathan Trott (5) and Cook were dismissed in the morning session, a partnership of 115 between Pietersen and Bell steered England to a relatively comfortable 225-4.

But after Bell was bowled by Ryan Harris after tea, Mitchell Starc removed Jonny Bairstow for 22 and Pietersen to get Australia right back in the hunt.

They'd be daft to force the follow on now...

[Gob]

For our American chums...

Follow-on is a term used in the sport of cricket to describe a situation where the team that bats second is forced to take its second batting innings immediately after its first, because the team was not able to get close enough to the score achieved by the first team batting in the first innings.

If the second team to bat scores substantially fewer runs than the first team, the first team have the option of enforcing the follow-on, instructing the second team to bat again immediately. In this case the sequence of batting innings will be first team, second team, second team and then, if needed, the first team again. This is in contrast to the normal progression of batting innings which is first team, second team, first team, second team.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Follow-on

[Daisy]

Oh right. Cause that's going to entice them to watch the game even more.

They didn't need to know about the follow on until we got them hooked.

[Gob]

[MajGenl.Meade]

indeed!

I should imagine that England's tactic now must be to hang on, bat slowly, hide the tea pot, and hope for a draw. On a pitch better suited to spin (so they've said), they can't afford to let Oz take on anything but pace in their second innings - those long run-ups and strollng back to position will help. Day 3 was brilliant for both sides oddly enough; although either one would have wished to do better it was gripping stuff, a real battle.

Meade

[Guinevere]

Oh right. Cause that's going to entice them to watch the game even more.

They didn't need to know about the follow on until we got them hooked.

If that's the plan, it's not working.

[Gob]

Third Test, Old Trafford (day four):

Australia 527-7 dec & 172-7 v England 368


England's hopes of saving the third Test and retaining the Ashes at the earliest opportunity were boosted when bad light and rain ended the fourth day's play almost two hours early.

Scoring quickly as they pushed towards a declaration at Old Trafford, Australia had reached 172-7 in their second innings - a lead of 331 - when the umpires took the players off to the obvious dismay of Australia captain Michael Clarke.

Half an hour later, persistent rain began to fall, ending any hope of a resumption.

Australia, who have outplayed England for most of the match, may now be at the mercy of Monday's Manchester weather as they seek a victory that would reduce England's series lead to 2-1 with two Tests to play.

The intervention of the weather increased the likelihood that Australia will declare overnight, and leave England the task of batting out the final day.

However, with heavy rain forecast for most of the day, England appear likely to secure the draw that would ensure they retain the Ashes urn.

[Daisy]

Yay England won the Ashes!!

Now before you think this thread is over there's two more test matches to come, England just sewed it up nice and early.

[Sean]

Dear English cricket fans

You're welcome.

Regards,
That Manchester weather you like to take the piss out of.

[Gob]

Manchester weather is at least reliable!

Third Investec Test, Emirates Old Trafford (day five):

Australia 527-7 dec & 172-7 dec v England 368 & 37-3



England retained the Ashes by drawing the third Test as rain ended Australia's final-day victory push at Old Trafford.

The tourists were in a commanding position, having removed Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen to reduce England to 37-3 in pursuit of an unlikely target of 332.

But recurring showers prevented any resumption of a compelling contest after 14:03 BST, and the captains shook hands on a draw at 16:40.

The result gave England an unassailable 2-0 lead with two Tests to play in the five-match series and ensures they will keep hold of the urn, having triumphed in the past two series.

Cook's team need to draw only one of the remaining two Tests to win the series and underline their recent domination of one of sport's oldest contests.

"It's a great feeling, a strange feeling; it was a bit of an anti-climax today," said Cook.

"We've retained the Ashes and now we want to go and win them. If you'd said that after three Tests I'd have snapped your hand off to be in this position."

[oldr_n_wsr]

Manchester weather is at least reliable!

So is cricket for solving insomnia.

[Daisy]

Funnily enough I came home a day early from the caravan this week (I've been doing five at the van and two at home since we came home from Glastonbury). Because the rain on the fylde coast was so bad the awning was a paddling pool this morning. When I got back to Manchester it was fairly dry and the sun was coming through.

But yeah come on the Manchester weather, we love you really.

[Gob]

England 238-9 v Australia



Australia took an early grip on the fourth Ashes Test at Chester-le-Street as England's batting frailties were exposed once again.

Denied victory at Old Trafford by the rain as England retained the Ashes with a draw, Australia boosted their hopes of coming from 2-0 down to draw the series by reducing the hosts to 238-9 at the close of day one.

After winning the toss, England had battled their way to 149-2 on a slow pitch, but they lost seven wickets for 65 runs as Australia took control.

Off-spinner Nathan Lyon found a testing line and length to take 4-42, while the other wickets were shared among Australia's impressive quartet of seamers.

Captain Alastair Cook top-scored for England with 51 and Jonathan Trott made a fluent 49, but it was a day to forget for the hosts' other batsmen as they fell to a combination of intelligent, accurate bowling and reckless batting.

Cook's men have yet to post a total in excess of 400 this series and once again it will be down to their bowlers to right the wrongs of those paid to score runs.

[Lord Jim]

Yay England won the Ashes!!

Now before you think this thread is over there's two more test matches to come, England just sewed it up nice and early.

What?

One more ridiculous thing about that nonsensical game...

When a team wins The World Series in four straight, they don't play the other three games just for shits and giggles....

[Gob]

Well that's understandable.

[Crackpot]

Dull and Boring.

You said to do it.