It's going to be a great Ashes series!

[Lord Jim]

for one hundred and twenty three "runs" .

A pitcher allowed 123 runs in a single game?

Geez, I think even I could do better than that.....

[loCAtek]

Urm, I see you wielding a cricket bat, rather like him;

[Gob]

for one hundred and twenty three "runs" .

A pitcher allowed 123 runs in a single game?

Geez, I think even I could do better than that.....

Jim, there would have been four "bowlers" (not "pitchers") and some days scores can get up into the 400's.

That's why it's such an exciting game.

Roll on the boxing day test!!!

[Gob]

Nice bit of writing from Peter Roebuck here;

As the Australians have learnt from England in this series, though, it is time for the visitors to return the favour. On the field, the locals were slapping backs and shaking hands with the enthusiasm detected in the visitors from the outset. England's bonding had impressed them. Now the visitors need to consider the way their hosts set about taking wickets.

Aggression does not mean pounding the middle of the pitch. It is a manner, not a method. England can also reflect on the way the Australians turned their fortunes around.

Afterwards, the man-of-the-match award was given to Mitchell Johnson, whose spell on the second morning turned the contest on its head. Profligate in Brisbane, omitted in Adelaide and subjected to more analysis than a Manhattan housewife, the enigmatic beanpole tore England's batting apart. He was a bowler transformed in a team revived. One day he is Prufrock, the next Hercules.

Inspired, the Australians piled into the Poms and did not let go.

Moreover Ponting's team dared to play Australian cricket. It is a culture, not a civilisation. A team needs a theme, an identity. Over the years Australia has played confronting cricket. It has not always been pretty and periodically it has been overdone, but it reflects the national psyche and has been effective.

Realising his players had lost direction, and determined to go down fighting or not at all, the Tasmanian metaphorically took off the gloves and sought a bare-knuckle brawl.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/glo ... 191yz.html

[Lord Jim]

Jim, there would have been four "bowlers" (not "pitchers") and some days scores can get up into the 400's.

Yeah, I guess when the players use a "bat" that's just about as wide as a two by four, and the pitchers, (I'm sorry, "bowlers"... in this country bowlers roll big heavy balls at pins) have the pitching speed of a girls' High School soft ball team, there are bound to be a fair number of hits....

[Gob]

The players flew from Perth to Melbourne today, getting ready for the start of the Boxing Day test.

Ponting may play with a fractured pinky.

Aus's hopes are sky high...

Looking at a record crowd too.

[Lord Jim]

The players flew from Perth to Melbourne today, getting ready for the start of the Boxing Day test.

Does this mean we'll be spared any more of this till the day after Christmas?

Yes Virginia....

There is a Santa Claus.....

[Gob]

What? You don't want team status updates? Reports on the condition of Ponting's pinky?

[Sean]

You know he does... he just doesn't want to admit it!

Don't worry LJ, I keep sending you the updates you wanted by PM. Your secret is safe with me!

[oldr_n_wsr]

I suppose this "match" is still going on. No wonder they give you guys 12 months vacation/holiday, otherwise no one would show up for these games.

[Gob]

Good news for England;

Officials at the Melbourne Cricket Club, owners of the MCG, have denied switching the pitch for the Boxing Day Test in an effort to produce a fast surface like the Waca, thereby suiting Australia’s four-man pace attack.

There were fears of Ashes skulduggery in the aftermath of England’s demise at the Waca, as news seeped through that broadcasters had been told to shift their cameras at the MCG.

Sky and Channel 9 were told the curator at the MCG, Cameron Hodgkins, had decided to produce a new pitch for the Test match.

However, England were aware Hodgkins was working on two strips and Shipperd, whose Victoria side play at the MCG in State cricket, has stressed that the wet Melbourne summer makes it virtually impossible for a groundsman to recreate the kind of pace and bounce England’s batsmen struggled against in Perth.

"I wouldn't have thought they could do that at the MCG," Shipperd said. "It always provides a bit of early assistance if he (Hodgkins) leaves some leaf on it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricke ... pperd.html

[oldr_n_wsr]

So it's not over YET!!!!!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?

[Gob]

Crickey no, not by a long shot..

Two more five day matches...

Then the one day series starts...

16 Jan, 11 Australia vs England MCG
21 Jan, 11 Australia vs England Bellerive Oval
23 Jan, 11 Australia vs England SCG
26 Jan, 11 Australia vs England Adelaide Oval *
30 Jan, 11 Australia vs England Gabba
2 Feb, 11 Australia vs England SCG
6 Feb, 11 Australia vs England WACA


Not to mention the PM's XI...*


* Me and Hen will be at these matches, watch out for our reports and photographs, exculsive to Plan B and our website!!

[oldr_n_wsr]

Two more five day matches...

That will use up my sleep quota for a year.

[Gob]

Poor form Peter Siddle!

ENGLAND will refuse to engage in a war of words with Australia following the acrimonious Perth Test.

Sources close to the team revealed that England's players felt they had lost focus on their performances due to the exchange of verbal insults with a fired-up Australian attack and will instead give their opponents the silent treatment in the Boxing Day Test.

Even as it emerged chief sledger James Anderson is fit to play, England will leave it to Australia to ''talk until they're blue in the face''.

Australia upped the aggression in the third Ashes match and had instant results, with Mitchell Johnson rediscovering his form after jousting with Anderson, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss.

England held a sombre meeting following the WACA Ground massacre and determined that instead of exchanging barbs with their rivals - giving Australia more ammunition and inspiration - they would reply with actions and not words.

The Herald was told last night the new approach will be implemented to ensure the players do not start losing concentration, which suggests Australia's bowlers managed to distract them in Perth with their chatter.

Australian paceman Peter Siddle said England were being sore losers. ''We won the game. That's why they're making such a big deal of it,'' he said.

Wicketkeeper Matt Prior went as far as to castigate paceman Siddle for the verbal send-off he received after being dismissed in the second innings.

''As I left he said something which annoyed me,'' Prior wrote in The Independent. ''It doesn't matter what he said but once you have dismissed somebody you have done the job on them. There are not many boxing matches when a guy knocks someone out and then kicks him while he's on the floor. That isn't the way it works.''

[loCAtek]

I'm so bored, this makes more sense...

[Gob]

I bet the Aussies are going to have a fretful Xmas day..

RICKY Ponting is facing the most important net session of his career today as he attempts to prove his fitness for a potentially career-defining Boxing Day Test.

Under pressure to retain his place as captain should Australia lose in Melbourne - a result that would seal Australia's first home Ashes series defeat in 23 years - Ponting's fate could be taken out of his hands should he pull up sore from his first hit since fracturing his little finger in Perth last Saturday.

It is unknown whether Ponting will face the quicks - who are desperate to hold their places for the blockbuster Test - but even if Mitchell Johnson and co show mercy, he is unlikely to be given such sympathy by the visitors.
Advertisement: Story continues below

With enforcer Stuart Broad already out of the series, the role of roughing up Ponting could fall to giant quick Chris Tremlett, who claimed eight wickets in Perth last week in his comeback match.

Should Ponting miss his first Test in six years, his deputy Michael Clarke, who has endured a lean run this series, will lead Australia.

[Gob]

Last chance to practice!

Australia and England will have their final hit-outs at the MCG nets this morning ahead of the crucial Boxing Day Test.

Both sides attempted to put injury concerns behind them during training sessions yesterday, with Australia skipper Ricky Ponting batting for an hour despite a fractured left little finger and England's James Anderson bowling at sharp pace following concerns earlier in the week he was struggling with a side strain.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/aus ... 1979d.html

Boxing day test tomorrow, whoo hoo, lets get Xmas out of the way for the real fun to start!!

I have a stack of good wine in, nothing to do, all the food will be cooked, so I'll be spending the day on the couch not moving from this spectacle of the ultimate sport at it's finest!!

And the day after.

And the day after that.

But I'm back in work for the last two days.

[Lord Jim]

16 Jan, 11 Australia vs England MCG
21 Jan, 11 Australia vs England Bellerive Oval
23 Jan, 11 Australia vs England SCG
26 Jan, 11 Australia vs England Adelaide Oval *
30 Jan, 11 Australia vs England Gabba
2 Feb, 11 Australia vs England SCG
6 Feb, 11 Australia vs England WACA

[Gob]

Feb 19 - Sat Bangladesh v India, 1st match 08:30 14:00 S. B. N. Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Dhaka

Feb 20 - Sun New Zealand v Kenya, 2nd match 04:00 09:30 MA Chidambaram Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Chennai

Feb 20 - Sun Sri Lanka v Canada, 3rd match 09:00 14:30 H. I. C. Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Hambantota

Feb 21 - Mon Australia v Zimbabwe, 4th match 09:00 14:30 Sardar Patel Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Motera, Ahmedabad

Feb 22 - Tue England v Netherlands, 5th match 09:00 14:30 V. C. A. Ground
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Nagpur

Feb 23 - Wed Pakistan v Kenya, 6th match 09:00 14:30 H. I. C. Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Hambantota

Feb 24 - Thu South Africa v West Indies, 7th match 09:00 14:30 Feroz Shah Kotla
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Delhi

Feb 25 - Fri Bangladesh v Ireland, 8th match 03:30 09:00 S. B. N. Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Dhaka

Feb 25 - Fri Australia v New Zealand, 9th match 09:00 14:30 V. C. A. Ground
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Nagpur

Feb 26 - Sat Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 10th match 09:00 14:30 R.Premadasa Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Colombo

Feb 27 - Sun India v England, 11th match 09:00 14:30 Eden Gardens
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Kolkata

Feb 28 - Mon Zimbabwe v Canada, 12th match 04:00 09:30 V. C. A. Ground
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Nagpur

Feb 28 - Mon West Indies v Netherlands, 13th match 09:00 14:30 Feroz Shah Kotla
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Delhi

Mar 01 - Tue Sri Lanka v Kenya, 14th match 09:00 14:30 R.Premadasa Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Colombo

Mar 02 - Wed England v Ireland, 15th match 09:00 14:30 M.Chinnaswamy Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Bengaluru

Mar 03 - Thu South Africa v Netherlands, 16th match 04:00 09:30 P. C. A. Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Chandigarh

Mar 03 - Thu Pakistan v Canada, 17th match 09:00 14:30 R.Premadasa Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Colombo

Mar 04 - Fri New Zealand v Zimbabwe, 18th match 04:00 09:30 Sardar Patel Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Motera, Ahmedabad

Mar 04 - Fri Bangladesh v West Indies, 19th match 08:30 14:00 S. B. N. Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Dhaka

Mar 05 - Sat Sri Lanka v Australia, 20th match 09:00 14:30 R.Premadasa Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Colombo

Mar 06 - Sun England v South Africa, 21st match 04:00 09:30 MA Chidambaram Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Chennai

Mar 06 - Sun India v Ireland, 22nd match 09:00 14:30 M.Chinnaswamy Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Bengaluru

Mar 07 - Mon Kenya v Canada, 23rd match 09:00 14:30 Feroz Shah Kotla
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Delhi

Mar 08 - Tue Pakistan v New Zealand, 24th match 09:00 14:30 P. I. C. Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Pallekele

Mar 09 - Wed India v Netherlands, 25th match 09:00 14:30 Feroz Shah Kotla
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Delhi

Mar 10 - Thu Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, 26th match 09:00 14:30 P. I. C. Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Pallekele

Mar 11 - Fri West Indies v Ireland, 27th match 04:00 09:30 P. C. A. Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Chandigarh

Mar 11 - Fri Bangladesh v England, 28th match 08:30 14:00 Z. A. C. Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Chittagong

Mar 12 - Sat India v South Africa, 29th match 09:00 14:30 V. C. A. Ground
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Nagpur

Mar 13 - Sun New Zealand v Canada, 30th match 04:00 09:30 Wankhede Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Mumbai

Mar 13 - Sun Australia v Kenya, 31st match 09:00 14:30 M.Chinnaswamy Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Bengaluru

Mar 14 - Mon Bangladesh v Netherlands, 32nd match 03:30 09:00 Z. A. C. Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Chittagong

Mar 14 - Mon Pakistan v Zimbabwe, 33rd match 09:00 14:30 P. I. C. Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Pallekele

Mar 15 - Tue South Africa v Ireland, 34th match 09:00 14:30 Eden Gardens
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Kolkata

Mar 16 - Wed Australia v Canada, 35th match 09:00 14:30 M.Chinnaswamy Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Bengaluru
Mar 17 - Thu England v West Indies, 36th match 09:00 14:30 MA Chidambaram Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Chennai

Mar 18 - Fri Sri Lanka v New Zealand, 37th match 09:00 14:30 Wankhede Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Mumbai

Mar 18 - Fri Ireland v Netherlands, 38th match 04:00 09:30 Eden Gardens
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Kolkata

Mar 19 - Sat Bangladesh v South Africa, 39th match 03:30 09:00 S. B. N. Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Dhaka

Mar 19 - Sat Australia v Pakistan, 40th match 09:00 14:30 R.Premadasa Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Colombo

Mar 20 - Sun Zimbabwe v Kenya, 41st match 04:00 09:30 Eden Gardens
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Kolkata


Mar 20 - Sun India v West Indies, 42nd match 09:00 14:30 MA Chidambaram Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Chennai

Mar 23 - Wed TBC v TBC, First quarter-final 08:30 14:00 S. B. N. Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Dhaka

Mar 24 - Thu TBC v TBC, Second quarter-final 09:00 14:30 R.Premadasa Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Colombo

Mar 25 - Fri TBC v TBC, Third quarter-final 08:30 14:00 S. B. N. Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Dhaka

Mar 26 - Sat TBC v TBC, Fourth quarter-final 09:00 14:30 Sardar Patel Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Motera, Ahmedabad

Mar 29 - Tue TBC v TBC, First semi-final 09:00 14:30 Sinhalese Sports Club
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Colombo

Mar 30 - Wed TBC v TBC, Second semi-final 09:00 14:30 P. C. A. Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 Chandigarh

Apr 02 - Sat TBC v TBC, Final 09:00 14:30 Wankhede Stadium
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011