[Bobling]

England 34-2, and the pendulum swings back.  Gotta love Test cricket.

[GraemeA]

39-3

We are still in the driving seat, 215 ahead with 7 wickets left

[butters]

Collingwood's dismissal really should seal the end of his Test career for England - he has had a poor series all round and has been out of touch for a while. It is only because of injuries to KP and the badly misfiring Bopara that he is still in the side IMO but as one door closes another opens - Trott has the chance to really seal his place for the South Africa tour here.

48/3 the score stands at and the lead is currently 220 - another 100 on that score is going to make it interesting - 200 really should seal the deal given that Australia have to bat again on this wicket. Lets be honest though - I have no idea how this match is going to turn out at the minute.

[rich d]

Just turned TMS on, whilst driving to derby wall. Is the pitch really bad or has it been dodgey batting? Not getting any sort of score in the second innings might just scare the convicts into thinking the pitch is umplayable, fingers crossed.

[Dr T]

Lets be honest though - I have no idea how this match is going to turn out at the minute.

that's got to be the most honest quote on a sporting event ever.... 

[DaveC]

OK, here's an honest appraisal from down under. When England got 300+ in the first innings I reckoned they had a considerable edge if the pitch was as fragile as reports suggested. As it turns out, I was right and even if England struggle in their second innings those first two sessions on Thursday after winning the toss may well prove to have decided the series.

Still, I look forward to the next 5-0 thrashing your lot will get when they come here next year! 

[SA Chris]

58/3 already? Is that the most number of wickets in a session ever?

[Aussiegav]

oh dear oh deary me. if you lot can't get the ashes from this position you may as well set up 5 ovals through out south africa and move the MCC and the ECb down there permanently.

there are 2 key plays that will have given you the ashes.
1. giving and persisting with mitchell johnson the 2nd new ball at cardiff. when we couldn't seal the deal there.. that put you in contention
2. Broad with probably the most inspiring piece of bowling in ashes history yesterday. that was the stuff of legend.. that has sealed the deal


however likely it seems a forgone conclusion. perhaps 2 guys in the australian line up will produce a batting performance that has a fusion of boycs and bradman.

man of the match: Broad

player of the series

Hilfenhaus, M Clarke or North

no one really deserves it from england IMO, if freddy gets it, what a farce.

[Aussiegav]

well it was an overstatement about broads bowling being the most inspiring in ashes history, but it is certainly up amongst the great performances

[andy higginson]

Aussies and their excuses. Oh it's a fragile pitch, oh why don't you set up five ovals, oh the umpires. Gets a bit tired after a while. Nobody thought 300 was a decent first innings knock from England until today's collapse, and now all of a sudden the tune has changed to, well, if you will set up a disintegrating pitch then of course our batting's going to fall apart, whinge whinge whinge. I see Strauss has made it to 32 on the same pitch. Anyway, that's enough ranting from me, you boys man up and take it on the chin, I'm off to get married this afternoon.

[Aussiegav]

no excuses from me.

[tomtom]

no excuses from me.

Apart from the pitch and the Australian bowling??        

oh dear oh deary me. if you lot can't get the ashes from this position you may as well set up 5 ovals through out south africa and move the MCC and the ECb down there permanently.

there are 2 key plays that will have given you the ashes.
1. giving and persisting with mitchell johnson the 2nd new ball at cardiff. when we couldn't seal the deal there.. that put you in contention

I dunno, bloody winging cons.....

 

Mind you still a day to go (It will not last beyond today, Shirley?) and lots can still change.... The slo-mo of the pitch breaking up under the bowling was pretty impressive....

[butters]

The pitch is a real duffer but had the toss gone the other way then we would be under the cosh just as the Aussies are now and quite possibly in a worse position given how fragile our top order is.

Give oldfella his due he hasn't mentioned Rauf's seemingly inexplicable umpiring decisions - two lbw decisions that were never lbw's really haven't helped the Aussie cause - the decision to give North out was especially crucial as he has been outstanding in this series. Not sure if Rauf was also at the bowlers end for the three wickets given off no balls but regardless he has had an absolute shocker.

Man of the match (assuming that there are no further Hollywood twists of the tale in store) - Broad for sure - one of the most important fiver fer's he is likely ever to take and he did it bowling like he should be bowling - line and length - as Ben Dirs said in his column for the BBC "McGrath, if watching, mightn't have known whether to laugh or cry."

Man of the series - North would be a shoe in for my vote for man of the series if wailing and gnashing of teeth were the voting criteria that's for sure - he still gets it even if it doesn't.

[tomtom]

Give oldfella his due he hasn't mentioned Rauf's seemingly inexplicable umpiring decisions - two lbw decisions that were never lbw's really haven't helped the Aussie cause - the decision to give North out was especially crucial as he has been outstanding in this series. Not sure if Rauf was also at the bowlers end for the three wickets given off no balls but regardless he has had an absolute shocker.

Naa, Rauf gives with one hand that he takes away with the other... 2 or 3 nailed on LBW appeals from Flintoff that were not given... Its Englands to loose now. COME ON!!!

[butters]

Naa, Rauf gives with one hand that he takes away with the other... 2 or 3 nailed on LBW appeals from Flintoff that were not given... Its Englands to loose now. COME ON!!!

From memory there was one nailed on decision when Watson was not given out - the rest were marginal. Point taken though.

[DaveC]

We're about to go out so I can't follow things this evening (it's 8.15pm here) but I think it's safe to say that Strauss is now the key for England. If he can put another decent knock together he can put this beyond Australia in a couple of hours and on his form this series you've got to rate his chances - he's definitely my choice for player of the series if they win this one btw.

[Aussiegav]

my reference to the 5 ovals in south africa, is due to the ever increasing numbers of south aficans coming into your side,.

how many englishmen are on the field now    i'm surprised tony grieg wasn't call in to replace bopara. 

not the pitch condition!!!

[GraemeA]

Well Shane Watson was born in Ipswich, Hussey was born in Morley Michael Clarke was born in Liverpool and Hilfenhaus in Ulverston 

[butters]

my reference to the 5 ovals in south africa, is due to the ever increasing numbers of south aficans coming into your side,.

I got it first time around but it is always good to make sure that all concerned realise what you are on about.

how many englishmen are on the field now  

The two "Englishmen" that are currently out there are progressing nicely thanks.  

[Aussiegav]

The two "Englishmen" that are currently out there are progressing nicely thanks.  

yeah Nasser and Gower are doing a good job in the booth. Not a patch on Sir Richie Benaud IMO.

[Jaspersharpe]

Well played Trott.

[butters]

Bloody hell - that must been one hell of a last hour in the afternoon session - sure that the lead was nowhere near 462 before I went to the shops.

[benpritch]

Only a miracle can save the Aussies now.

[Dr T]

500 lead is up
yay 

what money on a declearation when Trott hits his ton?

[Joepicalli]

I was just about say England should decalare and while I was typing they did.
Fingers crossed.