Ashes to Ashes

I woke up at with one hour to play and that was the end of sleep for me. Lay in bed with the headphones on in a lather of nervous sweat.
What an atmosphere at the ground . Quite the best series of modern times and right up there with the West Indies series in Australia in 1961.
The Aussies off to Scotland to lick their wounds and regroup.
England must be rueing letting them off the hook.
We can only bat better. Our problem is the attack has few teeth. Maybe Punter and the other selecters will have to take a punt on a new bowler to replace Dizzy.
As for England, isn't it grand to not have these problems. Even Jones behind the stumps seems to have redeemed himself.
I said roll on next week and now I'll say it again.
Pity we had all those non-competitive years.

Probably England have missed their only chance to go ahead in the series. Oz (most of) did fine, and maybe a few of the English can improve too. Recall of injured McGrath with infected Lee was enough ... Well done Bell etc, and maybe Harmison can be reinvigorated with a nice rub of chilli-mustard liniment ...

Bugler was a star.

Chumpy, do you think England have peaked too early?

Round Three
Seconds out....

We don't count the first test as Round one, it was too onesided.

Lomo, I don't think that England peaked too early, but do know that if you don't take your chances, regrets are usually order of the day.

I do feel that probably Gillespie has been a bit over-maligned, and hopefully Tate won't be better ...

England were lucky to win 2nd Test - silly not to win rain-reduced 3rd. I like them/hope that as many of the England 11 today in another weather-reduced Test play as well as probably a rejuvenated Oz 11. Feel that best England can get is a series draw.

Chumpy, good signs for England. a handy toss to win.
Aussies fielding well but need to take those very difficult chances as this series is so closely contested.
No Balls may be the deciding factor.
Tate will do nothing but improve from here on in.
Must say I am Impressed by the coverage but listen to the radio and keep TV sound off.
However if I hear one more word about buses going down "The Old Kent Road" or elsewhere I think I will go berserk.

I'm not as confident, pitch dead and weather drying out means less swing. I think this is a wicket for 'old fashioned' grafting to get wickets/runs. If England get away this morning then fine, if not I think we may struggle to get the Aussies out. Not a wicket for the harmison/Flintoff back-of-a-length.

Bruce

Mmm - a solid stand between Freddie And Jones puts the match out of the Aussies hands, then they turn the screws with 5 wickets... You could not have wished for any better...

Looks like England had a brilliant day..I am looking forward to watching the highlights...they are on early tonight!

Cheers,

Jon

Aussie newspaper banner this morning
" Ashes To Ashes"

What a palaver! Well done England chaps, and please do not continue to let Oz have a chance -this is your time ...

Oh blow! Just looked at my TV-cricket-this-summer highlights tape and thereupon is not yesterday's 'highlights' time-shifted but stuff about Nelson ... roll on release of further cricket DVDs.

I would be quite happy if opposition not given chance to win at Oval, as I think sod's law being what we make it, England for a change will not win there. 5 days of rain would do for me.

Five days of rain would be fine, I don't want to have to go through another 2nd innings like that, much to stressful!

Well bowled Warne and Lee.

The Oval is usually a belter of a wicket, hoping for rain!

Matthew

I would like to nominate Brett Lee as best sport and most engaging personality of this series.

Mr Brett Lee's nomination as excellent sportsman heartily endorsed - great batting/bowling etc with magnanimously-spirited humour consistently demonstrated. It is possible to bowl effectively at 96 mph as if you mean it-look aggrressive AND be 'nice' (I suspect he'll go and bowl Oz to Oval victory...).

Fortunately 35 minutes CH 4 TV highlights re-broadcast/re-recorded at midnight this morning to keep me going till 5th Test/DVD release.

Probably as team England will have Collingwood in for Jones the bowl. All other Englad chaps despite lapses have contributed to what is a fortunate/should have been an 'all over' lead.

Harmison will have to get pacey consistency back by next week.

Oh god. I partly wish I was watching it today, partly cannot bear it!

If Warne gets on a roll I really fear the worst, if Vaughan plays without his recent carelessness I think he will be the key for England. Hope we get a full day play, what a shame to end such a series with a weather delay.

Bruce

TMS on in the background. Getting work done is hopeless!

For six right now, another 15-20 overs and England will be a little more comforatable.

Nail biting stuff!

Matthew

261 for 7. All my patients spending more time talking about the cricket than their health.

Surely it is tied up now...

Pieterson dropped on 0 and 15!

YES

So there we are a 5-0 series win by Australia as predicted by Glen McGrath not.

Well Done E n g l a n d

Howard

What a great series!

Both sides played some amazing cricket. Hopefully make it to the celebrations tomorrow work permitting!

Matthew

Probably England's greatest sporting achievement in my lifetime. The best test series I have ever seen and I've been watching since the early 60s. I don't think any other sport could create such tension over such a prolonged period.

Add to that, the wonderful sportsmanship and humour which was shown.

Shame neither Blair nor the Queen put in an appearence - but perhaps that's a good thing for this was an occasion for people who really do something positive - so polliticians need not apply.

Of course, I'll have to buy Sky now.

Well done England and well played Australia - in Shane Warne you have the best sportsman in the world.

Rotf

A great summer, the reputations of cricket in general, and many of the players in particular have been hugely enhanced.

What a shabby presentation ceremony though, made me cringe with the ineptitude and the final football-style ticker tape explosion. Yeugh! At least they did not all start bouncing up and down.....

Bruce

Yes, Congratulations to both teams.
As Richie Benaud and Frank Worrell showed in the tied test series the game is always the winner when played in the right spirit.
Neither team comes out of the series as losers. The difference thogh definitely the growing self-belief of England though I don't think it was mirrored by their supporters.
A lot may happen in the next 18 months. The Australian team will see a change or two or three as we bring in some new blood.
The funny thing is that the next wave are all in their late 20's and early 30's.
Once again well done England, savour it while you can.