As England enter their last innings of the Ashes, I'd like to know who Ironworks tips as the winner. (But we all know it's gonna be England).

Do you really think anyone not from England or Australia actually gives a crap ? :D

/me votes and goes back to rain dance...

Stop that rain dance at once!!... :D

I had to laugh out loud when the English in the crowd starting putting up umbrellas today to influence the umpires to stop play, and the Aussies in the crowd responded by taking off their shirts to sunbake whilst waving newspapers as fans as if to ward off the heat ;) . Those sort of sporting gestures are just what our rivalry for the urn is all about.

Now if we could just get the 2 captains to agree to a sporting decision to take the test into a 6th day to try and get a result (as per 1972) that really would be something. Somehow though I doubt that Mr Vaughn is up for that sort of sporting gesture.

Yeah, the crowd was very funny! I think England should be home clear now for this, thanks to a lovely series of falling wickets this morning.

[ 09-11-2005, 01:30 PM: Message edited by: shamrock_uk ]

By posting this you are showing your ignorance johnny!

D

That would make sense if the scores were level - but of course they aren't are they? And there is always the chance that Vaughn's sporting gesture would be repaid with a bit of underarm bowling!

D

That would make sense if the scores were level - but of course they aren't are they? And there is always the chance that Vaughn's sporting gesture would be repaid with a bit of underarm bowling!

D </font>[/QUOTE]OK, will swap you one extra day in this test for an extra in the 3rd, just to get a result I mean, in the interests of the game... :D


In Affectionate Remembrance of <strike>ENGLISH</strike> AUSTRALIAN CRICKET,
which died at the Oval on <strike>29th AUGUST, 1882,</strike> 12th SEPTEMBER, 2005,
Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances R.I.P.
N.B. — The body will be cremated and the ashes <strike>taken to Australia</strike> remain in England."

[ 09-11-2005, 03:03 PM: Message edited by: Aragorn1 ]

By posting this you are showing your ignorance johnny!

D </font>[/QUOTE]Glad i could help.

Enjoy your 2 years with them as much as we have enjoyed the last 18. We will look forward to your next visit down under ;) .

What a pity that the conditions saved you today - just when Australia needed a bright sunny and hot day with 98 overs of play we got dark damp and dingy that was unfit for batting after the first 10 mins (when Australia was first offered the light themselves). Now we will never know if your players would have had the bottle to excape the pressure that was building.

Well done to Freddie though - bowled unchanged and did everything a nation could ask for.

I'm glad i'm not the only one to have voted aussie. But i'm well and truly conceding defeat now.

I don't think we can blame the weather or lack of guestures of sportmanship for this loss. Truth is, from the second test onwards, the poms were the better team, hands down. No extended play can be warranted if we didn't make use of the play time that was allocated in the first place. Rain is ever a concern to test cricket, and we can't blame it for a loss. So i dip my hat to all ya poms out there. Congrats for forcing the first follow on in donkey's years and congrats for earning the urn. Just take good care of it. We'll be taking it back first chance we get! ;) [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Throwing the towel in already Davros? How very un-Australian of you!

Of course we know your players have no bottle - that's why they went off on Friday. I have a suggestion as to how you might win the next series - get that fat bloke to keep wicket for you, he does everything else!


D

Lanesra - there is nothing un-Australian about being smart enough to know when I am supporting a losing cause. That doesn't mean that I am waning in my 100% support of the team - now that would be un-Australian.

You will appreciate that I am not one to get out of my seat and walk away just because the team is going through a lean spell. I stay to the final whistle just like I know you and your big bro do. I am on this bus ride for life, and it has been pretty comfortable over the past 18 years. Time to fix this puncture and get back to reality in a couple of years time.

It's not as if we lost a football game to you or anything ;) .

Aaargh! 2 wickets have just gone in 2 balls! *!@$£* Glen.

And another one to Mr. Warne!!!

Number of six's by Pietersen 2
Number of time's he's been dropped 2.

That's cool, lets hope Pietersen and Flintoff can build a good partnership!!

Well the boys are going down swinging [img]smile.gif[/img] - will someone please let Pietersen know that he has a bat in his hands and he is allowed to use it to stop Brett Lee from hitting him (Youch youch youch).

Only 72 overs to go in the days play, and this time it doesn't stop until the overs are ALL bowled (well unless it rains).

Looks like the message has got through! Now if only someone could explain to Quidditch that he's supposed to catch the ball we'd be fine!!

D

[ 09-12-2005, 09:12 AM: Message edited by: Lanesra ]

Good to see Pietersen getting his highest score of the ashes when we needed it the most!!

Hilarious that he's been dropped three times after they took the piss out of his catching!!

AND AS I SPEAK KP GOES TO HIS 1st TEST HUNDRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D


D

Still 50 overs to go, so if we can't get the 3 wickets within the next 13 overs the jig will finally be up. Until then I keep the faith [img]smile.gif[/img] .

Pietersen deserves his first hundred, a big well done to him. I'm hoping he doesn't get out straight after tea!!

I wonder how much longer it will be before we can finally say the ashes are back where they belong!! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Vaughn is on the balcony. Perhaps he will declare in the interests of cricket!

D

just leave the urn (replica) by the door on the way out ricky.


T

Looks like the weather some lusty slogging and a couple of dropped catches have conspired to save England's bacon. Well done Terry - your boys shaded us in this series. I look forwards to another visit in 4 years time when we will be back to defend the Ashes again.

He don't come here much any more!!

If you think that we've shaded this series then you are deluding yourself. The finishes have been close but the truth is that we have dominated virtually every session since Lords.

Your team is falling apart as many of them come to the end of their Test match careers, and I can't see much coming along in the way of youth.

Our players on the other hand are just starting out.


Must go - the fat lady is clearing her throat!


D

[ 09-12-2005, 11:23 AM: Message edited by: Lanesra ]

Are we world champions at this as well now ?


T

To D - I thought it was you.

To T - naff off - you have achieved a slim result whilst playing the world champion Aussies. That places you somewhere like 2nd or 3rd in the world - don't get ahead of yourselves now ;)

All together now!!!

Everyone seems to know the score, they’ve heard it all before
They just know, they’re so sure
That England’s gonna throw it away, gonna blow it away
But I know they can play
Cos I remember

Three Lions on a shirt
Ashes Urn still gleaming
Sixteen years of hurt
Never stopped us dreaming!

So many jokes, so many snears
but all those 'oh so near's
when your down, through the years
but I still see that hundred by Boycs
and when Brearley was skip, Botham belting the ball
and Willis prancing

Three Lions on a shirt
Ashes Urn still gleaming
Sixteen years of hurt
Never stopped us dreaming!

They’re coming home, they’re coming
Ashes coming home
They’re coming home, they’re coming
Ashes coming home
They’re coming home, they’re coming
Ashes coming home
They’re coming home, they’re coming
Ashes coming home
They’re coming home, they’re coming
Ashes coming home
They’re coming home, they’re coming
Ashes coming home
They’re coming home, they’re coming
Ashes coming home
They’re coming home, they’re coming
Ashes coming home
They’re coming home, they’re coming
Ashes coming home
They’re coming home, they’re coming
Ashes coming home

D

so how do we become world champs, if not by beating the world chumps ? We haven't got ahead of ourselves, but ahead of you!

Farewell Glenda, tell us about the whitewash again [img]smile.gif[/img]

Richies just said his farewells. Cheers Rich, thanks for the memories [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img]


T

[ 09-12-2005, 12:08 PM: Message edited by: Lanesra ]

It's been 18 years since you last won an Ashes series. Enjoy the 2 years you will hold them for, and keep them polished because they are coming back ;) .

In our case it won't be 18 years between victories though - just 24 months to live through ;) .

And I am happy for the generations of English kiddies who up until now never even suspected that it was possible that their cricket team could beat the mighty Australians.

Cheers Rich - now if we could just get Tony Greig to retire as well some good could yet come of today [img]smile.gif[/img] .

What do you mean 18 years, it's only been 10 minutes

:D

Respect to the Aussies, a great performance and well fought until the end.

Bring on the next series, I hope that will equal this series in its excitement and the spirit in which it was played. Shame the end was a bit of a mess though.

[ 09-12-2005, 01:32 PM: Message edited by: Aragorn1 ]

Well, this poll is kind of redundant now, but we can still use this thread as a platform to boast about England's victory. But seriously, hats of to Australia, and Warne in particular.

ICC world rankings (points).

1 Australia 127
2 England 119
3 India 111
4 South Africa 100
5 New Zealand 100

This was before we beat you, aussie team is old. How many players won't be at the next ashes in england in four years. Warne, McGrath, Langer, Hayden, Ponting, Gilchrist, Gillespie. All well into their 30s. England is a young team compared. This victory is just the start. (Jinx Jinx Jinx...)

Edit - Oh and lay off Greig. He's cool.

[ 09-12-2005, 03:47 PM: Message edited by: Melcheor ]

Seconded. He consistantly lead Australian resistance with the ball, and with the bat. Truely a great sportsman.

I do think unless Australia finds some emerging talent they could be on the decline. Still a formidable force and although we may look back at this as a changing of the tide, England have much to do before we can truely claim to have surpassed the Aussies.