2006 Ashes

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What's the plan HB? Climb onto the roof with a picnic? You've got about as much chance getting a ticket as England have at retaining the world cup. I think they sold out in few hours. I know there are thousands of English supporters making their way over there without tickets.

 

Amazing. How can test cricket sell out? Over here, the one day games sell out, but you're lucky if 100 people turn up to a test match.

Oh well, hope there's a nice big screen in the hotel.

 

You might be able to blag a day 5 ticket (people don't buy them much in case the game's over in 4 days) but they'll be a lot of competition for them! I tried countless times when the Ashes were on here, but you were very lucky to get any if you didn't buy them months in advance. People were selling tickets for hundreds and hundreds of pounds. Ashes fever is crazy.

 

Crazy stuff. Maybe I should be more worried about where I am going to watch the All Blacks v Wales game.

Anyway, I'd better not go too near to the Ashes in case I get all depressed and have to go home, like Trescothick.

 

Yeah tickets are hard to come by down here too. My Dad's mate has members tickets, so he's set, but I wasn't as lucky. Live TV coverage from Thursday morning though!
Warne says he's perfected his flipper and says he can get it right at least 3 times out of 5. Should be good to watch.

 

The tests are on at silly hours for me. Thi is my first week on my job as well, so I can't afford to be walking in a sleepless zombie.

I'll have to just catch the highlights.

Damn, why do crickets bitterest foes have to live on opposite sides of the globe? If only the French had taken it up under Napoleon - and surely a game in which not much happens for 5 days and food breaks play a large part was designed with the French in mind? No matter.

 

You slacker. I watched all the last Ashes series live in the middle of the night and New Zealand weren't even playing. Just park yourself on the couch with a warm blanket and take a few snoozes during the night. You'll be OK with a few strong coffees the next day. It's only five days, then you can rest up until the next test.

Meanwhile, Brian Lara is smashing the Pakistanis all over the place.

 

I might just do that you know! Catch a few winks when I get in from work, I should be OK.

 

Sport is definitely best live. And cricket is the perfect game to snooze through parts of. The commentators voices will go up in volume and pitch whenever anything exciting happens so you won't miss anything good.

 

I'd stay up all night but we don't have Sky. I hate Sky why do they HAVE to have the rights to EVERYTHING its ridiculous. I'm going to have to make do with the highlights on the BBC.

 

Sky have the rights because they pay the most money. You could still stay up all night, just listen to the wireless, like the good old days.

 

It's like £35 p/m for the sports package on Sky, get your money out you tight rat.

 

I cant afford that I'm a student!

 

Ooh, it's started.

Ooh, Harmison has been smashed for 19 off 3 overs.

The Barmy Army bugler has just started up, trying to lift England's spirits - but it's all Australia at the moment. It's like watching a one day game.

71-0 off 16 overs!

 

Fletcher bottled it.

Giles?

The only thing Giles has over Panesar is that he can bat. So play Mahmood! Drop Anderson and play Mahmood. Don't drop Panesar, who's been England's best bowler just do have some pie-throwing spinner who averages 20 with the bat. He played the easy option and bottled it, plain and simple.

Dire start, really. We knew this pitch wouldn't swing but still played 2 swing bowlers. Do they know something I don't? This pitch was crying out for aggressive bouncer/yorker bowling. I think the first proper bouncer (not some chest high pull-screamer) came around over 10. Harmy mate, if you cant get your length right, just bounce them! Upset them, take them off their rythm. Al he's done is give them easy runs. We gave them 40 runs before we even started bowling properly. Flintoff's the best bowler by a country mile, but he can't bowl one end all day.

Still can't believe Giles/Anderson instead of Panesar/Mahmood...

I guess the only good thing is that this track is flatter than Keira Knightley's chest so it should give our batsmen plenty of runs. Provided they don't gift their wickets away, it's all on the bowler to do the work. But you can bet that Lee will come in and bounce our boys to death, just like we should have done...

We can't let Ponting settle or we might as well call this game a wrap and think about match 2...

 

Well, Giles did just get a wicket - which is more than those other weaners managed.

 

That was such a flat wicket, it did absolutely nothing for our pacers all day. It's a batsman's paradise. When you've got Hoggard, Anderson, Flintoff, Harmison, you really need some help off the pitch/ball and they got nothing. The ball didn't even swing one bit.

The only thing I saw to scare me was that Pietersen came on and bowled some rip snorting spin. I'm not looking forward to seeing Mr SK Warne on this pitch... thats exactly why Panesar should have played

[ November 23, 2006, 09:09: Message edited by: Barmy Army ]

 

Yeah, the 'Gabba is Warne's favourite ground, too (in Australia).
When the Ashes were on last year none of the major stations would pay for it, SBS managed the secure the rights for a song - this was awsome, live coverage, no adds, and corker of a lunch program, hosted in the rooms of an obscure cricket ground in the Sydney suburbs and comedian who hasn't hosted a gig in more than a few years. The last time I saw his co-host was in the financial pages as deputy ceo of some money management firm.
I ended up staying up past 12 each night, just before my mid years.

Pretty awsome start though, I guess a Hussy/Ponting partnership is gonna be imposing on any day. I won't get too far ahead of myself though - we won pretty comprehensively at Lords last year, but still managed to loose the series.

I was also surprised at the disinclusion of Panesar - I would have liked to have seen him play. Englands attack is looking a lot weaker than last year, Harmisons first deliver was hilarious - the commentater was building it up as the most anticipated delivery of the summer, and it ended up several feet wide . Also the whole pace attack seems sorely lacking without Simon Jones.

 

At least the Barmy Army never shut up all day. That's all I could hear all game. God bless 'em.

 

It's a bit sad that Pietersen was your star bowler towards the end of the day....