Victory Margin

[Mr Hutt]

Originally Posted by flanflinger

By batting well on a featherbed you have deduced this?? Lets wait till England atleast bat before deciding that this is the case.

Also don't forget that England lost the first Test last time and won two out of the next three, we only needto draw and the Ashes are going nowhere!!

England is now 53/3 on the end of the second day

That being said who knows how the next two tests will go so too early to predict accurately yet... but i doubt if you guys are gonna take the ashes back to england.

[Notts Exile]

What were you lot saying after Lord's last year? I remember a few people looking very silly at the end of the summer. England are notoriously slow starters.

[Mr Hutt]

Yes Notts they are..... they also lost the first test in the last ashes and came back to win the series, however its useless to compare the two sides over the two tests because England do not have the same firepower in bowling.

[Notts Exile]

Originally Posted by Mr Hutt

they also lost the first test in the last ashes and came back to win the series, however its useless to compare the two sides over the two tests because England do not have the same firepower in bowling.

That's very true, Mr Hutt. I was merely advising against such McGrath-esque statements.

England are far from the side that beat the Aussies over here. The firepower sure is not there. However, England does have more backbone than in the past and hopefully the likes of Freddie, Bell and KP will be able to show some tomorrow. Before the tour I didn't think we would win, that hasn't changed. What I feared would happen at the Gabba has thus far.

[Seamer]

A great two days for an Aussie fan. Glad i was there for them
I am not too keen to make series predictions yet though - i still think the series will be close, though there is little doubt Aus will go 1-0 up at the Gabba.

It was really bad toss for England to lose. A dry hard wicket that is already starting to crack up both down and across the wicket. There is still plenty of runs there, but batting will get progressively harder each hour the test goes on.
Anderson and Harmison failed to put the ball in the right spots and consistantly bowled too short or too full. Flintoff of course was superb and contrary to what others are saying, so was Hoggard. Giles tossed it up and to his credit bowled in a quite attacking fashion but he, Panaser or any other finger spinner was always destined to struggle on the Gabba
Flintoff is tactically inept IMO. So is Ponting too i suppose, so both teams cancel each other out in the captaincy stakes at least.
The hot, humid weather was brutal, but i was surprised at the level of England fitness. They bowled and fielded well for the entire innings. Hoggart's effort to nail both Ponting and Gilchrist in his 29th over is an example of the tenacity showed by most of the English team (with the exception of Harmison - i would be absolutely ashamed of myself if i was him)
My conclusion is England are definately up for the challenge - England teams from bygone years would have broken but this lot did not. Despite the seemingly one sided state of affairs, England actually looked good from my perspective from the sidelines. Australia can be well pleased of their efforts too and there can be no doubt they are hungry and keen for revenge.
This series might well live up to the hype yet.

[Notts Exile]

Originally Posted by Seamer

This series might well live up to the hype yet.

That was a very good, unbiased, summary Seamer. Hopefully the series will live up to its hype, though that doesn't often happen. In order for it to do so England needs Harmison to come to the party. Either that or Warne and McGrath to both trip over a ball or two in the next week or so! I'm not too hopeful but sports are strange and bizarre things happen. IMHO the Aussie side will have learned from their mistakes of 2005 and won't let England off the hook again.

[Seamer]

Originally Posted by Notts Exile

In order for it to do so England needs Harmison to come to the party.

He rarely got above 135kmh. During 2005 series, he was usually up around the 145+ area so that indicates lack of fitness. Blame that on English management, but it is inevitable that he will get quicker and gain more control as the series goes on. History says that he usually has one good test per series and it will likely be so down here too.

Originally Posted by Notts Exile

I'm not too hopeful but sports are strange and bizarre things happen. IMHO the Aussie side will have learned from their mistakes of 2005 and won't let England off the hook again.

Yes there are many reasons why the Aussies will be highly motivated. Revenge for sure, all the barbs at there age, and home ground advantage. They will take some beating.
But i am just saying that while on the surface England look like they are playing poorly, they are not. They were generally sharp in the field, and Flintoff, Hoggard and to a lesser degree Giles, bowled really well through the entire innings under very difficult conditions. Jones was awesome behind the stumps too.
I have been watching Gabba test for over a decade and this was the first time in ages that the opposition did'nt get mentally broken. They were bested, but not broken. They have earned my respect after watching them the last two days in any case. Drop Anderson, have Harmison find form and win some tosses and game on IMO.

[L Ramrod]

Originally Posted by Seamer

England actually looked good from my perspective from the sidelines.

Thanks for that Seamer.

Their performance must have lost something in transmission because on a Panasonic television in England we looked largely inept!!