The Ashes First Test Lords Thursday 21st July..Day 1.

[Collyisamackem]

Originally Posted by Cliff-UK

we can do it. and even if we don't, i think we can content ourselves that God is giving the Austrlaians sport as a compensation for being on the wrong side of the world in a country where nothing ever happens - but sport.

England expects every man to do his duty - even if they're South African. The aussies pour scorn on the fact we take people form dxdifferent countries into our team. The y justr don't underestand that's the way of life in england. Anyone who wants to be English can be.

Roll on tomorrow. I can't wait. This is the biggest test series in cricket since Bodyline. Bigger than anything I can remember. Can any series have had so much written about it for so long?

KP's mum is English, so he can claim entirely justly that he is English (since he has "English" blood, whatever that is) and has every right to play for our team. The South African thing is getting a little tired now.

[Cliff-UK]

i just hope the old fuddy duddies who turn up at Lord's and drink their champagne and eat their cress sandwiches even in the commoners' stands don't dampen the enthusiasm of the rest of the fans. i agree with our kev's assertion that we shouldn't be even-handed withthem. The homefans should support England and no-one else. the Aussies should feel like Lord's is a bad place to play cricket - not their home from home.

Wor kev is right- they need to be less respectful at Lord's. If they were at the Riverside there'd be a bit of banter.

[Collyisamackem]

Spot on Cliff, Lord's needs to be hostile to them as much as The Oval always is.

[Mongoose]

I've waited for so long for this, having only seen one morning of cricket this summer. Unfortunately I'm going to be working my silly behind off for the first couple of days, but by Saturday I will be newly unemployed and will be able to take in the action at leisure. Hopefully England will be 500 ahead by then, with Aus 5 wickets down. Anyway, here's to the great series we're all hoping it will be.

[Cliff-UK]

oh its it's brill isn't it, colly
I think it is down to our confidence now. We have got the talent and the youthful vigour to beat the Australians. They are not gods. Every dynasty falls. And it was inconceivable at one point that the West Indies could ever get beaten. Maybe - just maybe- it is our turn. Hey, things are changing for Britain this century. We won the rugga world cup - that doesn't happen. We got the olympics - that doesn't happen. we will win the ashes. and then the foota world cup next yr. come on England! (hmm - am i getting a bit carried away?)

[R W S]

from the Guardian


In the past 10 years the team winning the toss in a Lord's Test has bowled first 11 times out of 15: they have won 45% of the time, compared to 40% for those who decided to bat first. In Test history 77% of sides have chosen to bat first at Lord's: 44% of teams who chose to bowl first won, as against 33% of those who opted to bat. Even allowing for the ghost of Brisbane 2002, expect the words "We'll have a bowl" tomorrow morning.

Nasser Hussain and Duncan Fletcher 1999-2003

T42 W16 D13 L13

Win percentage 38%

Michael Vaughan and Duncan Fletcher 2003-

T26 W17 D5 L4

Win percentage 65%

[greg]

Not going to sleep much tonight as i am like a kid waiting for christmas morning.Way too excited.Should calm down but can't as it is the ashes.We have to win.We just have to.

[Kirsty Harris]

And so, finally the most eagerly awaited test match series I can ever remember (well, at least for me!!) is just a few hours away from starting I have endureded two more horribly busy days at work to clear the decks and allow me the luxary of enjoying the cricket without getting phone calls from my idiot staff!!

This time tommorow, I hope England are either batting having won the toss and have been putting the Aussies to the sword all day or batting having dismissed the Aussies for less than 200!! ( I think the former is more reaslistic!!!). Anyway, either way, I shall be there enjoying a great days test cricket!!! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

[Victor Frankenstein]

Originally Posted by flanflinger

Quite nervous, working from home tomorow!!

top stuff, me too (although i actually am going to do work, got a load of reports to read, but i will watch the cricket at the same time)

I'm more excited than an excited person who's really really excited. Unfortunately despite desperately trying to be part of Ernest's blindly optomistic club, I just can't help feeling it will be another batting collapse and wayward bowling ashes series for england :*( However, having said that, for the first time ever I actually do think if we play properly we have enough talent to win, whereas in previous series over the past 20 years i haven't considered we'd evene be close if we played at our best.

I'm definately coming round to the idea of us playing for a few draws to tire them out and then get a win at the oval to clinch the ashes 1-0 I do think if we win this series, even if it's down to luck with the weather or whatever else, it will be a springboard to us dominating cricket for a bit, it will be that missing piece in the jigsaw, true self belief... god help the rest of the worlds bowlers if tresco actually has a good series with the bat.

Seamer asked about the weather, down here in southampton the weather is patchy, lots of sunshine followed by 20 min rain shower, then thick cloud cover and humidity, followed by sun, then showers again, repeat ad infinitum. The weather was headed london way so I can see this being a big anti-climax of stop start sessions and finally being abandoned to rain as the weekend is predicted to rain heavily. Our weather can change pretty quickly, but current reports suggest saturday and sunday will be rained out, so it will be a three day test at best, could all be decided by the toss.

[Kirsty Harris]

Just over 12 hours to go Can you stand it?!

I'm off to bed, I've got an early start in the morning, thanks to Channel 4 insisiting the match start early for the sake of silly soap not being on late ! We'll be leaving at 8am, which is a pretty harsh for the first day of my annual leave, but I don't like people who turn up after the start of play.

Oh well, less time to wait, I suppose!!

Fingers crossed for a positive start for the summer!

Note to Vaughan if you win the toss, please, please, please bat first!!