NatWest Challenge, The Brit Oval: England v Australia Tuesday 11th July.

[John]

I don't think England should be written off. I just think they have to beat one of the great sides.
I think there has just been a lack who have England been playing in the last 18 months? Not outstanding sides by anyone who has watched cricket over the years. Now we shall see who steps upto the plate because England will be needing it.

[Trescothick]

It is a demoralising defeat unfortunetly.. I do feel we will still be in with a good chance in the Ashes and maybe even win.. But might have 2 re-evaluate

[Oliver]

Well, at least Test match cricket is played to the REAL rules of cricket.

Having said that, I thought the substitution thing was quite interesting. Though I do rather a fear a time in the future when ODIs will be played to an American Football style format.

This the DEE-fence, and this is the OH-fence. Eleven players for one, eleven for the other.

I thought Solanki did well today. All that could be asked of him anyway. And Vaughan did absolutely appallingly, nothing that could be asked of him.

Getting himself in, getting himself out, and making another terrible decision with regard to the use of twelve players.
I believe it is documented elsewhere what I thought of his use of Giles in the first of these one-dayers.

Now let's get down to the real stuff.

Let's everybody have some determined nets. Forget the nonsense of the pyjama game and knuckle down to some decent Test performances.
Don't let's worry about unduly entertaining the public by gung-ho up-and-at-'em tactics. Let's play each ball on it's merits, against the best bowlers and cart every Lee delivery until he chucks in that rather surprising head ball (sorry for the offensive use of the C-word there) jerk your head out of the way of that one.

Let's bowl hostile, bang on Hayden's chest deliveries and a few toe crunchers. A few outies and a few innies, and some stunning catches.

In short England: let's go and play world class Test cricket.

If we can.

[John]

Well said Oliver. Too many one dayers for us old stagers.

[Trescothick]

Positives for England to take from the Natwest Challenge into the test:

Tresco - Has looked a lot more comfortable since the traingular series and his century proves he can score some big scores againt the Aussies ahead of the tests.
Strauss - He can settle, lets hop he goes on to make some bigger scores
Flintoff - He has scored a big innings now and we are all eager for him to play a mature innings and get some nice scores at No 6.
Giles - Been good with the bat and done some good bowling
Harmison - The Aussies now slightly fear him so we can do some damage with him.

So if we take all those positives, and if Bell and Thorpe and Hoggard come in and do well, Vaughan rises to the occasion again and Pietersen on the brink... It looks very good for the test series coming up

[Mongoose]

Although there are positives going into the tests, it doesn't hide the fact that England need to play out of their skins to beat Aus. What we're seeing now is Aus playing more to their ability, which is what was going to happen all along anyway. It's just taken longer than expected. I was surprised to hear the Aussies saying they were 'worried' about their form a few weeks back. I always thought they would back their own ability. Now they've got that confidence back, it's going to be very difficult for England. I think it will be close, but Australia are starting to look ominously good.

[Nightwatchman]

Well, Pietersen has proven he can play a careful, responsible innings when England backs are against the wall. I expect he'll be picked now, so long as HIS fitness isn't a problem. I was a Thorpe supporter but KP produced a Test-style innings under tremendous pressure. He has demonstrated he has the attitude required both for rampant attack and for biding his time. When Collingwood came to the crease I felt he would be the man to hold things together and that he might embarrass KP's advocates, but it wasn't to be.

Gillespie and Kasprovicz both had a good day with the ball. It won't be that easy for Aussies to pick between them. Things are pretty much set up now for a competition between two teams firing on most cylinders.

[Pete]

Not the first time KP has done a decent job under pressure either..

http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2...13FEB2005.html

England were 68-6 at one stage and KP scored a hundred.

[oz100no]

Gillespie getting wickets, Kasperwicz bolwing improves, Ponting & Gilchrist finding form. Who said these last three one-day games were a waste of time, seems to have topped the Aussies of nicely.

[Ernest]

Yes but OZ, the pressure is now on these players to keep this form up, when the game starts in earnest "The Ashes".

For both side the kind of shots being played will be just a memory, when they look behind at the slip cordon, and clsoe in fielders.

A different game altogether.