The Ashes Thread

Things that don't happen in most other sports:

The BBC live text commentary had an ongoing discussion over what would happen if the Queen streaked during a rain delay, including whether her bodyguards would be required to protect her from the security guards.

It also included this:

 

I still think England can be too timid for that. You have to play positively if you want the win, and I'd have way more confidence in England to chase down a final-day total if need be than to try to squeeze out 10 quick wickets.

Especially since a draw in the series goes to Australia. England has to win eventually, and they just can't risk a draw after this start.

 

Fan-fucking-tas-fucking-tic. That completely made my day.

 

The feeling over there is that England will enforce the follow-on, since they have five bowlers at their disposal. What an amazing day, you don't expect that kind of collapse from the Australians.

 

I'm glad to hear it.

I know it probaby makes me the equivalent of the newb fan at hockey games yelling "shooooot!" during the power play, or at basketball games yelling "three seconds!", but not enforcing the follow-on just seems nuts to me.

Unless your bowlers are just absolutely dog-tired, you are forcing yourself into a very difficult decision of when to declare, and giving your opponent a very easy decision on whether to chase or defend. I'd rather it be the other way around.

 

That pretty much always was the way it was done, because a lot of teams would enter a game with five true batsmen, one all-rounder, four dedicated bowlers, and a wicket keeper.

Then a move took place where teams would just employ four bowlers, add an extra batsmen for six and the wicket keeper, making it more arduous for the quartet to hold up their end, especially when the second innings came around.

There were exceptions to that rule, with the West Indian pace quartet in the 70's and 80's of Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts and Colin Croft just devastating opposing line-ups with their ferocity.

That was the era when the helmet became a regular piece of equipment for batsmen, such was the danger players were in of serious injury (broken ribs, concussions) against those guys, and then again with Curtley Ambrose, Malcolm Marshall, Courtney Walsh and Patrick Patterson after them.

 

Australia all out for 215 ... and England don't enforce the follow-on.

I'd say England need a lead of 450.

If they don't win, or if, God forbid, they lose, Strauss is going to be strung up.

 

Link to watch this live, desk?

 

Oh, Ansrew Strauss, your inexperience as captain just shone through.

At least he and Alistair Cook are off to another excellent start, 57-0 at lunch.

 

Erm, I don't really have one, no. There's live text commentary at the BBC Web site, or you could try justin.tv. It's lunchtime now, anyway.

 

About that excellent start...

 

*sigh*

Time will be an issue too, depending on how fast they score runs, I could see them pushing past 500.

If people aren't willing to try to find streaming video links, bbcnews.com always has a free, legal radio link.