I reckon Fingal should enter a one day international side…
Pikey, he’s from Dublin - a huge Celtic supporter too by the way.
England and Wales finished on 303/2 after the 1st day of the second test - centuries for Cook and Bopara.
Michael Vaughan is expected to announce his retirement from all forms of cricket in the next day or two.
Best of luck to him - a superb cricketer and a magnificent leader of men. I still contend that his captaincy in the 2005 Ashes series was the best I’ve ever seen in any sport.
Less than a week to the Ashes and both sides are having their final warm up games.
Australia are taking on the ‘England Lions’ (who contain Eoin Morgan), while England and Wales are playing Warwickshire.
Brett Lee bowled a really fiery spell this evening and took 5 wickets but their other bowlers didn’t fire at all. The spinner, Hauritz, looks distinctly average. Morgan only made 4 before Lee trapped him.
Harmison bullied a few of their batsmen too. Phil Hughes has a huge reputation but GBH wrapped him a few times and got him cheaply fending away a bouncer. Katich and Hussey got big runs though.
KP has failed twice for England and Wales in their game but most of the others have got time in the middle. Flintoff took a couple of wickets and Jimmy Anderson seems to be bowling well. They’re saying the first test pitch in Cardiff will be a spinning wicket so they have Swann and Panesar bowling in the game.
Should be a dinger of a summer.
The ozzies should win this handy enough.
Can’t wait for this, haven’t had a proper summer infront of the tele watching sport all day since I was around 15…hopefully I don’t get a job anytime soon;)…
Le Tour and The Ashes… lazy ass students like myself can’t complain. 
[quote=“Bandage”]Less than a week to the Ashes and both sides are having their final warm up games.
Australia are taking on the ‘England Lions’ (who contain Eoin Morgan), while England and Wales are playing Warwickshire.
Brett Lee bowled a really fiery spell this evening and took 5 wickets but their other bowlers didn’t fire at all. The spinner, Hauritz, looks distinctly average. Morgan only made 4 before Lee trapped him.
Harmison bullied a few of their batsmen too. Phil Hughes has a huge reputation but GBH wrapped him a few times and got him cheaply fending away a bouncer. Katich and Hussey got big runs though.
KP has failed twice for England and Wales in their game but most of the others have got time in the middle. Flintoff took a couple of wickets and Jimmy Anderson seems to be bowling well. They’re saying the first test pitch in Cardiff will be a spinning wicket so they have Swann and Panesar bowling in the game.
Should be a dinger of a summer.[/QUOTE]
Good summary Bandage. A few lads seem to be playing themselves into form on both sides. Johnson will be interesting to watch. Scored 47 the other day but was expensive when he was bowling. Harmison could be back in the team for the second test at Lords because it will suit his pace.
I wouldn’t be getting too excited about Harmison with Hughes. SA tried the same tactics and he scored 415 runs in his first three tests.
Lee looked good, but he hasn’t played a test in a long long time and is coming back from injury.
There’s a big difference between a mickey mouse match with the English “Lions” or whatever they are, and an actual live test.
I see Vaughan retired, so no heroic comeback from him, though knowing his form, I’m sure he’l burst out of a commentary box somewhere to save the day when someone gets knocked down.
Can’t wait for this. Hope the first ball bowled is as good as Harmison’s outstanding effort in 2007.
I saw the highlights of this morning’s play on SSN at lunchtime. Harmison got Hughes fending away a bouncer for the second time in the game - he made 8 this time. Harmison’s bowled really well here and Hughes looked absolutely clueless when faced with the short stuff - he looked like a number 11 or something. Harmison’s also just got Ponting so if he keeps up this form then he may be an option for the second test, as Balbec says.
Bandage, do you seriously think Australia are going to show much in a match like that? It was notable that the two players who really needed to shine for Australia, who were under severe pressure to keep their place or break back into the team ie: Hussey and Lee, were the only ones that actually did anything?
Hauritz excepted of course, cos he’s always shite at this level.
Australia have a serious problem with spinners however. Hauritz doesn’t cut it, Symonds is gone, expect to see plenty of Michael Clarke bowling.
C’mon Fitzy, I know you’ve a hard on for Hughes but implying he didn’t fancy any time in the middle and got out on purpose, especially when he’s hardly ever experienced English conditions before, is stretching it a great deal. Harmison had him jumping around like a leper.
He’s hardly ever experienced English conditions? How about 574 runs for Middlesex in 5 innings?
Yes, 5 innings. That was my point - he’s hardly ever experienced English conditions and he got well worked over by Harmison when he could have done with more time in the middle. Are you implying he was happy to get out for 7 and 8? That’s plain daft.
I’d say he was quite happy and Ponting probably is as well. All I see now is that England have the measure of him, he’s no threat, England’s bowler’s are going to destroy Australia yadda yadda yadda. FFS, we’re talking about fucking Harmison here, can’t even get into the EW side.
I predict a Bradmanesque Ashes for Hughes.
I’m thinking 3-1 to Australia overall.
Whats your own prediction Bandage?
I’m thinking Australia by 2-1 or 3-1 at the moment but I reserve the right to change my mind before the first ball is bowled next Wednesday. I don’t think Hughes taking wraps on the fingers, hands and head and ending square up doing star jumps while gently lobbing bouncers to third slip and gully is ideal preparation for him so hopefully Flintoff is keeping an eye on that.
Will Flintoff actually turn up? Has someone bought him a bus pass?
Some of the Australians had good time in the middle yesterday and found some form. Marcus North got huge runs and Clarke and Hussey had good knocks too. Eoin Morgan’s currently 28 not out for the English Lions on the final day here - good experience for him batting against Lee, Johnson and Clark.
Brett Lee out of the first two tests is a huge blow for the Aussies.
Its a blow, but not a huge one rock, he’s been out of the test side for a while now with injury, so Mitchell Johnson has firmly established himself in the strike leadership role. Peter Siddle has emerged and is always a threat. Stuart Clark will come in and he has plenty of experience in England.
Lee will have his work cut out to get back in the team.