The Ashes thread

[Norbs]

He's not my type that way but I like him as a pundit.

Don't knock it 'til you've tried it

[Norbs]

Bell was very very lucky not to be given out there

[Shaggy]

Bopara has to go now surely. 20s are no good from your number 3.

Bell was extremely lucky, that was absolutely plumb.

While we're on the subject, an Aussie mate of mine over here is complaining bitterly about the umpiring, claiming they've been "totally shafted"!

Reckons Johnson and Clarke were never out today. To me they were debatable but both looked out to me in real time, and Clarke survived a shout earlier that was hitting the top of off. You win some you lose some, but we've been all over them.

[Neil Young]

Bopara has to go now surely. 20s are no good from your number 3.

Bell was extremely lucky, that was absolutely plumb.

While we're on the subject, an Aussie mate of mine over here is complaining bitterly about the umpiring, claiming they've been "totally shafted"!

Reckons Johnson and Clarke were never out today. To me they were debatable but both looked out to me in real time, and Clarke survived a shout earlier that was hitting the top of off. You win some you lose some, but we've been all over them.

Proves my earlier point about Australia being like Manchester United. Divine right to win, etc.

[Leyton388]

Looking good for us now. Hope we can get a big lead tomorrow then put the aussies back into bat then bowl them out quick again. If we win this test match and go 2-0 up the ashes will be ours.

[Neil Young]

Both sides have been poor so far today.

Why is David Gower so self-satisfied? Does he not realise he's totally unfunny and a complete cock?

[Shaggy]

Haha that's harsh. I like Gower. In fact I like them all. I LOVE Athers (despite his penchant for substituting a 'd' for a 't' when he's broadcasting), Bumble, Nass, Warney, Mikey Holding...they're all articulate and insightful. Sky's cricket coverage is the polar opposite to their football coverage - not afraid to criticise their mates, genuinely insightful and articulate, interesting and, yes, sometimes even funny!

I suppose ultimately it comes down to a class thing. Almost all the English pundits - and indeed the current team - were privately educated.

[Reece]

Another downpour - doubt we'll see any play today

[Neil Young]

Haha that's harsh. I like Gower. In fact I like them all. I LOVE Athers (despite his penchant for substituting a 'd' for a 't' when he's broadcasting), Bumble, Nass, Warney, Mikey Holding...they're all articulate and insightful. Sky's cricket coverage is the polar opposite to their football coverage - not afraid to criticise their mates, genuinely insightful and articulate, interesting and, yes, sometimes even funny!

I suppose ultimately it comes down to a class thing. Almost all the of English pundits - and indeed the current team - were privately educated.

I can put up with the rest but Gower is awful as a presenter. He spends too much time trying (and failing) to be witty and his role is unclear - is he a pundit or a presenter? Telling Atherton to shut up just now was abysmal television.

I also find all the in-jokes, presumably a touch of the changing room, tiresomely repetitive. We know Botham is an old-fashioned male chauvinist pig, Hussein is a bit of a bore and Gower used to lose his wicket regularly in Bopara-like fashion - how many times do we need to hear it?

I find the upper-middle-classness of it all just as tedious as the dull punditry of their football presentation.

Basically there's too much sport on TV and I watch too much of it (I exclude cycling from both those statements but I know you'd disagree).

[Neil Young]

And David Lloyd's fine on Test matches but his 20/20 persona is infuriating. Have half the crowd dressed up as nuns and put a jacuzzi in a cricket-ground and he thinks he's become the funniest comedian in the world.

I agree the Test match analysis is generally good.

[Shaggy]

Another downpour - doubt we'll see any play today

Abandoned for the day

[Shaggy]

I can put up with the rest but Gower is awful as a presenter. He spends too much time trying (and failing) to be witty and his role is unclear - is he a pundit or a presenter? Telling Atherton to shut up just now was abysmal television.

I also find all the in-jokes, presumably a touch of the changing room, tiresomely repetitive. We know Botham is an old-fashioned male chauvinist pig, Hussein is a bit of a bore and Gower used to lose his wicket regularly in Bopara-like fashion - how many times do we need to hear it?

I find the upper-middle-classness of it all just as tedious as the dull punditry of their football presentation.

Basically there's too much sport on TV and I watch too much of it (I exclude cycling from both those statements but I know you'd disagree).

I know where you're coming from, but what else are they supposed to 'banter' about? They have hours upon hours to fill and I think they do a commendable job. Admittedly their banter and piss-taking can be a bit predictable but it always makes me chuckle.

And David Lloyd's fine on Test matches but his 20/20 persona is infuriating. Have half the crowd dressed up as nuns and put a jacuzzi in a cricket-ground and he thinks he's become the funniest comedian in the world.

I agree the Test match analysis is generally good.

"Start the car!"

[Neil Young]

I know where you're coming from, but what else are they supposed to 'banter' about? They have hours upon hours to fill and I think they do a commendable job. Admittedly their banter and piss-taking can be a bit predictable but it always makes me chuckle.

Yes, fair point about the repetitiveness. It's just I wish someone would shoot Gower...or at least remove him from the presenting gig.

I think TMS is pretty good these days, or at least it was last time I listened which, I confess, is not recently, now I think about it. Blowers is a bit of a windbag throwback but it's quite entertaining and informative.

"Start the car!"

and

[Shaggy]

What an amazing day's play. Sport at its best...totally engrossing. Absolutely loved the battle between Mitchell Johnson and Broad/Swann. Trading blows, boundaries, wording each other up, MJ & Swann eyeball to eyeball, Broad wading in to stick up for his mate, MJ then removing Swann, Broad then carrying the fight and squaring up to MJ ....fantastic stuff. And WHAT a ball from Swann to give Ponting the death rattle

Fred's innings

[Leyton388]

Yep it is looking good for us. If we can bowl them out quickly tomorrow then just go bat to get the win. Lookig good so far. If we win tomorrow the ashes will be ours IMO