Boxing Day Test

[Ian]

Rain has been forcast in Melbourne today.

from http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200612/1818248.htm?melbourne

Rain forecast for start of Warne-McGrath farewell tour
Tuesday, 26 December 2006. 07:39

Rain is likely to put a dampener on the first day of the Boxing Day Test against England and Australian leg spinner Shane Warne's farewell to his home-town crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today.

Showers are forecast for the first three days of the Test, putting under threat Australia's much-hyped chances of sweeping the Ashes series 5-0.

The Australians won back the Ashes by taking an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-Test series in Perth.

In the build-up to the Melbourne Test both Warne and fellow Test veteran Glenn McGrath have announced that they will retire from Test cricket after the fifth Test in Sydney.

Despite the forecast, a world record crowd is expected to attend the opening day.

Cricket Australia predicts a crowd of 95,000 which would break the previous record of 90,800 set at the same ground in 1961.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting said he always looked forward to playing in the Boxing Day Test.

"It's always a special game, this one, to come and play on this ground," he said.

"It's my favourite ground to play on anywhere in the world here at the MCG.

"The atmosphere is going to be electric as we all know."

Ponting warned his players to expect England to hit back hard after losing the Ashes.

England would be playing for pride and were no longer weighed down by the pressure of defending the Ashes, he said.

"Sides can be really dangerous in this sort of situation I think as we've found before," he said.

"We have to make sure we don't give them that opportunity to play the sort of cricket they want to play."

England cricket captain Andrew Flintoff echoed Ponting's words, saying his team was still highly motivated.

Flintoff said despite losing the Ashes, England wanted to give their thousands of supporters in Melbourne something to cheer about.

"Obviously we're playing for a lot still," he said.

"The occasion of Boxing Day in Melbourne is huge and we want to show that we can win out here.

"We want to show that we can win two Test matches. It's a big occasion for us and there's a lot of people coming out to watch us and we want to give them something as well."


Many who will be attending the Test at the MCG will be hoping to see Warne become the first bowler to reach the 700-wicket mark in Tests.

He is poised on 699 victims. McGrath is third on the all-time Test wicket-taking list with 555 victims. Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (674) separates the pair.

Ponting said his side wanted to sweep the Ashes series to give Warne and McGrath a fitting farewell.

Ponting said the other Australians would relish their final opportunities to play with two of the game's greatest stars.

"It's a great opportunity for all the players to really enjoy these next two games, these next two weeks, with two of the all time greats of the game," Ponting said.

"I'm not only talking about Australian players, either, I think they're going to go down as two of the all time greats that this game has ever seen.

"So, we've got to get out there and play cricket as well and as hard as we can and make sure that they're sent out on the right note."

[Ian]

It just started on TV.....and it's raining

[dinglinga]

stopped raining...radar looks good....bring it on

[mal]

EG win toss and batting

[Adelaide Hawk]

1/23. Lee's got the 1st break though. Cook out for 11.

[mal]

EG 1/36 and raining
Cook 11 out to the awesome LEE

Even session EG would be stoked only losing 1 wicket in bowler
friendly conditions, ball is moving appreciably in the air and the seam.

Strauss only needs 9 more runs to achieve a milestone and
that would be 100 runs since a bowler LEGITIMATELY dismissed
him on this tour.

Warrrrrrrrrrrrrney 1 more for 700, lets hope its Pieterson.

And fancy playing a test match at the MCG in the wet, should be
playing under the roof at Telstra Doom

[am Bays]

And fancy playing a test match at the MCG in the wet, should be
playing under the roof at Telstra Doom

With Warney and McGrath retiring Mal, we can't afford the injuries if we played at the Doom.....

[mal]

And fancy playing a test match at the MCG in the wet, should be
playing under the roof at Telstra Doom

With Warney and McGrath retiring Mal, we can't afford the injuries if we played at the Doom.....

Im glad you pointed that out TASSIE i had not realised that

Howwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwzat
Out
Bell LBW CLARK 7
AUSTRALIAS BEST BOWLER IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS STRIKES AGAIN
EG 2/44
Bell who has 5 test centurys against PAK+BANGLADESH fails

[dinglinga]

doesnt the paki umpire like the rain ...jeez slightest hint of rain and wants off

[mal]

STRAUSS an on drive of Mcgrath for 2
and thats 100 runs without a bowler getting him out LEGITIMATELY.
Last time he was genuinely out was first innings in Adelaide caught off Clark
EG 2/57
Strauss looks very '''composed'''

Collingwood very lucky
nearly LBW off Clark for o
dropped by Gilchrist of the luckless Mcgrath when 2

[Adelaide Hawk]

2/60. McGrath bowling beautifully. Symonds a close appeal for LBW, looked a little unlucky, very close.

Anyone else see the folly of Rudi Koertzen checking conditions for bad light while he's wearing sunglasses??!!!

[Adelaide Hawk]

I don't want to hear about all the bad luck Strauss has been having. Hados just dropped an absolute sitter. This is Strauss' day. Our catching (or lack of it) has been ordinary today.

2/72

[Adelaide Hawk]

2/98

Warnie's bowling hasn't as yet justfied the ovation nor the expectation. Having said that he's finally found his line and beaten Collingwood outside the off stump, then strays again down the leg side. 2/101. It worries me Warnie is bowling at the moment just for the seanse of theatre.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Lee's got another one. Collingwood caught by Ponting at 2nd slip for 28. Great ball, fine catch.

3/101

[dinglinga]

U BEAUTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Adelaide Hawk]

WARNE CLEAN BOWLS STRAUSS FOR WICKET 700!!!!!!!!!!!!

Magnificent effort by the best ever bowler. He's getting his line right after a shaky start and England looks vulnerable.

4/101

[MightyEagles]

Straight through bat and pad.
Bill and Tony had just finished their stint in the box and Peteirson was at the other end. I was close.

[mal]

I don't want to hear about all the bad luck Strauss has been having. Hados just dropped an absolute sitter. This is Strauss' day. Our catching (or lack of it) has been ordinary today.

2/72

This is STRAUSS day quote AH dropped on 41 made 50 big deal
7 innings 162 runs ave 23 is bad in the record books
out 4 times 162 runs at 40 is quite repectable.

wARNNNNNNNNNNNEyyyyyyyyyyy will be proud to get a great batsman for his 700th.

Stop your complaining AH your man LEE has 2 wickets today
Lets hope he gets a 5 for and we clean them up for 200 odd.
If he can he might get his ave per wicket down below 50 this series

EG 4/114 at tea

[Adelaide Hawk]

Stop your complaining AH

Who's complaining, I'm just pointing out that whenever a batsman gets 1 or 2 bad calls, all the commentators carry on like he's the unluckiest SOB who ever walked the face of the earth, but they say nothing about good fortune when a batsman gets dropped or given not out when he's clearly out. What about the luck McGrath has had today? Batsman have played and missed at him all day.

[mal]

Stop your complaining AH

Who's complaining, I'm just pointing out that whenever a batsman gets 1 or 2 bad calls, all the commentators carry on like he's the unluckiest SOB who ever walked the face of the earth, but they say nothing about good fortune when a batsman gets dropped. What about the luck McGrath has had today? Batsman have played and missed at him all day.

AH has there ever been a batsman in the history of the game given out
3 consequetive times when clearly not out.
That is bad luck, not getting dropped in one individual innings.

I was caught behind twice of the pad in 2 innings in a row when I was a teenager both
in my first 2 A grade games at a club, and then lost my spot.
Didnt matter to me as I continued to pay the $5 ball fees in B grade, but
for a guy like Strauss it could precipitate a loss of form, get dropped and
ultimately cost him approximately a million $$$$ contract.

5/122 FLINTOFF out for 13 off CLARK
Number 6 batsman FAILS again
PIETERSON should have been stumped off Warrrrrney, Gilchrist having
a shocker, dropped catch + a missed stumping.