1st Test England vs Australia

[drebin]

Just watched some English TV highlights sent to me from a pommie mate - have been flicking the live coverage on and off the last two nights.

My only comment is about Umpire Billy Doctrove who has no clue about "plumb" LBW!!! Pietersen should have been fired out on day one instead somehow survives to the amazement of everyone - even the biased pommie commentators (including Boycott) thought it was one of the worst non decisions of all time.

Then yesterday Hilfy had one turned down early which was plumb. I know bad calls even out over a match as a rule but Doctrove nees to take some "no doze" and keep his eyes open because the only way he couldn't have given those two out LBW was the fact he had his eyes closed!

Even match to date but with 9 wickets in hand we should at least put ourselves in a position to ensure we don't lose, with the draw now being the bookies favourites IMO.

[Dirko]

* Warning * Warning *

This thread will go into melt down as soon as REB logs on !!

Well done Kat & Punter. Need to keep going on Day 3, and get 320 or more in the day,
and have a lead of around 150 odd heading into Day 4....

[Adelaide Hawk]

I saw that LBW turned downed down off Hilfenhaus. Whereas it was possibly incorrect, you can umderstand how an umpire would be reluctant to give it out. He would have thought the ball pitched slightly outside the line of leg stump, and if there was any doubt he had to give it not out.

He got it wrong, but for all the right reasons, so I was comfortable with the decision. As for Pietersen's decision, not sure what Billy Doctrove was thinking there.

I will add that he gave a top decision with Katich just after we lost Hughes. A faint edge onto the pad, otherwise Katiich was gone. That was a superb decision.

[RoosterMarty]

Wonderful stuff by the Kat and Punter!

[Adelaide Hawk]

Can't quite work out the pitch

I don't think anyone can. It's a strange pitch for sure. Commentators said that nobody will make 100 in the Test, and I nodded my head in agreement ... then Katich and Ponting proves everyone wrong. One of the most interesting parts of the Test will be to see how the pitch behaves in days 3-5.

[catchisthecry]

Congrats to Punter and Katich on there centuries

"their"

...haven't seen much, do they think the weather is going to play a role over the last 3 days?

[MightyEagles]

Congrats to Punter and Katich on there centuries

"their"

...haven't seen much, do they think the weather is going to play a role over the last 3 days?

Possible as it is scuduled to rain in the next couple days.

[brod]

I saw that LBW turned downed down off Hilfenhaus. Whereas it was possibly incorrect, you can umderstand how an umpire would be reluctant to give it out. He would have thought the ball pitched slightly outside the line of leg stump, and if there was any doubt he had to give it not out.

He got it wrong, but for all the right reasons, so I was comfortable with the decision. As for Pietersen's decision, not sure what Billy Doctrove was thinking there.

I will add that he gave a top decision with Katich just after we lost Hughes. A faint edge onto the pad, otherwise Katiich was gone. That was a superb decision.

True, the LBW on the 2nd morning was only just pitched on leg stump, and surely the umpire had some doubt as to exactly where it pitched, so far enough that it was given not out. The KP is the opposite - PLUMB, but apart fromt his the umpires have done very well I think

[brod]

With this century, Ricky Ponting becomes the third Australian, behind Bradman and S Waugh to score a century in 4 Ashes Series

[whufc]

[quote="SJABC"]* Warning * Warning *

This thread will go into melt down as soon as REB logs on !!

Well done Kat & Punter. Need to keep going on Day 3, and get 320 or more in the day,
and have a lead of around 150 odd heading into Day 4....[/quote]

Totally agree, we probably need a lead of that heading into day 4. If we bat to slow tonight it will really bring the draw in as the most likely result.

The english bowling attack looks very ordinary (excuse Flintoff) at this point in time. Jimmy Anderson has generally always struggled against the Aussies and Broad is terrible. Swann bowls some brilliant deliveries but not enough to worry world class batsmen, and Panesar doesn't look as menacing as he once was. At this rate Harmison will be in for the next test.

[dedja]

Didn't I tell you all to stop panicking ... although we're not quite out of the woods just yet.

The Poms (and their commentators) just don't quite know how to handle our orthodox opening pair in Kato and Hughes.

[hearts on fire]

Well done Kat and Punter!

[Booney]

Year of the KAT!

Regards,

Boon

[Dirko]

You forgot the pic Boon.

[Choccies]

I saw that LBW turned downed down off Hilfenhaus. Whereas it was possibly incorrect, you can umderstand how an umpire would be reluctant to give it out. He would have thought the ball pitched slightly outside the line of leg stump, and if there was any doubt he had to give it not out.

He got it wrong, but for all the right reasons, so I was comfortable with the decision. As for Pietersen's decision, not sure what Billy Doctrove was thinking there.

I will add that he gave a top decision with Katich just after we lost Hughes. A faint edge onto the pad, otherwise Katiich was gone. That was a superb decision.

True, the LBW on the 2nd morning was only just pitched on leg stump, and surely the umpire had some doubt as to exactly where it pitched, so far enough that it was given not out. The KP is the opposite - PLUMB, but apart fromt his the umpires have done very well I think

Doctrove is lucky to still be umpiring IMO after the Darrel Hair affair a few years ago... He left Hair out on his own, hung him out to dry and never supported him and watched him take all the heat for that situation and merrily continued with his life....

[Rik E Boy]

GO THE KAT!!

oh...and well done Punter.

regards,

REB

[wycbloods]

Well done to the both of them on their fantastic centuries. Lets hope they both turn them into big ones as well.

[the joker]

if you believe the bookies, the poms are no chance of winning this test
they are back out to 8.50

but in saying that, i agree that the poms are no hope.
the aussies put there head down and go on with starts unlike KP who played a stupid shot.
i am looking forward to watching Haddin Bat Tonight with the short straight boundries

[blink]

Well done to the both of them on their fantastic centuries. Lets hope they both turn them into big ones as well.

Australia's best chance of winning, would be to try get a lead of 150 - 200 by the close of play tonight, if possible, have 10-15 overs at England before stumps.

I think there is probably no way of England being able to now win the match - unless they knock the remaining 9 Aussie wickets over for less than 150 tonight. Their bets result would be a draw and they certainly won't mind the rain.

[shoe boy]

Bat all day and dec b4 lunch tomorrow and then let the boys at them.