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And so the Ashes begins

And so the Ashes begins. Watching it live over the web Redmond, WA on Willow.TV, I needed to get the right config to get it really working for me. Leaving it on 'Default' setting it gets choppy. As soon as I selected 'HTTP', it streamed nicely.

217 for 3 on the first day at tea, we need at least a couple of wickets in the last session to call it an even day. If we get Ponting's scalp by the end of the day I'd say the boys will be happy with the first day on a batter's track. Without him out, we could be looking at a big score tomorrow.

Pietersen's bodged slide was nasty. I've done that myself where the knee doesn't slide as it should and you come to a shuddering halt instead. Botham thought it had to do with the sand base of the ground and some aussie (it sounded like Tony Gregg Greig) responded by saying that cricketer's shouldn't try it - "it's for baseball fielders, not cricketers". What crap. But hey, he's an aussie.

A bit of turn for Giles. He looks like he's giving it more air than usual...getting good flight on the ball, nice to see.

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Update:

Ricky Potning sweeps a ball from Ashley Giles 

Ponting's 32nd hundred of his test career and not out at the end of the first day does not bode well for tomorrow.  With a test average of 100 in the last year, he looks set to cause us lots of trouble for the rest of the series.

Posted: Nov 22 2006, 09:58 PM by alexbarnett | with 9 comment(s)
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Comments

Phillip Molly Malone said:

A) Tony Gregg is no Aussie!!!! You can have him (i.e. England) as he played for you! In fact, the feeling in Australia is he supports who ever is playing Australia

B) There is a long way to go, a good start by the boys, but a long way to go

GO AUSSIES

Molly

http://boony.mollyzine.com

# November 22, 2006 11:57 PM

alexbarnett said:

A job for life for Channel Nine, that counts as an aussie ;-)

# November 23, 2006 12:12 AM

Phillip Molly Malone said:

Hmmmm.... Life you say? Tony Gregg or Jail? hmmmmmm....

Its a tough choice. Will get back to you tomorrow.

Molly

# November 23, 2006 12:16 AM

Steve Collins said:

Sorry to say it Alex, but with the departure (rightly for his reasons) of Trescothick and current form on tour (you've lost almost every practice game) I am fairly confident that the Ashes will return here to Australia, their true and rightful home.

# November 23, 2006 5:41 AM

jamie said:

Hello host, I hope you won't mind if I take issue with one of your respondents.  Hello Steve - by what stretch of the imagination and in what terms can Australia be considered the "true and rightful home" of The Ashes?  If you answer that this is so because Australia ae forever winning the damned urn then, well, I may just break down and cry.  I am fragile and emotional having just watched England being taken methodically apart, so try to be kind.

Really.  I've never heard such nonsense.  Okay, I have.  But still.  And your claim may have some credit.  Hang on.  This isn't going well for me.  I'm off to phone my mum for comfort.

Despondently yours......

# November 23, 2006 8:09 AM

alexbarnett said:

Steve, agreed that without Stresco (and Vaughan), our batting looks sub-optimal. That said, if do win, it'll make our win that much sweeter.

# November 23, 2006 1:08 PM

Phillip Molly Malone said:

Hey Alex,

You haven't posted much about the cricket lately? What gives?

;-)

Molly

http://boony.mollyzine.com

# December 4, 2006 11:55 PM

alexbarnett said:

Molly...stop sounding so smug :-P

# December 5, 2006 7:58 PM

Phillip Molly Malone said:

Sorry Mate. I have been listening to a lot of the Ashes Podcasts and they are mostly being done by Poms and they were so hard to put up with for the first 4 days, it was just magic the last day.

Molly

# December 5, 2006 9:53 PM