2010 Ashes Test Series

England close in on Ashes victory in Melbourne

Fourth Ashes Test (day three, stumps):
Australia 98 & 169-6 v England 513

England moved closer to retaining the Ashes for the first time in 24 years following another dominant display at the Melbourne Test on day three.
England added 69 to their overnight total as they were dismissed for 513, with Jonathan Trott unbeaten on 168.
Australia had been progressing steadily at 99-1 when Tim Bresnan ripped through the middle order with three wickets for five runs in the final session.
The hosts ended the day on 169-6, still 246 runs adrift of the tourists.
That deficit is purely mathematical with only three lower-order wickets remaining - Ryan Harris is unlikely to bat after sustaining a stress fracture of his left ankle bowling in the morning session - and with England's bowlers rampant.
A superb, disciplined display from the quartet was characterised by sustained periods of pressure, starving Australia's beleaguered top order of run-scoring opportunities.
At the forefront of the middle-order demolition was Bresnan's superb spell of 3-17 from seven eventful overs, dismissing Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey in quick succession.

Styxman wrote:

Liam wrote:Right now...I'm hoping for a Ravens/Falcons SB. PROBABLY won't happen, but we'll see in a few weeks. I'll set up a Super Bowl bets thread on the "other site" the week before. :-)

What's this got to do with fuckin' Cricket Liam?

Absolutely nothing. That's why I kept paying attention. LMAO

England beat Australia in Melbourne to retain Ashes

Fourth Ashes Test, Melbourne (day four):
England 513 beat Australia 98 & 258 by an innings and 157 runs

England have retained the Ashes for the first time in 24 years - and with a match to spare - after easing to a comprehensive win in the fourth Test.
Australia, resuming 246 runs behind on 169-6 and with Ryan Harris unable to bat, were eventually dismissed for 258 before lunch on day four in Melbourne.
Chris Tremlett, Graeme Swann and Tim Bresnan each took a wicket as England won by an innings and 157 runs.
The tourists are now 2-1 up with only the Sydney Test remaining.
If they avoid defeat there, England will win their first series down under since 1986/87.

Don't all jump in at fuckin' once to congratulate us

OH...I mean YAY. LMAO

Liam wrote:OH...I mean YAY. LMAO

Sorry for taking so long to thank you you for the congrats been busy thanking everyone else for their kind remarks - Zombie fuckin' city springs to mind on this board

LMAO. Sorry bro.

Ashes: England on top as rain hits Sydney Test match

Fifth Ashes Test: Australia 134-4 v England (stumps, day one)
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground Date: 3-7 January

Australia slid from 105-1 to 134-4 as England ended day one of the final Ashes Test on top in rainy Sydney.
Tim Bresnan was the most successful bowler, taking 2-47 as England made the most of overhead cloud cover and a pitch offering some seam movement.
Rain took the players off for 90 minutes in the middle of the day and England picked up two late wickets before a second and final stoppage.
Michael Clarke made just four in his first Test as Australia's captain.
His fortunes contrasted with those of debutant Usman Khawaja, the 24-year-old left-hander displaying plenty of confidence before coming unstuck late on and top-edging a sweep off Graeme Swann to depart for 37.
Khawaja was caught by Jonathan Trott at square-leg, and that was the last act of a day which had seen Shane Watson (45) make yet another start without registering a major score, while Phillip Hughes (31) compiled his best score in eight Test innings against England.

Hughes fell to Chris Tremlett, while James Anderson got through 20 overs and was unlucky not to pick up at least one wicket of his own.
In his first Test as captain with Ricky Ponting out injured, Clarke arrived early for the coin toss, and looked a little nervous. He could be granted the role on a permanent basis later this year if Australia pull off a win in Sydney, and thus stop England winning the series.

Ashes: Alastair Cook and Ian Bell make Australia suffer

Alastair Cook made 189 for an aggregate of 766 series runs and Ian Bell (115) hit his first Ashes ton as England ran riot on day three of the final Test.
With Australia needing to win to avoid losing the series, their hopes looked bleak as the tourists reached 488-7.
That gave England a lead of 208 at stumps and represented a fine day's work from a morning start of 167-3.
The only blemish was the latest in a long line of failures for Paul Collingwood, who was out for 13.
The 34-year-old has an average of 15.54 in his last 10 Test matches and may not get a chance to remedy it in the second innings.

Cook, 61 not out at the start of what always appeared a pivotal day, put on 154 with Bell, a Sydney Cricket Ground record for an England sixth-wicket pair, before the latter added 107 with Matt Prior (54 not out).

England have outplayed Australia, admits Shane Watson

Fifth Ashes Test: Australia 280 & 213-7 v England 644 (day four)

Australia's Shane Watson says his team have been "totally outplayed" by England as the tourists close in on a 3-1 Ashes series win.
With one day of the fifth and final Test in Sydney remaining, Australia are 213-7 in their second innings, still 151 short of making England bat again.
"We had so much to play for in this game but we've been totally outplayed again," said opening batsman Watson.
"They've continually stood up, all of their players, throughout the season."
England wicketkeeper Matt Prior enjoyed what he called "the best day of my career" as he hit 118 of England's 644 runs, then took four second-innings catches.

These are special times for all England cricket fans. They should be savoured and celebrated
"It was phenomenal," he said. "It will go down as one of, if not the, best day of my career.
"The atmosphere and support we've had from the Barmy Army all tour has been phenomenal and this has been a great day for England.

NFL playoffs start this weekend. ;-)

Ashes: England wrap up 3-1 series win over Australia

Fifth Ashes Test, Sydney (day five):
England 644 beat Australia 280 & 281 by an innings and 83 runs






England won the final Ashes Test in Sydney by an innings and 83 runs to wrap up the series 3-1 and secure their first win down under in 24 years.
Australia began play in a hopeless position at 213-7, 151 runs behind, and after a rain delay they were all out for 281 with Steve Smith not out on 54.
The crowd, made up almost entirely of England fans, was let in free and produced a superb atmosphere.
England captain Andrew Strauss said: "We're delighted with what we've done."
Peter Siddle and Steve Smith kept England's champagne on ice in the early part of the day before the players were forced off by rain after less than 25 minutes play.
When they returned 40 minutes later in glorious sunshine, Siddle finally went for 43 when slog-sweeping spinner Graeme Swann after a stand of 86.
James Anderson removed Ben Hilfenhaus before Chris Tremlett bowled Michael Beer with the score on 281.

With the second new ball almost due, Swann finally struck for the first time in the innings, and the last two wickets fell within a further six overs - Hilfenhaus providing Matt Prior with his 23rd catch of the series before Beer chopped a delivery onto his stumps.
The final wicket sparked emotional celebrations for England, while the contrast in the Australian camp could not have been starker.

Liam wrote:NFL playoffs start this weekend. ;-)

Medics are just administering CPR - they've told me I need to stop getting too excited

LMAO...to top it off...the Cotton Bowl is tonight. Texas A&M/LSU game.

What a surprise my weekend guests are going to get when I put on the Ashes Test Series instead of the NFL Playoffs.

LMAO...that's just cruel, Ed. haha

Ed wrote:What a surprise my weekend guests are going to get when I put on the Ashes Test Series instead of the NFL Playoffs.

You'll be the one surprised when they throw you out of your own house. You don't joke around with shit like that, dude.

Ok you three, less of the fuckin' joking about - this is like winning the Superbowl for us lot - open a god damn beer and just for once, fuckin' congratulate us Brits

I'll watch the feckin playoffs on Sky OK!!!!

MEDICS I NEED ANOTHER HIT

Ummm...YAY!! Better??? LOL

Do you know how fucking glad I am that I managed not to be in Australia for this? Thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis fucking glad!

Congratulations Styxie. Hopefully it won't be another 25 years before the English win it again.

(No really, I mean it - Australian cricketers, past and present, seriously need an ego puncture. And Warne really is just an arsehole with hair implants. )

I'll agree with that last statement SB....now it's on to topple India off the top

Extra hot Chilli in the pre-match poppadom@s should do that.

England's cricketers and their Australian counterparts plan to solicit donations from the crowd at the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday during their first Twenty20 match and plan to donate part of their match fees to Queensland Premier's Flood Relief appeal

Minor question...how popular is Cricket?? Anything like Soccer for the rest of the world??

Liam wrote:Minor question...how popular is Cricket?? Anything like Soccer for the rest of the world??

Cricket in The UK is probably third on the list behind Soccer and then Rugby. It's a game you tend to watch on a warm summers day with a case load of beer, doesn't matter if you fall a sleep and rejoin the game a few hours later. The best matches to watch are the Twenty20 series - over in a day. Each team gets 20 overs and for example the Aussie/English game today was won by England on the very last ball -fuckin' amazing!! The 20/20 are more Rock n Roll, much better than the 5 day test series as they can go on and on!

Main Cricket nations are Australia, England, Pakistan, Indian, West Indies, Bangladesh, South Africa, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka. It's basically the Bristish Colonies of old!

Get you ass over to the UK and I'll treat ya to a game anytime plus a shit load of beer

A sport I know nothing about, a trip to the UK, and all while drunk?? I'M IN. LOL

2012 - Summer - Aussies hit the UK for the next Ashes tour. I'll get the beer chilled Should time it to include the London Bowl, then you'll get your NFL hit also