Boxing Day Test Match.

[Jack Daniels]

Aust $1.35
Draw $4.00
Paki's $10.00

Inzamam is out and will be sorely missed by the Paki's as both their elder statesman and captain.

Paki's to bat first

Langer will be playing after passing this mornings fitness test. Doubtful he will be our top scorer this test due to his niggling injury. I like the $4.25 for Ponting to make the most 1st innings runs for Aust.

I think the $4.00 for McGrath to take the most wickets in the match is generous.

My pick the Aussies in a closer match.

ENJOY !!!!!

[Jack Daniels]

Yousuf Youhana at $5.00 to be the Paki's top 1st innings run scorer is good value too.

[Chuck]

not for long JD - Salman looking good on 63!

[sportznut]

Yeah, he kicked some butt. :D

70 might be hard to beat.

[sportznut]

Didn't realise Sri Lanka were playing a one-day series in NZ. I reckon the kiwis will probably beat them pretty easily.

[Jack Daniels]

Nah guys I reckon my bet on Youhana is pretty safe now for the Paki's top 1st innings scorer. Best thing is I put a small bet on him to score 100+ at $8.50 :)

NZ $1.55 x Aussies $1.35 too.

[Jack Daniels]

Here is an update for anyone interested:

NZ Vs Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka all out for 141 off 42 overs - NZ WON by 7 wickets, perhaps the Sri Lankans had the tragedy at home on their minds today.

SA Vs England - Eng 1st innings 139 - SA 1st innings 32/1 mid way through the second session. Not sure what excuses England have for their ordinary batting display. SA did bowl well today however.

Aust Vs Pakistan - Stumps on day 1 Pakistan 318/6. Pakistan appeared to be on top for most of the day, with the Aussies coming back into contention with the 3rd session wickets of Khan 87, Youhana 111 and Malik 6. An Aussie win is still on the cards.
Lets hope we see the Paki's lose their remaining wickets early tomorrow, and the Aussies get a chance to get their first innings underway early.

Cheers all.

[Sportz]

NZ Vs Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka all out for 141 off 42 overs - NZ WON by 7 wickets, perhaps the Sri Lankans had the tragedy at home on their minds today.

It hadn't happened at that stage, had it? Anyway, I think Sri Lanka will struggle on NZ pitches against what is a pretty good kiwi one-day team.

[Sportz]

SA Vs England - Eng 1st innings 139 - SA 1st innings 32/1 mid way through the second session. Not sure what excuses England have for their ordinary batting display. SA did bowl well today however.

S. Africa sent them in, so I guess there must have been something in the wicket???

SA are 3/70 at Stumps, so they're on top at this stage, but England's not out of it. Barring a flood, there's certainly going to be a result.

[Chuck]

i've never really liked England as a test OR one day team - and i am hoping RSA will clean them up. There has been a lot of talk between a tough ashes but i'm not swallowing any of it. They say england has a great team on paper, but when you compare it to the aussie team, it suddenly doesn't look so good! Think of it this way: (using Price Waterhous Coopers' Cricket Rankings - the most reliable in the world)
Trescothick (Rank in world): 20th - Hayden: 6th
Strauss: 25 - Langer: 9
Butcher: 30 - Ponting: 5
Vaughn: 27 - Martyn: 8
Thorpe: 17 - Lehmann: 30
Flintoff: 28 (batting) + 13 (Bowling) - Clarke: 35
G.Jones: 83 - Gilchrist: 13
________________________
S.Jones: 47 - Gillespie: 6
Giles: 12 - Warne: 8
Hoggard: 17 - Kasprowicz: 14
Harmison: 4 - McGrath: 1

Add them up and you get:
England: 295 - Australia: 135

Heres a way of looking at it: A difference of 160 runs per innings

Source: http://cricketratings.pwcglobal.com/cricket/cricket.htm - go to the "ratings wizard"

Chuck

[Jack Daniels]

It hadn't happened at that stage, had it? Anyway, I think Sri Lanka will struggle on NZ pitches against what is a pretty good kiwi one-day team.

I am not sure what time it happened. Just trying to find an excuse for the Sri Lankans woeful performance.

As for England. Their batting in the 1st innings Vs RSA was terrible. However the South Africans didn't performed much better with the bat being 70/3 at the close of play on the first day.

The upcomming Ashes series will be interesting, England playing at home have to have some sort of advantage. They are not like the England teams of old. These guys have got used to winning and are mentaly fit to take on the Aussies on their home grounds. I think the Ashes series will be closer than most are predicting. Having said that we are definately still the team to beat.

Paki's limped to be all out for 341 this morning Vs Australia. A lacklustre performance compared to what they showed us yesterday. A slight weather interuption this morning and the Aussies will come out firing with the bat, I hope. Clarke is a freak in the field, two runouts in a test match innings is not very common. Warnie cleaned up a couple this morning too. A rank full toss to get an lbw was pretty ordinary, but the ball he bowled to Akthar to be out stumped was a beauty, but it was only Akthar. Lets hope the rain doesn't last too long.

[Sportz]

Could get good odds on either side now. Whenever there's rain about, some people are so keen to back the draw, but the way Australia plays, it usually has to rain for two days for there to be no result.

[Jack Daniels]

Bangladesh 9/229 beat India 214 at home that is their 5th ODI win from 99 games but they have finally got their first win on home soil. They have also drawn that series with India with a game remaining, come on Bangladesh yo can win the last game to take the series.

"I'd like to see that".

and,

It would be good for the game internationally.

[Sportz]

That's amazing. Did India's best players even turn up?

Looks like Akhtar's got Hayden's measure.

[Sportz]

2-32 now. Still wouldn't be surprised if Pakistan wins this. Surely Langer and Gilchrist can't keep coming to the rescue every test match.

[Jack Daniels]

I thought it was a pretty ordinary days play from the Aussies today.

Australia 203/5

Hayden out of form and out to a dumb shot 9
Ponting got out too easy 7
Langer threw his wicket away at 50
Martyn going okay today on 67
Lehmann don't think he will be there for the Sydney test 11
Clarke should have been out lbw early before throwing it away on a cheap shot 20
Gilchrist not much to do but survive the day today, but he still scored 26 off 34

Probably the only plus from the days play was the Aussies cleaning up the last four Pakistani wickets for a megre 23 runs this morning.

Whats happening with Melbourne weather tomorrow?

[Sportz]

Lehmann don't think he will be there for the Sydney test 11


Shouldn't have been there for the past 4. Ridiculous decision to pick him ahead of Katich in Brisbane.

[Jack Daniels]

Shouldn't have been there for the past 4. Ridiculous decision to pick him ahead of Katich in Brisbane.

I think he should be dropped from the Test and ODI sdes. He is just not cutting it as a first class cricketer at the moment. He is to slow in the field, he is out of form with the bat and his bowling is atrocious.

Katich should be there come the Sydney Test.

Eng Vs RSA update.

Eng 1st Inn - 139

RSA 1st Inn - 247/8 Kallis 100+ Not Out

RSA lead England by 108

[Jack Daniels]

Aussies on top as the 3rd day draws to a close.

5 overs remaining today.

Pakis 341. Youhana 111

Aust 379 Martyn 142, Gillespie 50.

Paki's 84/5.

Paki's lead by 46

With two days to play a result still looks likely. If Melbourne's weather can remain favourable over the next two days.

[Sportz]

Should never count Australia out of anything while they have players like Martyn and Jason Gillespie is coming in at 9. He shows more application with the bat than some other teams' openers.

[Jack Daniels]

Agreed, Gillespie will be seeking Allrounder status next. Perhaps he should start comming in ahead of Warnie.

On another note:

I think a different RSA team has turned up to play today, same could be said for England too I guess.

England 2nd innings - 190/0

Trescothick 84
Strauss 95

Just about wiped out the deficit without losing a wicket.

also,

The final ODI between Bangladesh and India resulted in India wrapping up the series 2-1.

India 348/5 rom 50 overs.

Bangladesh 257/9 from 50 overs

Not a bad effort from Bangladesh to bat out the 50 overs with a respectable score, its a shame they couldn't have bowled a little better.

[Jack Daniels]

Man I was just reviewing the score card from the days play and realised that between the two teams they scored a total of 605 runs in a day. It would have been an exciting game to see.

[Sportz]

Not really. A lot of runs scored but no contest after India scored that many.

[Sportz]

England 2nd innings - 190/0

Trescothick 84
Strauss 95


That Strauss is a damn good player.

[Jack Daniels]

England 264/0

Trescothick 130

Strauss 121

England lead by 72

[Sportz]

England must have got out to some silly odds today.

[Jack Daniels]

RSA get the break through Trescothick out 132. Caught De Villiers Bowled Pollack.

England 273/1

Lead by 80.

First ball of the next over Ntini had Strauss dropped at 2nd slip.

I know they blew out to $5.50 on sportstab.

[Sportz]

Stumps Day 4: S.Africa 1-21 needing another 357 to win.

Well, I wonder what price a Draw was on the 2nd day??? I would have given it no hope then, but it would have to be some chance now. Good fightback by the poms but apparently it's a pretty good batting pitch now. Who knows?

[Chuck]

i thought 240 might be tough....at what stage do you think Smith will just tell his boys to block it out? That might be difficult for Pollock, Gibbs, Ntini @ co

[Jack Daniels]

357 in a day is not totally beyond RSA, unless they lose wickets early then it will be a block fest.

RSA $15.00 Only for the loyal South Africans
DRW $2.00 Probably
ENG 1.90 Still not a bad price they only need 9 wickets in a full day

Not sure how the weather is for the last day today.

Here is a run down of how we got to this position:

Close of Play:

Day 1: England 139, South Africa 70/3
Day 2: South Africa 332, England 30/0
Day 3: England 281/1
Day 4: England 570/7d, South Africa 21/1
Day 5: South Africa need 357 to win, England need 9 wickets to win.

Here we go!!

Come on South Africa, you can beat these pommy bastards. ;)

[Jack Daniels]

South Africa are fvcked. 183/6 Looks likely that the Poms will be the only team not to have lost a test match in 2004.

[Sportz]

Well, it looks like it may be a draw after all. Bad light and rain could bring an early end.

[Jack Daniels]

A sad way to finish such an exciting test match.

Day 1 RSA on top after dismissing England for 139
Day 2 RSA on top, after gaining a good lead over England
Day 3 England gaining ascendency with a brilliant 2nd innings being built
Day 4 England on top leading by 378.
Day 5 RSA commence fight back. England on top needing only 2 wickets to wrap up the match, then bad light stops play with 15 overs to be bowled.

Here is how the price for a Draw fluctuated throughout the game.

Dec 22 $2.40 Pre game.
Dec 27 $7.50 After England dismissed for 139.
Dec 29 $1.60 After England fight back with a big 2nd innings score.
Dec 30 $2.00 At the start of day 5.

Geez....We should have got on the draw after day 1 at $7.50.