Bets for 28th of August (just for the sake of betting )

GOLF: BMW Intl Open - RD4 2Ball 1: Nicholas Fasth - $1.90
GOLF: BMW Intl Open - RD4 2Ball 4: Luke Donald - $1.80
GOLF: Buick Championship - RD4 3Ball 3: Jerry Kelly - $2.15
MOTOR SPORTS: C Republic 250cc: Daniel Pedrosa - $1.65
MOTOR SPORTS: C Republic MotoGP: Valentino Rossi - $1.35
CRICKET: Day 4 Method of 1st dismissal: Caught Fieldsman - $2.15

Well, those ********** umpiring decisions look pretty damn important now. I reckon another 50 runs probably would have been enough.

Yep sportz the umpiring has been poor. Both tests england has won the umpires have given them 50-100 runs this match was 150+ with flintoff being plum LBW on 8 and jones caught on 35 thats around 150 alone then you ad the 3 bad LBW decisions against the aussie batsman .

Still think aussies will win last test and keep the ashes unless the umpires play yet another part.

Yep - Aussies to win last test.

Starting to see a bit of intensity in their play for the first time this series, which raises the obvious questions. I wonder if their is any chance the Pomms would play Pietersen as wicket keeper?

__________________
I like Bing Lee.

Geez you guys,I thought the poms were supposed to be the whingers!At least give some credit where it is due!Umpires do not win/lose test matches.Referees can lose you a footie game with one bad call,but over a 5 day game good/bad decisions tend to even out.The poms have simply outplayed us as a team,they have a blend of youth & expereience,which we simply cannot match with our ageing team.They are so full of confidence and unless we can pull a rabbit out of the hat we are gone for all money.IMO Ponting is not a good skipper,and Vaughan is exposing that.Look at pontings decision not to bat first at edgbaston,that cost us the match.Look at the way vaughan rotates his bowlers so well.Look at his tactical yet unorthodox field placings.Look at how well his bowlers BOWL to the field placings.Our batsmen,top order in particular,are now intimidated by Freddie and co.so the boot is on the other foot,and sadly our blokes are being found wanting.
IMO Ponting ended Dizzies carreer at Edgbaston by bowling him so late,he is basically a new ball bowler.If Warnie hadn't started to screw up years ago when he was being groomed for the captaincy,it could be a different ball game.Maybe he is venting his spleen over his private life,BUT he is the only one(IMO)that is taking it to the poms,and he is the only player they respect.
Brett Lee is just a pretty boy that can bowl fast.His figures per wicket are atrocious.IMO its time for a changing of the guard.Time for Hodges,Haddin,Clarke,Symonds(WISH he was there,he has no fear)and co. to take over.Now,not in 3 years time.How they could of used Michael Bevan on this tour.The selectors should not be left out either,they picked this squad on reputation more than considering form and age,and its backfired on them badly.
My only advice to Ponting is to open the batting and bowling with Warne,and let him bat & bowl FRO BOTH ENDS!!!!Then we might be a chance.
Cheers

Hey, I'm not whinging. I've done VERY well out of backing England because unlike many other Australians, I genuinely thought they could win this series. But this test match was a very close result and England definitely got by far the better of the umpiring, so who knows what could have happened.

Purely on facts and figures, England have been clearly the better team. But when you think about it, if McGrath had played all 4 tests and if we had batted first in the 2nd test, chances are, we'd probably be leading 3 nil now. We were almost totally outplayed in the 2nd and 4th tests and yet we still came close to winning both of them and both with no McGrath.

And if the rabbit had not stopped for a **************** because it's OVERCONFIDENCE about winning the race it would have caught the turtle.Games are not won or lost on facts and figures,they come after the event.Sad about McGrarh,but he cannot win the game on his own,and the poms are wary of him now,and just try to play thru his spell with caution.Even though you rightly pointed out Sportz the games have been close,barring the 1st test that is,IMO the poms have always been in control,or had that slight psychological edge.They are sticking it up us big time,and clearly our blokes are not used to it and dont know how to cope with it,especially the top order batsmen.
They have not faced a quality bowling attack like this for a long time,some of the shots they are getting out on are quite radical.Watch their body language on the field,and never forget the old adage"dropped catches lose matches."
Would you ever see Lillee or Thommo or Pascoe smile at a batsman like Lee and co. do?No venom,no fire in the belly,too soft and grossly overpaid.

I'm not disagreeing with you. That's pretty much exactly what I said. England have been CLEARLY on top for the large majority of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th tests. However, as I said, the margins weren't great at all, so I don't think there's any doubt that Australia could have been in front right now with just those two factors, a fit McGrath and deciding to bat first in the 2nd test. By the way, the team that has batted first has dominated each test. If Australia bats first in the 5th Test, who knows? I bet the curator will be pressured to prepare the flattest pitch in Ashes history.

Personally, I think the biggest difference between the teams which is totally killing us is Flintoff. I knew that our lack of a quality all rounder would end up hurting us badly one day and it's hurting us big time right now. You just can't go into a test match these days with only 4 frontline bowlers. It's just not good enough. England are using that extra bowler to great advantage and for most of this series our attack has looked EXTREMELY thin. We badly need to find a quality test match all rounder for the future!

Sportz,
I apologise if you thought I was having a go at you,because I certainly was not.It's good to converse with someone who knows their cricket,as you do.I went to high school with Thommo and Pascoe(real name Durtanovich,he changed it by deed poll)and played in the same team with them for 3 years.Needless to say we won the comp every one of those years.My point being,the fire and the will to get a batsman out or blast him out or just plain scare him out was paramount.You could be best mates off the field,but as soon as you put the pads on and took strike,they hated your guts!Lillee was the same.I have not seen that same passion in any of our strike bowlers since.Look at the way Vaughan has utilised the sub fielder rule to rest one of his quicks,why hasn't Ponting done same same?Look at the frustation coming out in Ponting with his huge "dummy spit"when Pratt ran him out.Look at the panic mode and media frenzy calling for changes to the team,aka Hussey for Hayden,Watson for Kaspa.
IMO it's the worst thing that could happen.Watson has not proven himself to be up to this level in the chances he has been given.Hussey is in good touch as evidenced by the one dayers and his average of 75 for Durham,but I just have this gut feeling that Matty Hayden is on the verge of a big score,and to change the team dramatically now would be handing the poms the urn on a platter.Our blokes have had 4 tests to have a look at reverse swing,Hussey and Watson have not.What they both fail?Flintoff and Pieterson would belt Watson out of the park.
If history is any indication,we are gone.33 tests at The Oval
results
Australia 6 wins
12 draws
15 losses
We have come this far with this squad so why lose faith in them now.They are all aware of what they are playing for,albeit some with their careers on the line,i would say let them go for it.It is the last throw of the dice.
Would be interested to hear your thoughts.

Several thoughts,

What does IMO mean? - i've seen it before but am a bit slow.
Who would ya play in the next test assuming McGrath is fit, Tait or Kaspa?
For me i am leaning towards Tait, Kaspa is not in outstanding form and Tait caused a few problems when he got it right.

McGrath
Lee
Tait
Warne

Seems a bit more potent to me albeit a few runs may leak.
How about dropping Katich to take in another Bowler, let Warne fill the role of the all-rounder as i think he has scored more runs than Katich in this series to date. Perhaps then Kaspa to bowl when the ball is a bit older.

__________________
I like Bing Lee.