# 2006/07 Ashes Series **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 23, 2006, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530 "2006-11-23T06:26:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/61 "2006-12-03T12:47:11Z")
I wasn’t knocking Ponting’s captaincy, just commenting that the Waugh era has long gone. Waugh was always attacking, even when he should have had a session or two on the defensive. That he won so much is impressive. Hoggard was great today. He did more with the ball than all the other quicks in the game put together have so far. Hussey will curse himself for a late change of mind but Hoggard deserved his wicket. Another who had a good day was the much-maligned Geraint Jones. He was terrific today. Better than didn’t make any mistakes. So far in this series he’s looked like he deserved his spot. The fourth morning session is pivotal to the game. If Australia get through still five down it’s really open for either side to win. Australia upped its scoring rate a little after tea, so a couple of decent sessions and they’re up to England. The fascinating thing to see is what England are prepared to do to have a chance at winning. Sure, they could (barring strange happenings) take an Australian win out of the equation. But that would be at the cost of making the draw much more likely. I’m sure part of them will be thinking that keeping it at 0-1 with a chance of 1-1 would be better than letting there be a chance of 0-2. This has a chance of being a really good Test. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/62 "2006-12-03T13:00:12Z")
[QUOTE=hawthorne] Another who had a good day was the much-maligned Geraint Jones. He was terrific today. Better than didn’t make any mistakes. So far in this series he’s looked like he deserved his spot. [/QUOTE] I heard Ian Healy talking earlier this Summer about Jones’s keeping when he played club cricket in Brisbane. Despite Ian Chappell’s mocking Healy insisted that Jones is a perfectly competent 'keeper. ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/63 "2006-12-03T20:06:53Z")
I’m hearing the the Perth pitch isn’t likey to be the turner that people expect - so I wonder how that will colour Flintoff’s thinking. Is he prepared to risk losing this game in order to win it? Isn’t it odd how a team that makes 6/551 seesm to be the one under all the pressure? mm ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/64 "2006-12-03T20:23:06Z")
[QUOTE=don’t ask] I heard Ian Healy talking earlier this Summer about Jones’s keeping when he played club cricket in Brisbane. Despite Ian Chappell’s mocking Healy insisted that Jones is a perfectly competent 'keeper. [/QUOTE] There has, for a long time, been this undercurrent of Aussie distaste and England policy of picking non-English born and raised players for their teams. I think thta informs a lot of the dislike here for Jones and Pietersen. They were seen as taking the easy option into test cricket. It’s just a thing, though. David Hookes said it all in the Centrenary Test with his famous mouthful to Tony Grieg. I’m sure the English used to pick on Clarrie Grimmett the same way 🙂 mm ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/65 "2006-12-03T22:34:56Z")
[QUOTE=mamboman] How many test runs has Ponting scored this calendar year? [/quote] Currently I have him on a figure between 1,159 and 1,200. Does anyone have an accurate number? He has some way to go before overtaking Mohammad Yousuf who recently clocked up 1788 test runs for 2006. This total in itself surpassed Viv Richards’ previous record of 1710 during 1976. Nevertheless the guy is practically on fire at the moment. Congratulations to him. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2006, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/66 "2006-12-04T16:32:08Z")
[QUOTE=mamboman] There has, for a long time, been this undercurrent of Aussie distaste and England policy of picking non-English born and raised players for their teams. I think thta informs a lot of the dislike here for Jones and Pietersen. They were seen as taking the easy option into test cricket. It’s just a thing, though. David Hookes said it all in the Centrenary Test with his famous mouthful to Tony Grieg. I’m sure the English used to pick on Clarrie Grimmett the same way 🙂 mm [/QUOTE] Hey, anyone who can teach himself leg-spin without even using a ball is all right in my book. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/67 "2006-12-04T17:52:18Z")
Well, I may not be able to find any accurate data for Ponting’s achievements with the bat in 2006 but I have unearthed some far more interesting records. These [Womens’ Cricket Statistics](http://banglacricket.com/alochona/showthread.php?t=3987) are nothing less than fascinating. They add great value to the fund of cricketing knowledge already in the public domain. The most important records listed, in my opinion, are: > [@](#): > > _Longest changing time_: > > The longest ever time it has taken for a player to “pad up” is 5 hours and 45 minutes, held by Miss Janet Brady (23) in 1995. Janet spent an astonishing 3 hours in front of the home dressing room mirror applying, removing and reapplying various lipsticks before deciding on “blush pink” which matched the logo on her Reebok Step Shoes. 2 cans of hair spray, 1 tub of foundation, 12 blouse changes and 3 hours and 25 minutes later, she was ready. But she only made it as far as the Pavilion doors before she then had to return to the dressing room for a further 20 minutes to adjust her hair after a freak gust of wind had caught her fringe. and: > [@](#): > > _Longest post-match mood_: > > The longest post-match mood lasted 17 days and 15 hours. Lorraine Monk of Lessenbury Cricket Club, Wiltshire was adjudged LBW first ball of a meaningless match against Lower Holm Cricket Club on 2nd May 1998. Lorraine, incensed by the decision, employed the ‘silent treatment’ in protest at the decision for a staggering 17 days and 15 hours. This included two further weekends of cricket and compromised her employment at a local Call Centre at which she is employed as a Call Handler. Her husband commented ‘I’ve had a wonderful and peaceful last couple of weeks. I just hope she gets a lot more decisions going against her’. Your Mood May Vary. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/68 "2006-12-05T01:58:42Z")
The Test is struggling to stay alive. England are 4/77, having had a bit of a wobble. Strauss was very unlucky to be given out caught off the pad. Bell ran himself out ballwatching. And Pieterson was bowled round his legs, off stump (!) by Warne. Fabulous ball, but bad cricket from Pieterson - don’t sweep Warne. Oops, another one’s gone. Game on. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/69 "2006-12-05T06:49:37Z")
Australia 2/78 in pursuit of 168. Test cricket turns so suddenly. It looked pretty much dead this morning and Australia are favorites to win now. It was plain today that England’s mental scars remain. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/70 "2006-12-05T08:14:03Z")
Just amazing. Australia win with 4 down. They bowled well and had a slice of luck. But not that well and not that much. ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/71 "2006-12-05T09:57:22Z")
Victory is ours! Just a phenomenal effort of will today. What does England have left? Will they go to Perth unchanged? Who will, or can, stand up for them now. What are they seeing when they look at themselves in the mirror tonight. Today has been one of the great, glorious days in the history of Australian Cricket. mm ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/72 "2006-12-05T10:03:06Z")
Great, glorious days? I’m surprised you’re not as embarrassed by it as we are. That’s the Ashes gone for sure, I don’t see England pulling back from two Tests down, even to draw the series. After four days had seen only sixteen wickets go down, to lose nine in less than two sessions was inexcusable. One crook decision shouldn’t set up a rout. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/73 "2006-12-05T14:18:00Z")
Australia’s not embarrassed. Sure, a good series would be nice. But _they_ hold the Ashes, so a 5-0 humilation with lots of careers ruined would be fine too. Some observations about today and the portents for the rest of the series: 1. Hoggard can hold his head up high. He was fantastic and got done in the second dig by that rare beast, the decent Warne googly. 2. Flintoff and Collingwood come out mostly OK. The skipper played a bad shot, but tried his heart out with the ball. You had to feel for him when after five dots, the filed allowed a 7. Collingwood didn’t get out in the second innings but he failed to hurt Australia. England didn’t need that many more runs. Not looking like you were trying to score them was very bad. Still, a double century, red ink and a good catch isn’t bad. 3. Jones and Giles. Oh dear. Jones bats better than Read under pressure? Giles is useless on the fifth day on a turning track but worth it for his batting (return not much) and fielding (dropped a crucial catch)? 4. Anderson. Once again, didn’t show much. 5. Bell. Panicky. When you hit the ball in a controlled fashion behind the wicket, it’s the non-striker’s call. They teach you that in the under 13s. 6. Harmison. A bit better, but let’s face it, it’s going to be too late if he does come good. 7. Pieterson. A disgraceful last day. The shot was awful. The overthrows worse - they dissipated any semblance of English pressure. He’s just too far up himself. Doesn’t understand that so far he’s just a flash in the pan. 8. Hussey. I can’t recall an Australian player who has become so obviously a senior player so quickly. Utterly at ease at this level. Looks ravenously hungry. 9. Clarke and Clark. Both impressive. The pup shows signs of maturity, although still gets across too far early. Clark has earned his spot for a time. 10. McGrath. Unfit on a road in the first innings. A couple of pity wickets in the second. Will need to show something in Perth. 11. Ponting. In great nick. This victory will help his captaincy. 12. Martyn. Time to drop him. If Watson is fit for Perth, it’s curtains for his career. Gets himself out too often. Hussey’s elevation was pretty telling. 13. Warne. He just keeps doing it. Non-Indians fear him. The wrong 'un that got Hoggard may be the best I’ve seen him bowl. 14. Panesar. He was sitting in the dressing room and carrying out little drinkies to the batsmen. I never once saw a “what the fuck am I doing carrying the drinks” look on his face. He could’ve been forgiven a couple. 15. Les Burdett (the Adelaide groundsman). Had the last laugh. A good pitch is one that produces a result after tea on day five. The lesson of the last few years is that 550 in the first innings in Adelaide does not make you safe. The rest of the series: England is going to have to find a way to bounce back. This loss is worse than Brisbane. The WACA has been a spinner’s pitch for a little while now, but the groundsman says the Test wicket’ll be less so. To me, that says that Australia should take Watson ahead of Martyn if he’s fit. And England should drop Giles for Panesar and Anderson for someone who can bowl. ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/74 "2006-12-05T20:23:25Z")
A little bit of rain on cricket’s parade, yesterday, I think - despite Australia and Egland really writing a wonderful bit of history in the glorious annals of the game, the Pakistani Cricket Borad has to go and utterly befoul it whith their corrupt, self interested and probably politcally motivated overturniong of the bans on proven drug cheats Shoahib Akhtar and Mohammed Sami. A disgusting, contemptible, pathetic decision. But what do you expect? So - to Perth! Life is good! mm ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/75 "2006-12-05T20:45:33Z")
[QUOTE=mamboman] A little bit of rain on cricket’s parade, yesterday, I think - despite Australia and Egland really writing a wonderful bit of history in the glorious annals of the game, mm [/QUOTE] Not really that historic. The game that saw the Ashes given its name was the occasion for England to fail to make 32 to win with eight wickets in hand, although that was on a frightful batting wicket and so not really the same _kind_ of spineless surrender as today’s. And we have been rolled over for 46 before. Even so, bending over and taking up the arse like that after declaring on 550 in the first innings represents something of a new low. England supporters die pretty damned hard, but that’s a bellyful to swallow and no mistake. ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/76 "2006-12-05T21:21:37Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] Not really that historic. The game that saw the Ashes given its name was the occasion for England to fail to make 32 to win with eight wickets in hand, although that was on a frightful batting wicket and so not really the same _kind_ of spineless surrender as today’s. And we have been rolled over for 46 before. Even so, bending over and taking up the arse like that after declaring on 550 in the first innings represents something of a new low. England supporters die pretty damned hard, but that’s a bellyful to swallow and no mistake. [/QUOTE] It was a day of great theatre, a day when the myth of champions was reaffirmed. Has, incidentally, any one side lost a test after making as much as 551 batting first? mm ---
**Author:** ![Fredescu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/73ab20/32.png) [@Fredescu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fredescu)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/77 "2006-12-05T21:34:42Z")
[QUOTE=mamboman] Has, incidentally, any one side lost a test after making as much as 551 batting first? [/QUOTE] It’s the highest first innings _declared_ total to ever lose. I think higher first innings totals have lost. Check out the text commentary at [BBC SPORT | Cricket | The Ashes | Second Test, day five as it happened](http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/6208540.stm) for a good laugh. The last entry was: > [@BBC](#): > > 1853: That was the biggest load of rubbish I have ever seen. Lots of Aussies going berserk in Adelaide, lots of Englishmen looking like they’ve arrived home to find the French doors have been smashed and their new plasma TV’s been stolen. Thanks for staying with me for the last 10 days - it’s been a mix of emotions, but mainly depression and boredom, with a bit of anger and embarrassment thrown in. I’m off to Venice this weekend though, that should be nice, they don’t even know what cricket is there. Bye. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2006, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/78 "2006-12-06T02:57:58Z")
> [@](#): > > _mamboman_ > Has, incidentally, any one side lost a test after making as much as 551 batting first? [This](http://www1.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2003-04/IND_IN_AUS/SCORECARDS/IND_AUS_T2_12-16DEC2003.html) is what I meant by “The lesson of the last few years is that 550 in the first innings in Adelaide does not make you safe.” Now that was a great series. But it doesn’t happen often. According to [CricInfo](http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ausveng/content/current/story/271326.html) > [@](#): > > 6- The number of times teams have lost after scoring more than 500 in the first innings of a Test. The only other time this happened after a 500-plus declaration was in 1968, when West Indies made 526 for 7 at Port-of-Spain and ultimately lost to England by seven wickets ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/79 "2006-12-08T09:22:31Z")
Adm Voges? Who he? Seriously, it’s goodbye to Marto with his rather surprising retirement today and hello to the big hitting Voges. I can’t say I know to much about except he got a huge score against Queenland a little while back and can apparently wallop the ball almightily. Martyn always seemed to be the odd man out in the Australian side, the lonliest of the players. It has to be aid that even despite his recent failings, he leaves behind a pretty spectacular career in two acts. His glorious, annus mirabulus 2004 was almost enough to make me forgive him for being the man who quite unwarrantedly replaced Dean Jones! The Aussie press this week has been making huge capital out of the rift, real or not, between Fetcher and Flintoff - in a suspiciously similar way that the English press beat up the lie about the rift between Warne and Ponting. So bring on Perth and hopefully Voges and not Symonds in the team! mm ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530/80 "2006-12-11T12:03:41Z")
So the psych war has begun in earnest for the Perth test - my local paper had a full size back page photo of Andy Flintoff “breaking down in tears under the strain” and a story playing up the rifts in the England camp between Flintoff, Fletcher and Strauss. Very little encouragment for England in their match on the weekend - Panesar 1/69, Harmison 1/99, Giles wicketless. The openers got some runs, but Giles and Jones, both batting up the order, scored 4 between them. So, Australia need to win this one in three days to keep my prediction of a 13 day series alive! mm [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2006-07-ashes-series/381530.md?page=5)