# The Ashes 2009 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 4, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898 "2009-07-04T15:41:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/141 "2009-07-31T14:20:11Z")
Cook out straight away, and from the look of it there was no need for it. Steady there boys! ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/142 "2009-07-31T14:33:09Z")
Yeah, that was a filthy prod, completely uncalled for. And it does rather expose our middle-order weakness, with RavBop in before the ball’s a couple of overs old. I’m a big fan of Collingwood, but when he’s indisputably your best bat between the openers and wicketkeeper, it’s not happy fun times. I love the Hughes/Watson swap. Bringing in a middle-order batsman as an opener, so you can have him bowl? Dare I say it, that’s almost an _English_ selection policy. Fair play to Watson, he batted well while England were trying to remember where off stump was, but his record opening for his state side hardly inspires confidence. He’s way better than his Test average of ~20 though, that’s for sure. If only he wasn’t made of eggshells and cotton candy. Speaking of Watson, check out [this beautiful photo](http://www.mostbeautifulman.com/athletes/ShaneWatson/index.shtml). CAUTION: NSFW. Not safe for children. Not safe for expecting mothers. In fact, just don’t click that link. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/143 "2009-07-31T15:17:09Z")
Whereupon Strauss and Bopara add another fifty by tea, and it all looks innocuous - Australian bowlers don’t seem to be getting the swing that Anderson and Onions were. Just another dozen or so to save the follow-on. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/144 "2009-07-31T15:28:05Z")
Aye, all looking good at the moment. I look forward to half an hour hence, when no doubt all will be irretrievably lost. Ebb and flow, eh? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/145 "2009-07-31T16:03:55Z")
And Bopara finds it necessary to give the bowler a helping hand. I wish we wouldn’t keep doing that. Bell and Strauss digging in now. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/146 "2009-08-02T16:34:29Z")
74 of the best from Flintoff, an excellent 55 from Broad, and England close with a lead of 113. Only one side can win it from here and with two hours plus a day to go, Australia have a good chance of escaping but are under the cosh and no mistake. ---
**Author:** ![MarkF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MarkF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkF)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2009, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/147 "2009-08-03T09:19:44Z")
Should be a cracking final day today doncha think? Roll on TMS 🙂 Also, bad form on the section of the crowd (perhaps disgruntled hoteliers from Leicester?) who booed Ponting yesterday. What a find in Mr. Onions and way to go Jimmy A. Feeling positive about an England Cricket team… blimey! ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2009, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/148 "2009-08-03T12:01:04Z")
Do the people that purchased a ticket for the day when play was rained off get a refund? If I bought a ticket for a football match and it was rained off then that ticket would be good for the re-arranged fixture ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2009, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/149 "2009-08-03T12:09:01Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > Do the people that purchased a ticket for the day when play was rained off get a refund? Yes, they’d get a full refund. There are also partial refunds if play is limited by the weather. Australia are effectively 59/4, and it’s an extended day due to the lost time, so are under real pressure now. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2009, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/150 "2009-08-04T01:39:26Z")
The pitch was playing pretty well- hadn’t had a lot of wear. Also, for **Chowder** , I understand that tickets may be offered for subsequent days (in Australia at least). ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2009, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/151 "2009-08-04T04:16:30Z")
A friend spent much of Friday explaining cricket to me while I watched BBC’s live text, and on Sunday I watched part of it using a method we’re not supposed to talk about here. I now know what a silly mid off is, the difference between an lbw and and a leg bye, and that the correct question regarding “c Prior” is not “caught before what?” ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2009, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/152 "2009-08-04T09:45:20Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > Yes, they’d get a full refund. There are also partial refunds if play is limited by the weather. > > Australia are effectively 59/4, and it’s an extended day due to the lost time, so are under real pressure now. A superb batting partnership to kill off the game, which was all Australia could hope for and which they managed in apparent comfort in the end. So it’s all to play for in the last two - England need to win one or draw both, Australia need to win one and not lose the other. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2009, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/153 "2009-08-04T10:14:41Z")
This really is turning into a series of “who’s shitter”, isn’t it? Hard to believe one of these sides is the number one in the world. Australia not closing out winning positions, England toothless unless it’s cloudy; both batting lineups profiting more by wayward bowling than by skill. It’s still all fun, of course, but it’s a completely different game to 2005. And balls to these back-to-back Tests, too. Rubbish idea. ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2009, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/154 "2009-08-04T13:35:50Z")
Panesar has been dropped from England’s squad for the fourth Test, and Sidebottom, Harmison and Trott have been added. Flintoff is still in. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/155 "2009-08-05T22:46:05Z")
So, last two tests. What do the Aussies have to do to turn this around? Besides improving batting, bowling and fielding. And is Broad a passenger in the English team? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/156 "2009-08-05T22:52:31Z")
Broad’s not doing his day job, but after a valuable fifty in his last outing, he’s moonlighting rather well. Be interesting if he could step his batting up a notch, like Flintoff in reverse. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/157 "2009-08-05T22:58:14Z")
Pressure seems to get to his bowling, see the T20 match v Holland. I really think he needs a couple of years. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/158 "2009-08-06T00:53:52Z")
I don’t think Australia need to do a lot, although on paper the last two Tests have all been Englands way. The team is not far removed from the first Test which was pretty much all Australia. It would help if Johnson would find a bit of form. And (I say this without being parochial) Rudi made some decisions that were pretty much shockers in the second Test that didn’t help Australia. These things do tend to even up so they will hopefully not be a big talking point. Not that I wish bad umpiring decisions to hurt England. Much 🙂 Anyway, I hope Australia go well in the two remaining Tests but I fear if they do it will only paper over the ineptitude of our selectors. ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/159 "2009-08-07T10:36:54Z")
Flintoff has now been [dropped](http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601077&sid=aVh3QDbOzTs0) from the England squad for the fourth Test because of his knee injury. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898/160 "2009-08-07T11:09:05Z")
_Grumble_ What has Australia got to do to get an LBW decision? First ball and Strauss was not out? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ashes-2009/501898.md?page=9)