Story Englands attempts to become the best (ICC2006 Ashes Edition)

[evertonfan]

SS, play Anderson as your number 8. As well as his 500+ wickets, he also maintains an average of 22 with 2 hundreds and 8 fifties for me.

 

[Sureshot]

Its a nice win but pity that KP didn't get anything big! Read must be proud to get the winning runs

also did Rashid play?

No, his trial didn't quite impress me enough. He was so ineffective in the first innings. Monty took 4 in the first innings of the test.

I'm sure Rashid will find himself in my future plans and will be my 2nd spinner when duty calls (barring someone else firing on all cylinders in the CC).

Plunketts got the 8 spot atm Matt, he's doing well too.

Jimmy? Well he might play in the 5th test should we win the next test.

 

[evertonfan]

Adil Rashid is awful for me on this game. I'm quite happy with using a rotation of Monty and Dalrymple who is a surprisingly good spinner on this game.

 

[plympilgrim]

as suren said nice for read to finish off the innings, and you are in a strong position with 2 left

 

[Sureshot]

Ok, a batting paradise at the MCG so when I won the toss I decided to bat...

First ball, Kasprowicz to Trescothick, bowling around the wicket. The ball wraps the pads and he's given out lbw first ball! Cook (84) and Strauss (37) steadied the ship a little but we never got going. Bell also got a duck, Collingwood made 44 whilst batting with the tail but we were dismissed for 227. Dizzy 3-42, Kasperowicz 2-42, Lee 2-48 and Warne 2-64 (Hussey seems to be bowling a fair bit, he got the other wicket).

Hoggard got Hussey early but from then on Australia made good use of a good batting track. Hayden (117) and Ponting (97) got them off to a great start then Jaques (161) just destroyed us. Warne made 46 whilst playing through the new ball. Plunkett had a bad day 2-134, Monty took 4-85, hoggard 2-128 and Colly 1-43, Harmison didn't take a wicket.

With a massive 1st innings deficit we needed a good opening partnership and we got that, Tres (162) and Strauss (106) put on 209 before Warne bowled Strauss. Cook didn't make many but KP (51) helped Tres along to his big score. Colly again made 68 batting with Read (12), Plunkett (16) and Harmison (16), we were eventually dismissed for 453. Dizzy 3-76, lee 2-111, Kasperowicz 2-110, Warne 2-106.

Australia had a target of 180 to chase, we had a small chance bot nothing more. Harmison for the early wicket of Hayden caught at slip by KP for 15. But then Hussey (103*) and Ponting (62*) made light work of the target.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g271/MightyRed/4thTest.jpg

A dissapointing performance and Plunkett was very expensive in the 2nd innings having 12 overs go for 53. Monty took his 4th 4 wicket haul of the series and has been our best bowler by a long way. Hoggard has been unlucky, Harmison a bit off and Plunkett only 2 good performances.

Read again didn't do anything....

Stay tuned for the 5th and decisive test!

 

[plympilgrim]

the aussies won easily, this will be big, probably come down to the last day and last wicket

 

[Jaztheman]

keep read in you wil be rewarded, bring jimmy in you will be rewarded

 

[surendar]

Read again didn't do anything....

Its not fair to put a blame on one batter alone when entire team didn't come upto the expectations in a batting paradise in first innings. Thats team fault!

Also, before going to the last and final test, we need to find solution for Hayden and Jacques as i observe that England are struggling to bowl against them. Btw, its very interesting to read and i am now excited that England shd win the final test after putting up such great efforts. Keep it up mate

 

[puddleduck]

Play Prior

 

[surendar]

Play Prior

nah....Keep Read He is more handy with bat than Prior.

 

[Sureshot]

Well this is what you've all been waiting for...

The 5th test at Sydney, we lost the toss on a good track and were put in to bowl. Captain Andrew Strauss read out a surprise debut for Rashid and Shah to replace the out of form Ian Bell. Plunkett dropping out for Rashid.

We start out fantastic getting them 3-26 with 2 wickets for Hoggard and one wicket for Harmison. Then my tormentor Jaques comes to the crease with Martyn at the other end. Yup, you've guessed it they put on a huge partnership, Jaques making 139 and Martyn 120. Gilly made 41 but there wasn't much other support in a score of 402. Hoggard takes 5-85, Harmison 3-76 and new man Rashid 2-96.

So we start out chasing a good total, Tres goes for 20 and then Strauss goes for 26. Cook and KP (31) make a good stand before Warne gets KP caught at silly mid-off. Then the new man Shah comes out and him and Cook but on a good partnership. Shah making 58 and Cook making 121. Collingwood (32) and Rashid (28) put on a good partnership but we only can make 340. Warne 5-89, Kasperowicz 3-73 and Dizzy 2-82.

So with them having a 60 run lead after the 1st innings we needed a good start and we got that with Hoggard dismissing Hayden for 1 leaving the score 1-1! Ponting then gets bowled by Harmison and Jaques fails (he had hit 4 successive centuries before) with Hoggard getting his wicket. Hussey (68) and Martyn (48) put on a good partnership but Rashid (3-84) broke that partnership, he also dismissed Langer and Gilchrist cheaply. Panesar takes the wicket of Martyn. Warne made 42* and batted till the end of the innings with Harmison wrapping up the innings with figures of 3-26 and needing one more wicket for 200 Test wickets. Hoggard 3-65 and Panesar 1-64. Australia finished on 242.

We needed 305 runs for victory, a tough task on a 4th and 5th day pitch.

Strauss (12) and Trescothick (5) made little contributions but not alot, Cook (27) made a partnership with KP for a bit, but soon got out. At 67-3 it was not looking good, then Shah came out and batted brilliantly and put on 223 with KP (132*) with the game almost done and dusted Collingwood helped finish off the innings. It's worth noting that Shah was dropped twice. Dizzy 2-40 and Lee 2-76.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g271/MightyRed/5thtest.jpg

So a briliant series win that lifts us over Pakistan. I'll load it up again and bring you some series statistics before I get on to the ODIs!

 

[puddleduck]

Well done Sureshot, good win and seems like an exciting series to play

 

[surendar]

It was a brillaint series... Both Rashid & Shah replacements worked well for England & also brilliant KP in final innings.

But my turning point of this match wud be, " Dismissal of Jacques in Aus's second innings ". Another century wud have definitely put England in back foot but Hoggard did the greatest job there!

An interesting way to end the series It was nice reading!

 

[Sureshot]

Let's see some stats...

England:

Strauss - 327 runs @ an average of 32.70
Pietersen - 689 runs @ an average of 86.1 & 1 wicket for 58 runs.
Bell - 198 runs @ an average of 24.8
Shah 156 runs @ an average of 78
Cook - 600 runs @ an average of 66.7
Trescothick - 568 runs @ an average of 56.8
Read - 26 runs @ an average of 6.5
Prior - 28 runs @ an average of 9.3
Collingwood - 180 runs @ an average of 36 & 4 wickets @ 37.
Flintoff - 251 runs @ an average of 125.5 & 1 wicket for 160 runs.
Plunkett - 110 runs @ an average of 22 & 12 wickets @ 52.3
Harmison - 20 wickets @ 31.6
Hoggard - 23 wickets @ 33.7
Panesar - 21 wickets @32.1
Rashid - 5 wickets @ 36.

Australia:

Huseey - 381 runs @ an average of 42.3 & 2 wickets @ 103.5
Hayden - 300 runs @ an average of 50
Ponting - 490 runs @ an average of 54.4
Jaques - 825 runs @ an average of 91.67
Martyn - 365 runs @ an average of 40.6
Langer - 219 runs @ an average of 24.35
Gilchrist - 175 runs @ an average of 19.44
Watson - 108 runs @ an average of 54 & 0 wickets for 43 runs.
Warne - 184 runs @ an average of 23 & 34 wickets @ 26.05
Lee - 128 runs @ an average of 15.1 & 12 wickets @ 61.33
Gillespie - 18 wickets @ 40.89
Kasperowicz - 7 wickets @ 42.85
McGrath - 7 wickets @ 59

 

[Ponting22]

great work ss keep it up very enjoyable