How do you feel?

[Sir Redman]

Mixed feelings here. Before the series started, I thought I'd be favouring the Aussies slightly 'cause I just couldn't bare to think about a good England team. Since then though, I've simply loved watching Australia get beaten - it makes for such a nice change. All the whining from certain Australians I know about the weather, umpiring, substitutes and whatever else has made it so much better.

Now though, I'm going to have to endure endless gloating from all the Poms I know. What fun.

 

[sqwerty]

Mixed feelings here. Before the series started, I thought I'd be favouring the Aussies slightly 'cause I just couldn't bare to think about a good England team. Since then though, I've simply loved watching Australia get beaten - it makes for such a nice change. All the whining from certain Australians I know about the weather, umpiring, substitutes and whatever else has made it so much better.

Now though, I'm going to have to endure endless gloating from all the Poms I know. What fun.

don't worry mate...it'll only last 14 months

 

[luckyeddie]

I started watching cricket in 1965 when my father took me Canterbury to watch Kent play South Africa.

Graeme Pollock scored an undefeated double century that day, and I was hooked. A week later, my first test match, and blow me down, he got another hundred, and that hook was in for life.

The greatest series I ever had the pleasure to witness was 1981, when two men tore the Ashes from the grasp of, let's face it, a pretty poor Australian side.

Ashes 2005 left the 1981 series far behind, and even at the start of the final session, the destiny of the Ashes was in doubt. That they came home is due in part to every single player in that England team, yes, even Geraint Oops-Jones and Ian Bell (even Graham Gooch made a pair - on debut) who made their significan contributions on other occasions.

How do I feel?

Pretty elated, yet deflated at the same time. How do you follow THAT?

On the other hand, I am sooooooooooooo glad that I haven't published the third and final part of the History of the Ashes yet.

 

[luckyeddie]

don't worry mate...it'll only last 14 months

That's right.

You'll have Shaun Tait to lead the attack - or will Gyppo be back? ( )

 

[luckyeddie]

I want some one to eat the australian team a life.

That's a keeper

 

[andyc]

EVERYONE READ THIS: http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/engvaus/content/story/218989.html

This is why I am so happy!

Some of the comments said weren't very clever, but that's just the beauty of hindsight. Given what the Aussies had to see, England weren't looking too good up till the 2nd test.

 

[reverseswing]

dissapointed but at the same time excited about some fresh faces appearing in the Aus side over the next few months

 

[simmy]

Me too... got to say that other than Clarke... Im not entirely impressed. Tait does not look special.

 

[Langeveldt]

That's right.

You'll have Shaun Tait to lead the attack - or will Gyppo be back? ( )

not to mention, Cameron White and Shane Watson as all rounders

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Me too... got to say that other than Clarke... Im not entirely impressed. Tait does not look special.

Who else have you seen, aside from Clarke, Tait and Watson, among the 20-something fringe players in Australian cricket?

Anyway, Tait is certainly special, however you look at it. The deliveries he got Trescothick and Collingwood with in the tests were quite special. And the full toss he bowled two metres wide of leg, that was special too.

Really the key for him is confidence and bowling his "good spells" more regularly. There were a few times in the two tests he played where he bowled most of a spell on the right spot and picked up a wicket or two each time he did. Then sometimes he'd bowl 5 overs for 40 and not even look close to getting one. When you saw his second spell in test cricket, he looked like a guy who got 65 wickets last season, and in his first one he looked like a joke. Only time will tell if he can make the necessary improvements to be a test success, but talent he has in bucketloads. The number of guys in the world who can bowl an inswinging yorker at 95 miles per hour are rather limited.

 

[PY]

The deliveries he got Trescothick and Collingwood with in the tests were quite special.

Colly wasn't out.

 

[greg]

Actually I thought the most worrying indicator for Australians in the future came right at the end. Brett Lee bowled what was probably one of the most ferocious spells of fast bowling in the history of test cricket, regularly bowling at above 95 mph and pretty well directed to boot.

And he didn't look like dismissing Matthew Hoggard. If ever you wanted a demonstration that raw pace alone is not enough at test level, this was it.

 

[Isolator]

Sad that this series is over. Don't know when, if ever, I'll get to see something like it again. Maybe they should have a best-of-seven?

I hope someone puts a good chunk of this series on DVD. Ideally, they should have every minute of the series on it, but that's a bit unrealistic...

 

[luckyeddie]

Sad that this series is over. Don't know when, if ever, I'll get to see something like it again. Maybe they should have a best-of-seven?

I hope someone puts a good chunk of this series on DVD. Ideally, they should have every minute of the series on it, but that's a bit unrealistic...

The DVD is in production as we speak

 

[Jace11]

Yup, I was going to ask here about the DVD as I thought someone may know when it's out. I for one could watch the clips of Hayden going lbw all day..

Wonder how much it will sell...

 

[aussie]

The number of guys in the world who can bowl an inswinging yorker at 95 miles per hour are rather limited.

word out dawg. tell them...

 

[honestbharani]

Who else have you seen, aside from Clarke, Tait and Watson, among the 20-something fringe players in Australian cricket?

Anyway, Tait is certainly special, however you look at it. The deliveries he got Trescothick and Collingwood with in the tests were quite special. And the full toss he bowled two metres wide of leg, that was special too.

Really the key for him is confidence and bowling his "good spells" more regularly. There were a few times in the two tests he played where he bowled most of a spell on the right spot and picked up a wicket or two each time he did. Then sometimes he'd bowl 5 overs for 40 and not even look close to getting one. When you saw his second spell in test cricket, he looked like a guy who got 65 wickets last season, and in his first one he looked like a joke. Only time will tell if he can make the necessary improvements to be a test success, but talent he has in bucketloads. The number of guys in the world who can bowl an inswinging yorker at 95 miles per hour are rather limited.

Yeah, but can Tait get those in accurately often enough? Anyways, the kid does have talent but for him to be effective, like Brett Lee, he needs some control from the other end and at the moment, I am afraid there are not enough guys to give that apart from McGrath and Warne and both are coming towards their ends, esp. McGrath, he plays both forms and if he keeps getting injured.......

 

[reverseswing]

Me too... got to say that other than Clarke... Im not entirely impressed. Tait does not look special.

yes because,you know, the 14 players in the ashes squad are the only players we have in Australia

 

[reverseswing]

Yeah, but can Tait get those in accurately often enough? Anyways, the kid does have talent but for him to be effective, like Brett Lee, he needs some control from the other end and at the moment, I am afraid there are not enough guys to give that apart from McGrath and Warne and both are coming towards their ends, esp. McGrath, he plays both forms and if he keeps getting injured.......

Do you watch Aus domestic cricket?

People who think Aus are going to roll over like the windies and other countries are going to be sadly mistaken

 

[Dasa]

Do you watch Aus domestic cricket?

People who think Aus are going to roll over like the windies and other countries are going to be sadly mistaken

No one think Aus are going to decline to the extent of the Windies. However, I think many Aus domestic players are vastly overrated.