Group A - India, England, Australia, West Indies

[PY]

Ah well, that was pathetic from England's top order.

Nothing to be proud of whatsoever.

[Scaly piscine]

Well after all the pathetic rubbish I've had to listen through from England over the past year or so they had better damn well retain the Ashes.

[dontcloseyoureyes]

He had a Test average of 43 after 7 games.

9 out of 10 of those innings were not out, though.

He's out now anyway. Not a good total but England are by no means out of the game if a few early wickets fall. They need to get Watson, Gilchrist and Ponting for pretty much nothing to have a chance, you'd imagine.

[FaaipDeOiad]

Brilliant team bowling effort today, after the early period. Watson and Johnson were quite fantastic on a lifeless pitch, and Lee kept it very tight also. Watson's averaging under 20 over the last 12 months now with the ball, and gets better every series, and Johnson seems to get better every single game he plays, and is developing a habit of getting the best batsmen in the opposition out cheaply. Plenty of hope there.

McGrath was okay after his early problems too. Got some reverse in his 2nd and 3rd spells and deserved a couple of wickets given the horrible drop from Martyn early on.

England were pretty hopeless after Bell and Strauss though. For people who've seen more of him than me, is Yardy actually any good? He looks completely out of his depth at international level, and it's hard to see why he's being picked at all. Surely they'd be better off picking someone else instead and having Collingwood at 4.

[open365]

If we can get to 200 () it might make it 90-10 in Australia's favour. Good times.

Hahah, good one PY.

[social]

Was about to ask the same question about Yardy - never heard of him until recently and he's either totally overawed or clueless.

[TT Boy]

Why is an out of form Flintoff coming in *up* the order? He'd be better off at 6 when he's as rubbish as this.

Any what a joke Watson having 2 wickets - typical of ODIs tho.

Some joke, you not even watching the game yet you can decipher if someone is bowling well or not. “Toothless rubbish”? Probably never seen him play...

In regard to the game, ****ing useless but to be expected. Also James Anderson > Are top order.

[BoyBrumby]

Odds on the runs from Harmy's first over? I'm going 13 myself.

Good old-fashioned Pommie jib, all the more galling because we piddled away such a good position. It does show the virtue of having 4th & 5th seaming options who can take wickets, but then that's a no-brainer anyway! It's having the players to do it!

Right, I'm off to the pub to watch the Oz innings with a bevy or several. I'll be back to bemoan our inevitable defeat later....

[open365]

Brilliant team bowling effort today, after the early period. Watson and Johnson were quite fantastic on a lifeless pitch, and Lee kept it very tight also. Watson's averaging under 20 over the last 12 months now with the ball, and gets better every series, and Johnson seems to get better every single game he plays, and is developing a habit of getting the best batsmen in the opposition out cheaply. Plenty of hope there.

McGrath was okay after his early problems too. Got some reverse in his 2nd and 3rd spells and deserved a couple of wickets given the horrible drop from Martyn early on.

England were pretty hopeless after Bell and Strauss though. For people who've seen more of him than me, is Yardy actually any good? He looks completely out of his depth at international level, and it's hard to see why he's being picked at all. Surely they'd be better off picking someone else instead and having Collingwood at 4.

Well, not really, he's ok at list A level, but his batting average is 20! And he's so obviously not an international player, the only reason he's in the side is because he bowls some variety of ****ty left arm spin

[PY]

Was about to ask the same question about Yardy - never heard of him until recently and he's either totally overawed or clueless.

Both, his bowling is better than his batting IMO.

He's an intelligent cricketer but it doesn't make up for a lack of natural talent.

[Perm]

Michael Yardy? Whats up with this guy, can he actually bat or is he one of those bits and pieces players that England have the habit of picking. I'm sure Ed Joyce would be better of being up at the top of the order somewhere. Should be an easy win for Australia, picking Watson and Ponting to be in the runs. Harmison's first over will cost 10.

[open365]

And well done to Australia, they fielding saved them quite a few runs and the bowling was terrific, i'm amazed how good Watson looked today, last time i saw him was last witner against the world 11 where he was so bad i felt sorry for the guy.

[Scaly piscine]

Some joke, you not even watching the game yet you can decipher if someone is bowling well or not. “Toothless rubbish”? Probably never seen him play...

In regard to the game, ****ing useless but to be expected. Also James Anderson > Are top order.

I've seen Watson plenty of times, he's straight up and down - which is toothless at international level, or it would be if it wasn't England just throwing wickets away as per usual.

Regardless of how well anyone bowled you shouldn't be losing so many wickets to him (or anyone).

[open365]

I've seen Watson plenty of times, he's straight up and down - which is toothless at international level, or it would be if it wasn't England just throwing wickets away as per usual.

Regardless of how well anyone bowled you shouldn't be losing so many wickets to him.

He's improved massively since the last time i saw him, and look at his record in 2006, averaging 20.

[FaaipDeOiad]

Watson since the Ashes in ODIs: 23 wickets @ 18.09, econ 4.73. Admittedly that's mostly against minnows though, rest of the world, South Africa, India, West Indies and now England. Johnson is now averaging under 25 for his career after taking 3 games to take a wicket.

Toothless rubbish indeed.