The TBCB Community Off Topic Thread

[kenyan_cheena]

Another double breakthrough for England! Hussey is playing well and is on 36 but Michael Clarke never looked comfortable and scratched and prodded his way to 9 before getting out. Then within minutes Marchus North was out for just 1. Australia are now 5 for 147, trailing England's 1st innings total by 113.

[kenyan_cheena]

England absolutely owned that session, claiming four wickets and restricting Australia to just 72 runs. 5 for 168 at tea, with Hussey on 46 and Haddin 9.

[Thunder]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

England absolutely owned that session, claiming four wickets and restricting Australia to just 72 runs. 5 for 168 at tea, with Hussey on 46 and Haddin 9.

I was waiting for the tea break update!

[kenyan_cheena]

Day 2 ended about 40 minutes before the scheduled finish due to rain. Australia took back control in the third session thanks to a good partnership froim Hussey and Haddin. Australia were 5 for 220 when play ended.

Today they've started play a half-hour early to make up for some of the lost time. Australia have moved along to 5 for 229 with Hussey on 85 and Haddin 24.

[kenyan_cheena]

Day 3 has been remarkable, with Australia taking a stranglehold on the match. Hussey and Haddin batted through the first two sessions without losing their wickets, with Haddin only just dismissed a couple of minutes ago for 136. Hussey is on 187 and Australia are 6 for 450, a lead of 190.

[kenyan_cheena]

NOTE: That last post should have been made aBOUT 24 HOURS AGO BUT i FORGOT TO COPY IT FROM MY aSHES THREAD IN tALK sPORTS.

Since my last update some 24 hours ago the situation has changed again, and England are back in with a chance. Australia were all out for 481 late on day three, Hussey falling just short of a double centuiry when he was dismissed for 195.

England's openers Strauss and Cook have brought them right back into the match as they combined for a brilliant opening stand of 188 before Strauss was out for 110. Cook has also scored a century and is undefeated on 113, with Trott on 38. So with an hour to play on day four England are 1 for 277 in their 2nd innings, leading by 56 runs.

It's been a remarkable fight back from them, one that has given them an outside chance of still winning.

[kenyan_cheena]

After England's tremendous fightback on day 4 it's going to be difficult for Australia to win the match. England goes into the final day on a fantastic 1 for 309 with Cook on 132 and Trott 54.

They are leading by 88 runs with nine wickets in hand so the only way Australia can win is if they either somehow bowl them out cheaply and then chase down the target, or England declares at some point and tempts them with a difficult target. Otherwise it could just end as a draw.

Gonna be an interesting day.

[kenyan_cheena]

Geez, Australia have capitulated in the opening session of day 5. Cook and Trott have added another 130 runs to the score to take it to 1 for 439 at lunch. Australia have been miserable and flat and they are simply out of ideas, unable to make a breakthrough. It didn't help that Clarke dropped a simple catch about an hour into the day.

Cook is 201, Trott 100, and England leads by 218. With two sessions remaining in the match we appear to be heading for a draw, one that will be much more demoralising for the Aussies than for England.

[kenyan_cheena]

Well, the match ended as a draw. After reaching 1 for 517 (a total which broke a whole bunch of records) England declared, Cook on 235 and Trott 135.

Australia had next to no chance of winning as they would have had to score 296 off 45 overs. They lost Katich early for 4 before Ponting and Watson moved the score along to 1 for 107 off 26 overs, Ponting scoring a quick-fire 51 off 43 balls and Watson 41.

With just over an hour to play the two captains agreed to end the match. In conclusion, the ball ruled the game for the first two and a half days before the bat took over during the second half of the match. The deteriorating pitch made it near impossible for the bowlers, leading to just two wickets falling over the final two days after 20 had fallen during the first three.

So, despite it being a draw I would say that England emerged with the momentum going into the 2nd test in Adelaide, which starts on Friday. The way they fought back on day 4 after being seemingly in deep trouble was very encouraging for them, and just as deflating for Australia.

[kenyan_cheena]

So who's gonna start Inside the Ropes' 1,000th thread?