ercles on 16/7/2009 at 20:03
Hey they aren't mutually exclusive. So....
Good to see Sorensen get his first tour win, although Saxobank have been utterly disappointing this tour. Can't wait till the climbing that this weekend brings, should actually see some action.
The ashes so far seem to largely revolve around whether Australia can actually close out matches and play to form. They had that first test stitched up, I think the reactions clearly showed that England knew they were lucky to escape with the draw. But now with no Hauritz, no Lee, and Johnson struggling, Australia is going to have to do something amazing with the bat because our bowling attack is completely fucked.
EDIT: Too early to really make any comments of worth on "THE OPEN", Tiger seems to be set on making it tough for himself to say the least. But tomorrow it seems the weather is blowing in and by tomorrow afternoon, cometh the hour, cometh the man... hopefully.
D'Juhn Keep on 16/7/2009 at 20:20
Jiminez is so cool
nickie on 17/7/2009 at 16:54
Day 2 of the Ashes. Bit down and up for us earlier but definitely up now, 111-4 and 111-5.
Still, the dull bits were enlivened by the (
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/8154896.stm) text commentary from the BBC. It'd be great if I knew what they were mostly talking about though.
Quote:
Nice wheels from Anderson, who reaches 91mph with his second delivery to Katich, but the opener is erudite in defence, presenting a blade as straight as a mathematician's punchline. Katich fends a short ball into the leg side and adds a quick single, but Hussey plays a horrendous pull shot to a ball too full to play with a horizontal bat, bottom-edging on to the base of his pads.
It's so much easier to watch. :)
My son's giving me a crash course in golf at the moment so I can make intelligent and insightful comments about the Open. Tiger Woods possibly might not make the cut (so I'm told) as he's +4 and some bloke called Steve Marino, who's leading, is -5.
Ashes update now - 139-6.
151-7
D'Juhn Keep on 17/7/2009 at 17:15
nickie, in a lot of competitions the cut is put at 10 shots worse than the leader but the British Open doesn't have that, it's just the top 70 players (with ties getting in)
And Woods is screwed after losing his ball on the 10th and then losing it completely. Oops!
Watson is amazing, doing exactly what Norman did last year. I imagine it'll be the same result as then, with the old guy just not quite managing it over all 4 rounds but still great to see him doing so well.
HOLY SHIT 151/7
nickie on 17/7/2009 at 17:19
Thank you - I'll remember that and it's now 152-8.
[Edit] At least I'll tell beloved son he shouldn't give me duff info and make me look stupid! :) [Edit again] Seems Sky and BBC both refer to Tiger missing the cut so I won't beat him up this time I think.
OK, probably finished for the day on 156-8. Discussion now revolving around forcing/not forcing the follow on.
Apparently we haven't beaten the Aussies at Lord's for 75 years. Maybe this will be the time. Anyway, the highlights start at 7.15. I shall be watching and maybe the bloke will turn up in time as well.
Highlight of the day was seeing Ponting go for 2. Please don't take it personally guys, I thought Boycott was a thoroughly nasty piece of work as well.
ercles on 18/7/2009 at 15:56
The decision to give Ponting out was an absolute farce. Only to be followed by Australia inexplicably deciding that fighting back from 1-0 down in the series with 3 tests to go would make for a good challenge.
nickie on 18/7/2009 at 16:43
It was rather. At least they could have called him out for the right thing. Perhaps slightly poetic justice though. Did he not first claim a catch against Collingwood and then try and claim lbw instead?
Beeb commentators have been very gloomy all afternoon over the decision not to follow on. Luckily your guys got Pietersen and Bopara out as I was falling asleep and it's all a bit more lively now.
I intensely dislike the booing that's been going on, and the cheering during the endless replays of Ponting's dropped catch. This isn't a one-day or a 20-20, it's the Ashes and it's Lord's. It's just not cricket! (I didn't know that was Australian slang though.)
And Flintoff starts his last Test innings at Lord's.
D'Juhn Keep on 18/7/2009 at 21:10
It stopped being cricket when they stopped walking when they knew they were out. They still call fouls on themselves in golf and snooker, I guess it's easier to do when it's not a team game?
Tom Watson for the Open :cool: would love to know what odds you could have had him at before it started.
ercles on 19/7/2009 at 03:45
I'm quite glad I'm in the USA right now because I'm pretty sure the mood in Australia would be too much doom and gloom to take. Although I'm disappointed Tiger blew it so badly, it would be a terrific story if Watson took it out.
As far as Ponting goes, I have disliked him for a long time, he's a particularly poor sport, and I think projects a poor image as the captain of the team. But I've never been a fan of umpires determining the outcome of the game. Luckily this isn't the case here, as we slowly spiral out of contention in this test.
Tomorrow aught to be an important stage in the tour, with some changes in the front five for the first time in a while. Apparently the big climb up to the finish is going to be prime pickings for astana, or anyone other potential contenders who want to make up some time.
nickie on 19/7/2009 at 08:02
Quote Posted by D'Juhn Keep
It stopped being cricket when they stopped walking when they knew they were out. They still call fouls on themselves in golf and snooker, I guess it's easier to do when it's not a team game?
I don't see why. If you're honourable, you hold your hand up. If you're not, you don't. I can't see that it matters which sport it is. No doubt cheating has always gone on but it seems so much more noticeable and common now, probably because you can replay it over and over again! But with that ability, I wish more was being done to highlight those who do and call them to account. It seems that only a real fuss is made about drug takers.
Quote Posted by ercles
Luckily this isn't the case here, as we slowly spiral out of contention in this test.
Tomorrow aught to be an important stage in the tour, with some changes in the front five for the first time in a while. Apparently the big climb up to the finish is going to be prime pickings for astana, or anyone other potential contenders who want to make up some time.
Maybe, but England are pretty brilliant at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. We shall see.
I thought (
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/8156974.stm) the shooting at two riders was pretty nasty. Nerve-wracking getting back on your bike after that I would have thought, even if it was just (!) an airgun.
