Cricket. :(

[Ian Gentles]

Very bad start by England in fourth test, will this series end in a whitewash? :(

[Roland Hearn]

G'day, Ian I've been out for a couple of days. Got a chance to watch a good chunk of the fourth test though. While I was beside myself with watching Hayden's and Symond's partnership that rescued Australia and put them in an unbeatable position it was a very sad result with England capitulating so easy. In Brisbane they had a real go at saving the match, in Adelaide they should have won and in Perth there were times when they were very much in the game. It was sad to see them go down in three days. Of course all the talk here is about a white wash, about this being the worst English team in history and about the Aussies beating their own world record of sixteen wins on the trot. It is hard to buy the worst team in history argument seeing that it is almost the same team that won the ashes sixteen months ago. I think the poor preparation did not help them and I think there have been some bad decisions but for the most part there has been some chances of very different results. Hopefully Sydney will be a bit more competitive and the one day series will be a bit closer.

[Ian Gentles]

They are sure getting a bad press here, and i think they are a pretty pathetic side. At least i wanted to some more fight from them. As to the whitewash it looks like comming i am afraid, but another test is another test, we shall just have to wait and see.

[Roland Hearn]

Yeh as great as the English winning the ashes was good for cricket this series, I must confess, has been bad for it. The enthusiasm created over the English win was a great thing. Still this Australia team is an amazing team and I'm not sure any team in the world would have done any better than England has done.

[Bob Evans]

Break up Austraila:basic05

[Ian Gentles]

A survey over here shows most folks feeling that most players shouldent be selected agian.

[Roland Hearn]

Break up Austraila:basic05
Believe me the suggestion has been made - but it ain't going to happen. We just can't help ourselves we love dominating the games we play. Australia is a country with a population smaller than the state of Texas but we love to think the rest of the world actually notices us so we try and win or dominate just about very sport we can think of. The only exception of course are American only sports but we have our representatives there to and eventually we find a way of winning those as well :basic05 .
I remain yours in national sporting arrogance.
Roland Hearn

[Roland Hearn]

A survey over here shows most folks feeling that most players shouldent be selected agian.
Wow that is amazing Ian, these guys just aren't that bad. There are some real good players having a bit of bad luck. Strauss has had the worst of it. I can't believe how many decisions he has had go against him. The best thing England can do is keep these guys together, at least most of them, as watch what happens over the next couple of years.

[Ian Gentles]

England is so angry with this side, they really need to pull out all the stops tommorrow.

[Ian Gentles]

three things in life are sure
1. Death.
2. Taxation.
3. Shane Waren destroying England.

[Roland Hearn]

Wow, what a game so far. Even though Australia leads by 102 on the first innings this is still anyone's game. I really thought Shane Warne was going to go and get his fairy tale century, oh well it was a good innings.

[Ian Gentles]

yes it was, lookimg bleak for
England

[Roland Hearn]

Yup it is all done and dusted now. I'm sorry for England and for cricket that it wasn't a closer series. Well there is always 2009.
Have you heard that Richard Branson and Ian Botham are mounting a crusade to have the MCC leave the Ashes here so that the ashes themselves will remain with in the country that wins them? I don't think it is going to happen and I am not sure it really matters but it is an interesting concept.

[Roland Hearn]

Hey Ian,
I took Brad and his son Wesley and my two boys Jon (15) and Braden (13) to a twenty20 game last night. It was between Queensland and NSW. They were expecting 10,000 people and catered for 17,000 but nearly 30,000 turned up. It was a great way to introduce people to the game. In three hours there was over 300 runs scored and 13 wickets fell and a result. It was a lot of fun.
The whole country is still on a high from the 5-0 win of the Ashes and I think a lot of people just wanted to rush out and see a game of cricket. What a great last day of the Test series though. I had tears in my eyes as Warne, McGrath and Langer came to the end of their careers. When Hayden hit the winning run and ran down the pitch to kiss Langer on the side of his head and to watch Langer bury his head in Haydos' shoulder just had me welling up with tears.
Ok bring on the one dayers perhaps they will be a little closer.

[Ian Gentles]

Glad ya enjoyed that game ya went too, neat crowed.
Yep Ashes should stay in country that wins em.
Congratulations to Australia, sadly what promised to be a cricket feast was dissapointing, but that was Englands failure. :(

[Roland Hearn]

You are surely right about the promise of a feast. It is hard to be too disappointed on this end of the spectrum but man it would have been nice to see the games fought out like the ones in the England. I can't wait for 2009. Hey maybe by then I might be able to afford to come and watch one and you and I could go to Lords or the Oval - just a dream but you got to have them.

[Ian Gentles]

Yep, all i wanted was exciting cricket, playing down to the last. I really did think Australia would win the Ashes, what i didnt expect was this massacre :(

[Ian Gentles]

Maybe we will do better in the one dayers?