Since before you were born sir..
Not very closely then.
(It's 200 in Tests)
Since before you were born sir..
Why didn't they enforce the follow on? Madness.
Far, far too much triumphalism yesterday...' England on top...England's day...if we can get 450, we can win this Test...we are going to win 4-0 etc etc.
Facts.....
1) Australia were 132-6 and should have been bowled out for less than 200.
2) England's top order were carried through the summer by Ian Bell.
3) The Aussie bowlers are quicker and more hostile than ours.
4) KP will regularly get out at critical times.
5) Trott can't play the short ball ( not ideal for a no.3 )
6) Prior will regularly get 0 when the chips are down ( flat-track bully and technically deficient )
7) England are bigged up as this multi-talented side but in essence are quite ordinary. They have been flattered by the absence of real competition, South Africa and India ( at home ) excepted.
8) They have committed the cardinal sin of allowing Australia to wrest the initiative at the beginning of the series ( with some very poor batting ) and now face a big uphill struggle.
I think people have made too much of the 3-0 series earlier this year. The other two were rained off when it looked like Australia would win. If not for weather it would have been 3-2, which is less dominant. Perhaps there's complacency in the England team because of the hype.
You can't suggest that the above is FACT. Only bad light prevented it finishing 4-0.
Maybe I'm misremembering the second draw, but I strongly remember one of the draws being rained off when Australia were looking like they would win. I did remember it as both the draws going that way, but if one was bad light I bow to your memory. However, if they had won the one I remember as being rained off while they were looking good for a win, maybe it would have given them a bit more confidence, some momentum and the rest of the series might have played out differently.
The first one was as you remember. The second (the last Test of the series) was a bit of both. Australia were in a strong position, but weather took some time out of the game, meaning that rather than batting England out of it, Clarke was forced to set up a sporting run chase. England surprised him by batting brilliantly and would have succeeded in pulling off a world record run chase (and a 4-0 series result) but for an utterly farcical end, when the umpires were forced to bring them off by the mental regulations. I'm amazed you don't remember it!
Particularly annoyed by Prior's first ball dismissal. It really is time he stopped thinking he’s still billy big b******s and knuckled down! He has had a truly shocking summer with the bat with England and Sussex, that looks to be continuing.
Why didn't they enforce the follow on? Madness.
Don't worry - the Aussies will be all out for 87, with “27 Year old English medium pace bowler” taking 9-6. England will need 246 to win and will stumble to 102-7. “27 year old England all rounder” will then hit a blistering Century, taking 23 off one Mitchell Johnson over and see England over the line in a partnership with Graeme Swann.
The Brisbane Mail Courier will then be widely blamed by all Australia for geeing Stuart Broad up sales will plummet and it will go out of business by the end of next week!!
All good!