Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne

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"There used to be a bloke who gave himself out by walking when he'd hit the ball. The popularity of that within his team-mates may be shown by the fact that since his retirement, they no longer reply to any emails, phone calls or text messages."
Adam Gilchrist gives a tongue-in-cheek response to his own philosophy of 'walking'

Oct 12, 2008

By Will 2 years ago, at the end of December Leave a comment on this post

Posted massively in advance. By the time you read this, you’ll all be bursting to the seams with turkey, bread sauce and stuffing - and enough wine to sink a battleship. I’ll be heaving my way from the kitchen to the sitting room to cover the Test, so if you too are a sad loser with nothing better to do on Christmas Day than watch England get a roasting (HONK) or a stuffing (HO HO) or a basting (I’ll stop now), do join us at Cricinfo for full, live, uninterrupted, groundbreaking, turkey-laden coverage!

Tags: ashes, australia, boxing-day-test, england, england-in-australia, melbourne, the-ashes |

Comments to “Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne” Tom wrote:
December 25th, 2006 at 8.41 pm

I’m up at 7.30 to report the skies over Melbourne are dark, occasionally dumping rain, and bitterly and completely uncharacteristically freezing. However the clouds in the east look lighter, definately an encouraging sign. We haven’t had rain in about a month, but yesterday was a dumping, and while it is scheduled to clear to be sunny, Boxing Day looks like the middle of July.

I’m heading off at 8.30 simply as to get into the ground in time. With the mass of people, security back checks, and the unreliability of our public train system, I figured better to be in there early and safe, than late and frantic.

Been looking forward to this for 6 months, and now its here. Cannot wait.

Jon wrote:
December 25th, 2006 at 10.46 pm

Read in for Jones, I don’t think even Fletcher could have argued for Geraint’s inclusion this time.

Wraye wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 12.43 am

Hi all! No turkey here, by popular wishes from my kids we had wild boar and very nice it was too. Yes, I am a sad bastard listening to the cricket. You may have the Ashes but am sorry for our drought, mates. Pints of wine here, cheers! Merry Christmas, every-one!

Kathy wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 6.34 am

May I be the first to say: BRING BACK GERAINT JONES!!

Kathy wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 6.39 am

Woohoo â€” you push Hoggy down to no 11 and you watch him bat! See that 4!

Right, they’re all out, I’ll calm down now.

Wraye wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 6.50 am

and that was it, was it? Why are we still here, Kathy?

Wraye wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 7.27 am

Two good calls from Hoggy turned down. It would feel different of Oz were 2 down now, wouldn’t it? Would perhaps make our performance seem decent. No chance of that is there? The torture runs on. Merry Xmas. Sob.

Wraye wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 7.36 am

A wicket at the end. Am I alone here?

Wraye wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 7.39 am

now you are 2 down! Way to go, Freddy! On a hattrick!

Kathy wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 8.05 am

Night, night, Wraye. I think a lot of people just can’t handle the torture. You have to be made of pretty stern stuff. I mean, how much mental strength does it take to support a team who are handing out a thrashing? None!

Great stuff from Fred. And Hoggy was robbed.

And I swear, the England bowlers do not like Chris Read. There’s no eye contact, no byplay, nothing. They like Jones. And Read seems to stand too far back. He takes the ball down round his ankles all the time.

Wraye wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 9.35 am

I’m an old woman, Kathy. Been down this sad and sorry road with the England team all too often. And my heart goes out to the Aussies as well. We all wanted a bitchin fight. Sigh. Back to bed. Night,night.

Tom wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 9.53 am

Boring, frustrating, and tiring day.

I left about 40mins after tea, after watching the rain fall, England not touch a bloody thing, and Warney take his 700th wicket. That was the highlight to be honest, as England sludged along after 62 overs to be 5 for 133. After I left of course, wicket tumpled quickly, and Australia batted…bloody typical. About 5 out of 10 for the day, standing up for 8 hours took its toll at 4.30; I could no longer physically stand without mass pain.

Oh well, there is always tomorrow.

Matt wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 12.31 pm

Tom - you have to stand up at the MCG? Huh?

Graham E. Smith wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 2.03 pm

You colonists always have had an infantile sense of humour….perhaps we should have hung your ancestors as was common practice in bygone days?Oh well!we bear it in mind when we have another convict ship full.
Well,I know that is impractible….so I am having a word with my M.P. to arrange for our Panel of Cricket Selectors,their mis-begotten families,friends and hangers on to be put on the next boat for down-under.
And just to make sure arrange to torpeo it….as far away from land as possible….after all why should you poor cretins suffer them?
Oh,yes…WELL DONE SHANE….
Luv to all,
Graham.
p.;Oh Gawd….what ever next?

Graham E. Smith wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 2.09 pm

Ooops1 ..for torpeo….please read TORPEDO.

And make sure the ship has no lifeboats.

Hmmm….I feel a little less stressed now I have that of my chest.

Luv,

G.E.S.

Wraye wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 3.37 pm

Ah. Right. Erhem. And I thought I took my cricket seriously. Well, Graham, by the sound of things we won’t be seeing you wearing a “Down Under” T-shirt at the party? Comiserations, mate.

Graham E Smith wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 5.47 pm

Ah! so someone is awake early…down beneath my feet,
Nice to hear from you mate…sorry about the spleen..
Yes I take my cricket seriously….well as seriously as a game can be taken..ie:not of life threatening importance.
Once upon a time it was regarded as a peculiarly English National Game and it was played on village greens all over the country….now I am afraid to say that there are more ‘Macdonalds’ than village cricket teams….perhaps we should ask the Yanks who own the Big Macs to send you a team for the next series….I don’t think that they could do much worse !
Ah well roll on the next episode…c.u.
Graham

Wraye wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 7.48 pm

Venting spleen? Let it go, mate. We’ve all done it often enough. Sigh, England have lost that often. When the village team loses, you can kick the hedge, the door, the dog if you have one and have a beer with the captain afters. Spleen when England blow the Ashes so meekly? Well, I don’t dare say what I feel otherwise Will might ban me!

Will wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 8.33 pm

Say what you like Wraye…

Will wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 8.34 pm

And, as a reminder to the impending war: Be descriptive, be witty, be fruity…nothing too foul though

Tom wrote:
December 26th, 2006 at 9.55 pm

“Tom - you have to stand up at the MCG? Huh?”

In June, after I missed out on general seating in the ticketing fiasco, I snapped up standing room tickets for about 12 dollars. I thought, ‘hell, it will most likely be warm, and just being there would make it bareable’. There was a row of empty seats in front of me, yet the MCG security Nazi’s stopped myself and a mate I was with from occupying these seats.

Woodyway wrote:
December 27th, 2006 at 12.55 am

Good three wasn’t it.The selectors have completely lost it-at least some of us havn’t.I could go on but what’s the point-it’s all been said. Mate of mine is well into Saga age[no ageism]and he’s waiting for the nod.

Graham E Smith wrote:
December 27th, 2006 at 1.08 pm

Yeah,well I’m also into the Saga age….and I’ve got too much to do yet….than hang around waiting for anything….besides it could be 25 years{ beforeI get the nod}thanks to our National Health Service.
Although after last nights’ performance by our would be cricketers….. for a few minutes I felt like chucking myself under a tram…..then I thought NAAAH! Chuck the
B####### selectors instead.
Now I wonder if we can hang on for a draw?…or perhaps it will get rained off ??

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Australia v England, 4th Test, Melbourne