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ASHES COUNTDOWN

• ASHES COUNTDOWN

• ASHES COUNTDOWN

  StrumSolo > 30/10/2013, 19:53

  The first test is now just 3 weeks away. Only seems a couple of months ago... etc, etc.
  
  The first warm-up game gets underway tomorrow though, in which England face a Western Australia Chairman's XI (whatever one of those is).
  
  Alaistar Cook will sit it out with a sore back but that's thought to just be a precautionary measure. Monty Panesaar is absent too, he's got a stomach bug, while Kevin Pietersen, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann will all be rested.
  
  Steven Finn, Boyd Rankin and Chris Tremlett are in line to start.
  
  Getting excited yet?

• RE: ASHES COUNTDOWN

  StrumSolo > 31/10/2013, 10:32

  So, not a vintage start to the tour by any means. The catchily named Western Australia Chairman's XI are currently 326-4 with around 10 overs left to play. Steven Finn's had a tough day in particular with figures of 0-75 off 16 overs.
  
  This is only a 3 day game so a declaration before close isn't out of the question.
  
  UPDATE: At close of play the home side were 369-4. Not a great day for England at all.

• RE: ASHES COUNTDOWN

  StrumSolo > 01/11/2013, 11:49

  Western Australia ended up declaring on 451-5, while England are currently 270-2 as the day draws to a close. Must just be one of those pitches then...
  
  Here's the scorecard, no-one's disgraced themselves.
  
  
  Only a 3 day game though so the draw looks the most likely outcome.

• RE: ASHES COUNTDOWN

  thewolfman > 01/11/2013, 12:58

  It does look like England's tour has started off on an absolute road so we cannot be too critical of the bowlers I don't think. I would rather shake the cobwebs off in these matches and get some good time on the field against decent opposition than just skittle through some half baked opposition and learn sod all.

• RE: ASHES COUNTDOWN

  RussyRover > 01/11/2013, 13:29

  The WACA's normally known for a bit of bounce, so either they've got a dodgy batting friendly pitch or it's a case of extreme warm up - at least they haven't made a pigs ear of it, and it is the batsmen who need the practice more than the bowlers if the series in England was anything to go by...

• RE: ASHES COUNTDOWN

  StrumSolo > 02/11/2013, 13:58

  So as expected, the match petered out in to a draw.
  
  A mixed innings from England. Centuries for Bell and Trott, and Carberry made 78, but the last seven wickets fell for just 57 runs and we finished up 391 all out, 60 short of the home side's declared total.
  
  Western Australia managed 39 overs of their second innings, reaching 168-5. Nowhere near a conclusive result in the end, but the Aussies will certainly claim the moral victory.
  
  Is it worth playing a 3 day game? Would 4 hurt?

• RE: ASHES COUNTDOWN

  carl1984 > 03/11/2013, 16:17

  I think these tour matches, it is always a case of getting some competitive practice for each unit in the team, I think it is disappointing that none of the three bowlers battling for the third seam spot stood up and more an early case for selection, they were all average imo

• RE: ASHES COUNTDOWN

  thewolfman > 04/11/2013, 00:20

  One thing that is a positive in this tour is the fact that there are three warm up matches before the main event, the next two are proper four day matches against decent first class opposition. Many tours I have seen in the past have had a token warm up game to start and then straight into the tests followed by inquests into why we look like fish out of water!

• RE: ASHES COUNTDOWN

  carl1984 > 04/11/2013, 21:39

  Yeah, this is the one tour when it is set up correctly in the sense of there being plenty of warm up for the squad, no excuses of being undercooked etc.. in theory the side will primed to go when the first test arrives

• RE: ASHES COUNTDOWN

  StrumSolo > 05/11/2013, 11:12

  And if we're shit we can just say we've played too much cricket.
  
  Win/win really!
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