I would think the omnipresence of a certain former Yorkshire and England batsman on every TV and radio commentary will help to make sure reality is observed.

Fantastic effort by Colly, Swann, Andersona and Monty, to come of that game wth a draw will almost feel like a win.

The batsmen should hang their heads in shame, they have the talent but they need to have the mental ability. When they go out they should have the attitude of guarding their wicket with their life and plan on staying in for the day, instead they get out to pathetic shots which is basically giving their wicket away.

We need to make changes to the bowling for next week, I would like to see Harmison and Onions come in and Monty and Broad left out.

As for Ponting, he is hardly a saint so let him whinge I say.

The players hardly celebrated, just a few hugs and handshakes. In 2005 when McGrath blocked a game out the Aussies were as giddy as school girls as they celebrated on the balcony and rushed out to thank pigeon.

I still don't know how we are whinging poms? the Aussies make whinging an Olympic sport (one of the few they could beat team GB at

)

Onions and Harmy in for Monty and Broad, simply has to happen

Read at the weekend that the pitch at Lords is expected to be quick but fairly flat.

Onions for Monty would be the only change I'd make...and I'd have had him in ahead of Monty in this test too.
The Aussies do not struggle against spin, their main weakness is the swinging ball so we should attack that weakness with the best available exponents of this who are Anderson, Flintoff, Broad and Onions with Sidebottom the next choice.

Pretty sure Broad has a slight thigh strain which will make a convenient excuse to drop him for GBH

Onions has more wickets than Harmison at a better average with a better strike rate and has more 5 fers this season...for me he has to be first choice to replace Broad.

What makes me laugh is Ponting's remark about England not playing in the true spirit of the game AND that it was Australia's intention to do just that.

It's laughable when they are the masters of sledging and giving the verbals. Although, sadly, this is now part of the game, presumably it is NOT in the spirit of cricket.

Given, the Australians inability to knock over Anderson, and in particular Panesar, in over 11 overs, what difference would a few more deliveries have made? Not much is the answer.

Ponting should just have accepted the draw gracefully and used his thoughts to motivate his team for Lords. Whinging Poms, I don't think so. Hopefully England's great escape will give them some belief for the rest of the series, and hopefully put one over the Team Arrogance.

One change for Lords to be Onions for Panesar me thinks.

yes you poms had us aussies on rack. we very lucky to get draw

Why is everyone bagging Monty? He should stay in, it's not his fault the fast bowlers are pants.

If anyone should be droped it's Broad and Cook. Why is Cook in there?

I have serious doubts about whether England could get 20 Australian wickets in 5 days, never mind bat well enough to be in a position to do that.

Strauss
Cook
Bopara
Pietersen
Collingwood
Prior
Flintoff
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Onions

Harmy will be in for the "injured" Broad, can see Bell and Sidebottom making it a squad of 13

Grevious Bodily Harmison is IN the squad, but Flintoff may miss out through injury.

It's not like Flintoff contributed in the first test though was it.

England should play for draws and hope to sneak the last test.

He contributed with the bat, especially yesterday afternoon. Nothing brilliant, but it was still a valuable knock.

Yeah, possibly the biggest f*ck up in recent Ashes history in not being able to bowl out a poor England tail.





Amen, brother. Tw*tting the ball to all parts is not entertainment. That yesterday was. Tension, drama... It had it all.

That was one of the most exciting and fantastic days of cricket I've ever had the privilige of witnessing. Brilliant stuff, the atmosphere for the last hour or so was electric. I've never known such raucous cheering for forward defensive strokes!

The Aussies looked gutted, players and supporters alike, so hopefully the momentum will swing heavily in our favour. It has been said that if we can avoid defeat at Lord's then we're in with a great chance. We've just got to make sure yesterday wasn't in vain.

Oh, and a final word on Ponting. He's a prize prick.

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/8145070.stm

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/8145070.stm

That Siddell is quite an unsavoury snarling sort of character aint he

Indeed and I am dumbfounded that umpires just stand there and listen to the bile that such as he spews out.
In cricket it seems you can abuse the batsmen at will unpunished .....it's a disgrace and should be cleaned up.

Exactly mate, I would suggest that was the best £25 I've ever spent iin witnessing that drama yesterday. As GT said the atmosphere was amazing come the end, absolutely fascinating day's cricket. Hopefully now with a short turnaround before the next test the boost we'll have taken from escaping with the draw will still be with us at Lords as for most of the test match we were convincingly outplayed & it will take a huge turnaround in form to make this series competitive.

Seemed to me that Ponting panicked when he realised that the end of the match would be determined by the time rather than the number of overs bowled. Until then the aussies had shown no urgency in the field. He then became obsessed with bowling bit part bowlers such as North just to get through as many overs as possible. He should have been using his best bowler, Hilfenhaus, at the end.

His whinging about England's gamesmanship was too utterly hilarious for words.