Australia's Tour To England - ASHES 2005

By Oblivion
in The Sporting Arena

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

Oblivion

Posted
Posted

With the first Test match to start on the 21st of july on the scenic LORDS cricket ground in London. Already things are getting heated up with Ricky Ponting's bat under scrutiny yet again.

Here's the full article from Cricinfo.

Ponting's bat: still under scrutiny

Contrary to earlier reports, Ricky Ponting's bat - which is reinforced by a thin carbon graphite strip running down the spine - has not yet received approval from the International Cricket Council. Earlier this week, MCC kicked up a minor storm by suggesting that the modification gives Ponting an unfair advantage, although this was dismissed in the Australian media as an attempt to destabilise the team in the run-up to this summer's Ashes.

Peter Young, a spokesman for Cricket Australia, confirmed that the Australian board had no objections, but an ICC spokesman told Cricinfo that the matter had been referred back to the MCC who, in their capacity as the guardian of the laws of cricket, would determine whether the bat conforms to the regulations.

"The bat is permitted pending a decision from MCC," added the spokesman, who explained that it is the ICC who decides on the playing conditions of cricket, and so had the power to override the laws if necessary. The whole issue will be examined in greater detail by the ICC Cricket Committee at their meeting in Dubai in May.

In a later press release, the ICC chief executive, Malcolm Speed, confirmed that the issue of bat reinforcement was of growing significance. ?The ICC is increasingly concerned with issues surrounding the way in which bats are manufactured and ?enhanced?," said Speed. "During the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 there were a number of oversized bats detected and manufacturers were put on notice that it was expected that they would produce bats that comply with the laws at all times.

?One of the concerns we currently have is with the practice of ?corking? bats. We are getting consistent reports of bats being corked and that is something that we will be investigating further. One of the potential implications that arises if corking is taking place is that we may need to be able to be able to see the blade clearly from all angles to see if it has been tampered with.?

Sam Halvorsen, Ponting's manager, termed the whole issue as "absolute nonsense", while Rob Elliot, the managing director of Kookaburra, said that Ponting's bat met all the criteria. "In cricket the balance between bat and ball is critical," Elliot said. "Golf and tennis have lost their way with the new technological advances in clubs and racquets. We understand more than anyone how important the fundamental elements of bat and ball are in cricket."

Ponting began using the bat in late December last year and cracked a fantastic double- century against Pakistan in the New Year's Test in Sydney. He carried on the momentum with a hundred in the tsunami-relief game before tearing the New Zealand attack to shreds in the recent series.

Let's witness what is being assumed as a one-sided affair with Australia being the current world champions in both forms of Cricket. England currently the Number 2 side in Test Cricket will need a lot of fire power to even put a dent on Australia's winning streak.

Grand Master

jerry

Posted
Posted
i still don't see australia lose the ashes.

585814129[/snapback]

Agreed. I think Pieterson, Flintoff & Harmison are key players for England.

About Ponting's bat, I think its overblown frankly. They shouldnt add anything to willow, keep the game raw. :yes: I remember the '96 WorldCup, the Srilankans were unstoppable and it was rumored that their bats were spring-loaded. :D

Grand Master

Jerichohol

Posted
Posted
Agreed. I think Pieterson, Flintoff & Harmison are key players for England.

About Ponting's bat, I think its overblown frankly. They shouldnt add anything to willow, keep the game raw.  :yes: I remember the '96 WorldCup, the Srilankans were unstoppable and it was rumored that their bats were spring-loaded. :D

585818131[/snapback]

That was just a rumour because they kicked everyone elses butts during that tournament, Jayasuria and De Silva, What a great team that was.

Regarding the Ashes, I'm looking forward to it, England have a very good team and stand the best chance of taking it from Australia.

Anyone else got tickets for matches?

Grand Master

golazo

Posted
Posted
Dream on, we will win the test series, 1 day series, the sledging series and the drinking series.

the only thing you's will win is the whinging contest.. right after we kick your asses and you's realise you were never any match for the aussies.

and you better hope brett lee isn't playing because he's gonna dish out some pain to your batsmen

Proficient

spa2k

Posted
Posted
the only thing you's will win is the whinging contest.. right after we kick your asses and you's realise you were never any match for the aussies.

and you better hope brett lee isn't playing because he's gonna dish out some pain to your batsmen

585821440[/snapback]

much as i'd like to agree with LeeSmithG, i think SeMz is right...except about the drinking contest...u aussies are a bunch of sheila's at drinking.....

Grand Master

Jerichohol

Posted
Posted
If England beats Australia, it could be something huge. Harmison & Flintoff should be leading the way.

585823107[/snapback]

It would be huge, Australia are unbeatable at the moment and England haven't won the ashes in a long time that is why the buildup of this year is so good.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Posts

    • Doom: The Dark Ages Revelations expansion gives the Slayer a brutal Chain Spear

      By LoneWolfSL · Posted

      Doom: The Dark Ages Revelations expansion gives the Slayer a brutal Chain Spear by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe Last year, id Software released Doom: The Dark Ages as a prequel to its reboot series, offering a look at the legendary Slayer character during an ancient war between Hell and Heaven. Today, at the Xbox Games Showcase, id Software returned with a new announcement that unveiled Doom: The Dark Ages Revelations as its first story expansion. The expansion will see the Slayer being betrayed and cast into a "merciless purgatory only escapable by confronting haunting truths." Somehow, there is one ally in all this chaos seemingly attempting to help our protagonist escape his fate. Players will be ascending this prison and fighting plenty of new demons and abominations as they work to free the Slayer's followers. One new aspect of the expansion will be the Chain Spear. This new weapon is described by the studio as a "uniquely satisfying combat system that rewards mastery with a potent combination of power and mobility." Check out the trailer below to see the new weapon in action, where the Slayer is seen using it to even pin enemies to walls. id Software is also preparing a free update to all owners of Doom: The Dark Ages that will land alongside the new paid expansion. Dubbed the Ripatorium 3.0 update, this will add more customization options, an improved pass code generation system, and preset options for players diving into the game's arena challenge mode. Expansion buyers will also receive additional maps, demons, and new weapons to use in this mode in addition to the story levels. Doom: The Dark Ages Revelations expansion is out on July 7 across PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 with a $19.99 price tag. Those who own the Premium Edition or the Collector's Bundle will receive the expansion for no extra cost as well.
    • Spyro: A Realm Beyond revealed by Toys for Bob, the first new entry after almost 20 years

      By CakeHappens · Posted

      Hyped for this. Replayed the remasters recently and they're so well done, and Crash 4 was great too. I trust this team to deliver.
    • Ninja Theory's new Hellblade game is action-focused and set in Purgatory

      By LoneWolfSL · Posted

      Ninja Theory's new Hellblade game is action-focused and set in Purgatory by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe Ninja Thery has been building its award-winning Hellblade series since 2017, delivering Senua's Sacrifice and Senua's Saga since then. Today at the 2026 Xbox Games Showcase, the studio had a brand-new installment announcement featuring Senua again, but this time, she is in a version of purgatory, and the focus is on the action. Simply named Senua, this new entry is described as a "full-on action-adventure" experience, delivering an expanded focus on combat, puzzle-solving, and freedom of exploration. The developer says that it is keeping the same high production values and storytelling features of the previous games while giving what players have been asking for in the gameplay department. The entirety of Ninja Theory is now working on Senua, giving the project much more manpower than ever before, while also letting the team draw on its action roots from Devil May Cry and prior titles. However, the studio also confirmed that its previously announced Project Mara horror experience is no longer in development. Alongside snappier traversal moves, Senua will be able to take stealth and direct combat routes. She has access to her own sword, plus any enemy weapons as well, with dual wielding also being an option for most dropped melee swords, axes, and other weapons. Outside of melee combat, Senua will be able to use special abilities that let her alter the reality around her. The world is said to be about twice the size of Hellblade 2. While this won't be an open-world experience, the linear story will let players explore their surroundings further than before. The story of Senua will be set after the events of previous Hellblade titles, with our protagonist being stuck in her own version of Purgatory. The series' well-explored psychosis themes will return as well. "She’s trapped between life and death on a quest to reach the afterlife and be reunited with the ones that she’s loved and lost," adds the studio. "Her belief is that by healing the wounds of her life, she can find the peace that is the key that unlocks the gate to the afterlife." Senua is releasing on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5 sometime in 2027.
    • Windows 11 gets big performance upgrade, shared audio support, and more in new update

      By mrp04 · Posted

      Windows has had it, it's called camera frame server. I recall when it was first introduced in an early Windows 10 release it caused issues and there was a registry entry to disable it. Seems like they disabled it by default at some point. Windows 11 brought that toggle to the settings app (not just registry) a while ago.
    • 25th anniversary Xbox Series X unveiled with classic translucent green design

      By excalpius · Posted

      Is the hardware updated at all?!

  • Recent Achievements

    • Proficient
      Eric Biran went up a rank
      Proficient
    • Dedicated
      Conjor earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • Week One Done
      Windows Guy earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Dedicated
      Mark Spruce earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • Collaborator
      conkir earned a badge
      Collaborator

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      479
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      243
    3. 3
      Steven P.
      72
    4. 4
      +Edouard
      66
    5. 5
      neufuse
      66
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!