[Cricket] Australia wins the Ashes!

[redeemed]

:woot: Am I proud to be an Australian!! :woot:

Australia has reclaimed the Ashes after England held the precious urn for a mere 15 months - the shortest period in Ashes history.

Shane Warne claimed the wicket of Monty Panesar in the first over after lunch to complete as comprehensive series victory for Australia.

Australia went to lunch one wicket away from winning the third Test at the WACA Ground and regaining the Ashes.

England's Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff took up the attack this morning but Australia took four wickets in 33 balls to all but seal the result.

The brilliance of Warne and Ricky Ponting turned the day on its after England's bright start.

Warne bowled Flintoff for 51 to douse any dreams England had of pulling off Test cricket's most audacious run-chase, and then a sharp piece of Ponting fielding sent a dagger through the tourists' aims of saving the match.

The Australian captain ran out Geraint Jones when he flicked the ball on to the stumps after the England wicketkeeper carelessly failed to put his foot behind the batting crease after missing an attempted sweep shot.

Jones' duck was his fourth in as many innings this tour and his second of the match.

Warne and Stuart Clark then removed tailenders Sajid Mahmood and Steve Harmison, but No.11 Monty Panesar at least delayed Australia's celebrations by holding on over the last two overs of the session.

Pietersen was 59 not out.

Warne's 3-114 gave him 698 career wickets, which means he won't get a chance to take his 700th career wicket until the fourth Test in his home town of Melbourne, by which stage Australia will have the Ashes in its keeping.

Just as Glenn McGrath did late on day four, when he took two wickets in three balls to dash any realistic hopes England had of saving the match, Australia's key players rose when they needed to.

Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen had added 71 runs today as England chased 557.

But Warne fired a leg break into the block hole and Flintoff was bowled comprehensively after playing all over the delivery.

Two overs later Ponting was too alert for Jones and flicked down the stumps from his position at bat pad while Jones was still on one knee after trying to sweep Warne.

Australia went from going on the defensive early in the session to chasing victory before lunch, when Mahmood and Harmison were both trapped in front.

Source

Digg It! :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot: :woot:

[LightIdea]

**** YEAH!!!!! :D:D:D

[devBrian]

I must admit I didn't understand a word of that article.

[Vandalsquad]

Send them packing! Whoo

[CRIKEY]

on your way, back to the pavillion!

[Mutal1sk]

12th mans 'boned' is in stores now, check it out

congrats to the aus!

[DomG]

Here's hoping they'll make it a clean sweep. Rub salt in the wound.

12th mans 'boned' is in stores now, check it out

That CD is absolutely brilliant. Billy Birmingham is a genius.

[redeemed]

Here's hoping they'll make it a clean sweep. Rub salt in the wound.

^^Ditto that! :)

[Koolslacker]

I am not surprised at all.

[Mutal1sk]

Yeh Boned rocks, one thing andrew g is in and i like haha

[Soham]

Confused australia won a cricket?

[H5N]

Wow England got pwned. :p

Congrats you Aussies! :D

Wow Warne is two short of 700! He is just amazing!

[Matt T]

Go you Aussies!! :D

[pollaxe]

Well played Aussies.. however, you should understand that 99.9% of the British population couldn't give a rat's arse about cricket.

[H5N]

Well played Aussies.. however, you should understand that 99.9% of the British population couldn't give a rat's arse about cricket.

Umm... judging by the way you celebrated last year's win... you do give a rats arse...

[sorlag]

Boring "sport" :sleep:

[pollaxe]

Umm... judging by the way you celebrated last year's win... you do give a rats arse...

I think you'll find that was the .1% who cared.

Anyone else was just pleasantly surprised that England had won something.

[pollaxe]

A letter to the editor of Viz magazine neatly sums up the situation for me:

Hats off to the England cricketers for their achievements in the Ashes this summer, which rightly earned Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff BBC Sports personality of the Year. Winning a two-team tournament against a nation with a much smaller population once in every ten attempts,* then never shutting up about it makes me proud to be British. Ben Hunt

:D

*edit a friend of mine who understands cricket told me it was actually longer than 10 years but unfortunately I neither know, nor care!

Edited December 19, 2006 by pollaxe

[red.]

Cricket is not a boring sport. you just need to have a normal attention span to enjoy it.

now american football, that's a boring sport. where '5 minutes left' can mean half an hour.

anyway, regarding the Ashes, i don't think anyone (apart from Botham) thought that England would retain them.

[pollaxe]

now american football, that's a boring sport. where '5 minutes left' can mean half an hour.

Very true, it's also potentially the only sport where the rule book is thicker than the neck of the average player!

However, I do think cricket is boring.

But then, I think football(soccer)'s pretty dull too.

[red.]

why don't americans play cricket? why do they have to be different and not play sports that a lot of other countries play? it would bring another team into the cricketing world. not only that, but it would also bring in people from other countries and more money into america. especially if they host a world cup.

i know it's off topic, maybe i should make a thread about it?

[pollaxe]

why don't americans play cricket? why do they have to be different and not play sports that a lot of other countries play? it would bring another team into the cricketing world. not only that, but it would also bring in people from other countries and more money into america. especially if they host a world cup.

i know it's off topic, maybe i should make a thread about it?

A very valid question I would say.

They do play some sports, it's just we all know that basketball = netball and baseball = rounders which are games played by teenaged girls in most other parts of the world.

Gamester (who seems to enjoy bashing the England team) is from Canada (whether (s)he's an Aussie or Scots exile I don't know) so maybe (s)he can suggest a cricket team from there or something too..? (AFAIK ice hockey's the biggie out there)

[Anand]

Boring "sport" :sleep:

It's not a boring sport.

Try facing a cricket ball on a cold morning without pads and a helmet. :p

Or better, try fielding at short cover on a cold morning.

[ranasrule]

It's not a boring sport.

Try facing a cricket ball on a cold morning without pads and a helmet. :p

Or better, try fielding at short cover on a cold morning.

i know what ur talkin about bro... :( thats truly the pinnacle of pain...ouch !!!

btw iam not a big fan of the Aussie cricket team....they are terrible sportsmen and are generally hated by all other international teams because of their arrogant and abusive attitude...don't know why that is....Australians in general appear to be very cool people.

[pollaxe]

i know what ur talkin about bro... :( thats truly the pinnacle of pain...ouch !!!

btw iam not a big fan of the Aussie cricket team....they are terrible sportsmen and are generally hated by all other international teams because of their arrogant and abusive attitude...don't know why that is....Australians in general appear to be very cool people.

I've played cricket in my youth and it's indeed a scary, full-on game (or can be!)

I don't mind Shane Warne, the guy's gifted and much fairer-mouthed than many of his colleagues - McGrath and Ponting I dislike intensely. I thought the Aussies called us whinging but Ponting at the last Ashes seemed to me to take the biscuit.

Anyway, what goes around comes around, doubtless England will win it again in the future and then the Aussies will get it back.. there are more important things to worry about in life than the antics of some overpaid, egotistical athletes.. :)