Ashes 2010-2011 after Perth test

[Clarke]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2010-11/content/current/story/493219.html Great news for Australia's supporters :giggle: Finally the selectors have an excuse to 'rest' a hopelessly out of form player. Let Khwaja/Ferguson have a go.

[Robelinda]

I dont care who comes in, so long as Clarke isnt captain. Give it to HUSSEY. The man knows how to perform under pressure, and is batting like no-oen couldve believed. Supreme stuff.

[99.94]

Khawaja to replace him?

[Bradman99]

Yes, but Boxing Day is usually the one where Ponting is at his best and he was due a big innings.. However, he has been miserably out of form and for me there is only one candidate and that is Khawaja.

[coffee_rules]

[cowboysfan]

bad news for england,they were banking on ponting's ineptitude.

[bhanu]

:sniffle:

[Deleted_User_1]

I think Ponting will not play ONLY if he absolutely can't bat. Otherwise he will play. I say drop Siddle and Smith and bring in Khwaja and a specialist spinner in.

[Cricket lover]

Ashes 2010-2011 after Perth test Series now level, despite England's devastating start in Ashes, Aussies bounced back terrifically. Its hard to predict who will be at victory stand finally.:nervous:

[King Tendulkar]

50 test tons for SRT and punter has fractured finger:punter:

[kabira]

Now thats blow for England...Now only England can fracture Collingwood, that would even out.

[Sachin=GOD]

50 test tons for SRT and punter has fractured finger:punter:

and all this on :punter: birthday. :haha:

[Anakin]

Bad news for England. Get well soon :punter:

[pensionplan]

I think Ponting will not play ONLY if he absolutely can't bat. Otherwise he will play.

ok

[Nova]

MCG to host a world-record crowd of 91,000 for Boxing Day Test

Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland is confident the MCG will host a world-record crowd of 91,000 for Sunday's opening day's play of the fourth Ashes Test. And Sutherland is urging Aussie fans to mark the occasion by being vocal in their support of the home side and match England's 'Barmy Army'. Test cricket's single-day record of 90,800 was set at the MCG in February 1961 during the fifth Test against the West Indies. Four years ago the record almost fell despite cold conditions as 89,155 fans attended the opening day of the Melbourne Test despite Australia already holding a 3-0 advantage over England. This time, it's locked at 1-1 with Sutherland admitting he had some nervous moments following Australia's mixed performances in the first two matches, a draw in Brisbane and an innings defeat in Adelaide. 'The cricket gods are smiling on us all,' Sutherland told a press conference in Melbourne on Tuesday. 'We've got a fantastic set-up for the Boxing Day Test match, 1-all with two matches to play. 'I did for a moment think that there was a possibility that we would come into this and the Ashes would already be decided. 'We're really excited and thrilled to see the boys turn on the form they put on in Perth and now we've got nothing but a great Test match to look forward to. 'Not only on the field but it would appear off the field that we're on target to make history with the Boxing Day Test match looking like a close to capacity crowd at the MCG on day one on Sunday, hopefully breaking the world record for the highest-ever attendance at a single day of Test cricket. 'We know that there'll be twice as many English visitors coming to this game. There's a whole influx of Barmy Army supporters coming in for this Test match. 'We're really throwing out the challenge to Australian cricket to fans who come along to wear their colours but also to make a lot of noise to get behind our team.' Victorian fans will be 'thrilled' if pace bowler Peter Siddle is retained in the side for the Melbourne Test, Sutherland said. 'Experience of Boxing Day Test matches gone by would say that Victorian players are always the favourite,' Sutherland said. Cricket Victoria chief Tony Dodemaide says the record is a 'strong possibility' with only a couple of thousand tickets unsold for Sunday. 'Any tickets that have gone back on sale have been snapped up very quickly and we also are going to release a limited number of standing room tickets tomorrow morning so the public should watch the Ticketek website for those details,' Dodemaide said. 'We know the touring English supporters will be out in force but also (with) the members of the MCC and the AFL supporting that I am sure we will break it.' http://www.skynews.com.au/sport/article.aspx?id=554868&vId=2035987&cId=Sport

Long live the Ashes rivalry. The atmosphere will be amazing... :two_thumbs_up:

[Zelig]

Whatever record they set, it will be broken on Jan 22 2011, when the Vics take on NSW in Big Bash

[EnterTheVoid]

http://indiancricketfans.com/showthread.php?t=254669 :eyedance:

[putrevus]

Pietersen relishes Boxing Day stage: http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2010-11/content/current/story/493747.html Kevin Pietersen has always prided himself on being the man for the big occasion, but in his estimation, nothing that he's experienced in his career to date can rival the prospect of playing in a potential Ashes decider in front of nearly 100,000 spectators at the MCG on Boxing Day. With the series perfectly poised after Australia's emphatic victory in Perth last week, and expectation levels in both countries at fever pitch, the grandest stage awaits for a player who loves nothing better than to be right at the centre of attention. So was WACA was not big enough stage for him to perform,so he got for single digit scores in both the innings . These English reporters come up with strange headlines.

[vamos_rafa]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2010-11/content/current/story/493747.html Kevin Pietersen has always prided himself on being the man for the big occasion, but in his estimation, nothing that he's experienced in his career to date can rival the prospect of playing in a potential Ashes decider in front of nearly 100,000 spectators at the MCG on Boxing Day. With the series perfectly poised after Australia's emphatic victory in Perth last week, and expectation levels in both countries at fever pitch, the grandest stage awaits for a player who loves nothing better than to be right at the centre of attention. So was WACA was not big enough stage for him to perform,so he got for single digit scores in both the innings . These English reporters come up with strange headlines.

The Poms have gone berserk this time. They were ass raped in Perth w/o even a semblance of a fight and they are talking as if they just now chased 500+ in the 4th innings.

[vamos_rafa]

England playing better than Australia: Bell

Australia may have momentum from their big Perth Test win but England are playing better cricket going into the fourth Ashes Test, England batsman Ian Bell said on Thursday. Australia's stunning reversal of form to win last week's third Test by 267 runs and level the five-match series at one-all has given Ricky Ponting's men a massive confidence boost. "Certainly, they have got some momentum going into it (the fourth Test)," Bell told a press conference on Thursday. "They played some fantastic cricket at the WACA. (But) out of the three Test matches I'd say we've been playing the better cricket. "We're going to have to start the Test match well," he said. "We don't want Australia winning the first hour or that first session. "It'd be great for us to be able to come out and win that first session, whether we're batting or bowling, and try and take (back) a bit of that momentum." Bell, 28, is second in England's batting averages for the series with 213 runs at 71.00, trailing opener Alastair Cook's tally of 495 at 123.75. His sparkling form, including top-scoring with 53 in England's first-innings total of 187 in Perth, has prompted calls for Bell to be promoted to number five ahead of Paul Collingwood. Collingwood is averaging 15.50 in the series and looked out of sorts in Perth, making 5 and 11. "It's always nice to get moved up the order," Bell said, but the 60-Test veteran added he has not spoken with team management about a promotion. "Whether I move up the order doesn't really matter as long as we're winning the next two Test matches," he said. "That's the most important thing to me, contributing to this team winning the Ashes. "It's probably one of the most exciting Test matches we're going into. Playing in Melbourne is something you look forward to, a Boxing Day Test match is always special." Bell, who averaged just 25.68 in 13 previous Ashes Tests before the current series, feels he has improved significantly in the past 18 months. However, a century in an Ashes Test eludes him. "I'm desperate for an Ashes hundred, there's no doubt about that. I'm hoping with the way I'm playing there's one around the corner," he said.