....so I've noticed!

Bloody hell!

Couldn't it have kept raining a bit longer?

how about the taupe? that might work?

Congratulations to Somerset on winning the 20-20 cup tonight. In a 16 over game (rain) they beat the favourites Lancashire after overcoming the Leicester pensionsers earlier in theday.

............a t shirt for sale on Ebay.

Great T-shirt Aqua.
We've not lost a wicket yet this morning - fingers crossed!

191 for 4 now

289 for 4 at tea.
Flintoff 68 not out ( from 60 balls with 6 fours and 5 sixes)

355-8 and Pietersen out for 71.
I've stopped holding my breathe...

One of my brothers has a ticket for Sunday...........but I'm not jealous at all

Who would really want a ticket to see another awesome display by the Australian team humbling the English once again.

Will it last that long ?

Good point. Why waste the money

Ahem.
Australia - 291 for 8...

308 all out

it's what happens when you trip over a cricket ball.

That was far too bloody close !!!!

Brilliant fight back by Australia though.

I bet the brother with a ticket for today is pissed off !

He phoned about 20 seconds after the final catch..............he sounded a bit excited

Today was far too close for comfort BUT WE WON !!!!!!

That's one of the best test matches I've ever watched (even if only on TV). The ashes are wide open now, especially with McGrath probably out for the next test too.

Fucking typical.

i missed all of Botham's heroics in 1981 by being abroad, and I missed all but the last half hour of this test for the same reason.

In fact i'm going to try and get the ECB to pay to send me on fucking big long holidays every time the ashes are on.

If that's what does it I'll chip in for the fare

The first test match I ever went to was the '81 headingly test, and yes I was there on the last day - cos my dad decided that on balance cricket was more important than school... I thought I'd been spoiled for life until today!! (tho sadly not there in person...)

I went to the 81 old trafford test too - which would have been remembered more often if it wasn't for the (as usual) superiority of the yorkshire experience

and "in those days" you could sit behind the bowlers arm at the football ground end without paying extra!!... - so I did

Thought the test was spot on.....great win and a really good show of character from England

Hardly - the atmosphere must have been amazing and that was some of the most exciting cricket I've seen in ages.
Not really a surprise that they had a full house.

It was a good thing my downstairs neighbours were out all weekend - I was making so much noise cheering that they'd have been straight up complaining!!

You are a lucky lady. Nowadays the football stand is mainly corporate & so is often empty for large portions of the day.

I do hate that element of the modern game - my brother at one time got to go to a fair bit of cricket as he works for Cornhill Insurance (I can't remember what they're now called though) who used to sponsor the game.
He says it was awful how few of them actually even watched a ball of the game while at Lords/Oval or wherever as they were all too busy with their noses in the trough.
I think my brother used to take full advantage of the food but would rarely miss an over if he had to!

I totaly agree. The corporate bods get the best seats (those behind the bowlers arm) & then spend a large proportion of the day out of their seats. They should put such people at square leg & let the real fans (who go to watch the cricket) sit where they want. (i.e. as near to the line of the ball as they allow). I don't bother with tests anymore as I don't see why I have to pay exorbitent money to sit in a rotten seat whilst the 'best' seats are empty for half of the day.

It's all a matter of preference isn't it. Personally I prefer to sit at mid-wicket.

Wasted a day watching the shire yesterday and spent a fair few squids on travel and cider too. It's not the losing, I can just about cope with that. But not in the fucking middle of the afternoon. Gutless fuckers.

Are you a Gloucestershire boy Mo? I forget.
I haven't seen any Hampshire cricket this season, to my shame.
My brother tells me they should be on the telly fairly soon though, which will at least make up for it!

And re: where to sit.
At the old Hampshire Ground at Northlands Road, we used to sit in the members Pavlion most often. My dad was a member for years so we used to pay the transfer fee, we all started going so often, it worked out cheaper for us all to be members.
That meant we were usually at Long off type position which didn't bother me, especially as the sun came round (and put us in the shade) I'd usually go and stand further round anyway.
I'm with Mo - I like being at Mid wicket, you can see much more of the action and its great for run outs!

Yes

I spoke to a friend at the pub last night..............I now have a ticket for the Saturday at Trent Bridge

Good start this morning. Important toss to win at Old Trafford where you decide straight away to bat and aim for 450+ to boss the game. Vaughan to score heavily here.

Aqua I'm very jealous!
173 - 2 and Warne has his 600th wicket.
Not bad so far - I just hope they leave the good stuff for the weekend when I can watch it all!

it's on a big screen in bristol this weekend.

cider sales to rocket.

I was drinking cider in honour of Trescothick at lunchtime - I came back to work and he got out - its my fault isn't it?!

No. He must have had one as well if he thought he was good enough to sweep Warne.

Silly boy - I've only got the scorecard up at work (with the occasional run over to the guy in accounts desk - he's cute AND has a TV with the cricket on!) - I'll have to watch the actual wickets on the highlights tonight - not that they are ever long enough!

Get yourself sky, 2 hours of highlights.

Trying to convince my (very girly) housemate that I want to stick a dish on the side of the house and spend all that money - would take even more persuasion skills than I have.

Besides - I don't like their coverage all that much - I much prefer the lovely dulcet tones of Mark Nicholas, even if they're not on for very long!

Surely not!..............'tis Aggers all the way in my house

Same here!

TMS on the radio (although Woman's hour is on at the moment) , coverage on the TV and England starting day two with 341 - 5 on the scoreboard. Excellent!

Obviously - I love Aggers although Christopher Martin Jenkins is my particular favourite

I'm disapointed in you .... CMJ is a reactionary old f**t

*Cross thread double word score*
My friend who has got me the ticket for Saturday at Trent Bridge was in the pub this evening - he apologised and told me that he had got the price of the ticket wrong..........it wasn't £50






It was actually £38

what about that Old Trafford hovercraft then?



whooo!

Henry Blojob is an awful twat. Owns Norfolk too which is bad enough but to put on that old bluffer act is just ridiculous. TMS is now a parody of itself. Benaud is my commentary hero. He knows his stuff. I also like Atherton.

But who cares about any of that when the Diggers are on the ropes.