To all you Brits - Ashes congratulations!

[bj]

It hurts to admit it but your guys were far superior in the series. I kept waiting for your team to fall over but you stayed strong and fully deserve your win. Enjoy the moment. I'll just find a quiet corner(with my Tele) and cry
best wishes from down under - bj

 

[Cat]

Bloody Brits. They wouldve been pretty dissapointing if they didnt win tho

Hows things down in Camden? Nice to meet another Aussie TDPRI'er

Cat

 

[telefreak]

Cheers bj
Your boys we're good too, they certainly didn't make it easy.
Anyway, we only won todays match with the help of a South African.
Kevin Peiterson was brilliant today, we wouldn't have won if he wasn't playing

 

[Il mutante]

A great day indeed.
What a fantastic series it has been. Close matches, superb individual performances and very little (just enough?) rain.

Another sporting rarity this evening. West Ham won 4-0!

 

[d. meyers]

Not having the faintest idea what sporting event you fellows are discussing makes this thread a very amusing read! Educate a poor provincial American yokel, would you?

Cricket?

Batgammon?

Dodgeball?

 

[bj]

Yes it's Cricket. A few details...

... for the newbies.
These matches last 5 days each. (Yes, you read it correctly). The just-completed series of 5 matches (called "Tests") between the Australians and the English/Brits was won for the first time sinnce 1989 by the Brits. The 5" high trophy contains the burnt remains of equipment used in the first match from 1877. That's why they're called "the Ashes".
- bj

 

[d. meyers]

Thanks- ashes of the burnt equipment, you say? I like that. I may have to take up watching cricket, if i can find it on the tube here in Oregon.

 

[simonc]

Congratulations.

when was the last time you lads won? 17 years ago????

 

[captain gorgeous]

18 i think.

thanks though. i've been an avid cricket fan since taking it up at university. been glued to the highlights after work overy night this summer.

with the exception of the first, every other test in this series has been an absolute thriller. real edge of the seat nail chewing, neck and neck, could-go-either-way stuff. right until the very end. the most incredible series i've ever seen. and just to make it that little bit more enjoyable... we actually finally unbelievably won!

 

[PeterUK]

Another sporting rarity this evening. West Ham won 4-0!

Yeah, with 3 great goals scored by an ex-Forest player. With Reid and Dawson at Tottenham, Harewood (and Sheringham!) at West Ham, there is no wonder we're lambasting at the bottom of the old third division.

Ooops, we were talking about cricket. Yes, good win for England. But I've heard a rumour that the ECC have approached Sven about a management job. Let's face it, he knows sod all about English football, so he'd be equally inspired managing an English cricket side.

He's definitely a "Silly Mid Off"!

Peter

 

[tjalla]

Congrats...

To be honest, it was refreshing to see someone else other than Australia win for a change. *flame suit on*

Don't get me wrong, I'm an Aussie supporter, but they've just been too damn good for too long! Kinda like watching Schumacher/Sampras/ACMilan, where its a case of who's gonna come second...

But England have had their reprive... time for Warnie & co to kick butt again next meet. Hats off to Pieterson (what a way to score your maiden test century!) and to Flintoft, esp...

Trev

 

[T-bone Tone]

Cricket is like watching paint dry. An ancient game that wasn't exciting 100 years ago, let alone now.

Suddenly, England is awash with cricket fans, that were in rather short supply before! God knows what will happen if our current wave of football half wits ever win anything!

 

[captain gorgeous]

Cricket is like watching paint dry. An ancient game that wasn't exciting 100 years ago, let alone now.

Suddenly, England is awash with cricket fans, that were in rather short supply before! God knows what will happen if our current wave of football half wits ever win anything!

well thats subjective isn't it. football doesn't interest me but i wouldn't say that the game is boring just because i happen to be uninspired by it. anyway it's all about how you watch cricket. it's not the kind of thing you can concentrate on fully for the full 25 days of a test series. unless you're unemployed/retired/obsessed or being paid to. to me it's something that is a constant background to my summer with occasional periods of high drama that i pay closer attention to. it's a soothing intriguing and fascinating battle of strategy, psychology, physical skill, intimidation and mental toughness played out over an entire summer rather than a 90 non-stop min burst of energy that is a football match.

i know what you mean about the sudden appearance of "lifelong" fans though. quite irritating. i wonder what nasser and alec make of it all.

it's a travesty that it'll no longer be available on terrestrial tv in the uk. channel 4's coverage has been of the highest quality over the lats few years and richie benaud's decision to quit after over 40 years commentating in this country is heartbreaking. really. my summers will never be the same again. i had tears in my eyes when i realised that this morning.