The Ashes. 2013/14

[doctordb]

So it starts all over again tonight.

Can Cook and the boys keep hold of the little urn? Confident or not? What are your predictions?

[ChillDoubt]

Given that there don't appear to be any demons yet in this pitch, one wonders if it is actually a 'result' pitch?
Not quite lunch on the first day and it looks like a batsman's paradise.
Keep your wits about you, nothing too flash and you could amass a big one here by the looks of things.

[ChillDoubt]

Hopefully I've given it the 'curse of the commentator' touch as Broad takes his second right on lunch, Watson goes, caught by Swann.

[ChillDoubt]

Lunch, 71-2. Honours even.

[ChillDoubt]

Broad gets the Oz captain for a single run.
Lehman must be wishing he'd kept his mouth shut.

[Wharton]

240 for 6

[Wharton]

246 - 7

[WELSHYORKIE]

246/7 - Oh how I bet Lehman is crying into his XXXX right now

[ChillDoubt]

Just waking to a 265-8 score line with Broad having a five-fer.
If we skittle them out for less than 300 on this track that will be a massive psychological blow, as all the indications were it was a 500+ pitch.
Gargantuan effort, hope they barrack Broady all series!

[jno]

that's quite a comforting score to wake up to

[ChillDoubt]

The good news for Lehmann is that humble pie is not fattening!

[DTCwordfan]

what was it that the Aussie crowd sang ré Stuart Broad?

[Jomlett]

From the Guardian...
So seeing himself labelled as "a smug Pommie cheat" on the front of the Courier-Mail, and hearing a fair proportion of the 30,000 crowd chanting a description of him that rhymed with banker, had not influenced him at all? "It was something a bit different but I think I coped with it OK. I'm pleased my mum wasn't in the stadium. But to be honest I was singing along at one stage, it gets in your head and you find yourself whistling it at the end of your mark – but not putting the words in, obviously. I'd braced myself to expect it and actually it was good fun, I actually quite enjoyed it if I'm being really honest.

[ChillDoubt]

One does have to marvel at the gall of a nation who brought you the infamous and most disgraceful incident that ever occurred in the history of cricket.

Yes, I'm looking at you, the Chappell Brothers.
Even the NZ Prime Minister said that it was fitting that Australia were wearing yellow that day!

[oliviabatty]

Its looking bad, but this reminds me of England's last tour to India, where lost 1st game baldy then won all games. Hope same thing happens here. Though I think if Cook and KP stays we can still save this match