[englishmike]

This is not a bet from the heart, it's a bet from my wallet, I absolutely love England at +187 (Paddy Power) to win this five match series starting Wednesday 6.00am est.

The Aussies preperation has been dogged by trouble and yesterday they lost their best bowler(Brett Lee) for at least two games and possibly all five.

Australia have lost Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer since the last time these two played and home advantage will see England take this series.

5 Units.

[PAPSMEAR]

I agree. Brett Lee now out for the first two tests. Australian batting is brittle and their bowling attack is inexperienced with no genuine spinner. I'm taking the poms to win the series and a small saver on a drawn series

[sportscash]

good luck im from aus and its about time we lost some cricket.

[englishmike]

I agree. Brett Lee now out for the first two tests. Australian batting is brittle and their bowling attack is inexperienced with no genuine spinner. I'm taking the poms to win the series and a small saver on a drawn series

I can't work out why they're the line the are, you'd think all the English money would be on England yet they're still +187 at the English books, I don't get it.

[sportsbetwin]

I think Australia will win only if 2 men stand out during the series - Phillip Hughes and Stuart Clarke. If neither perform England will win easily - if one performs then we have a series. If both perform..........you little beauty!!!!!

[englishmike]

It'll be close because England aren't world beaters. I think it's very evenly matched, so whilst the quality might not be the same as years passed, the excitement should be there in every test.

[sportsbetwin]

Don't know why Clarke isn't picked - I reckon he could do a Terry Alderman on this tour.
Hauritz worries me - he can't get a regular gig for NSW but still gets intermittent tests with little to show for it.
Close - I'll go 2-1 Australia.

[englishmike]

England 336-7 after day one. If we can post 400 it will give us something to bowl at but if I had to call this game right now i'd say draw.

[PAPSMEAR]

2 late wickets didn't help but england win as pitch is going to take spin in the 4th innings and is already a little slow and uneven only prob is some dodgy weather predicted for days 4 and 5

[englishmike]

Agreed. If Australia score 3 or 400 it will be a draw, at least 4-5 hours will be lost to rain.

[Smogs]

Only noticed this thread now, i have had a small bet on Monty Panesar as england's top wicket taker and Phillip Hughes as Aus' top batter.

[PAPSMEAR]

I agree with Monty as a possible small play option however not sure about Hughes as it looks like the poms have found a weakness in his technique with the short ball

[englishmike]

I take back what I said about the draw, Australia are 200-1 and the pace of scoring in Test match cricket because of the influence of 20/20 and one-day games is nothing short of remakable.

[Smogs]

Come on panesar, lets have a bunch of wickets!

[englishmike]

Unreal, I'm wondering if England blew this test today, I know it's still early but the Aussies can dominate this test with one more day of good batting.

[sportsbetwin]

England's only hope is some breakthroughs in the morning session. If Aust can go through the session losing only 1 wicket I think its all over (but I haven't checked the forecast!)

[englishmike]

Unreal. the convicts are 40 ahead with 5 wickets left and two days to play. At this point, a draw is a good result for England.

[Squirrel]

This is an absolute shambles. The Aussies are just piling on the runs mercilesly. No sign of any rain yet.

North not out 112 and Haddin not out 102 at the moment, 662/5!!!!

[Squirrel]

Australia declare on 674/6. Put England into bad leading by 239 - Good move by Ponting to get England in with the light fairly poor and rain forecast.

Absolute joke. England suck at batting out draws and if it doesnt rain will probably be all out within 3 hours!!!

[sportsbetwin]

2005 is just a distant memory eh chaps??

[Squirrel]

You know its bad when Paul Collingwood is the best bowler

[Squirrel]

17/2. oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

[bigblue74]

Good luk

[PAPSMEAR]

When backing the poms I fogot to take into account one key factor - HEART. This is something England lack in bucketloads. Disgraceful.

[englishmike]

i'm up at 3.00am to listen to the convicts hammer us and it's depressing, although we have just managed to scamper our way through to lunch.

[Squirrel]

Gotta be some changes for the 2nd test, but they wont do anything except get rid of 1 spinner. We should be dropping Swann, Panesar and Anderson and bring in Rashid, Harmison and either Onions or Sidebottom - sadly none of those are members of the old boys brigade so they wont get in.

[englishmike]

Sidebottom deserves a go, harmisons problem is you never know what harmison you're going to get, he's either a match winner or a liablity and has had more chances than any bowler in Test Match history.

I honestly don't know what the answer is but I do know one-day cricket has ruined Test cricket because players no longer know how to play it.

[englishmike]

Wow. What an unbeleivable finish, absolutely the best Test Match since....the last great England - Aussie games, absolutely brilliant.

For England to hold out was nothing short of breathtaking at the end and this draw will be a massive blow to Australia

[englishmike]

Wow. It's absolutely impossible to understate how good that was, fantastic, incredible, brilliant, fabulous, there are no words to describe it....and it was a draw!

Great stuff.

[englishmike]

THE GREAT ESCAPE!!!!!!!

[Squirrel]

Part of me is elated that we held out for the draw, the other part of me is a bit naffed off because now we've battled to a draw they'll probably keep the same team for the 2nd test (barring removing one spinner)

[englishmike]

You're The Convicts, You're The Convicts.....

[Squirrel]

Part of me is happy we held out for a draw, the sceptical side of me says we will now pick the same joke of a lineup for the 2nd test barring removing a spinner.

EDIT: Posted the same message twice, hit post and got redirected to youtube and wondered what the fook was happening lol

[englishmike]

[Squirrel]

2005 is just a distant memory eh chaps??

Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne are just distant memories, ey fella?