Am I the only one here who is watching the cricket (well, the highlights anyway)?

[MossletoeAndWine]

Well am I?

I haven't been watching it, but can you explain to me in very, very simple terms how we seemed to be doing so well & now its all gone mammaries up? (Please)

I've tried watching cricket but just don't understand it.

I like cricket, but I am a total cricket widow. DP lives/breathes/eats the game. It drives me mental. I ofetn joke that if I donned some cricket whites and called myself Warney he'd pay me more attention.

As for our shite attempt at winning back the Ashes, we do it everytime. We look like we might do ok, and then our arses fall out and we embarass ourselves.

Yay I'm so pleased I'm not the only one!!!

Bugsy2 my personal view is that we're not playing the right team (i.e. we should be playing Panesar instead of Giles). But TinselgalacticWalrus is right we do have a history of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!

Although Pietersen has really come into his own; during all those one day-ers I was starting to doubt him and now I think I was wrong!!!

ooh I love the cricket - I was in such a foul mood yesterday that I had to do some serious baking

I would love to be able to stay up all night watching the test match but I physically can't and function the next day.

Tinselgalacticwalrus, have just re-read your post! You're supporting the other side! I think you're doing pretty well tbh!

Pietersen is great, I agree. I used to think he was a bit of a tosspot, but I've changed my mind.

Lucycat I can't stay up longer than about half nine / ten these days (but I am pg, that's my excuse anyway). Dh sometimes stays up to watch it and can't help but tell me the score so I watch the highlights knowing what's going to happen!!

Noooo no, you misread!!!!!! I'm for England!

We may as well have handed the ashes trphy over and just not bothered fielding a team! No team has ever come back from 2-0 down in the history of the ashes.

Yes I thought he was a bit of a tosser too actually! But he really seems "bought in" to this series iyswim.

What do you think of Ashley Giles? Get rid?

TinselgalacticWalrus oh I see I know what you mean now. I was wondering what you were doing up in the middle of the night tbh, iyswim! Makes more sense now!!!

I am clinging on to the tiniest bit of hope that we could come back but in my heart of hearts I know we're defeated.

But I will keep watching even though I know what's going to happen. You know, like a greek tragedy or summat!!!!

he's clearly not on form at the moment, so yes I'd replace him with Monty. We need a good spinner to give the boys confidence.

Yep he needs to go.

Even though he's Warwickshire boy.

I have a friend who is going out to Sydney for the 5th test (and New year ) mmmm I think the cricket part may well be a wasted trip!

Pietersen just can't keep a cool head and yes he has times of greatness but I think too many moments of madness. Also think he's a tosser and has bought into the whole celeb thing too much after we won the Ashes.

northender - you a PNE fan? sorry to hijack the cricket thread!

I'm being forced in to a box ( corporate not cricketers') at the WACA next week. As the token Pom I am anticipating being made solely responsible for the team's performance as though I were the coach. I will be painting a facsimile of the Union Jack on my arse so I can moon truimphantly should we win.

Lucycat agree 100% bring on Monty. I just seriously do not get Fletcher's reasoning by leaving him out!!

(I say we should also replace Anderson with Broad but that has less to do with skill and more to do with other things )

Northender I do know what you mean about Pietersen and I do think the same sometimes but I think when he "comes to the party" so to speak he boosts the morale of the whole team.

I think Freddy's been getting a bit too "celeb" tbh as well.

Sunnywong maybe you should be the coach anyone's got to be better than fletcher !

Yep lucycat I am so I have to declare a bit of a Freddie bias here! The highlight of the year has been ds shaking hands with him after he got the freedom of the city. I was almost more excited than ds!

I love cricket
I do not understnad why the UK press bash the team so hard
FFS Australia have the best bowler that has ever lived, the pitches are prepared to suit them.
And Oz are the best cricketing nation in the world
To lose to the best isn't shameful, they did a lot better batting than many teams have in Oz.

I'm going to print this off and take it as a crib sheet next week. I don't have a bloody clue who's on which team.

But piffle the point is they didn't lose because of great bowling, they lost because they were incapable of playing sensible shots for 2 sessions and they are professionals at the end of the day.

I also think the Strauss dismissal (that shouldn't have been) was pivotal.

My Dad has gone out there to watch it - madness!