The Ashes & Hampshire Cricket Summer Thread

Saints are lucky to have JWP who fights to get interviewed. Not everyone likes it or is good at it.

 

Very true Fran.

 

So a huge knock from Ten Doeschate (Who I really like) and a hat-trick from Tait give Essex a bit of a shock win over Notts, pretty dangerous team out of the running there!

 

So Surrey i the semis. Shows how strong our group was producing 3 of the finalists!

 

Would rather have had Essex but it doesn't really matter who you get at this stage I guess, all the teams are very good.

 

This is true but with the England cricket team I often get the feeling they're trolling the media. Whenever an interviewer suggests something that may not be positive they dismiss it, which is what Warne was talking about. There are many exchanges with interviewers which go something like...

Interviewer: So [England player], Australia have made 550 and you guys are 30/3 at the close. Tomorrow is going to be a tough day isn't it?
[England player]: Not at all. The pitch is still very good and we'll look to come out and bat all day tomorrow.

I remember one particular interview with Trott that went something like...

Interviewer: You've made a hundred today Jonathan and England are well placed. You've had a very good day. How would you sum it up?
Trott: You're exactly right. We've had a very good day.
[short pause]
Interviewer: Well come on Jonathan, don't just repeat what I say. Use your own words.
Trott: No, you're exactly right. A very good day. Those are exactly the words I'd use.

Personally I think that a lot of the time they're just on the wind-up. There was more evidence of it this morning. With all the speculation about whether Onions would play, Anderson and Broad barely came out to warm up at all this morning while Tremlett and Onions both spent a long time "preparing". Michael Vaughan (who I would think still knows a few of the team) pretty much said they're trying to play games with the media.

 

England win the toss and bat. Rattling along at one run per over!

 

Just to confirm the teams:

England: Alastair Cook (capt), Joe Root, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonny Bairstow, Matt Prior (wk), Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson.

Australia: David Warner, Chris Rogers, Usman Khawaja, Michael Clarke (capt), Steve Smith, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wk), Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird.

England unchanged from the test at Old Trafford, with Jackson Bird replacing Mitchell Starc in the Aussies only change. Watson moves down the batting order to 6 with Warner opening with Rogers.

 

And the Aussies have a successful review! Root gone for 16. 34/1.

 

Trott was looking really good, 49 off 59, but is out 1 short of his 50. England 107-2

 

Trott out for 49. 109/2.

 

Think we will set a decent score...result will all depend on how the wicket bears up.

Like the bit where Atherton was asked if he would have batted if he'd won the toss.
Yes, but not for long, said a voice from the back of the box.

 

Pietersen playing like he's had 8 cans of Red Bull.

 

He wants a wee?

 

KP walks.

 

Cook gone LBW, misjudgement by him. 153-4

 

Cook out for 51. He's had a mediocre series at best.

 

Not just average scoring but very, very slow.

 

Time for Bairstow to deliver .