The Ashes

[tamara]

This is a Tease for all you English Dialysis Patients. Suffer in Your Jocks Aussie Cricketers Rule !

[charee]

I'll second that !!

[Bajanne]

So Australia has The Ashes right now?  As West Indians, we just look on as England and Australia bat it out.
The Caribbean is gearing up for World Cup next year.  The final match will be played in Barbados.

Could you please explain The Ashes to these other people, who know nothing of that most noble, gentleman's game, of Cricket?

How can you possibly play a proper game in a couple of hours, with no break for tea?

[tamara]

The Ashes is a Test cricket series, played between England and Australia - it is international cricket's oldest and most celebrated rivalry dating back to 1882. It is currently played nominally biennially, alternately in England and Australia. However since cricket is a summer game, the venues being in opposite hemispheres means the break between series is alternately 18 months and 30 months. If a series is drawn then the country holding the Ashes retains them.

The series is named after a satirical obituary published in The Sporting Times in 1882 after the match at The Oval, in which Australia beat England in England for the first time. The obituary stated that English cricket had died, and the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. The English media dubbed the next English tour, to Australia (1882-83) as the quest to regain The Ashes.

A small terracotta urn was presented to the England captain Ivo Bligh by a group of Melbourne women at some point during the 1882-83 tour. The contents of the urn are reputed to be the ashes of an item of cricket equipment, possibly a bail, ball or stump. The urn is now used as a trophy for the Ashes series, and whichever side holds the Ashes, the urn normally remains in the MCC Museum at Lord's because it was bequeathed to the MCC by Ivo Bligh upon his death.[1] Since the 1998-99 Ashes series, a Waterford crystal trophy has been presented to the winners.

A five-Test Ashes series is currently underway in Australia: Australia have an unbeatable 3-0 lead, and have thus regained the Ashes. England's win in the previous series in 2005 was their first in 18 years. The next series in England will be held in 2009.

[RichardMEL]

Well done to the aussies... a great victory!!! WOO HOO!

Perhaps we should also explain to these non cricket people that a "Test" match actually lasts for 5 days (unless there's a weather problem, or it finished early). Yes that's right, a sporting event that goes for 5 days!

Personally I prefer the one day games as it's more exciting, but this last test had some of the best cricket I have seen in quite a while - Adam Chilchrist's 100 in 57 balls, just outside the world record set by Clive Lloyd in the 80's was just a beauty to watch. 24 runs in one over (6 balls). WOO HOO!

So yeah poms... how does it feel to be beaten 3-0 by "Dad's Army"? he he!

Now that that is settled can we please bring on the footy season?!!!

[tamara]

Richard, before this last test I hated tests, love the one dayers.

But all I can say is Gilllie, Gillie, Gillie!

He's the man!

And To Shane (Warney for those that don't know), Glad you have only made it to 699, Thanks for leaving the 700 wicket to hopefully your hometown MELBOURNE!

[kitkatz]

The crass American says :"Huh?"

[RichardMEL]

The MCG crowd will go ape droppings (to quote Rex Hunt) when Warney gets his 700th wicket at home possibly on Boxing Day.  I may even be able to hear it from my apartment (I live a couple of kilometres from the 'G).

As for the yanks and "huh?" - Cricket is like a civilised form of Baseball I guess. It's pretty hard to explain though because it's not REALLY like baseball at all except for the part about a bat hitting a ball It's something we cricket nations are brought up on (much like Vegemite) but it is a great game.

Amusingly I once met a fellow in Seattle(a local) who not only knew a bit about cricket but also knew that Pakistan were known as cheaters! That gave me a good laugh! So I decided to go for the Marriners thereafter....

[Bajanne]

So are any of you Aussies planning to come to the Caribbean for the World Cup 2007?

[tamara]

So are any of you Aussies planning to come to the Caribbean for the World Cup 2007?

I'd love to go to the Caribbean but it wouldn't be for the Cricket, more like to relax and drink cocktails on your beautiful sand and swim in your beautiful water................................(aaaaaaaw I'm in heaven as I write this)

[Sluff]

So are any of you Aussies planning to come to the Caribbean for the World Cup 2007?

I'd love to go to the Caribbean but it wouldn't be for the Cricket, more like to relax and drink cocktails on your beautiful sand and swim in your beautiful water................................(aaaaaaaw I'm in heaven as I write this)

And to see Bajanne and LilBajanne.

[Bajanne]

So are any of you Aussies planning to come to the Caribbean for the World Cup 2007?

I'd love to go to the Caribbean but it wouldn't be for the Cricket, more like to relax and drink cocktails on your beautiful sand and swim in your beautiful water................................(aaaaaaaw I'm in heaven as I write this)

And to see Bajanne and LilBajanne.

That sounds so good!   Welcome, Welcome!!!