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Potings tactics appear to be "hang around and wait for England to give their wickets away", when, none of the wickets were down to inspired captaincy, and only 2 were good balls, the rest were batsman error. If that is his plan for the whole ashes then all Straus will need to do is hammer into his batsmen (and himself) not to play anything they don't need too and England will win, unfortunatly I don't see that happening!

This test is well poised, with no-one knowing what a good score is and England due to bowl last on a pitch that is sure to produce spin on day 4 according to the groundsman, should be interesting.

I can't get too annoyed by Pietersen's silly shot because honestly, he should've been out a little while earlier anyway. I think the cricketing gods stepped in there.

A real shame to lose Flintoff and Prior right near the end after their fightback had wrested control back. As it stands I'd be slightly happier in the Aussie camp, but not by much. England need to get as close to 370+ as they can tomorrow, and then we can see what the our bowlers can get out of this pitch.

England still have two capable batsmen in Broad and Swann. If they can get past 380 they have a fair chance of taking advantage of Australia having to bat last. However, this is not the time to make rash predictions: neither side is clearly on top and until Australia have batted we do not know if a good score on this pitch is 300, or 600. Things may look very different by the close tomorrow.

Tom,

Could you let your ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ colleague Oliver Brett know that it was Johnson who bowled the first ball of this Ashes series, not Hilfenhaus as his article states.

It's an almost impossible match to call, and if I were a betting man, I'd be putting my money on whoever is available at the longest odds!

The Australian first innings will clearly be crucial. I think England do have the edge because I expect this to be an excellent fourth/fifth-day spinners' wicket, but England are probably going to have to bat with discipline in the second innings to make the most of that.

Was furious with KP this afternoon but seeing the replay tonight where the ball actually deflects of his helmet from his sweep shot i've mellowed a bit and can see he was a touch unlucky.

What's clear from Day 1 is that the Aussie bowling attack is not a patch on the 2005 vintage and if we can play a bit more positively, cut out the stupid dismissals then we have every chance of winning this series.

400 should have been easily attainable and we might still get there.

Ultimately i think the weather over the weekend will prevent a result in this game (barring something spectacular tomorrow/friday) but i'm fascinated to see what our bowlers make of the wicket/conditions.

Hi BennyBlanco (post 4),

Good spot on the error in the report over who bowled the first over of the match - we have updated it.

Thanks

Ian W - ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Sport.

I was furious at Cook.
Again he showed he is not an International player playing ridculous shots.
Cook should be dropped and replaced with someone else.
Maybe push Bopara up or even Ian Bell.

Today!s match was interestingly watched.England players more interests to this match,compared to previous cricket matches.
Cook,and Peterson had not played well.I expected real,possible score from Peterson,but failed miserably.
Still, English tail enders can add score board to another 50 runs.If they do it,then it will be a tough to Aussis for getting more runs quickly.
English bowlers,fielders are to be much more cautious and be alert for not allowing Aussis to take more runs.
Thanks to Tom Fordyce!s todays coverages.

".....generally quiet crowd."

being from Manchester but living in the southern hemisphere presently was baffled by switching on to watch the start of the Ashes to be presented with the Welsh National Anthem, then to find out that Old Trafford has lost out on an Ashes test.

Come on England & come on the ECB

Much was said today about not one of the English batsman going on to score three figure scores but every one of them scored double figures and all but Cook more than 30. It's alright someone making a ton but if everyone else scores in single figures then what good is that. All of them have contributed, and if Australia can take wickets, then I can only see our bowlers doing even better.

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Thoroughly enjoyed today's play, and thought TMS commentary was a joy to behold! Is there really anything to rival it in the world? I've had to play Brian Lara Cricket non stop to get my daily fix - 'that's in the air and safe and out!'.

Aggers is worth the TV license alone, and then throw Blowfeld, Chappell and CMJ into the mix and phwwwwa! One is left wondering how Sky pull in the punters? Having said that my dissertation hangs by a thread after Wimbledon and an Ashes summer.

On the game - I hope to see an English batsman step up to the plate and grit out a dogged century on this slow pitch in the seond innings. It may perhaps be necessary to guarantee a draw.

Bopara, nerves induced, was inevitably going to get out the way he was playing, as were a number of England batsmen who gave away their wicket, not always cheaply, but needlessly. Hopefully, Broad and his gold locks can dispatch a few boundaries and then realise his Ashes potential with a some wickets.

Can't predict this one but rest assured that Stick Cricket, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Sport and TMS will remain a poison challice throughout the summer (for those with deadlines)!

Australia marginally in front?

A totally ludicrous remark.

350 is a very solid score by any standards, and currently Australia have no runs on the board.

Not only that, the pitch is already starting to deteriorate and none of the Oz batsmen have experienced Anderson in his current robes of purple mystification.

England to stroll it - probably on day 4.

In my opinion a very good days test cricket, and opener to the series. A fascinating struggle to gain superiority - I put England just ahead. The first innings of past Ashes series really has been barometer of what's to follow... let's hope our middle and lower middle order continue to provide valuable runs. We must take advantage of Australia's weak attack. I predict a tight contest, but England 3-1.
I must comment upon Pietersen. Whilst I admire his precocious talent, he continues to annoy by playing these attrocious shots, which place our innnings in jeopardy. Furthermore, his "that's the way I play" reply when quizzed is not the required answer from a senior professional. We need less arrogance and more responsibilty - he was rightfully stripped of the captaincy. The match result is what's important here, not Pietersen's image.

Yes, let's hope there's plenty of spin in the latter stages. Advantage England. Panesar needs to produce otherwise he must make way for Rashid.

We've already seen what will probably be the decisive factor between the two sides: Australian batsmen wouldn't have given their wickets away like England did. Ok, Strauss got a goody, but Pietersen needs to learn that he's a PROFESSIONAL, not a 'genius'... and that, as with the Aussies, shot-selection counts for a hell of a lot - the one he got out to was not there for what he was trying to do. He should have been trying to pierce the off-side instead of drag it to leg. Flintoff might have made a misjudgement, but he should really have been playing for stumps, and left the counter-attack until this morning. Bopara looks like he's going to be suckered out time and again by the nous of the Aussies, just like Alec Stewart was. Colly played really well as ever, and Prior opened his Ashes account well. I hope the bowlers can step up to the plate now; we still have a chance in this match if there are no more indiscretions (a big 'if' with England, though).

I have to take issue with post 13. Yes TMS is excellent....except for CMJ, who ruins it. I can't give my opinion of him as my post would be removed, but if he comes on, the radio goes off!

I enjoy the TMS coverage as well but it's not CMJ that makes me switch off by Boycott.

The joke is surely over now about how good his mother was at cricket and it looks like this summer he is going to give Nathan Hauritz the same abuse he gave Paul Harris last year. If somebody made the same comments on this page they would be removed. The man is a disgrace to broadcasting and the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.

I couldn't even excape him on 5live after the game as he constantly interrupted Aggers to talk about himself. As I went to switch the radio off things got worse as apparently Stephen Brenkley was due on the next part of the programme. Another man who knows everything and isn't afraid to tell us.

To everyone who is criticizing Pietersen, what would you do about it? You can hardly drop him, he was once again England's higest scorer. Daft shots seem to be part of his game, but if he gets 70 runs first, I'm pretty sure the skipper would take that every time.

The "decisive moment" in cricket in England/Wales is when it starts raining. From what I hear that will be Saturday.

My frustration is that australias weakness is in there bowling attack yet we were not capable of batting them out of sight. Players like katich and north will bat out all day in Cardiff.

The most encouraging thing for England is that the Aussie bowlers only looked threatening in brief patches. The most worrying thing for England is that our batsmen still managed to get themselves out.
We probably aren't going to get as much as we could have done if 1 or 2 of the top order had stayed in and played a big innings but we've got runs on the board and wait and see how their batsmen do.
Unfortunately it looks like there'll be rain but lets hope for a result.

Prior is a guy in hurry. He made his runs in quick. 336 runs on Day One is a good score. There were many decent partnerships but not long enough to discourage the visiting bowlers. The batting side could have protected a few more wickets. Best wishes to the two sides on Day Two.




Dr. Cajetan Coelho

Mixed feeling after day 1. Some good and bad came out of the 336-7.
The so called 'batsmen' yet again disappointed with poor shot selection. Pietersen's was pre-meditated, which is fine fr one-day cricket but not for a test match. Curiously, KP looked very defensive and hardly played any attacking strokes. He is not known for his patience, and having faced 140+ balls, you would expect him to maybe have 90-100 runs clocked up, and be on top of the bowling having hit some boundaries, rather than strolling along at barely 3 an over.

KP and Colly had a rebuild job to do, but didn't make the most, numerically, of the number of balls they were there for. If they'd each scored another few boundaries each then England would be close to 400 already. Prior & Flintoff looked superb and really showed the top order up.
Cook was a little unlucky to be caught, while Strauss tried to evade a ball that he should have been whacking. Bopara was deceived but should have taken the Aussie philosophy of going through with the stroke, as if he had played a fullblooded stroke then he may well have cleared the fielder and got a 4 - fortune favors the brave, and only Flintoff and Prior really went for it.
England's batting will improve as long as they are more positive and look to dominate the bowling.

I think that one of the key things that became even more apparent to everyone (even though we knew already) was the inability of Punter as a captain. His idea of tactics basically revolved around dependency - ie on Warne and McGrath - and without these weapons his lack of tactical awareness is there for all to see. The fact that England are 7 down is because of bad shot selection rather than extended pressure from the field due to creative placement etc.

Looking for Broad to take advantage of Punter's inaptitude and add another half century to his already impressive batting stats.

Totally agree with post 19 - surely Boycott has had his day? He seems to exist purely to tell us how great he is, how differently he would have done things, or just to criticise players. The man's a relic. I wince every time I hear him come on the air.

Totally agree with post 19 and 28. It amazes me that Boycott ever scored a run because he must never have hit a shot and setting a field for him must have been easy 2 mid ons 2 mid offs because he never (so he reckons never hit one out of the V

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