Grazie, I'm not sure if that is a "good luck, you're going to need it", or general good wishes!

Vic, it's cricket. The Australia vs England test series 2006 started today in Brisbane. Last year England won the series (in England), which surprised everyone. So if England can do it again this year then their cricket fortunes are definitely on the ascendancy. Been going since about 1880.

EDIT: each match lasts 5 days, each being played on a different ground. So, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth. But there's 5 all told, so where is the remaining one? Two in Melbourne? You can see that I'm a keen follower.

Just recounted the ones you listed Serena - that is 5!

As long as it's not like the G20 riots in Melbourne last week....I hope Oz dishes out a drubbing (kicks butt in Oz lingo). Sorry Grazie, Aussie's have been very, very good to me. And it's warm there right now. :-)

>>>that is 5!<<<

Well, that just shows -- should have counted them myself !!

Serena:

Why not pop along to your local game when it comes? Take the laptop and the FX1 and spend five days posting us some clips and commentary.

It will be a tough call for England to keep the ashes in Oz even though they have never been there (the ashes that is). Also, fellow Americans please note that the use of my country denomination of "England" is not a politically incorrect reference to the UK or Great Britain, for the the Welsh, Irish or Scots have never taken up the willow.


Michael

He may know a thing or two about Cricket, but I wonder if Grazie has ever bowled a maiden over? And anyway, what happens when you do? Call an ambulance, or smother her with love and kisses?

>>>> the ashes in Oz even though they have never been there (the ashes that is). <<<<<<

Actually the ashes are here presently, on a tour of their own in their little wooden urn. Reputedly the ashes of a burnt bail, the bail being one used in the first ever match between Australia and England (which England won). The ashes were a light-hearted trophy to England, and have since become the symbolic trophy fought over with much enthusiasm. English supporters fly to Australia for the series, calling themselves The Balmy Army, and cheer vigorously whenever English players achieve something.
Don't think I'll try competing with the commercial TV broadcasts!

Vic: “what does all of that mean??

The game of cricket is where some of our most famous sayings come from:
“A level playing ground”
“A Sticky wicket”
“Being stumped”
“Playing with a straight bat”

Serena, NO! Definitely all the best for a great series! . . but read on . . yeah?

Douglas, that’s ok.

MH_Stevens “the Welsh, Irish or Scots have never taken up the willow.” - oo-er? You think? .. I suggest you don’t go to any of these pubs where these guys hang out?

Welsh Cricket

Scotland

Irish Cricket

The actual “Ashes” mostly remain on permanent display at the hallowed ground of The Lord’s Cricket Ground, home of the then Marylebone Cricket Club, now Middlesex Cricket Club – about 5 miles from where I’m writing this!

alfredsvideo : “ . . ever bowled a maiden over? And anyway, what happens when you do? Call an ambulance, or smother her with love and kisses? Only if you bowled a “googly” or “wrong-uns”. But off-breaks and flippers were something I would liked to have mastered.

For those who wish to know – sad, sad – what The Ashes actually means, as Serena pointed out, is nearly there.

But there is a slightly more sardonic and irritating element to ALL of this . . .

There is a tad more satirical element to it all, and more than a little salt being rubbed in the wound. It goes like this. When Australia came to England, played in the 1882 match here a “TEST MATCH” ( test, meaning a “testing” of sporting abilities), we lost. OK. No, not-ok . . .

This forced a writer to pen a satirical obituary in The Sporting Times of 1882 , it, the obituary, stated that “English cricket was now dead, the body cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. ”

Hah-bloody-ha! But guess what? The Aussies couldn’t let it be! Could they? NO!

( . . here we go) Presented to Ivo Bligh – the Captain of the failed ’82 squad - a group of Australian women handed him a tiny little “urn” containing the symbolically burnt cremated body – the set of bails. This underlines, reinforces this particular series and the now continual 112 year old adherence to “playing-the-game”. Yeah, right!

Think of smiling through “gritted-teeth”? Go it? Now that’s not even CLOSE!!

p.s. Serena? It is England's Barmy (mad, crazy, ) not “balmy”. A light warm breeze? I think not! Lol! And yes there IS a song! And makes any sporting foe shiver when they here it. “England’s Barmy Army!”

Gotta love a game where the players set down their equipment and break for tea!

Serena:
I stand corrected. I never knew the Ashes had left England; so they are on tour too! This may be risky, for if you win you may be legally entitled to insist the Ashes stay there.

Grazie:
Thanks for the links to cricket in the outlying regions. I will defend myself somewhat in that Glamorgan(shire) is an English extension like Gwent (that is now Monmouth again). The Scottish cricketers look like a bit of a joke but the Irish shocked me. I never knew that any Catholic country allowed cricket. Really surprised me and I enjoyed reading the link. Thanks.

I stand corrected. I never knew the Ashes had left England; so they are on tour too! This may be risky, for if you win

Nuh-uh! - The Ozzies "gave" it to us. It was a gift . .

That does it. This forum needs a glossary of regional sayings.

Barmy, Ashes, Oz, Guff (as in I live next to the Guff of Mexico). How about a link at the top of the forum to a page (like Wikipedia) where the forum users can edit and keep current. You learn a new word/phrase, add it to the list!

:)

Ashes start in a matter of minutes .

At first I thought your turkey was about to go up in smoke on the barbie!

Interesting to finally understand the origin of the Ashes though, what a great idea!

Grazie,

You'd have to be hurting after the first day's play!

Spot: They are predicting 30 Degrees for today, might have to drag myself away from the TV and hit the beach.

Andy

Yes, the Ashes are being guarded as carefully as any valuable work of art and will return to Lords (Grazie?) as soon as this, their first trip overseas, is done.
Cricket is played in most countires that were associated with the British Empire, even in the USA. The game is associated with good manners, accepting the umpires decision without debate, quiet determination, and cheering the good efforts of all concerned; modern play and the Barmy Army and certain Ozzie players don't seem to be aware of those particular traditions. Flanders & Swann had a song about English sport, which mentioned that gentlemen don't practice beforehand and that's why rotten foreigners, who do practice, usually win. Of course it's a satire and actually the English cricket teams do practice vigorously; they employ Ozzie players in the off-season to teach them.

"Flanders & Swan" brings back memories. Do you remember their song "Lost my Horn"? It had a classic line that went:
"Lost my horn, lost my horn, found my horn gone" How I used to laugh at that.

Indeed. Sung to the tune from the Rondo of Mozart's Horn Concerto in E Flat.

. .ugh . ..

588 . . still going on and on . . ugh ..

Oz have batted only as Oz can bat. I have to say that our bowlers - IMHO - have performed appallingly. Harmie has been ALL over the place. The tail-enders are at present wagging and just pouring embarrassment on embarrassment. This is going to turn out to be an ignominious lost for us Poms.

. . . 592 for 9 . . . ugh . . .

What this means is we are going to have a mountain to climb - something 600+ on a flat dry wicket WITH Shane Warne doing his magic .. . ugh . . double ugh . . .

Declaration by Oz Captain Ricky Pointing at 602 for 9 . .. ugh . . a freaking mountain to climb. ON the opening Test for 2006!

English openers have now got to face the OZ bowling attack for 26 overs . .. ugh . .

I can see this match finishing by early Sunday.

Apart from that . . . things are great!

G

.. .uh... Scratch Sunday ... let's say late Saturday . .. . ugh . . . 28-2 . .

HORRIBLE!

Australia 1st Innings
Runs Balls 4s 6s
Barsman How Out Bowler Runs Balls 4's 6's
J L Langer c K P Pietersen b A Flintoff 82 98 13 0
M L Hayden c P D Collingwood b A Flintoff 21 47 2 0
R T Ponting lbw b M J Hoggard 196 319 24 0
D R Martyn c P D Collingwood b A F Giles 29 62 2 0
M E K Hussey b A Flintoff 86 187 8 0
M J Clarke c A J Strauss b J M Anderson 56 94 5 1
A C Gilchrist lbw b M J Hoggard 0 3 0 0
S K Warne c G O Jones b S J Harmison 17 26 1 0
B Lee not out 43 61 6 0
S R Clark b A Flintoff 39 23 3 2
G D McGrath not out 8 17 0 0
Extras 7nb 8w 2b 8lb 25
Total for 9 602 (155.0 ovs)

Bowler O M R W
S J Harmison 30.0 4 123 1
M J Hoggard 31.0 5 98 2
J M Anderson 29.0 6 141 1
A Flintoff 30.0 4 99 4
A F Giles 25.0 2 91 1
I R Bell 1.0 0 12 0
K P Pietersen 9.0 1 28 0
Fall of wicket
79 M L Hayden
141 J L Langer
198 D R Martyn
407 M E K Hussey
467 R T Ponting
467 A C Gilchrist
500 S K Warne
528 M J Clarke
578 S R Clark


England 1st Innings
Runs Balls 4s 6s
A J Strauss c M E K Hussey b G D McGrath 12 21 2 0
A N Cook c S K Warne b G D McGrath 11 15 1 0
I R Bell not out 13 44 1 0
P D Collingwood c A C Gilchrist b S R Clark 5 13 1 0
K P Pietersen not out 6 12 1 0
Extras 2nb 4lb 6
Total for 3 53 (17.0 ovs)

Now I am off to bed (12.36 am on the west coast) and by morning no-doubt England will follow on (do they have that in limited overs? - I guess)

Nite Nite
And I sleep with the triple tonging of the Eb going through my head.

Aussies LOOOOVE flogging the Poms at cricket. Its a national high when were on top. If we get beat by some unfortunate situation such as pommy sticky wickets we can't wait to settle the score.
Don't love the poms, we love 'em who else would their be to beat, who takes it as personally as we do!

AussieM! Lol! Spot on Pal!