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The Ashes Thread
Topic Started: Nov 10 2006, 01:56 PM (4,474 Views)
Tealey
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I think Fletcher has to go. A coach of an international team can't have favourites, and Fletch patently has (Jones, Giles). We need someone who would put more into our ODIs and someone who won't pick an old spinner when there's a better, younger one on the sidelines and one that won't pick a keeper who is in for his batting but can't bat to save his life.
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Maybe Mark Robinson (Sussex coach) should replace Fletcher?
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watching the final overs now... with Australia desting for victory. How did England get into this position? Defies us all...
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I can't believe it, Australia... won! :eek2:

2nd Test :: Day 5 :: Adelaide

England: 551-6d and 129
Australia: 513 and 168-4

Australia win by six wickets


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Australia won the second Ashes Test by six wickets and went 2-0 up in the series after bowling England out for 129 on day five in Adelaide.

England lost nine wickets for 60 in 43 overs, with Shane Warne taking 4-49 and key batsmen playing some poor shots.

Chasing 168 to win, Ricky Ponting (49) and Michael Hussey (61no) shared a third-wicket stand of 83 in 16 overs.

Ponting and Damien Martyn fell in quick succession but Michael Clarke joined Hussey to win with three overs left.

No team in history has lost after declaring on a higher total than England's 551-6 batting first in a Test.

England now face the daunting task of winning two of the remaining three Tests over the next four weeks to tie the series and retain the Ashes urn, won amid triumphant scenes in September 2005.

In baking heat, a sleepy crowd were expecting a draw as the final day began but Warne, who took 40 wickets in that last Ashes series, refused to let the match die.

Just 17 wickets fell in the first four days but four went down in the morning session to turn the game on its head.

Warne took two wickets and played his part in the run out of Ian Bell for 26, while Brett Lee found reverse swing with a ball just 30 overs old to make Andrew Flintoff and Geraint Jones look indecisive.

Andrew Strauss was unlucky to be given out for 34 as short-leg fielder Hussey took a catch off pad rather than bat and umpire Steve Bucknor upheld Warne's half-hearted appeal.

But England were to blame for the wickets that followed as they looked to re-establish the initiative with attacking play.

Bell hesitated when called for a quick single as point fielder Clarke threw to Warne at the non-striker's end.

Kevin Pietersen chose the wrong time to begin sweeping Warne and was bowled round his legs by the fifth ball he faced, a delivery pitching out of the rough.

Then, with a captain's innings desperately needed, Flintoff's footwork was lacking as he wafted outside off stump at Lee and departed for two.

It is unlikely England coach Duncan Fletcher ate his lunch with a smile, even though two lower-order men included in the side for their batting would accompany Paul Collingwood into the afternoon.

If he did, his reverie lasted just 10 balls after the break as Jones groped at a Brett Lee delivery a yard wide of off-stump and chipped to the gully fielder.

Three overs later, Ashley Giles got an edge to a fizzing Warne leg break that was taken at first slip for a duck.

Two marginal lbw decisions by umpire Rudi Koertzen accounted for Steve Harmison and - after a 41-minute resistance - James Anderson, and gave Glenn McGrath his first wickets of the match.

Australia lost openers Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden at the start of their chase but they were down more to over-aggressiveness than England ingenuity.

The home side changed gear as if batting in the middle of a one-day international and England let them, opting to try and restrict runs rather than putting fielders in catching positions.

Flintoff hobbled through the pain of his sore left ankle to bowl nine overs then cut a sorry figure in the field as Hussey hit the winning runs.


Scorecard

Lets all together mourn the death of English cricket.

An England Invitational XI will play the CA Chairman's XI at Lilac Hill next (December 8th) but the next 'proper' match is a tour match against Western Australia, which starts in Perth on the 9th December.
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Michael Vaughan scored only nine runs in his second comeback match in Australia following knee surgery.
Vaughan batted for 40 minutes and faced 21 balls for England's Academy against Western Australia Second XI in Perth.

The Academy side eventually lost by six wickets despite Middlesex batsman Owais Shah's innings of 115.

Vaughan is now set to play for England against Western Australia in a two-day game starting on Saturday, a match seen as a warm-up for the Perth Test.

An England Invitational XI play a one-day match against a Cricket Academy Chairman's XI at Lilac Hill on Friday.

An England spokesman said: "We are considering Michael playing in this weekend's two-day match as part of his rehabilitation programme."

The five players in the squad yet to feature in the Test series - Chris Read, Monty Panesar, Liam Plunkett, Ed Joyce and Sajid Mahmood - are expected to play in both matches over the weekend.

Vaughan has not played for England for more than a year because of persistent knee problems which have led to two operations and was out for a duck in his first comeback match last week.

He captained England to their Ashes victory last year and is targeting a return to the squad in the current series.

England are 2-0 down with three Tests to play, the next of which starts on 14 December.


I knew he was going to play for the Invitational XI but I didn't know he is going to play for England against Western Australia - in a proper tour match :eek2:

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Put in Monty :P
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Monty for Giles and Vaughan for Cook I'd do. Cook is all at sea against Warne and we need someone of Vaughan's experience to anchor the innings. Strauss needs a kick up the backside as well though.
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Monty Panesar gets a chance to show he can do more than carry out the drinks when England play a Cricket Australia Chairman's XI at Lilac Hill on Friday.

The left-arm spinner, controversially left out of the first two Ashes Tests, will play in a team captained by former England captain Alec Stewart.

Fellow retirees Robin Smith and Adam Hollioake also play against a team led by Australia star opener Justin Langer.

None of the team picked by England for the first two Tests will play.

Instead, the five squad players yet to appear in this series and a trio of players from the Academy make up the numbers.

The match is a one-day affair and is followed by a more official two-day warm-up in Perth against Western Australia.

Panesar said he was pleased that people had been offering their support from England.

"I guess it's flattering that people back home are saying nice things," he said.

"But selection isn't in my control. I've got to focus on what I need to do, and prepare myself. If I get a chance I won't put pressure on myself or do things differently.

"I'm just going to bowl the way I've been bowling since I came into international cricket."

Panesar is not the only man with a point to prove in this match. Sajid Mahmood is hoping to oust Jamess Anderson out of the Test side.

Chris Read also has an opportunity to show that he is a more accomplished wicket-keeper/batsman than Geraint Jones.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

England XI: Alec Stewart (capt), Chris Read, Ed Joyce, Sajid Mahmood, Liam Plunkett, Monty Panesar, Adam Hollioake, Robin Smith, Jon Lewis, Owais Shah, Jamie Dalrymple.

CA Chairman's XI: Justin Langer (capt), Luke Ronchi (wk), Chris Rogers, Luke Pomersbach, Marcus North, Adam Voges, Brett Dorey, Sean Ervine, Peter Worthington, Ryan Campbell, Chris Matthews, Jo Angel.


Interesting teams! :eek2: :thumb:
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I hope Panesar is voted as Sports Personality of the Year. That'd show Fletcher and Giles. Bearing in mind our squad, I'd play this England team in Perth:

Strauss ©
Cook
Bell
Pietersen
Collingwood
Flintoff
Read (wk)
Plunkett
Hoggard
Mahmood
Panesar

I know it's a bit darastic that I feel we should change captain halfway through, but it has to happen. Let Flintoff do his thing with bat and ball, don't put any more pressure on the guy. Strauss is a better captain anyway.
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Martyn announces shock retirement

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Australia batsman Damien Martyn has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket with immediate effect.
The 35-year-old told Cricket Australia of his surprise decision just before they were due to announce the squad for the third Ashes Test.

He indicated he no longer had the motivation to perform at his best.

Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland confirmed Martyn would have kept his place despite scoring only 45 runs in three innings in the first two games.

Martyn, who scored 4,406 Test runs in 67 appearances at an average of 46.37, said he was fully aware of the "tremendous challenges facing Australian cricket" during the Ashes series.

But he continued: "Such challenges require people who are more than 100% committed, dedicated, disciplined and passionate about the game, what it seeks to achieve and how those involved in the game can best serve cricket, sport and the wider community.

"I said to myself when I made this decision in the last 48 hours that I may lose friends in doing what I'm doing.

"But I also said to myself that if I stayed doing what I was doing I may equally lose respect for myself and the friendship of those around me who are entitled to expect from me more than 100%."

Australia captain Ricky Ponting paid tribute to Martyn's contribution to the success of the team in both Test and one-day cricket, describing him as "one of the world's most unsung players".

He said: "It is obviously something Damien has thought long and hard about and I know that I and all of the other members of the team will miss him greatly.

"I don't think it is really understood how good a player he actually is. He is one of those players who, as the conditions and situations got harder and more difficult, the better he became and I know I will miss his influence on the Australian team."

His place in the squad for the third Ashes Test, which starts on 14 December in Perth, has been taken by uncapped 27-year-old batsman Adam Voges.

Martyn, from Western Australia, was arguably the most stylish batsman in the national team.

But he was dropped from it on a number of occasions during his career, the first time after a loose shot against South Africa in Sydney in January 1994, when Australia failed to reach a target of 117 and were beaten by six runs.

He had to wait more than six years for another chance and made the most of it by hitting the first of 13 Test centuries at Edgbaston on the 2001 Ashes tour.

His career took another downturn in 2005 when he managed only one half century as Australia lost the Ashes in England, but returned for the tour to South Africa at the start of this year and made 101 in the final Test in Johannesburg as Australia completed a 3-0 whitewash.

Martyn was also a prolific one-day batsman, scoring 5,346 runs from 208 matches at an average of 40, with five hundreds and 37 fifties.

He scored an unbeaten 88 as Australia beat India in the 2003 World Cup final despite batting with a broken finger and recently played a leading role as they won the ICC Champions Trophy with two half centuries and an unbeaten 47 in the final against West Indies.

"Damien's decision has come as a surprise to us but I fully respect his decision to retire on his terms," said Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive.

"I got a very clear indication from him that his decision was absolutely final and that he had been thinking about it for a little bit of time.

"I can tell from the tone of his voice and the thought processes in getting to where he's at that there's no point in talking to him further. He wanted to make that decision independent of all other factors and we respect that."

Former Australia captain Ian Chappell said he respected Martyn for the timing of his decision.

"You don't have to be Einstein to know that the Australian selectors are going to want to make the side younger pretty soon and he probably felt he was near the top of the list of guys to go," he said.

"The fact he has got a home Test coming up, that Australia is probably going to win the Ashes back - all those reasons make it tougher and all the more reason to admire him for it."


Australia call for uncapped Voges

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Australia have made two changes to their squad for the third Ashes Test in Perth starting on 14 December.
Damien Martyn retired from all forms of cricket on Friday and was replaced by another Western Australian batsman, uncapped 27-year-old Adam Voges.

Combative all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who played the last of his 10 Tests in April, came in for paceman Shaun Tait.

Batsman Phil Jaques has been overlooked despite superb form this year both for New South Wales and Worcestershire.

Shane Watson remains sidelined by a hamstring injury but is expected to return for the Boxing Day Test.

Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said there were a number of players vying to fill the void created by Martyn's retirement.

"It's given us an opportunity to look at some of the fantastic young players who are emerging in Australia at the present time," he said.

"We are excited to give Adam this opportunity to join the squad.

"He is an outstanding young player who performed exceptionally well at the Commonwealth Bank Centre of Excellence and has had a fantastic start to the domestic season."

Voges has scored more than 1,400 runs at an average of 44 since making his first-class debut in 2002-03.

He has made scores of 152 not out and 144 not out against Tasmania and New South Wales this season but his selection ahead of the likes of Jaques, Chris Rogers and Marcus North is a surprise.

Voges was playing in the match between a Cricket Australia Chairman's XI and ECB XI at Lilac Hill when he heard of his call-up from Western Australia Cricket Association chief executive Tony Dodemaide.

"I was in the field, out on the boundary and Tony tapped me on the shoulder and said 'you've been substituted'.

"I thought I was in trouble, [then] I had a phone call saying I was in the 13. It has all happened pretty quickly and been pretty amazing," he said.

He made 71 in that match.

Voges paid tribute to Martyn, saying: "I've played a fait bit with Marto and he's been fantastic for me and my development. It's a shame his career has come to an end, but it has presented an opportunity [to me]."

He will face competition from Symonds, however, for a place in the final XI in Perth.

Symonds has a modest Test record despite five centuries and 20 fifties, plus 118 wickets, in 154 one-day internationals, but he would fill the all-rounder role which the selectors earmarked for Shane Watson prior to the series.

Watson has been unable to play because of a hamstring problem but is hoping to return to action in time for the fourth Test in Melbourne.

The Australians hold a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-match series, having won both opening Tests comprehensively in their quest to regain the Ashes at the first time of asking.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Australia squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Adam Voges, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist (wkt), Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Glenn McGrath, Mitchell Johnson.


Before the first Ashes tour match (v Prime Ministers XI) I had never heard of Voges, and now he's in their squad! :eek2:

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Tour Match :: CA Chairman's XI v England XI

CA Chairman's XI: 260-3
England: 259-8

CA Chairman's XI win by 7 wickets


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Monty Panesar captured two wickets but a makeshift England XI could not prevent a seven-wicket defeat by an Australian Chairman's XI at Lilac Hill.

Panesar, left out of the first two Ashes Tests, struck with his second ball, and despite being hit for 18 in one over, ousted dangerman Luke Ronchi.

The keeper hit 89 off 49 balls as the home side won with 9.5 overs remaining.

Alec Stewart, leading the team aged 43, hit 69 from as many balls in England's 259-8, but Chris Read fell for a duck.

Read was one of several fringe players hoping for a strong showing at Lilac Hill to enhance Test claims, but lasted only five balls before finding mid-on.

Stalwart Stewart, who retired in 2003, launched two sixes and five fours, while another ex-England man, Adam Hollioake, fired four sixes in an unbeaten 38.

Owais Shah made a breezy 22 before he was first to fall in the 13th over.

Shah hit three boundaries in an opening stand of 44 with Ed Joyce, who was called into the Ashes squad as a replacement for Marcus Trescothick.

Former Australia left-arm seamer Chris Matthews made the breakthrough as Shah mis-timed a drive and was caught at mid-off.

Joyce notched 36 before he was run out backing up, while Liam Plunkett was run out without scoring.

Stewart shared 112 with Essex batsman Ravi Bopara, who made 53 from 56 balls, to lead his side to a respectable total from a perilous 59-3.

The Chairman's XI made a fluent start with an opening stand of 82, before Panesar bowled Chris Rogers, who was attempting a reverse sweep.

Highly-rated wicket-keeper/batsman Ronchi battered three sixes and 15 fours in his 89 from 49 balls, but Panesar removed him when he lured him down the wicket and Read executed the stumping.

Adam Voges, called into the Australia squad for the third Test at Perth on 14 December, hit 71 before he was caught by Panesar at long-off with only 11 runs needed for victory.

Panesar finished with 2-63 from his 10 overs, while seamer Jon Lewis was despatched for 35 from only four overs.


England XI: Alec Stewart (capt), Chris Read, Ed Joyce, Sajid Mahmood, Liam Plunkett, Monty Panesar, Adam Hollioake, Robin Smith, Jon Lewis, Owais Shah, Jamie Dalrymple.

CA Chairman's XI: Justin Langer (capt), Luke Ronchi (wk), Chris Rogers, Luke Pomersbach, Marcus North, Adam Voges, Brett Dorey, Sean Ervine, Peter Worthington, Ryan Campbell, Chris Matthews, Jo Angel.

Scorecard

England's next match is a proper tour match - this time against Western Australia - at Perth (also the venue for the 3rd Test). The two-day game starts tomorrow (9th December).
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Well done Monty.
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Tour Match :: Day 1 :: Western Australia v England

Western Australia: 309-8
England: Yet to bat


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England had a promising opening day in their two-day tour match at the Waca, restricting Western Australia to 309-8.

James Anderson, who took only 2-303 in the first two Ashes Tests, was the pick of the attack with 3-47 from 23 overs.

Sajid Mahmood found two edges in his second spell, one superbly caught by Chris Read, while Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar also claimed wickets.

WA left-hander Luke Pomersbach hit an unbeaten 90 on his first-class debut, with 10 fours and two sixes.

Anderson found some early movement at the venue for next week's third Test, and a fine away-swinger accounted for David Bandy in the ninth over.

In the next, Harmison should have been rewarded for extracting some pace from a surface widely thought to have slowed in recent years.

But Ashley Giles put down a regulation chance off Chris Rogers, who hit successive fours after his reprieve and went on to make a fluent 66.

More movement from Anderson saw Rogers nibble a catch to Read, giving the Lancastrian figures of 2-19 from 16 overs after his second spell.

His encouragingly economic return should have been even more impressive, but Panesar put down Shaun Marsh on eight at short mid-wicket.

Marsh eventually fell to a spectacular low one-handed diving catch by Read, who retained the gloves with Geraint Jones playing as a specialist batsman, while North gave a more routine chance to Ed Joyce at second slip.

Andrew Strauss captained a flexible England 12 featuring six players from the second Ashes Test debacle in Adelaide.

Skipper Andrew Flintoff, who was hit on the head by Matthew Hoggard in the nets, chose to rest his ankle ahead of next week's Perth Test, but fielded for a short period after his batting scare.

Seamer Liam Plunkett was named in the 12 but did not participate on the opening day because of a dislocated finger.

When Strauss was briefly off the field, Michael Vaughan, in his first match for England since February after knee surgery, directed operations.

Panesar was the more successful spinner, having numerous lbw appeals rejected before he had Luke Ronchi caught at slip.

The mild-mannered slow bowler was earlier convinced he had North caught at slip, and had begun his celebrations only to see that umpire Bruce Bennett had not given the batsman out.

In a hitherto unseen display of petulance, he snatched his sweater from the official at the end of the over.

Giles, meanwhile, with 3-262 from the first two Ashes Tests, returned 0-33 from his eight overs.

In his third spell, Harmison collected the wicket his endeavour deserved when he trapped Australia's latest Test squad member Adam Voges with a full-length delivery angling in.

The Western Australia team included several players who turned out for the Chairman's XI in Friday's one-day game at nearby Lilac Hill.

But they were without Test batsman Mike Hussey, who withdrew shortly before the match began.

Despite him being one of his main rivals for a Test place, Mahmood was quick to pay tribute to his Lancashire colleague Anderson.

"I thought he bowled brilliantly," said Mahmood, who took 2-61.

"He put the ball in the right areas and beat the bat quite a lot of time. It's good to be in competition with him and the other bowlers because it makes me work that bit harder and makes me want to perform that extra bit more."


Western Australia: D C Bandy, B R Dorey, B M Edmondson, A K Heal, T P Macdonald, S J Magoffin, S E Marsh, M J North, L Pomersbach, C J L Rogers, L Ronchi, A C Voges
England: J M Anderson, A N Cook, A F Giles, S J Harmison, G O Jones, E C Joyce, S I Mahmood, M S Panesar, L E Plunkett, C M W Read, A J Strauss, M P Vaughan

Scorecard
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Tour Match :: Day 2 :: Western Australia v England

Western Australia: 322-8d
England: 356-5

Draw


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Alastair Cook hit a fluent 106, sharing 183 with Andrew Strauss as England enjoyed useful Test preparation in the drawn tour game with Western Australia.

WA batted on to allow Luke Pomersbach to record a century on his first-class debut, then declared at 322-8.

Strauss struck 12 fours in his 88, but Geraint Jones edged to slip first ball.

Cook reached 100 from 158 balls, Ed Joyce added 73 and Chris Read a breezy 59 with two sixes as England compiled 356-5, Michael Vaughan not batting.

Essex left-hander Cook has scored 90 runs in his four Ashes knocks, with a best of 43 in the second innings at Brisbane.

The opening pair have got England away to steady starts in the Test matches but have not been able to put a big partnership together, 32 their best in four attempts. 

It was a completely different story against a modest WA attack, with neither player looking in any difficulty until Strauss was bowled attempting a slog-sweep against left-arm spinner Aaron Heal.

Jones departed next ball, pushing nervously off the back foot at a short delivery from the slow bowler.

Cook was in dominant form and hit former Australia one-day seamer Brett Dorey for four successive boundaries, recording his hundred in 205 minutes, before retiring on 106 at tea.

It was Ed Joyce, a late replacement for Marcus Trescothick in the Ashes touring party, who was sent in at number four, and the Middlesex left-hander opened his account with two pulled boundaries off Heal.

Whether the latest failure by Jones, who has a top-score of only 33 in the Ashes series, will affect his chances of playing in the third Test remains to be seen.

His rival Read had an excellent day behind the stumps on Saturday and hit a huge six when he batted in the final session at number five.

Read added another maximum plus five fours, and after Ashley Giles failed at number six, Sajid Mahmood wielded the willow to good effect with 20 from 30 balls, featuring three fours and a six.


Scorecard

England's next match is the 3rd Test, which starts this Thursday (14th) in Perth.
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It's a shame. Whatever Panesar and Read do that further add to the arguement that they should be in the team, and whatever Jones and Giles don't do (score runs, take wickets) that would add to the arguement that they shouldn't be in the team, arguably two of the worst players in the squad will still play.
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Australia play down Warne injury

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England's nemesis, champion leg-spinner Shane Warne, is not a fitness doubt for the Perth Test despite damaging his elbow in a fielding drill.
Warne recovered quickly and Cricket Australia say he will be fine to play.

Australia vice-captain Adam Gilchrist said Warne was keenly targeting the six more wickets needed for 700 in Tests.

Gilchrist said: "Warney's got a real spring in his step at the moment. He's quite vocal, he's vibrant and he's really energising the group." 

Warne, 37, already has more wickets than anyone else in Test history.

With Australia 2-0 up in the series and on the verge of regaining the urn, Gilchrist says his team-mates want to reaffirm their status as the best team in the world.

He said: "We're getting closer to achieving a goal we've set ourselves which may not just be winning the Ashes.

"The Ashes are not the be-all and end-all to this group."

After the Ashes, Australia take part in the one-day international Commonwealth Bank Series against England and New Zealand with the World Cup starting in March next year.

"That's not disrespecting what we're trying to achieve and what we lost last year, that's still very much on the agenda," he said.

"But there are other things around and different things we're trying to achieve.

"There are results and trophies and opportunities hopefully to celebrate like we did the other day (after the second Test)."


He's so close to the 700 :eek2:
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Credit to Bandit!
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