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Deltics
The Rules of Cricket
You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side thats been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay all out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!

Simple!

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terraplane
Aussies in deep strife
Sportal - July 18, 2009, 6:20 am

Australia's 75-year unbeaten record at Lord's is under enormous peril after a string of false shots and an inspired spell of bowling from England paceman James Anderson turned the second Test on its head on Friday night.

The tourists were in desperate trouble at stumps on the second day after an uncharacteristically rash stroke from Simon Katich sparked a flurry of Australian wickets in the final session.

When bad light stopped play on the second day 14 overs early, Australia was unenviably placed on 8-156 in pursuit of England's imposing first-innings total of 425, still requiring a further 70 runs to avoid the follow-on.

Following the loss of two early wickets, Katich and Michael Hussey lifted Australia to 2-103 after tea but the visitors then lost a stunning 6-49 in 16 overs against an England attack inspired by Anderson and a fiery Andrew Flintoff.

Perhaps it was the enormity of playing at Lord's, or meeting the Queen at lunch, but Australia erred by deciding to meet a swinging ball with a swinging blade.

Of the eight wickets to fall, five were the result of pull shots as Australia responded to England's interrogation with cross-bats rather than caution.

Armed with his most dangerous weapon - swing - which was missing in Cardiff where he resembled a trundler rather than a game breaker, Anderson ripped the heart out of Australia's middle order.

Anderson, who earlier in the day made 29 in a 10th-wicket partnership worth 47, has the stellar figures of 4-36 from 17 overs.

He pocketed the wickets of Phillip Hughes, who was caught down the leg side pulling, and Ricky Ponting then returned in the final session to remove Michael Clarke and Marcus North.

It capped off an excellent day for Anderson, who stood firm with the bat against a fierce onslaught from Australia's attack in the first session, which saw England lose three wickets from the opening three overs.

England appeared destined to be dismissed for less than 400 - a total it would not have settled for after a 196-run opening stand - after losing its ninth wicket with the score on 378.

A thorn in Australia's side on the last day in Cardiff, Anderson's much-improved batting was again on show.

Along with Graham Onions, he flayed Mitchell Johnson, whose waywardness again cost his side plenty of runs.

Australia's innings started disastrously, losing Hughes and Ponting before lunch.

The captain fell in controversial circumstances, adjudged to have been caught at slip despite replays showing the ball hit his pad and not his bat.

England fans, however, will argue Ponting was also out lbw - a view supported by Hawkeye.

Hussey and Katich, whose concentration did not waver despite two rain delays, added 93 runs to calm Australia's nerves before the opener was superbly caught in the deep by Stuart Broad for 48 off the bowling of Onions.

It heralded a dramatic reversal of fortunes for the two sides.

Hussey shouldered arms to a fired up Flintoff, who was clocked regularly above 90mph (144 kmh), and was bowled for 51.

Clarke departed in the next over, clipping an inswinger from Anderson straight to Alastair Cook at mid-wicket.

He was joined six overs later by North, who played a pull shot onto his stumps after 33 scoreless minutes at the crease.

The same stroke also resulted in the demise of Johnson and Brad Haddin, the latter losing his wicket in the penultimate over before stumps after his appeals for bad light fell on deaf ears.

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Adrian-L
The shackle-draggers put up a brave, spirited fightback today,
but that's what you'd expect from such a courageous strong squad.
England's destiny is in their own hands tomorrow... hopefully Jimmy Anderson can get that ball swinging, and skittle the Aussies out, before lunch.

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nanker phelge
Just checked out some comments made on Channel 9 Australia- christ! How can they call us whingeing Poms?!

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Adrian-L

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nanker phelge
Just checked out some comments made on Channel 9 Australia- christ! How can they call us whingeing Poms?!

you're not suggesting some of their fans aren't gracious and
magnanimous in defeat, are you??

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squando
Let's face it England have been an international cricket embarassment for 30 years.

Remember what the Aussies did to you last time? And that was them pounding the poms into the ground on autopilot.

They're still the greatest side on the planet even tho they lost more than half of their great side. And the best England can do is call for drinks and physios cos they're sore and thirsty.

Pathetic.