India all out for 364 with a lead of 2 runs. Tendulkar top scoring with another majestic century out for 146 with Harbajhan and Zaheer Khan adding some wag to the tail with 63 runs between them.

Set up too be an epic series decider by the sounds of things.

'Cheating' Allegation On a Sad Day for the Image of Ashes Cricket

05/1/2011 7:00 AM GMT By Ian Edwards

The Ashes and those who have competed for them since the fierce competition began have taken great pride in the fact they have "played hard" for their respective nations.

The sheer will to win the cherished prize has driven men to the very limits of their sporting capabilities and a good many have overstepped the mark - before having a beer with their opponents.

Whatever has taken place on the field and no matter how much sledging has been thrown back and forth, there has always been one thing that has under-pinned every contest since the very first series.

That bedrock has been sportsmanship - not gamesmanship.

Unfortunately some of the scenes at the SCG, during the third day of another absorbing contest, suggests that the Australians have forgotten how to lose with good grace.

No one Down Under likes a loser. A country which prides itself on sporting excellence in many fields simply has no time for those who come second.

It is not a bad approach to have and sometimes people in England wish our sportsman had the same single-minded attitude.
Tweeter Facebook FourSquare iPhoneBut lines were crossed in Sydney which were unacceptable and a devalued the sporting theatre taking place.

When Alastair Cook reached his third century of the series there were several Aussies refusing to join in the applause from another packed crowd, Michael Beer being the most conspicuous as he walked past the celebrating centurian back to his bowling mark.

Beer was still unhappy that Cook had been given not out on the second day when caught off a no-ball spotted after a referral by umpire Aleem Dar, prompting the Australian media to cook up a storm by suggesting it was a controversial decision.

It was not controversial, it was correct. Beer overstepped the crease as he released the ball. Get over it and get on with it.

It was unfortunate for the debutant and costly for Australia as Cook went on to pass 700 runs in the series. Perhaps it will teach the left armer whose approach measures no more than five or six paces to bowl legitimate deliveries.

Australia were equally miffed that Phillip Hughes's appeal for a catch at short-leg, with Cook on 99, was swas rightly rejected by the third umpire and controversially condemned as "cheating" by Sky TV analyst Ian Botham, as replays showed the ball clearly bounced into Hughes's grasp.

Both times Cook was correctly allowed to continue batting, yet somehow the Australians decided they were the wounded party and refused to acknowledge Cook's efforts.

Ian Bell was booed when he got to his first Ashes hundred, because of an incident when the Australians thought he had been caught behind and Botham's Sky colleague Michael Atherton was critical of the England number six.

Bell's hesitation before appealing against the decision certainly justified Atherton's comments, although they came from a man who refused to walk when gloving a catch behind off Allan Donald of South Africa several years ago.

One thing the review system has made batsman do is walk more when they have nicked off behind the wicket. Anyone who challenges a decision when they know they have clearly hit the ball and are exposed by Hot Spot technology is guilty of the same kind of gamesmanship as Hughes displayed.

Batsmen only call for a review when they genuinely feel they have not edged behind and Bell was entitled to do so. The fact Hot Spot, a TV camera some 80 metres away could not detect any contact should be enough.

That is the technology being used in the game and that decision has to be accepted. There is no proof of contact. So the game moves on.

What Channel Nine, the host broadcaster did by turning to Snicko to indicate that there was contact with Bell's bat was irresponsible.

Snicko is only used by the TV channel, not the third umpire. It is not part of the referral system. It is a gizmo that the TV producers like to play around with.

Until it is accepted as bona fide technology for third umpires, it should be left alone.

All of the decisions may well have gone for England, but that should not detract from the fact they have, once again, played the better cricket and you tend to earn your good fortune.

Australia are being soundly outplayed again and it would not go amiss if they were big enough to acknowledge their opponents' sporting excellence in the process. For the sake of the Ashes.


http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/01/05/cheating-allegation-is-low-point-of-a-sad-day-for-crickets-re/

Sense of team missing, says Steve Waugh

Peter Lalor From: The Australian January 06, 2011

STEVE Waugh believes that the success the side had when he was captain came from a "sense of team".
He says that England has it right now. The Australians do not.

The former captain has been celebrated in bronze in a sculpture that was unveiled behind the SCG Members' stand yesterday.

The work of art captures Waugh celebrating his famous last-ball century at the ground in 2003.

It shows him with bat raised, lucky handkerchief hanging from pocket and beloved baggy green in hand. The sculpture is the 10th and final installation in a project funded by businessman and philanthropist Basil Sellers.

Called on to speak at its unveiling Waugh reflected, in words that carry some meaning for today's struggling team, on the shift from bad times to good in his career.

"There were plenty of tough times when starting out, 13 Test matches without a win, 26 Test matches before I scored a 100," Waugh said.

"From that moment we had Bob Simpson take over the Australian Test side who really made an enormous difference to the Australian team, our professionalism changed, we went on to win the '87 World cup and the '89 Ashes. From there I was lucky enough to have the honour of captaining my country which is as good as it gets and as Michael Clarke found out over a couple of days, it's an enormous responsibility and a great honour."

Waugh claimed it wasn't only the coach that made a difference, but the personnel and attitude.

"I feel privileged that I had fantastic players in my era, but the one thing I will say about what made us successful was our sense of team, our attitude, the culture within the team, working together, enjoying each other's company," he said.

"The type of players I wanted in my team were the ones you were willing to stand next to in the trenches, if you had to go into battle, the ones who were willing to sacrifice sometimes their personal ambitions for the good of the team."

Later, Waugh claimed England had a similar spirit, but the current Australian side did not.

"A sense of team is much easier to have when you are playing well and knowing each other and been together for a while," he said.

"When you've just come together guys are playing for their spots it's not so easy, but it's something the captain and the management of the team, the support staff, have got to work on. You've got to get that right balance of the team, England to me look like they have a lot of good feeling in their side Australia have had a lot of disruptions in this series, but today is an acid test for them."

However, Waugh believes that there are signs of a brighter future among the young players.

"I really enjoyed my role as captain of the Australian team I feel it was a fantastic era, but I also look back to the lessons I learnt when we weren't doing so well and almost now it is a bit of the changing of the guard in the Australian cricket side," he said.

"I was really fascinated to watch some of the younger fellows play in the last couple of days and we've got guys there of good character and good commitment and good temperament.

"Khawaja made a fantastic debut, Phil Hughes is going to be a player of the future, (so too) Steve Smith, (and) Peter Siddle - I like the way he charges in. That's the way Australia plays cricket, I am confident that we can get back to where we were, it is going to take a little bit of time but we have the players."

Before the day Waugh nominated the first session as the most critical of the series so far and the three sessions as indicative of where the side stands.

"Today I think will show a lot about the future of Australian cricket and where these guys are at and I know they're going to fight hard," he said.

He may have wanted to withdraw that comment eight hours later.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/sense-of-team-missing-says-steve-waugh/story-e6frg7rx-1225982631620

See i was coming to the thinking that Jimmy Anderson is the best bowler in the world... then i saw Steyn last night on fox and well yeah, best pace bowler in the world by a fair bit...

Kallis is saving this innings for SA and it could be a match winning knock, he's on 63 with SA at 6/200 where batting is difficult on the fourth day, i'd say a lead of 250 could be enough on the last day but with the way Kallis and Boucher are going about it they could be infront by 300+ at stumps

Paul Collingwood's announced his retirement from test Cricket following the Sydney test.

Paul Collingwood's announced his retirement from test Cricket following the Sydney test.

Ended up 109* at the end of their innings. Leaves India 340 to win on the last day. Batting with a really bad side strain as well. So I'll repeat:

Funny as I've been defending him all series as my dad's always been saying he's past it and I've said to give him a chance, still got a little left. Still no surprise really.

Jacques Kallis, Greatest cricketer of all time?

That really is set up to be an epic final day decider, who holds the series from last time?

India won in India IIRC. But more importantly, it could decide the number 1 ranking. Been a magnificent showing between the 1 and 2 sides in the world. Really stood up to expectation.

Jacques Kallis you are a king. I sat up thiking, COMON South Africa!!! and then they started falling like flies. could just see Petersen was going to go out the way he was playing. Amla was unlucky. I dunno why they persist with Prince.

thankfully Kallis stepped up and Boucher helped out. Usefull knocks from Steyn and Morkel too which was good.

sets up a good finish. is it possible to get 10 wickets in a day?

Edited by zimbos_05: 6/1/2011 10:35:12 AM

Cook:
7 innings, 1 not out, 766 runs, average 127.66, 3 hundreds

Katich, Hughes, Ponting, Khawaja, Clarke, North, Johnson and Smith put together:
40 innings, 1 not out, 759 runs, average 19.46, 0 hundreds

Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel at their best, and a pitch doing magic tricks. India won't last a session:p

was just thinking that after i posted. if steyn can find the right length and areas on the pitch, then it will be great cricket to watch.

[youtube]s93XgGOIyUQ[/youtube]

Dale Steyn is incredible.

the south african commentators are pretty dull, Roebuck and Aggers FTW

the south african commentators are pretty dull, Roebuck and Aggers FTW

Yeah i'm contemplating going as well.

supposedly it's free entry tomorrow, think i might go and reclaim my english ancestry which i've flip flopped over the past couple of years with the cricket

I though you were English before the series started (iirc you were supporting them at the WC)