Made some minor sleep pattern adjustments last night, been awake since 5am, at work now till 4, shall sleep from 6-11.30, and then onwards.
Can my body take it? Will I almost certainly regret it having watched a whole night of Australia twating the ball around/England capitulating to 12 al out? Who knows. All I know is I've got a poster of Beefy from The Times and I'm excited!
I can't believe it starts tonight.
I will probably not get to see any of it tonight and I'm hoping that my work day tomorrow doesn't start with me coming in and seeing Australia on 390-2 or something.
Has the Gilo / Monty choice been made yet?
I don't know where I stand on this issue.
Nope.
I reckon he's going for Gilo in this test.
I think he will as well
Just for this one, then back to MP for the rest of the series.
Split loyalties...
...they're both two of my favourites. My real problem with this tour is Ed Joyce joining in place of Tresco instead of Big Rob Key. I'm devestated.
It's so WRONG!
I can't understand it - by knobhead Fletcher's reckoning, we may as well play a specialist batsman at 8, who can bowl a bit (say Vaughan if he was fit). It's balls!
We have to have intent in this first test or we'll get crucified. I'm scared.
Cri...
nah
LOL
godspeed you
snow_brigade. Gosdpeed indeed!
I have tomorrow off work
So shall be settling down from midnight to watch the first days play. As I'm at work all day today and have a gig tonight, how long I stay awake is another matter.
is there anything like football streaming for The Ashes
available on the net?
I need to be up
at 6am tomorrow. No chance of me staying up. I'll set my alarm to TMS though!
No....
....but Cricinfo's almost as good.
My sleeping pattern is gonna be fucked
If I watch so much as one minutes' coverage then I'm gonna be up all night.
Must...resist........
Tip for man of the series: Mike Hussey.
...
Woah! Going out on a bit of limb there aren't you? Picking someone with a test average of 75 as your tip for man of the series
Man Of The Series
Paul Collingwood.
Not sure how. But I'd like that.
Man of the series, Ashley Giles
...will contribute more than anyone to Australia's regaining of the Ashes...
Less of that...
...Gilo won't be to blame.
i might
stay up a bit tonight, but probably not much. Tomorrow night there's an organised 'go for pizza, go clubbing and come back in time to watch the Ashes drunkenly' thing going on at uni.
For the tests that are during the Christmas holidays I'll probably stay up quite late watching it as I'll have no reason to get up until lunchtime :)
My sleep pattern...
Is mixed after a strange couple of nights so I'm off to sleep at 8pm and plan to wake up to catch the last few hours before I trek to work in the early morn.
Just stuck a fiver on the Aussies to win 3-1 at 6/1.
EXCITED!
will be good
can't wait to catch the Hussmonster
My plan...
...involves playing football after work, then going to Asda, getting one of those Curry for two packs, go sleep until 11.30, then crack open a 12 pack of anything other than Fosters or XXXX.
We will win.
Amen.
I might stay up
all night Friday (if I had Sky) - must find someone with Sky!
BBC Online...
Are banging highlights up early doors apparently. Anything missed in the night will be instantly available. Swish!
Everyone's Invited To Ours...
...on the priviso that no-one enjoys both DiS and Nottingham other than Me and Computerman5, who'll probably be asleep above the living room. God help him if we're bowling.
That's my kind of prayer
.
My plan is to watch up to lunch each night, then go to bed listening to TMS. The following morning I will read the OBO coverage on the Guardian website and listen to their podcast.
I'm trying to work
this out. Lunch will be at...around 3am?
Yes....
I might listen to it till then whilst playing my PSP or some;ut.
I think its:
Morning session 12 - 2am
Afternoon - 2.40am to 4.40am
Evening 5am to 7am
I JUST GOT SKY SPORTS SWITCHED ON!
Screw you, body clock.
I love you
it's not on yet!
I am out for a hour
stealing next door's Sky Box and Dish.
Or even my Uncle's superb
NTL Dodgi-Box..Every Channel for straight-off payment of 200 pounds for the local tealeaf in the Dog And Duck
aren't all NTL boxes...
...dodgi-boxes. Cutting technological critique there.
LBW appeals in the comfort of your own home...
...does anyone else shout 'Howwwwwww...' at the TV when anything that looks remotely like being on target hits the pads of opponents. Something about international cricket makes me a little mad.
Saying that in real life I'll appeal like a madman, on my own, from Deep Square Leg at times. Bless.
You're not alone there
I have been known to make some very strange, loud noises whilst watching cricket.
It's lucky I have no neighbours.
Our Robert upstairs...
...has to hand his disertation (spelling? can't you tell I did a joke degree) in tomorro, so I can only imagine he'll need his sleep for last minute writting. I feel for him if England bowl. I can keep quiet through first innings batting, but if we're bowling and I'm drinking, there will be noise.
I generally shout a lot during important Cricket matches
You should have heard me in the pub during the Saturday of the Edgbaston test last year.
In fact, you may well have heard me.
I'M SO FUCKING EXCITED!
I may watch it in my pants, and get the missus to do likewise.
I've not felt this excited since the World Cup....
...and that was a let down. Cricket rarely makes me this excited. An indication of how much better test cricket has become for the view over the last few years perhaps.
Bumble! A whole morning of bumble! That would be worth staying up for. Beefy and Bumble, all the way.
BBC Sport Online...
...bless,just posted this from Professor Jim Horne, president of the Sleep Research Centre, on Five Live:
"You can't go too many nights with very little sleep. The first night will not be too bad. It will get really tough about five or six in the morning when it will hit you.
"The best way to overcome that is by having a couple of cups of coffee. The caffeine will take 20 minutes to take effect so try and grab a short nap while that is kicking in.
"If you're going to work on Thursday morning, try and have a nap before you leave and then when you get in between seven and midnight. You need to get some sleep in the bank and stay off the alcohol."
isn't that useful?
am I just trying to keep an Ashes thread alive cause I'm bored at work? yes.
Very
Shall be taking his advice methinks.
I am getting stupidly excited now, just hope we win the toss and bat otherwise could be a long night.
I want to lose the toss, bowl...
...then run them through. Unlikely yes. Satisfying, very.
I'll watch the first session
fo' sure. And then see how it goes.
EXCITED! Are we there yet?
I think I'll fall asleep...
...during the second session. Maybe a shower and get ready for work at tea, then breakfast through the final session. I should get bacon shouldn't I?
By my reckoning today will be insane:
5am wake up
7am breakfast
8.30 work
2.30 lunch
4pm leave work, play football
6pm go Asda
6.30 sleep
11.30 wake up, have curry, drink
2.30 fall asleep again
4.30 wake up
shower get ready for work
5am have breakfast
7am drink some tea
8.30am go work
I bet you
any money on earth you won't sleep at 6.30
I'll try...
...I'll be haveing nightmares of Matthew Hayden's enormous face.
I want to watch this
I don't know how
Shall we have a prediction thread
where we guess what the score will be at the end of the first day's play and whoever gets closest gets a prize or a sense of satisfaction.
No
Let's just do it here
I would say wait until after the toss
but I'm out tonight.
get you
mr.busy.
Lets just do it now.
ok
if they bat first, 315/5
if we bat first, 290/7
I'm incapable of even making an educated guess but...
Australia - 250/5 (early shocks, steadied mid-order)
England - 340/8
Optimism.
I'll be shit at it...
...but yes. Where and when? Not til later, take a role call of who's made it to the start of play.
yeah
if they bat first 302-7
if we bat first 415-9
...
Aus bat first 323/5
We bat first 290/4
If they bat first
330 ao England 25-1
If we bat first
340-9
Aus first 340-4
Eng first 295-6
.
Them 315-6
Us 290-8
Prediction
England - all out 226
Australian - 378 / 6 dec.
I'm Australian, so take that with a grain of salt.
I can't see...
...either team being all out, and if both teams bat a first day out, i'd imagine we'd end it with more runs, but they'd end it with far more wickets in hand.
I think it will be all action tonight
and I'd be surprised if fewer than ten wickets fell.
Brisbane
Is historically a very good batting track.
I agree it'll be all action and probably as intense as Lords was but unless whoever bowls is right on the money constantly, or batsmen make silly mistakes, I can't see anyone being ao on the first day.
this
Eng 296-4
Aus 321-8
The Gabba
is generally not a terribly bowler friendly on the first day of test so probably a pretty steady first day for whoever wins the toss and bats. I used to live in Brisbane - a day at the test there used to be great.
Exactly...
...which is why I'm hoping for a England twat it around batting performance.
Call Tails Freddie. Tails, I hear, never fails.
Call..
heads punter. Heads, erm, will get you er sitting in the shed.
I want to see:
KP destroy Shane Warne.
Jimmy A take 5 wickets.
any other wish list requests?
Bell century.
Will be a massive confidence booster after his last Ashes performi.
I like it when Ian Bell scores well...
...its like a kid from the under 16s playing for the mens team and hitting a century. He will never grow old.
^Perfect analogy
As per usual, might I add. You are the king of the club cricket/international cricket comparisons.
Panesar to play (PLEASE)
Jones to pick up a career-ending injury on the last day of the test (half joking)
Pietersen to get Ponting out
Harmison to be back to his best
Pietersen to get Ponting out...
...would be great. But KP to tonk Warne around, THEN bowl him out as well, would be amazing.
Monty and Gilo to play and England still win somehow.
I LOVE JIMMY A.
He's dreamy
A worthy replacement to S Jones in that department.
*for
Defo.
KP and Jimmy A are living breathing examples of what can happen when you get rid of a shit haircut.
If you get ill again
from your ridiculous cricket schedules, you'll get no sympathy from me.
Ah don't be like that...
...its a noble cause.
That all together depends...
..on if Mr Hoggard is playing or not.
well he obviously is...
...duh. Farmboy's a nailed on. He's there so the players can ruffle his hair when they're a bit down.
There's nothing i'd love more
than to ruffle his hair.
That's the end of me dabbling in things I essentially don't understand.
Monty to twat McGrath back over his head for a maximum...
bring it on!
I'm not expecting McGrath to be
much of a problem. Lee and Warne are the only two I'm worried about.
Yeah but...
...that would still be pretty boss.
To be fair if the whole series is a battle, a proper series, I'll be happy, cause England have the far younger team and eventually this Aussie team will retire, and then at last we will emerge the victors, at last we will have our revenge. For the past decade I mean. One test series doesn't right all that. Do it for Athers.
It does annoy me slightly
that their home series is so soon after ours as if we both win our home series, they get to hold the Ashes for longer.
You are a braver man then me snow_brigade.
If I had a hat on my head, I'd take it off in respect.
I can't listen to it tonight, but hopefully I can get a night or two of Test Match Special this week...
With no radio
and no idea about pubs showing it/people who will come with me to the pubs showing it, I will be reduced to watching online updates. Frankly, small pieces of me are dying every time I realise that.