The Ashes

[Buzz]

Have to say it was so good fo the Australian supporters to stay around for the MoM presentation and to hear Warne

Two comments - the guy running all the announcements and big screen stuff (a company employed by CA) thought fit to not actually announce that a presentation would be made. The time from when the players walked off, to when they finally made an appearance (Ponting, Warne and Flintoff) it would appear most had decided it wasn't going to happen.

Secondly - no problems with the BA until the presentations. How the heck could anyone hear what was being said with the BA aimlessly ranting during the speeches? I honestly thought they'd stop during Flintoff at the least - but not even then. Common courtesy would dictate paying respect for one of the best cricketers the world has seen and sending him off with the respect he deserves. And for that - the BA lose my respect.

For 264-odd thousand to attend a three day test is phenomenal. And before you jump on your high horse about CA and ticket numbers, I will point out to you that CA cannot sell every single seat at the MCG. A fair number belong to the AFL as part of the Southern Stand development.

[Stormwarning[c]]

Let me see on this one, it's not the Aussie supporters fault that the ground announcer didn't announce the MoM presentation would take place and left the ground (which has happen after ever test and one dayer now world wide for years) yet it was the BA's fault you could hear, funny that unless you were in our area you would have heard every word of the presentation with the audio system the MCG uses, but you would know that.

After attacking the BA as boring and the like we only now get no respect and no sympathy......gee not sure how we will cope with this one 

Where was the singing and the support (and the mexican bloody wave isn't support) you would expect (like you do every Storm game) support the team no matter what. When your team is heading to win the 4th game in a row of a 5 game series surely your supporters would be cheering and loudly.....but no nothing.....what a send off to Warne and McGrath that was.

It was a good crowd and I wont get on my high horse.....but be honest, if you say in JUNE that it's a sell out and there are NO tickets left when there is DON'T SAY IT.

That has always been my point, many thousands of Australian and English supporters who normally go to the cricket missed out on going because on the ticketing farce for this series.

Oh good to see Michael Clarke get a bowl too yesterday

[Tigger]

Geez, people and governing bodies and sporting bodies are sooooo bad in this country - I don't know how anyone could possibly live here 

[Stormwarning[c]]

It could be worse...you could blame a group of people that come out here to support there team once every four years.

[Tigger]

Pfft.  Blame, blame, blame - that's been the bane of this thread since the beginning 
If it's not the CA it's the aussie supporters, or it's the fanatics, or it's the aussie supporters, or it's the CA, or it's the people who walk down Bourke St on a Friday nite 
Shite happens - we're all the same under the skin, just that some show differing ways of doing things - I've gotta say tho that the games have been a bit more exciting with the faster score lines (as least by the aussies  ) not that I've watched a hell of a lot of it anyway 

[Stormwarning[c]]

The support has been really good too.....by the English 

[Tigger]

Yeah we aussies never support anyone................

[Stormwarning[c]]

National teams....only when their winning.

Even Warne, McGrath and Lee tried to get the crowd cheering so there would be some sort of noise for them, but oh well....

Four nil down and were havin a laugh 
Four nil down and were havin a laugh 

[Surandy]

Come on England! Where's the entertainment? Game over in 3 days? I thought we would be in for a tough series this summer given the last Ashes series.

[lotti]

Sue you forget one thing, Ponting's out for English blood because of the last series.

[KimmorleyKiller]

Junee PS

Gilly's old man was principle at the high school for a while, hence gilly went to the public school for a couple of years...in yr 1 and 2 (i think)

[Stormwarning[c]]

Sue you forget one thing, Ponting's out for English blood because of the last series.

Ponting is a captains backside....just look at the last one day series against SA. a record score and he couldn't captain the side to a win in game five.

Lets see how good he is without Warne and McGrath. Warne mostly.

Expect to see him retire with the other two before the next Ashes series

[perthstormer]

your a muppet come on he has made his mistakes but it all comes with experience Flintoff has had a great start whats his recode again?  when you have a team on toast time and time again and yet you can deliver the final blow something's wrong there at least ponting has a very good test record.  As for warn and mcgrath retiring i think you are holding too much hope on a massive Aussie slump its only an english hope (fools).  I know your expecting to hapen to us what hapen in the past with lillie and co.  Alot has changed since then we have the academy and plenty of players that have been held back for too long just look at Mr Cricket.

[Stormwarning[c]]

your a muppet come on he has made his mistakes but it all comes with experience Flintoff has had a great start whats his recode again?  when you have a team on toast time and time again and yet you can deliver the final blow something's wrong there at least ponting has a very good test record.  As for warn and mcgrath retiring i think you are holding too much hope on a massive Aussie slump its only an english hope (fools).  I know your expecting to hapen to us what hapen in the past with lillie and co.  Alot has changed since then we have the academy and plenty of players that have been held back for too long just look at Mr Cricket.

PS, as a team tactician Ponting is nothing with the team he has and who he has been up against. The only time in his captaincy he had a challenge on the field he failed and lets not forget it's not hard captain a team full of very good players. When you hear the other players more praise is put on Gilly and Warne than 'Transvestite grabber'.

On the retirements, I don't think there will be a massive slump at all, but sorry if my comments on who is retiring have come true and coming from an English supporter must hurt. Fancy an English supporter telling Aussies supporters more about their team....oh hear Langer is holding a press conference at mid day today.....one more to go. It seems so long ago that  we were talking about those retirements.

Oh it is good to see that CA are hiring a 'band' for the Sydney test to 'try' to get the Aussie crowd making some noise..... You know, I have to say I have learnt so much about being an Australian supporter from this series and these posts.

[Stormwarning[c]]

Sydney become like Brisbane before a ball is bowled.

ONE of the great contemporary traditions of the cricketing summer - the Mexican wave - has been outlawed for the first time at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Instigators of any wave during the new year Ashes Test starting at the SCG tomorrow face being booted out of the stadium.

An army of police and security staff will scan the ground to identify trangressors who will either be warned or be given their marching orders.

Under a clampdown on bad behaviour, cricket authorities have also urged fans to dob in those who annoy other patrons.

Cricket NSW chief executive David Gilbert has asked fans to report incidents of anti-social behaviour to crowd safety officers or police.

"Fans have an important role to play in reporting incidents so they can be dealt with swiftly and competently," Mr Gilbert said.

He said the wave had been banned "due to the volume of rubbish thrown in the air and the potential for patron inconvenience and injury".

"The Mexican wave may be appealing to a small minority but we have a greater responsibility to service the majority of fans who are genuine cricket fans and who do not want their match day experience tarnished by this behaviour."

How sad that it has come to this.