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Shane old stories

The best bits from the Sky Sports commentary box

The Ashes Panel Posted 20th July 2009 view comments

So all the Ashes talk has finally stopped... for the players at least.

But the legendary Sky Sports commentary team now come into their own - and we will be bringing you the best bits from the box every day throughout the Ashes.

That means the wisdom and wit of Messrs Lloyd, Atherton, Hussain, Holding, Gower, Botham and Warne - and maybe the occasional special guest - will be here every day.

Warne: shares some stories with Bumble and Mikey

Warne: shares some stories with Bumble and Mikey

Scroll down to see how the fourth day at Lord's is unfolding through their expert eyes...

Morning session

11.23: "A Lancastrian greeting. Hughes was drawn into it as well. He had a little chip back at Freddie."
Michael Atherton's course in lip-reading pays off as Flintoff gets stuck into the Australian opener Phillip.

11.29: "That's the point about trying to bowl a full length to Simon Katich. He doesn't transfer his weight into the ball." FoW: 17-1
Athers is appreciative as Anderson follows a plan and executes it well.

11.38: "We've had thousands of emails in from people in Australia who are not happy with the Flintoff wicket. Was it a no-ball? It looks like a no-ball to me. Someone at the back of the box says 'bad luck'."
Reports suggesting the voice Nasser Hussain heard was that of Shane Warne remain unconfirmed.

11.48: "What about the old English spirit, eh Bumble? Not one player came up and said 'are you alright Ricky?!"
Shane Warne is not so sure it's the Best of British out in the middle after Ponting is rapped on the glove.

11:58: "This will run and run. Ricky Ponting told Phillip Hughes to stand his ground. Rudi Koertzen went to square leg, Billy Doctrove said yes it's carried, Ricky Ponting said are you sure?" FoW: 34-2.
Cricket's back in the dock, says David Lloyd, as Strauss claims a nick off Hughes and without a referral the opener has to go.

12.13: "We would all be in the dressing rooms having a drink afterwards; Freddie would be opening cans of beer with his teeth but I think 'the Sherminator', Ian Bell, was the favourite!"
Warney reflects with fondness on 2005 and his best banter buddy.

12.23: "It's a story - not a very good one - but it's a story. There's all sorts of speculation every time Fred comes out onto the field."
Sir Ian Botham questions the standards of parts of the British media after a report that Flintoff could quit after the Lord's Test.

12.44: "To me he's probably the best bowler in the world when he's on song, particularly with his natural angle."
High praise indeed for Flintoff from Warney.

12.49: "Ricky's a very friendly man to give Flintoff a 12th man. I'm not sure I would!"
Warney suggests Australia's skipper has been wrongly typecast as a miserly opponent.

12.52: "Glenn McGrath, surprisingly, was one of the worst at No 11. He used to come in and say 'why do you bother Glenn?' We used to agree! Matthew Hayden generally didn't believe he could be given out lbw because he batted so far out of his crease but forgot sometimes when they are straight and you miss them they are out. Michael Bevan was renowned for head-butting lockers and throwing helmets. Michael Slater, in a funny way, used to put his stuff in the toilet and flush it and say 'I couldn't get a run with that bat - it's time for a new one.' It was always good fun."
Warney lifts the lid on some of the more memorable dressing room tantrums.

LUNCH - AUSTRALIA 76-2: "It's been a good morning for England - they will have wanted to get at least two wickets with the overhead conditions. They did that and they will be very happy with how they are placed. Australia's target of 522 is just about back in Australia - it's a long way away."
The tourists will need to use a few Air Miles, in Warney's view.

Afternoon sesson

13.47: "This is a golden prize! Ricky Ponting, a street-fighter if you like. It rattles back into leg-stump. Look at Broad, he's off on a Monty!" FoW: 78-3
Bumble's out of his seat as 'Punter' drags on Broad, who now has 50 Test wickets.

13.49: "Michael Clarke, you're kidding me!"
Now Bumble's having kittens as 'Pup' leaves his first ball and is almost bowled.

14.10: "Michael Clarke has announced himself here. He's hit two spanking boundaries and he's pushed England hard in the field, turning ones into twos."
Bumble applauds 'Pup' for some good self-promotion.

14.29: "Beautifully taken! Paul Collingwood just clutched at the ball as it threatened to get past him on the right hand side. But Hotspot shows what really happened." FoW: 120-4
Hussey is taken at slip but it dawns on Gower he may have hit the ground rather than ball.

14.36: "That's one of those when your life flashes before your eyes!"
Clarke's close encounter with a Flintoff bumper begs the question what Gower saw in a similar situation...

14.54: "It was only when you were batting that I used to abuse. Otherwise it was friendly banter...
Warney gets in a dig at Nasser...

14.57: "Quicker, the arm ball I think. 59.7mph. Australia all over the place!" FoW: 128-5
...but Nasser let's England's bowlers do the talking as Swann bowls North.

15.00: "Ian Bell, alias 'the Sherminator', came out to bat and I knew he didn't pick my straight one that well. I tried to set him up for big leg-break and slowly dragged him across. Suddenly I thought, time for a sharp leg-break. I bowled it, he's shouldered arms and it's gone straight and hit him in the pads. LBW. I didn't know what I was doing! Maybe that last one from Swann was meant to be the fast off-break that went straight on but no-one will ever know!"
Warney gets all confessional about Lord's 2005 and wonders if Swann should do the same.

15.09: "There was something there. Rudi Koertzen looked to square leg. Oooh! Was that forearm or the glove? It definitely hit something there, Nass."
Warney has a sneaky suspicion that Haddin is not as innocent as he looks as Flintoff appeals for a catch behind.

TEA - AUSTRALIA 178-5 "102 runs have been scored by Australia, three wickets taken by England. England will be thrilled with their own performance. The way they have whittled away at this strong Australian line-up. A few of the Australians can feel they have been unlucky."
Tea may stick in some of the tourists' throats, according to Bumble.

Evening session

16.03: "Where you a watcher, Nass?"
"Not much, particularly when Atherton was batting."
Beefy discovers that there were times in his career that Nass enjoyed watching paint dry.

16.22: "That's three gloves, I think, in five balls."
Nass has his finger on the pulse and eventually Strauss installs a silly mid-off for Clarke.

16.37: "Day in, day out for consistency Sachin Tendulkar was the best player that I saw against spin. Lara could be the most destructive but day in, day out I think Tendulkar was clearly the best."
Athers picks Warney's brains but doesn't make it into the top two.

16.44: "These days they have ice baths, beep tests, jump tests, recovery sessions in the pool - all that rubbish, so it's hard to get to know your mate unless you want to go for an ice bath, which was like 'no, thank you'. Get the beer out of the ice bath!"
Team bonding isn't just what it used to be, is it Warney?

16.48: "I remember when you all turned up at Wimbledon to watch Lleyton Hewitt and you all sat there in your Baggy Greens. I wanted to puke at that point!"
"Now Michael, that is incorrect. Justin Langer, Gilchrist and Steve Waugh wore their Baggy Green but not all of us did. We were asked to but some of us drew the line and said 'mate, we are at the tennis'."
Warney clears himself of fault as Athers queries an Aussie obsession.

17.35: "Your nose has grown."
Athers feels Nass' claim that if he would allow England to have a 12th man for KP if he was Ponting is less than sincere.

17.36: "A class act from a class player. From ball one right up to that hundred he has played quite beautifully. A popular member of the team and he will know he has still got a job to do."
Nass has no argument with Clarke going up on the Lord's honours board.

17.42 "He is the epitome of jazz-ness."
Athers emphasises Lord Gower's high standing in society and ranks him up there with England's 13th man Ned 'Jazza' Eckersley.

17.57: "Anderson is not happy! The new ball was thrown to the umpire and he's dropped it. James Anderson has said 'you've scuffed that up!"
Butter-fingers Doctrove gives Nass a laugh.

17.58: "He sort of felt that England have been meandering around. He was just reminding them that this is the Ashes, this is Lord's and we've got a new ball. These guys have had us down for a long, long time. Do not give them a sniff."
Nass explains what Strauss said in his Phil Brown-style huddle. Or near enough.

CLOSE - AUSTRALIA 313-5: "Clarke and Haddin have played beautifully. The partnership is worth 185 and they fully deserve the applause they are getting from their colleagues on their own balcony and they are also getting a standing ovation from the crowd. They have been absolute rocks. We will start tomorrow in quite an intriguing situation."
The fight-back is on and Gower is right - it should be a cracker on Monday with Australia needing 209 more runs to win!

Comments (3)

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Martin Hicks says...

Shane - The difference between the sides on first innings was England's opening partnership and the rest of England's batting was no better than Australia's. Whilst I am glad England won there isn't very much between the sides. As regards players leaving the field I recall Dennis Lilee playing with flu and leaving the field after every spell to shower and change his shirt and I don't see any reason for objection if there is a valid reason for leaving the field . It would be wrong to simply replace a poor fielder with a good one. At the level I played I was a succesful leggy. I learnt the craft by gripping the ball with my index finger along the seem - not accross it. (I found this gave me better grip with a wet ball.) I believe Quadir gripped the ball this way but can you confirm it.

Posted 15:22 20th July 2009

George Fenty says...

All the years I have played Cricket, I thought the only time you could use a substitute was when a player got injured on the field of play, but no seems you can now play with 12 men!!!!! is that the only way they can win? I would love to have been able to bowl, go shower have treatment then come on to bat, perhaps the rules have changed?

Posted 12:49 20th July 2009

Susan Towler says...

Dear Shane, I was born in England and lived there for 22yrs and always beleived the saying when something was not right or unjust 'that it is just not cricket" After watching the sportsmenship (lack of) form the English it should now read " that's cricket" and sportsmanships dead as are their values.

Posted 11:59 20th July 2009

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