Jara

Thanks Macca - yep, that was more or less as I read it (except, in the interests of consistency, I don't think I agree with you about Warner - I know he was the organiser (and he's a bit of a bogan) but a year out of the game is much more than anybody other than The Sandpaper Threesome has received) Re Smith, I'm pretty sure I recall them saying he noticed they were planning it and simply gave it a diagonal nod (which was one of the reasons I suspected it was much more common than everybody was admitting, and why I thought their punishment was unfair) - Anyway, we've retained the Ashes now, Smith's looking good, so who gives..... Poms are just doing what they do best - whinging - Cheers

Just noticed Steve Harmison saying Smith will always be regarded as a cheat. Suppose he's right, in a way, but what a sore loser. Smith will be remembered for a lot of other things, much more than the whinging Pom will be. You guys (especially Macca) seem to know more about cricket than I do - would be most interested to know your thoughts. My take on it was that Smith's punishment was over the top - I didn't see Harmison complaining about other players who've done almost as bad and received a fine or a one-match suspension.

Funny - when I sit up late reading this site to get some enlightening commentary on the cricket I get ads for weak urine flow and Czech brides. Do they know something I don't?

I've always enjoyed the BBC commentators, but these days, when we're losing, they really get on my goat. So biased - they're the officers gloating at the convicts. Best commentator I ever heard - Lindsay Hassett - always seemed like such a decent feller. I even met him once - bought a bat off him when I was a kid (although I didn't realize who he was until my dad told me after we left the store).

Most of the info in this article came from Demonland: https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/spat-over-tanking-bedevils-dees-20130111-2clhj.html

Mazer Rackham - on the button!

OMG The hypocrisy

Not something one can 'know ' of course, but I've always assumed India prefers to stick with the old system because they always have such vocal crowd support (even here ) and can influence umpires (like they seem to do in footy in West Australia ).

The whole thing's probably doubly disappointing for those of us on this website because we're all hopelessly devoted to the worst-performing football team in the league. I kind of turn to the cricket for a bit of relief. Not finding much of that right now.

Just heard another amazing stat on the radio (John Anderson on 3aw ) - said Paine has requested 12 reviews - and got em all wrong - Could that be right? If so - jeez.... Let Smith or Warner do it

You must be a very objective person. I thought it was the worst finish to a Test match I've ever seen. Just about finished me.

It would help if we had a wicketkeeper who could bat and a captain who could captain. Paine's only there because of Smith's suspension - which I reckon is BS. They should have stuck with the ICC's original penalty. It's crazy that we gave Smith such a long period out of the game when others who've committed similar misdemeanors have been suspended for a match or two. If nothing else, it's unfair; all of us have the right to expect consistency from our governing bodies. Say I'm one of three who get pinged for the same traffic offense; guy before me gets a fine, guy after me, the same - and I get a year in the slammer, I'd quite rightly think I'd been hard done by. Cricket Australia only imposed a harsher sentence because of faux-outrage from the yellow press looking for a controversy to sell more papers.

Can't watch it Now we'll have to put up with bloody gloating Poms

Amazing match - so much better than the effin footy

Listening to radio while I work . Weird broadcast. Dopey main commentator (thinks definitive is a fancy way of saying definite), no atmosphere/crowd, Terry Wallace with his underpants on too tight. Lousy ending to a lousy season

Boy, wasn't that fun. (Especially compared to the only other option - watching the Filth win on channel 7) I know stranger things have happened (like us ending 17th) but surely we can't lose from here?

Typical classy display by the Poms: 1) Captain a cheat 2) Stealing players from the Colonies to pump up their own pathetic ranks 3) Booing a guy when he's on the ground with a possible broken neck They'll be a Third-world country by the time Bojo's finished with them. Good.

Thanks Chaser

Scratching my head trying to remember but could somebody enlighten me - do we get much say in whether or not Gold Coast get a PP? Can we oppose it? (Who stopped us getting one a few years ago? Wasn't GC was it?) Sorry if this has been covered before, but we need all the help we can get - we are a real team, with flesh and blood supporters, not some Hollywood franchise bunch of clowns. We should do everything we can to stop Gold Coast getting a Priority pick.

Just woke up and checked the score. OMG what an innings. Maybe we're not so stuffed.

Ah well there go the Ashes Was gonna be my compensation for my crappy footy team.

Oh yeah, that's right. Couple of grannies. I went to em - knew we were gonna lose. I'm happy enough with life in general, but that's in spite of, rather than because of, the team i was born supporting.

Bloody disappointing the club has made no attempt to get this clarified by the AFL, registered no complaint. Umps nobbling our greatest (only?) asset. So here we are, yet again, wallowing in the swamp at the bottom of the ladder, where we've been for the fifty years I've been a supporter.

Now he's asking his fellow bigots to give him $3 million to fund his right to be a homophobe. Using go fund me ie give money to him rather than to some poor kid who needs a liver transplant. Jeez The guy's personal wealth is estimated at $7 mill. I've got lots of family and friends who are Christians but this guy debases the word.

Enjoying lovely warm train home. We can still make the finals!