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One of the complaints about County is that the fans are dirty

Sounds like an interesting read....right up my street. Off to order a copy now, prepare for me to get even more annoying than usual when it comes to matters of "fact"

Maybe he should use it to get along to one of the four remaining ashes tests,although I suspect he may find tickets at a premium. Cricket may not be everyone's cup of tea and has largely failed to catch on in Scotland perhaps at least partly though our climate. Nevertheless, for those who enjoy, understand and appreciate it there is no doubt whatsoever that test match cricket is the finest part of the game with it's twists and subtle nuances. Yes it can last for up to five days or fifteen sessions each longer than a football match but each day or, indeed as the match just ended has demonstrated superbly, each hour can be wholly different from the last or the next. Typically during the course of a match skills of batsmanship, bowling and fielding, while important, can be eclipsed by the guile and ingenuity of the captains. Frankly, while twenty twenty cricket has a place, to prefer it over test cricket is like saying you prefer the drama of a penalty shoot out over the tedium of the 90 or 120 minutes that go before it.

You say short corners didnt work at least 3 occasions, but how many times does lumping it in the box not work, and a centre half just clears it, and launches a counter attack? Yes it worked twice, but at a higher level that wont happen all the time. Short corners are needed, they can exploit lack of organisation (if the attacking teams sharp) and pre season offers the chance to work on these. Obviously not every short corner will work in the same way as you dont score from every corner which is crossed in the box. From what i can see (from the highlights) one very nearly came off. If you just lump the ball into the box at every attempt, better teams will become accustomed to defending against you and will pick you off. Variety is important imo.

Regardless of the outcome, you've really got to applaud these nations for reaching the final of the Ashes, time after time.