Poor decisions by the umpires surely cost australia the first test. There were 4 bad umpiring decisions - all against australia. Ha, that is the only thing that can ensure england get over the finish line. Mitchell johnson was the player of the match for my money, bettewr than flintoff ( who thinks he's god after taking a wicket). The best english player is onions...or is that potatoes...

It would be great if we could leave this thread as a memorial to Australian cricket instead of turning it into a pointless slanging match, which is always unsatisfactory on an anonymous forum.

Irrelevant. Everything said is now irrelevant. England won.

Exactly. All the more reason to kick of a slanging match while we still can.

The nature of Test cricket is that the umpires aren’t perfect but ARE impartial and on balance everyone is even. Even Ponting recognises that. Some of the decisions went against England too although admittedly not so many as Aus: next time it might be the other way round. I think the demolition on Monday morning was sufficiently emphatic that it probably didn’t make much difference given the mountain Aus had to climb. They weren't robbedGenerally speaking it’s astonishing the umpires get so much right: it seems to me to me a very very tough job. I’m exhausted after a day at a cricket match watching every ball and I don’t have to stand out the middle and concentrate like they do!

And it ain't over yet!

It is now!T20 loser / arrogant aussie - how does it feel?Surely this must be the end for Ponting now? He has contrived to lose series against India, South Africa and England over the past 12 months.Still think he is the best captain or does he only stay in a job because he is your best batsmen and arrogant australian captains tend not to go back into the ranks?

Ponting is the best captain in world cricket thus far. He leads from the front, scored well in most tests, captained well, made a match of it on what was a heavily doctored pitch to suit the english spinner.Couple with bad umpring decisions, yeah, any team would naturally loose. The real decider was the curator who had the game decided even before the first ball. If australia had won the toss, that might have also been different. This is very unfair and i think australia should lodge an appeal...

"This is very unfair and i think australia should lodge an appeal..."Are you having a giggle my friend? The reason Australia lost is because they got shot out for 160 in their first innings. The fact that England and Australia both passed 300 in their second innings gives some indication that the pitch wasn't the minefield many made it out to be. Get some perspective mate - if you had played better the result may well have been different.

Seriously what is the big deal... Aussie = Brit with shortsRelax you all won :D

- Thouroghly beaten by a more superior side by an innings at home- no batsmen in the world top 10- 1 bowler in the world top 10 and you are too scared to play him

jeez - this thread takes almost as long to conclude as a game of cricket itself.by 2016 I predict this thread will be a drawYaaaaawn.