Score one to Yogi Berra and the next-session-could-be-crucial people. Pakistan collapse and Australia go one up, which I'm sure was Anne's point. (And that's why a Test match takes five days).

Thanks Mark (wish Anne's posts would not self-destruct.) I was pretty amazed that it was so easy for OZ after 367 runs for Pakistan the first day, then Shane Warne batting so poorly the second day. Next test match - India.

Anne's and my conversation re the cricket matches upcoming: M: How do you think OZ will do against India??? A: depends on how well Tendulkar bats - it really does depend on him. He plays well Oz is in trouble. M: this is going to be a tougher cricket match than the last one, do you think? A: India is tougher than Pakistan - Pakistan are apt to make silly mistakes.

But I think Australia have two more tests against Pakistan in November before India arrive in December.

This is true. I consulted your Wisden pullout calendar and note that the Second Test Match agains Pakistan begins 18 November and the Third begins the 26 November. I would imagine for those of us in the US, that is the day prior to the dates shown above. More about that as the time draws nearer - same method of listending to the matches as last time.

Cricket is on Radio Australia again. The second test match between Australia and Pakistan is in day 1. Tune in http://www.abc.net.au/cricket/broadcast/ daily at 6pm Austin time. 0000 GMT.

Short wave 17.580 Mhz

This is a bit of a thriller now. Pakistan have moved ahead with only one wicket down in the second innings, and it looks certain to be a win inside the distance for one team or the other.

It looks to be a better test match than the last series. Which, if Pakistan wins with make it dead level even (as they say). Question: If OZ wins this test match that would put them up 2 - 0. Would the third test match be played anyway?

Third test would be played. I guess a five day match is too long (& lucrative)to junk because of the series being dead. Although winning the series is always the most important thing, a final "dead" Test will always be strongly contested, with the beaten side hoping to regain some pride and get on an upswing, and the superior side trying to keep their run of good form going. In the mid-80s, England suffered two consecutive 5-0 "blackwash" defeats at the hands of the West Indies. How we wished that the series would be stopped after 3 each time!

My sympathies on the "blackwash" defeats for England. The Windys have always been a formidible team - at least as long as I have actively been pursuing the game around the "British Empire." I am happy to know that not just greed determines the play of the "dead" Test, and that it is played for pride more than anything else. Great stuff. Thanks, Mark!

Cricket is on again but please use the right hand option. Windows media player is booming in without problems and RealPlayer cannot get connected at all.

Well, it is three days down and Australia is way ahead. Did Pakistan concede? What happens next?

Anne Hale reports Marcia - we won and how. Two West Australians won the match for them. Hurrah. Richie Benaud the commentator mentioned the fact that Americans were listening to the match. So you are noted. Anne

She also clarified what was "A Silly Point" to which the announcers kept alluding: The fielder stands so near the wicket that he is liable to get his head knocked off by the batsman as he tries for a boundary. Thus silly point, mid off and mid on. Anne There! Got it?! I also asked if they played tomorrow (there was still a day scheduled for play: No, thats it until Perth on the 26th. It should be fine and hot, fast wicket - good for fast bowlers and hopefully Langer and Gilchrist knowing the wicket so well will shine again. Shane Warne does well in Perth too. I shall be listening to the radio because it is not onT.V, until 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

Then she teased me with this email, so I asked her for a tutorial, please! Cricket is a wonderful game - its so intriguing for the unitiated and it is great fun explaining some of the rules. What about bowling, wrong uns, googlies, right arm over the wicket, left arm around the wicket, bumpers, etc. Getting out - Stumping, leg before, knocking bat on wicket, even if the cap hits the wicket and the batsmen is not in the crease - what's the crease that little line a yard or so in front of the wickets and if your foot is not over that line you are out!!!! Anne

Anne Hale responded with Lesson 1 Well, visualise the space between the two wickets - 22 yards, about a yard out from both wickets is a line - which is called the crease. If the ball is missed and goes to the wicketkeeper and the batsman's feet are outside the crease - he will be stumped by the wicketkeeper who whips the bails off - the two little sticks, poles whatever put on top of the three wickets. Leg before wicket is again when the batsman misses the ball and it hits the batsman's pad's - those big padded things on each batsman's legs and the umpire is sure if his leg had not been in front it would hit the wicket and knock the bails off - then he is out. It is quite hard to discern leg before and the umpire's have to have exceptional eyesight. Another innovation recently installed is the third umpire - the match is videoed then slo moed in the pavilion and outside are two lights green and red, green for not out and red for out. This is used mainly for a run out - i.e. one of the batsman does not reach the crease in time and the wicket and bails are either hit by throwing by a fieldsman or again whipped off by the wicketkeeper. To avoid being out the batsman has to have his bat over the crease and touching the ground. Enough for one lesson I think. Anne

Well, Pakistan got trounced in the 3rd test by almost exactly the same margin as England were rolled over in South Africa (an innings & 20 runs, versus an innings & 21 runs). Meanwhile, in Harare, Nuwan Zoysa, a late replacement for Sri Lanka, took a hat-trick with his first 3 balls of the match, the 1st time this has ever happened in 1st-class cricket. An unbelievable feat for a Test Match, and barely reported because Sri Lanka & Zimbabwe are thought to be the weakest Test nations. The Zim/SL test could actually finish with the same margin too.

Incredible stuff, Mark. Thanks for posting it. So, Oz, per usual, is the team to beat season year?! I am sorry I had to miss the fun, but my commitments to the Basketball tournament took me away for 14 hours a day. Today I crash!

You been truckin' it girl.

Always! I never knew how to do things by halves... Our usual schedule is to setup before anyone gets there and put away after they have all left. As a result, armed with only old t-shirt for the local school (UHHilo) I managed to turn in sales of $686.50 for just 3 days. Gimme the good stuff (tournament shirts and the like) and I can make you thousands. I seem to be the friendly helpful type who attracts people to ask questions...then they stay and buy something - all for the benefit of the Athletic cholarship program.

Ok, Cricket Fans, Australia is playing another test match. The url to download your Internet listening source is http://www.abc.net.au/cricket/broadcast/ I am finding short wave is better than the interent this afternoon/evening at 17.580 MHz

Australia vs India in Aiustralia

oh bugger...Australia...but you knew, didn't you?!

Meanwhile England concede a brief advantage back to SA in their second Test of a 5-game series

Is it being broadcast by the BBC via the Internet? Check for additional informatin : http://www-usa.cricket.org/ match to continue at 0830 GMT tomorrow. tune in then to see how much further England can go to achieving their long cherished dream of taking a match into the 5th day Match State: Stumps - Day 2 End of over 44 (1 run) England 139/1 (trail by 311 runs) M Hayward 8-1-31-0 (1nb) - Duckpond End N Hussain 70* (125b 7x4 2x6) MA Atherton 58* (133b 9x4) 43.6 Hayward to Atherton, no run, and to the keeper, England finish their day with a decent batting effort, almost up to Test standards 43.5 Hayward to Atherton, no run, just the one ball to go now, comatose has almost set in builds the dramatic tension by tying his shoelace 43.4 Hayward to Atherton, no run 43.3 Hayward to Hussain, one run, aborting a pull shot, ball goes anywhere, or long leg to be precise fastest ball of the day too, 151 km/hr 43.2 Hayward to Hussain, no run, top ball, seaming in, perhaps a faint inside edge, Boucher drops it diving a distance to his left 43.1 Hayward to Hussain, no run, knocked into the ground, the Eastern Province Express (excuse the banality) had built up a head of steam End of over 43 (1 run) England 138/1 (trail by 312 runs) SM Pollock 15-5-41-1 (4nb) - Park Drive End N Hussain 69* (122b 7x4 2x6) MA Atherton 58* (130b 9x4) 42.6 Pollock to Atherton, no run, very wide of the off stump, Atherton would've needed a second bat and a lot of sticky tape to reach that one 42.5 Pollock to Atherton, no run, defended awya outside the off stump 42.4 Pollock to Atherton, no run, a mere 8 balls remaining now, no chance for England to be dismissed today then 42.3 Pollock to Hussain, one run, dragged around, pull shot, gathered by the long leg 42.2 Pollock to Hussain, no run, again, nothing doing 42.1 Pollock to Hussain, no run

Cricket on again...I have heard them mention a "windy woof" - is that like fanning the ball in baseball? Hitting at it and missing it altogether??? Internet broadcast is working well. 17.580 MHz is not good lately as they have another frequency on top of Radio OZ ... and they are louder - in Chinese!

Correct about a windy woof. Eng v SA is not on a live Webcast, I believe, as the rights have been bought by Talk Radio, who don't webcast. Every other England Test series for the last two years has been on Radio5live. But it looks like this one has nearly petered out into a draw as I write.

...is that like "kissing your sister" as they imply in the USA with such contest outcomes? Disappointing, to say the least! Thanks, Mark. It appears that we must be content to listen to OZ test matches if the English ones are being kept insular. I am all disappointment!

Hey. hey hey - big match today - 2nd final Oz - Pakistan.

Big match, but the expected outcome - Australia take an unassailable 2-0 lead. A massive score of 337 (well over a run a ball) deflates Pakistan. At home, Australia are utterly unbeatable, and even when away, are normally favourites. Meanwhile England won the last Test in South Africa after the captains contrived to play for a result following three days of rain ("3DOR"?), and are now embroiled in a less predictable triangular tournament with South Africa and Zimbabwe. All square with one more match each to play in the group stage, where one team will be eliminated before the one-match final.

Thanks! I'll be listening. MArk, I have your baseball score book here ready to send. Please let me know via email where you would like to have it sent. I also got some lineup sheets from the last softball games which teams exchange (They also give a copy to the scorer) to send with it.

The Queen honours the RUC by presenting the force with the George Cross for its role in policing the Troubles. In the growing world cricket scandal, former England supremo Ray Illingworth reveals he was offered cash to throw a match. http://www.pa.press.net/sport/cricket/CRICKET_Illingworth_5801s.html?pab153

Cricket Headlines from http://www.pa.press.net/sport/cricket/main.html LEWIS TO FACE ECB PROBE Chris Lewis has been ordered to meet the England and Wales Cricket Board on Tuesday to discuss his revelations that three Test players took cash for fixing matches. FULL STORY ICC CALLS SUMMIT OVER MATCH FIXING The International Cricket Council has responded to calls for action over corruption in the game by announcing an emergency meeting at Lord's. FULL STORY FOUR INDIAN TEST STARS NAMED IN 'MATCH-FIX' SCANDAL Four top Indian Test players have been named as the latest suspects in the 'match-fixing' scandal which will form the basis of the emergency International Cricket Council meeting at Lord's next month. FULL STORY SOUTH AFRICA AIM TO TEMPT DONALD WITH CONTRACT Allan Donald will be offered a specially shortened contract by South Africa after he completes his season with Warwickshire. FULL STORY KABIR IS PEARS' SURPRISE PACKAGE Worcestershire bowling prodigy Kabir Ali is out to give Benson and Hedges Super Cup holders Gloucestershire the shock of their lives when the sides face up in a regional clash at New Road on Tuesday. FULL STORY ACB - WE'RE NOT TO BLAME FOR CRISIS The Australian Cricket Board have dismissed claims by an Indian government minister they are partly to blame for cricket's current gambling crisis. FULL STORY WINDIES WIN AGAIN West Indies produced a fine all-round display to beat Pakistan by 17 runs in the sixth and final preliminary match of the tri-nation 2000 Trophy limited-overs series in St George's. FULL STORY BRAVE BLAKEY TO THE RESCUE FOR YORKSHIRE Richard Blakey overcame a painful finger injury to guide Yorkshire to an unlikely Benson and Hedges Cup victory over Roses rivals Lancashire at Headingley. FULL STORY WORCESTERSHIRE EASE PAST GLAMORGAN Rookie Seamer Kabir Ali and opening batsman Paul Pollard helped power Worcestershire to a comfortable nine-wicket win over Glamorgan in the Benson and Hedges Cup at New Road. FULL STORY DURHAM CRUMBLE TO ORMOND AND KUMBLE Pace bowler James Ormond and leg-spinner Anil Kumble came good to help Leicestershire to victory against Durham in their Benson & Hedges Cup group game at Grace Road. FULL STORY

--- Nude Cricket Players Warned For Showing Off Wickets ---- LONDON, England - A West Yorkshire police officer broke up a four-man game of nude Cricket at the Scholes Cricket club near Huddersfield after receiving complaint from residents. According to a spokesman for the West Yorkshire police, "Nobody was arrested, it was just a matter of giving them some advice regarding their conduct." Perhaps it was about what direction their foul balls were going.