Ashes 2009

We just need to show more patience with both bat and ball.

We didnt do that at the start of England's first innings, and we didnt do that when we batted in the first innings.

With the pressure we were under in the 2nd innings we did show a bit more composure and patience and the result was we got 400 odd on a last day pitch, despite our top order copping 3 dodgy decisions and being 5/128.

So just a bit more patience with both bat and ball, 1 or 2 less fieldsman on the boundary (Although you can understand with our poor bowling the reason why they were there) to build some pressure and we'll be alright.

I dont feel as hopeless as we did in 05, I had the feeling once they levelled 1-1 in that series they would win, I feel better about this series though.
 
At least we regained a bit of pride with that batting effort in the 2nd. You could say the dodgy calls at the start of that innings cost us, but it was the terrible bowling and batting of the first innings that really cost us.
 
@Juro said:
At least we regained a bit of pride with that batting effort in the 2nd. You could say the dodgy calls at the start of that innings cost us, but it was the terrible bowling and batting of the first innings that really cost us.
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Very true, we can't blame the overall loss on the poor umpiring decisions, but they certainly didn't help.

England are extremely lucky to be 1-0 up, they could easily be 2-0 down if a few things went different ways…

I thought Strauss was very un-gracious in victory, claiming it as a deserved win etc pretty bluntly, I'm sure he will be a big target for the Aussies from now on this "summer", after his weak-spirited time wasting tactics in the first test and his claiming of that "catch" in the second test...

Game on!
 
Okay, cricket time again. At least this will give us something to watch while waiting for the Manly game on Monday night.

Should Johnson be dropped? Hasn't shown any sign of turning it around in the tour match. I was hoping he would get a bit of confidence from his effort with the bat in the last test. How about we pick an extra bowler like Clark and then have Johnson in the side as a batsman. Then if he picks up a wicket or two, it's a bonus, but if he still shows no form we have enough other bowlers to shoulder the load.

Should Hughes be dropped? If he is, we bring in Watson. But Watson apparently can't bowl at the moment. Bit of a gamble replacing a proper opener for someone returning from injury who isn't a traditional opener. Besides, Hughes got a fifty in the last tour match, and he has copped one or two dodgy decisions in the series so far.

The other thing is that the weather looks like it will play a major role in the test. If the game is destined to be a draw, pick Johnson and give him more time to find his form.
 
Yep, I'd like to see them play Johnston as an All Rounder in place of Marcus North and bring in Clark as an extra bowler. I don't think that it will happen but it would be an improvement. Looks as if the weather will ruin things anyway. Let's hope though.
 
hailing from the big city of macksville myself i got word of hughes' axeing earlier from some mates who are touring over there at the moment. gutted. what a terrible decision. he carves up in SA, cops a couple of dodgy decisions and doesnt score much in england and is dropped after 2 tests. hussey hasnt scored anything in a year. hayden went his last 13 months without scoring a century. johnson is bowling worse than a grade cricketer yet all of them are unaccountable. pick on the kid cause he will understand i spose.

no doubt watson will score 80 odd, take 3 wickets and then break his leg anyway, hes been injured for 5 years straight but keeps getting put straight back in the squad.
 
I'm starting to get an awful feeling that Australian Cricket is once more succumbing to that terrible disease that afflicted us some years back: INTERSTATE RIVALRY! If that's true about Hughes then the infection has taken control and the Ashes will be lost once more.
 
If Hughes doesn't play, selectors need to be held accountable if Watson fails. The bloke was great in South Africa and has had no luck in England. Caught down leg side chasing the ball and "caught" in slips are 2 of his 3 dismissals. He isn't going as bad as everyone seems to be talking about. Hayden was given heaps of time to score runs as is Hussey now. Watson shouldn't be anywhere near the test team till he can get a year under his belt in ODI's and state games. The bloke will probably get injured again.

Johnson can't play for his country right now. His in extremely poor form and is a liability. Clark is a must, probably for Johnson.

I just can't see how they can drop Hughes but keep Johnson. Either keep both or drop both. Making one change is trying to show you are doing something.
 
Without doubt it is interstate rivalry. Look who runs cricket now. Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria. The three biggest whingers during the Steve Waugh era. All blokes like Cox and Hughes are doing is getting one back for their boys against NSW. Case in point, Jaques, Hughes, Clark, Bollinger and Casson. All players who have been dropped in the last 12 months, none of which deserved it.

Now once again we have to deal with Mr Balance Shane Watson and the crap that comes with him. Anybody involved in cricket from state level up will tell you what kind of person he is and the way he tried to unseat Phillip Hughes in the media last week shows he hasn't changed.
 
@bjm8 said:
hailing from the big city of macksville myself i got word of hughes' axeing earlier from some mates who are touring over there at the moment. gutted. what a terrible decision. he carves up in SA, cops a couple of dodgy decisions and doesnt score much in england and is dropped after 2 tests. hussey hasnt scored anything in a year. hayden went his last 13 months without scoring a century. johnson is bowling worse than a grade cricketer yet all of them are unaccountable. pick on the kid cause he will understand i spose.

no doubt watson will score 80 odd, take 3 wickets and then break his leg anyway, hes been injured for 5 years straight but keeps getting put straight back in the squad.
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Watson will score 13 in the 1st innings, 4 in the 2nd innings and have match figures of 1/109 from 18 overs.

I have never seen a player like Shane Watson, where everybody from every state can't stand him, doesn't rate him or both. If every cricket fan in this country, and every other one, can see how bad he is why can't the 4 boofheads who matter see it?
 
If the selectors are consistent, then Johnson should've been dropped as well.

What worries me even more is that ive read that its a batsman's paradise at that ground, so I dont like the thought of Johnson bowling on that.

Theyre both in a bad frame of mind, at least Hughes doesnt show it when he is fielding unlike Johnson.

With Watson playing, I hope Hussey opens and Watson plays at number 7\. Watson opening just unbalances it for me.

Im not going to critisise Watson because the last time he played for us, he was our best bowler in India, and he was our best batsman in the odi series against Pakistan.
 
If a ball gets bowled in anger in this test I'll be very surprised….riveting viewing at the moment....It is pinging down now...gee Merv's a goose everyone knows Hughes has been dropped ....AB is giving it to him as well.... :laughing:
 
@Jazza said:
If the selectors are consistent, then Johnson should've been dropped as well.

What worries me even more is that ive read that its a batsman's paradise at that ground, so I dont like the thought of Johnson bowling on that.

Theyre both in a bad frame of mind, at least Hughes doesnt show it when he is fielding unlike Johnson.

With Watson playing, I hope Hussey opens and Watson plays at number 7\. Watson opening just unbalances it for me.

Im not going to critisise Watson because the last time he played for us, he was our best bowler in India, and he was our best batsman in the odi series against Pakistan.
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Our best bowler? Aside from one innings in the last innings where he hot 4 for, he didn't do a thing with the ball. Michael Clarke was the best batsman in that ODI series, but even then, the day you start picking test sides off ODI form is…oh right, we're at that day now, aren't we?

Bottom line is Watson has a Test average of 19\. His last 6 test innings have produced 19 runs and his highest score opening an innings in the long form of the game is 15\. Nevermind the fact he is not well liked amongst teammates (Ponting excluded) and that he is made of play-doh, there is not one positive about him not only being in the side, but how he came into it either.
 
@Don Brodga said:
@Jazza said:
If the selectors are consistent, then Johnson should've been dropped as well.

What worries me even more is that ive read that its a batsman's paradise at that ground, so I dont like the thought of Johnson bowling on that.

Theyre both in a bad frame of mind, at least Hughes doesnt show it when he is fielding unlike Johnson.

With Watson playing, I hope Hussey opens and Watson plays at number 7\. Watson opening just unbalances it for me.

Im not going to critisise Watson because the last time he played for us, he was our best bowler in India, and he was our best batsman in the odi series against Pakistan.

Our best bowler? Aside from one innings in the last innings where he hot 4 for, he didn't do a thing with the ball. Michael Clarke was the best batsman in that ODI series, but even then, the day you start picking test sides off ODI form is…oh right, we're at that day now, aren't we?

Bottom line is Watson has a Test average of 19\. His last 6 test innings have produced 19 runs and his highest score opening an innings in the long form of the game is 15\. Nevermind the fact he is not well liked amongst teammates (Ponting excluded) and that he is made of play-doh, there is not one positive about him not only being in the side, but how he came into it either.
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Well he did a lot better then our other fast bowler's over in India who couldnt even buy a wicket. In fact he was the only one that swung it over there from memory.

Also I said I want him down at number 7, not open, I do not believe he is an opener.

And also if you're going to use statistics, then ill use some, he has a first class batting average of 46… Higher then Marcus North, higher then Michael Clarke, higher then Brad Haddin. And that is coming from batting on the Gabba greentop most of his career.

His bowling average in first class cricket is 29, very respectable, in fact lower then Mitchell Johnson.

He has played just 8 tests for that batting average. What was Shane Warne's bowling average after 8 tests? Glenn McGrath? What about Steve Waugh's batting average after 8 tests? What about Matthew Hayden? Damien Martyn? Justin Langer? 8 Tests is nothing yet you're judging him on that whilst ignoring his first class stats, and even his odi stats, which to me show that the guy can play.

Also how do you know he is not well liked by his team mates?
 
Well 1 for 126 of 30 overs with Watson 62 n.o. Ponting 17 n.o. Katich dissmissed for a quick fire 46 of 48 balls…..Great start by the Aussies ....seems the Watson gamble may pay off big time but I fear this test may end up looking like this for the next 4 days...

![](http://i29.tinypic.com/16jiy42.jpg)

Summer in England....Pfft
 
Solid start but those clouds do not inspire much confidence. Be nice if Australia can get a result here though if the weather does clear up.
 
Supposedly we will get a full days play tonight and Sunday but Saturday and Monday aren't looking so good :frowning:

As usual, weather saving the poms!
 
How unjust would it be if we dominate 2 tests yet the poms get saved by rain, but when the poms dominate one test, they win!

I think also the rules need to be relaxed a bit when it comes to the playing hours, especially in England where they have very long Summer days that last until 9pm, (Maybe later?). We couldve got an extra hour last night.

In the first test we lost 2 hours, an hour or so was made up on the last day, but another hour couldve been made up at the end when it was broad daylight.
 
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