Ashes 2009

[Peaches]

Watson has done well. Say what you will, I included, you cannot doubt what he did in that 30 overs. Hopefully for him and his country, he continues.

 

[Geo]

Watson has done well. Say what you will, I included, you cannot doubt what he did in that 30 overs. Hopefully for him and his country, he continues.

Australia need to treat this test as a series of 50 over games given the beautiful one minute pouring the next Pommy summer….both with the bat and ball if they are any hope....At least it shows they have a plan to try and win the thing....You watch the Poms freeze and go to water when they bat

 

[Peaches]

Watson is out first ball of day 2 lbw to Onions. That would be right.

 

[Peaches]

Watson is out first ball of day 2 lbw to Onions. That would be right.

Than Hussey leaves a straight ball and loses his off stump. Does the bloke not realise he has a bat.

Australia has gone for 126-1 after 30 overs at stumps on day one. Two balls into day 2 we are 126-3 and Clarke facing a hatrick ball. Ridiculous.

 

[Geo]

So was Hussey bowled so much for the plan…..

 

[Juro]

Congratulations to Ponting for passing Border's record. Shame he couldn't go on with it…

 

[Don_Brodga]

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.

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?

Every bowler sucked in India. Much like in england at the moment, Hilfenhaus has been the best performed of the lot, but he's still been fairly average.

Watson has been playing first class cricket for 8 years now. In test cricket most players generally hit the ground running and have exceptional averages that over the course of time fluctuate. Shane Watson in contrast, has an average of 22\. He is weak physically, he is weak mentally and I'm sorry, but runs he has scored against weakened shield sides and english county sides doesn't show he can play.

All he has to do is stand up and he is rushed back into the national squad simply because he is liked by the captain and coach. He is not in the top 6 batsman in the country and his gun barrel straight 130 km/h garbage he bowls doesn't put him in the top 4 bowlers. The sooner hacks like Shane Watson, Peter Siddle and Michael Hussey exit the side, along with the inept coach and selectors, is when we will start winning tests again.

 

[Don_Brodga]

Congratulations to Ponting for passing Border's record. Shame he couldn't go on with it…

Got out to a bouncer aswell. Guess he's suspect to the short ball now also.

 

[Don_Brodga]

Watson has done well. Say what you will, I included, you cannot doubt what he did in that 30 overs. Hopefully for him and his country, he continues.

Simon Katich got a run a ball 46, that's not Neck's style. Australia went out there to score runs fast and succeded. When it was actual Test match conditions like this morning, Shane Watson showed what he's made of.

So were they justified in dropping Hughes for Watson? No Way!

 

[Geo]

Watson has done well. Say what you will, I included, you cannot doubt what he did in that 30 overs. Hopefully for him and his country, he continues.

Simon Katich got a run a ball 46, that's not Neck's style. Australia went out there to score runs fast and succeded. When it was actual Test match conditions like this morning, Shane Watson showed what he's made of.

So were they justified in dropping Hughes for Watson? No Way!

If your blaming the selection of Watson on Hughes dumping then I think your directing you angst at the wrong player and State….Hussey as a pretected species is the one I'd be peeved at...Watson got a pretty good ball first up ....what Hussey did was either criminal or idiotic he's lost it....also Bollinger should be there for Johnson and his piechuckers hey

Clarke just got a stinker fron finger of death Rudi.....Use the technology Rudi you clown

 

[Peaches]

Clarke looked out live though. Seemed to get heaps far over.

Hughes shoulld deffinately be playing though. The bloke was a champion on the last tour and without a recognised spare batsman, you stick with him. Hayden was given heaps of time as is Hussey and the new bloke gets shafted because Watson comes out publicly saying he wants to open. Than Merv Hughes the clown says publicly Hughes struggles against the short ball. What a moron. Johnson was given the chance and is also visibly struggling but everything is rosey.

North goes fishing than Johnson leaves a straight one. Hawkeye says going over but you dig your own grave when let you the ball go. 7-202\. Hauritz keeps out the hatrick ball. Australia will be bowling sometime after lunch for sure. Might not be a bad thing with this ball doing these things if the bowlers can put it in the right spots.

 

[Geo]

I have to actually give Merv credit for saying that cause the dumb ass, Poms brought it…Watson plays the short ball as well as Ricky...

Poms have bowled well....and it's moving....lets go Hilfy

 

[Jazza]

Watson has done well. Say what you will, I included, you cannot doubt what he did in that 30 overs. Hopefully for him and his country, he continues.

Simon Katich got a run a ball 46, that's not Neck's style. Australia went out there to score runs fast and succeded. When it was actual Test match conditions like this morning, Shane Watson showed what he's made of.

So were they justified in dropping Hughes for Watson? No Way!

If your blaming the selection of Watson on Hughes dumping then I think your directing you angst at the wrong player and State….Hussey as a pretected species is the one I'd be peeved at...Watson got a pretty good ball first up ....what Hussey did was either criminal or idiotic he's lost it....also Bollinger should be there for Johnson and his piechuckers hey

Clarke just got a stinker fron finger of death Rudi.....Use the technology Rudi you clown

I agree, if they were to drop anyone, it shouldve been Hussey, Watson could then come in and bat at number 6, and Clarke can then shift up to number 4 where he should be as an experienced player in a young side. Hussey, I dunno i think he needs glasses, he has had more then enough chances to get out of this slump, its been 14 tests since his last 100 and even before that 100 he didnt do to well in the Windies either.

8/203, whats that a collapse of 8/118?

 

[Peaches]

I too must say that as somone who bowls swing, its great to see. The ball is moving a mile and the lengths theyare hitting are perfect. Great stuff from a swing bowlers point of view.

With that said, Hilfenhaus and Siddle need to bowl just as well and Johnson needs to show something.

 

[Juro]

My goodness! What a disastrous session that was! Where's that damned rain when you need it? I guess if you can't last 2 sessions, you need an awful lot of rain!

 

[Peaches]

My goodness! What a disastrous session that was! Where's that damned rain when you need it? I guess if you can't last 2 sessions, you need an awful lot of rain!

I thought rain was looking real likely for the last 2 days. We need it now.

 

[Geo]


 

[Don_Brodga]

Well Ricky Ponting's dream team seems to be doing brilliantly. You'd like to think the team will be vastly different.

Team for first test of Aussie summer should be:

Jaques
Hughes
Ponting
Katich ©
Clarke
North
Haddin
Lee
Hauritz
Clark
Bollinger

No bits and pieces players, no players picked because they "played well in the nets" just 7 great batsmen, 4 great bowlers. When you pick batsmen, you pick them on how they bat, not on whether they can offer "handy" bowling options. The media and selectors undying need for an all-rounder is ridiculous. Steve Waugh's side proved you don't need one.

 

[Don_Brodga]

My goodness! What a disastrous session that was! Where's that damned rain when you need it? I guess if you can't last 2 sessions, you need an awful lot of rain!

I thought rain was looking real likely for the last 2 days. We need it now.

Isn't it sad. Australia is praying for rain against bloody england.

I feel so ashamed.

 

[Geo]

Well Ricky Ponting's dream team seems to be doing brilliantly. You'd like to think the team will be vastly different.

Team for first test of Aussie summer should be:

Jaques
Hughes
Ponting
Katich ©
Clarke
North
Haddin
Lee
Hauritz
Clark
Bollinger

No bits and pieces players, no players picked because they "played well in the nets" just 7 great batsmen, 4 great bowlers. When you pick batsmen, you pick them on how they bat, not on whether they can offer "handy" bowling options. The media and selectors undying need for an all-rounder is ridiculous. Steve Waugh's side proved you don't need one.

Steve Waugh also had a lot more talant…plus he had Steve Waugh.....Ponting should have the NSW team but I'd drop North and put in Thornley....