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alien
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it could be all over today
Cricket Season Thread
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@Marshall_magic said:
Given the way Australia has played I think 3-1 is more than fair. Australia couldn't beat an egg at the moment.
The current Australian cricket team looks to me to be a good example of how strong politics can be in sport. Poor form and mediocrity are allowed to survive when form is not a strong part of the selection criteria. I hope this embarrasing Ashes loss causes the powers that be to evaluate the current approach and systems in Australian cricket starting at least from junior reps up.
Marshall_magic
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@willow said:
Re-reading my post I wasn't very clear on that part. I think an England 4-0 or 4-1 win would've been fairer.
Bazzinator
New member
to be perfectly honest our overall performance was not good but some individuals can hold there head up and say they played well.
i believe the next test in like october or something. I think the way watson bowled at the scg he needs to become a more regular bowler which would mean move him to 6\. I wouldn't mind seeing this sort of lineup come the next series. I think Hussey will retire from test cricket during the year and focus on odis and t20's.
1\. Marsh
2\. Hughes
3\. Khawaja
4\. Clarke
5\. Ponting
6\. Watson
7\. Haddin/Paine (depends if Haddin stays on)
8\. Johnson
9\. Hauritz
10\. Harris
11\. Siddle
12\. Bollinger
i believe the next test in like october or something. I think the way watson bowled at the scg he needs to become a more regular bowler which would mean move him to 6\. I wouldn't mind seeing this sort of lineup come the next series. I think Hussey will retire from test cricket during the year and focus on odis and t20's.
1\. Marsh
2\. Hughes
3\. Khawaja
4\. Clarke
5\. Ponting
6\. Watson
7\. Haddin/Paine (depends if Haddin stays on)
8\. Johnson
9\. Hauritz
10\. Harris
11\. Siddle
12\. Bollinger
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alien
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@Bazzinator said:
Is Katich going to retire this year?
Bollinger is a better bowler than Siddle.
@Allan Towle said:
Cook got out trying to play through cover. He chokes the bat which means he won't be strong playing through the line (off-drive & cover-drive). How can the coach and/or members of the Aussie side not see this?
In fact, you have a look at some of their fields and there is just no visible plan on getting wickets. A ring field with a deep point sometimes and a splatter gun bowling chart. Going through the motions waiting for the Poms to declare or make a horrendous mistake and handover the wickets. The bowling is not-disciplined at all. Why not bounce them for 5 or 6 overs. Get a deep fine leg, leg gully, deep forward square and a short mid-wicket. No need for a mid-off or mid-on if your going to bowl at their helmet. What's the worst that can happen? They score quick runs you can go to another plan. Just look for wickets or bowl tight and build-up pressure.
I went to days 3 & 4\. Saw England bat all day on day 3\. Cook waited till the Aussies bowled in his area and punished us. Bell should have been out. He got lucky that Hot Spot didn't pick-up the edge he obviously got. Prior played very well. Took the game on and smashed the average bowling everywhere. Smith dropped a return chance that Hauritz caught last year. Thats all I'm going to say on that matter. Why did the Aussies take the 2nd new ball? They were reverse swinging the old ball and Beer was keeping them reasonably quiet at the other end. They than took the new ball and that ball was bowled without swing and went to the boundary much faster. There was no reason to take it. Beer wasn't that bad. Better than Doherty. Hauritz should be there though. There, I went there! Siddle is a goer and has improved though needs to add more strings to his bow. Hilfenhaus I don't think is a test player. Some people just don't make the jump in different levels of cricket and he seems to be one. Swing it to early and is too one-dimensional. Out-bowled by Anderson who is his Pom counterpart. Johnson. what did you do with him. A match-winner but also a match-coster, if thats a word. The Aussies need to find a way to get him consistent. Not sure whether he can be the figure-head bowler the way he goes about it. Smith is developing but not a test-level spinner. Watson was good on the SCG. Bollinger and Hauritz should have played in Sydney. Harris was good but his Aussie career in the test arena is probably over. He has too may fitness concerns for an older bloke.
After eventually getting them out, we went into bat. They started swinging reverse style after 17 overs. They must have been really looking after the ball. Probably bowled across seam when they knew the ball wasn't going to swing conventionally. Across seam means the ball hits a face of the pitch rather than the seam (if the seam is kept straight like you will attempt to bowl most the time). It destroys the shine off the ball, won't swing and can help the ball to bounce sharper or stay low. I know that playing park cricket. Why don't national players/coaches?
Watson ran himself out for a change. He didn't run the 1st hard looking for 2 and it was quite evident to everyone Hughes was relieved to get off strike of Swann and take 1\. There was no reason to run and Watson did. Should probably move down to 6 where he should be after this series. He can open but a true opener would have converted many more of his 50s and not run out himself or his partners. Hughes got a jaffa. Pitched outside leg and cut away from him just enough to take the edge. Khawaja followed one. It looked like he wanted bat-on-ball and was looking to up his scoring rate. Both boys need to be persisted with but. They are the future. Marsh doesn't open for WA in the 4-day form so I wouldn't open him until his had a few games, would want a season in an ideal world. Clarke got a jaffa too. Not much you can do about it. He was looking to be positive which is the right thing to do when your in the form he is in. Hussey played in the air and you take the risk of getting caught when you don't play on the ground. His test career lives even though he probably shouldn't have gotten the chance with his pre-series form. Haddin tried to change his shot mid-way from Tremlett. That is ill-advised. Johnson was out before he faced the ball. If you were at the ground, you just knew it. Whenever the Barmy Army hears Johnson over the loud-speaker they sing with their arms swaying; "He bowls to the left, He bowls to the right. Mitchell Johnson, His bowling is Shite." They sung it when he was coming out to bat too. It wouldn't be so funny if it wasn't so true. Smith is in but has lived luckily. Not a test-spinner or batsman yet. I'ld have Watson at 6 as the all-rounder.
Hopefully this series loss will mean a shake-up for Aussie cricket off-field. The coach and selectors need to go. Greg Chappell has made some mindless decisions as well over the years. Former captains and greats like Border, Waugh, Taylor, McGrath and Lillee but would be heaps better options. Great thinkers of the games with modern knowledge. Maybe no Waugh and McGrath if your worried about them being too close as former team-mates are still playing, but I think you gather my drift. There is a fair while before the next test series, I believe against Sri Lankia, or maybe Bangladesh. However we follow up with South Africa and India after. The top 3 ranked test playing nations I believe. Lean times ahead.
Hopefully the coloured clothing will bring more luck. We are still ranked no 1 ODI side and 20/20 side isn't the worst. The boys need that winning habit back but they need improved performances, if they want wins.
Bazzinator
New member
@alien said:
Katich is 35 man he'll be lucky to get back into NSW with the way his injury is for me he is as good as gone and whats the point of bringing him in for what 3 or 4 tests. give the young guys a go and give them the time at the wicket to get used to international cricket. for me if we loose all our series until the end of next summer i dont care as long as they persist with the batters and give them a fighting chance.
Smith does not have the technique with bat or ball to be in tests leave him for the odi's and t20's.
In all honesty if u make up a squad of players of who haven't played any tests there isnt much serious depth.
1\. Nic Maddinson
2\. Shaun Marsh
3\. Mark Cosgrove
4\. Callum Ferguson
5\. George Bailey
6\. Rob Quiney
7\. Matt Wade
8\. Steve O'Keefe
9\. Mitchell Starc
10\. Trent Copeland
11\. James Pattinson
But realistically the bowlers are a few years off Internationals but the batters are very thin. Keeper is probably our best spot with Wade, Paine and even Nevill from NSW going well
ODI's and T20's on the other hand i think we're fine just watch the Big Bash and you can see the potential thats out there
How does one watch with youngsters, What do you say when he says " Dad are we winning??"
I had to tell my son to change the channel to the Simpsons so he wouldn't see the last 3 wickets fall.
We have become the English team!
Bring on NRL.
I had to tell my son to change the channel to the Simpsons so he wouldn't see the last 3 wickets fall.
We have become the English team!
Bring on NRL.
I'd like to know which clowns at the Cricket Australia thought McGrath, Gilly, Warnie, Langer and Martyn were all going to be 30 forever and that we'd never need to replace them? The blooding policy and treatment of grass roots cricket has been terrible. Clarke has less of an idea than Ponting they looked rudderless in the field. He should have given Johnson a serve and told him to pull his line and length in when England started taking to him. If he's the next best option as captain, we will have a few lean years ahead.
On the upside, I was at the game yesterday and let me say that Usman Khawaja will be a terrific test player not so far down the track. He showed more maturity, class and patience out there than most of the other top/middle order batsmen and got out to a good delivery.
Agree with all points on Watson moving down the order. He definitely doesn't have the patience to be an opener. He was looking great until he ran himself out.
As much as I like Steve Smith, Hauritz should have been there in his place. The guy is taking wickets and scoring runs which Australia desperately needs players to do both. Beer kept the English honest however and he should probably be the second option spinner should Hauritz be out.
I'm not going to bother naming a line up for October, because anything and everything could happen between now and then, and of all the possible teams we have listed so far we have struggled to find any consistency or form.
On the upside, I was at the game yesterday and let me say that Usman Khawaja will be a terrific test player not so far down the track. He showed more maturity, class and patience out there than most of the other top/middle order batsmen and got out to a good delivery.
Agree with all points on Watson moving down the order. He definitely doesn't have the patience to be an opener. He was looking great until he ran himself out.
As much as I like Steve Smith, Hauritz should have been there in his place. The guy is taking wickets and scoring runs which Australia desperately needs players to do both. Beer kept the English honest however and he should probably be the second option spinner should Hauritz be out.
I'm not going to bother naming a line up for October, because anything and everything could happen between now and then, and of all the possible teams we have listed so far we have struggled to find any consistency or form.
@Bazzinator:
Katich is 35 man he'll be lucky to get back into NSW with the way his injury is for me he is as good as gone and whats the point of bringing him in for what 3 or 4 tests. give the young guys a go and give them the time at the wicket to get used to international cricket. for me if we loose all our series until the end of next summer i dont care as long as they persist with the batters and give them a fighting chance.
Smith does not have the technique with bat or ball to be in tests leave him for the odi's and t20's.
In all honesty if u make up a squad of players of who haven't played any tests there isnt much serious depth.
1\. Nic Maddinson
2\. Shaun Marsh
3\. Mark Cosgrove
4\. Callum Ferguson
5\. George Bailey
6\. Rob Quiney
7\. Matt Wade
8\. Steve O'Keefe
9\. Mitchell Starc
10\. Trent Copeland
11\. James Pattinson
But realistically the bowlers are a few years off Internationals but the batters are very thin. Keeper is probably our best spot with Wade, Paine and even Nevill from NSW going well
ODI's and T20's on the other hand i think we're fine just watch the Big Bash and you can see the potential thats out there
I think Ferguson is more media hype than anything else. His 1st class record is really not that great. Also for me Quiney and Bailey are just decent shield players. Agree Khawaja should be the batsmen we build around and that Nic Maddinson will be our opener soon enough. Tom Beaton and Chris Lynn are two guys to watch out for.
Despite his 50 not out, still don't think Smith is good enough to be in the test side as a batsmen and certainly not as a spinner. O'Keefe is surely a better option to bat 7 and bowl some spin if they keep the same basic side. Or even bat at 8 and let Haddin slide to 7.
Nevill looks a very good batsmen. Can't comment on his keeping skills but looks a better bat than even Paine and Wade.
Bowlers - Copeland looks the goods as does James Pattinson and possibly Starc and Faulkner.
Katich is 35 man he'll be lucky to get back into NSW with the way his injury is for me he is as good as gone and whats the point of bringing him in for what 3 or 4 tests. give the young guys a go and give them the time at the wicket to get used to international cricket. for me if we loose all our series until the end of next summer i dont care as long as they persist with the batters and give them a fighting chance.
Smith does not have the technique with bat or ball to be in tests leave him for the odi's and t20's.
In all honesty if u make up a squad of players of who haven't played any tests there isnt much serious depth.
1\. Nic Maddinson
2\. Shaun Marsh
3\. Mark Cosgrove
4\. Callum Ferguson
5\. George Bailey
6\. Rob Quiney
7\. Matt Wade
8\. Steve O'Keefe
9\. Mitchell Starc
10\. Trent Copeland
11\. James Pattinson
But realistically the bowlers are a few years off Internationals but the batters are very thin. Keeper is probably our best spot with Wade, Paine and even Nevill from NSW going well
ODI's and T20's on the other hand i think we're fine just watch the Big Bash and you can see the potential thats out there
I think Ferguson is more media hype than anything else. His 1st class record is really not that great. Also for me Quiney and Bailey are just decent shield players. Agree Khawaja should be the batsmen we build around and that Nic Maddinson will be our opener soon enough. Tom Beaton and Chris Lynn are two guys to watch out for.
Despite his 50 not out, still don't think Smith is good enough to be in the test side as a batsmen and certainly not as a spinner. O'Keefe is surely a better option to bat 7 and bowl some spin if they keep the same basic side. Or even bat at 8 and let Haddin slide to 7.
Nevill looks a very good batsmen. Can't comment on his keeping skills but looks a better bat than even Paine and Wade.
Bowlers - Copeland looks the goods as does James Pattinson and possibly Starc and Faulkner.
redemption
New member
Clarke has announced that he has quit Twenty-20 cricket!
I believe it is a good move as his technique has left him while playing hit & giggle!
I believe it is a good move as his technique has left him while playing hit & giggle!
@Yossarian said:
Whatever happens, if they do decide to put the broom through the team, they need to work on one facet of the game at a time. The team is not taking wickets cheaply (if at all,) and they are not scoring runs. It's too large a task to tackle it all head on. Our bowlers proved in Perth that they could take 20 wickets if they bowled well enough. Bolly needs to come in for Hilfy (Watson can do just as good a job with the ball IMO) and then we need to stick with them. What I want to know is why the hell we have an ex-player who never made the Australian side and played only 33 first class matches as our bowling coach?
We've got the batting stock, but there just seems to be such an immense amount of pressure for them to perform that it must be suffocating. Hussey, and to a lesser extent Haddin, were the only ones that stood up to be counted whenever the top order capitulated. Khawaja must be retained as he is most certainly a future starter for Australia.
I cannot stress enough is that an alternative to Clarke must be found in a great hurry to succeed Ponting. Clarke showed in this test he is without doubt out of his depth and not willing to make changes to get his side back into the game.
One thing is for sure though, although I don't like seeing Australia lose, it will be great to see them rebuild and claw their way back to the top in the future.
Thanks for cleaning up my sloppy quoting CB!!
I agree they need to bite the bullet and pick blokes for the future. Hilfenhaus has had more than enough chances and just doesn't swing it. Siddle has passion but no penetration and Johnson delivers too rarely. Harris, Bollinger and one of the youngsters for the next tests. O'Keefe as the spin option ahead of Beer and Smith.
I agree they need to bite the bullet and pick blokes for the future. Hilfenhaus has had more than enough chances and just doesn't swing it. Siddle has passion but no penetration and Johnson delivers too rarely. Harris, Bollinger and one of the youngsters for the next tests. O'Keefe as the spin option ahead of Beer and Smith.
redemption
New member
@Yossarian said:
Even Kerry O'Keefe would prove a better option than those bums!
@redemption said:
Or Andrew O'Keefe even…
I have more sympathy for the bowlers than anyone Yoss. Those guys are given targets of less than 300 to defend and as we have seen in recent months, the bowlers are scoring large fraction of those runs. It must be incredibly hard for Johnson at the moment, who was purported to be an all rounder after a solid showing with the bat against the Saffas and the expectation on the tail end to dig in and perform with the bat as well as the ball is unfair.
The pressure on them must be incredible and if we are going to rely on our bowlers to score runs, stack the bloody side with bowlers then! If we can't score 300 runs we may as well take 20 wickets!
The pressure on them must be incredible and if we are going to rely on our bowlers to score runs, stack the bloody side with bowlers then! If we can't score 300 runs we may as well take 20 wickets!
redemption
New member
CB - it goes both ways!! While our batting has been abominable - the bowlers allowing 500 and 600 run innings from the English (who are not genius batsmen - but good technical exponents) is also totally unacceptable!!
Our inability to clean up the tail has really highlighted the ineptitude of our entire attack!
Blaming the batting for the bowling is like the chicken or the egg question for me - and in this case both the chicken and egg are equally culpable regardless of which comes first!
Our inability to clean up the tail has really highlighted the ineptitude of our entire attack!
Blaming the batting for the bowling is like the chicken or the egg question for me - and in this case both the chicken and egg are equally culpable regardless of which comes first!
I agree with Redemption. They made over 500 what 4 times in 7 innings. I don't care how bad our batting is, fact is they were unable to put any pressure on England and were reliant on brilliant bursts to knock over England. Runs came far too easily, there were far too many bad balls. Anytime the England pitch chart went up it showed how accurate and consistent all of their seamers were. With our bowlers the length and direction were nowhere near test standard at times. They weren't helped by poor fields. I think I saw Cook go back and tickle down to deep fine leg for runs three balls in a row off Beer at one stage. Too easy when a leg gully or short fine leg would force him to work against the spin (such as it was).
The batting was poor but it was matched by some awful bowling.
The batting was poor but it was matched by some awful bowling.
