Cricket- the sport not the insect

[blackcat]

aussies really need another middle order batsmen, or shane watson to up his runs to test batsmen standard and average. he looked good as an opener, but he plays so straight and on the front foot, always got alot of boundaries to the new ball, when they arent there, he struggles to make big scores.I am disappointed Usman Khawaja did not come on. Seemed like he lacked the strokemaking, but he had the temperament. Ashton Agar, they are giving some more time to bed down his offies and all-round batting

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

aussies really need another middle order batsmen, or shane watson to up his runs to test batsmen standard and average. he looked good as an opener, but he plays so straight and on the front foot, always got alot of boundaries to the new ball, when they arent there, he struggles to make big scores.I am disappointed Usman Khawaja did not come on. Seemed like he lacked the strokemaking, but he had the temperament. Ashton Agar, they are giving some more time to bed down his offies and all-round batting

Agar still has a role to play I think. Time is on his side. Khawaja was one of those players that did not make the most of his limited chances while Ponting and co were in a slump for ages before they were told to move on before they were sacked. Hughes was in the same boat as Khawaja while Watson seemed untouchable until recently but I still don't think Watson's position is safe unless he starts hitting some big scores.

 

[blackcat]

Re: Re:

aussies really need another middle order batsmen, or shane watson to up his runs to test batsmen standard and average. he looked good as an opener, but he plays so straight and on the front foot, always got alot of boundaries to the new ball, when they arent there, he struggles to make big scores.I am disappointed Usman Khawaja did not come on. Seemed like he lacked the strokemaking, but he had the temperament. Ashton Agar, they are giving some more time to bed down his offies and all-round batting

Agar still has a role to play I think. Time is on his side. Khawaja was one of those players that did not make the most of his limited chances while Ponting and co were in a slump for ages before they were told to move on before they were sacked. Hughes was in the same boat as Khawaja while Watson seemed untouchable until recently but I still don't think Watson's position is safe unless he starts hitting some big scores.

i think Watson was hard done by, as he looked to have the opening spot rolling with Warner, but they wanted him to keep on bowling. Some like Kallis can do both, but in Kallis favour, he was at 4 or middle order.

so, I think Watson was right to be given a wider berth, cos he took one from the team when the selectors and cap'n and coach were stuffing him around. So he deserves the extra chances. They stuffed Phil Hughes around rip.

Khawaja still has time, if he is good enough, and wishes to prove he is good enough.

 

[Amsterhammer]

RIP Richie Benaud, one of the classic voices of cricket.

 

[42x16ss]

Great all rounder, great captain, great commentator, great person. A giant of the game who always held himself to the highest standard, on and off the field.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

RIP Richie Benaud, one of the classic voices of cricket.

Yes RIP Richie. Great commentator and player and where would the Australian cricket coverage be without him ? Also smart enough to hop on board the World Cricket bus and never looked back. If only Channel Nine had someone to replace him which they don't.

 

[darwin553]

RIP Richie

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

RIP Richie Benaud, one of the classic voices of cricket.

Yes RIP Richie. Great commentator and player and where would the Australian cricket coverage be without him ? Also smart enough to hop on board the World Cricket bus and never looked back. If only Channel Nine had someone to replace him which they don't.

To be fair to Channel 9, Richie Benaud was surely one of the top 10 commentators in world sport. I doubt anyone could replace him.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

RIP Richie Benaud, one of the classic voices of cricket.

Yes RIP Richie. Great commentator and player and where would the Australian cricket coverage be without him ? Also smart enough to hop on board the World Cricket bus and never looked back. If only Channel Nine had someone to replace him which they don't.

To be fair to Channel 9, Richie Benaud was surely one of the top 10 commentators in world sport. I doubt anyone could replace him.

Yes it's hard to replace an icon.

 

[blackcat]

pretty happy KP and his inimitable genius will be back for the Ashes. It has its own momentum now, and KP has the sheer force of will.

go KP. with Lara, best batsmen I have seen play, just phenomenal players. almost too good for this game.

 

[MrTea1976]

Matt Prior was an excellent wicketkeeper/batsman for England and he has just retired because of an Achilles problem - here's hoping cricket's loss is cycling's gain and that he continues with his One Procycling Team!

 

[Brullnux]

I'm loving the new england!

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

I'm loving the new england!

Hope they're better than the new Windies otherwise the upcoming Ashes series is going to be dull.

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

I'm loving the new england!

Hope they're better than the new Windies otherwise the upcoming Ashes series is going to be dull.

Starc and Hazelwood are both bowling with pace and swing while Clarke and Smith are leading from the front with the bat. Lyon has learned how to turn it with control and Johnson always lifts. The Ashes may be looking dull already.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

I'm loving the new england!

Hope they're better than the new Windies otherwise the upcoming Ashes series is going to be dull.

Starc and Hazelwood are both bowling with pace and swing while Clarke and Smith are leading from the front with the bat. Lyon has learned how to turn it with control and Johnson always lifts. The Ashes may be looking dull already.

Yes Australia is in a good place at the moment and building on their World Cup success. Playing with confidence.

 

[blackcat]

Re: Re:

I'm loving the new england!

Hope they're better than the new Windies otherwise the upcoming Ashes series is going to be dull.

Starc and Hazelwood are both bowling with pace and swing while Clarke and Smith are leading from the front with the bat. Lyon has learned how to turn it with control and Johnson always lifts. The Ashes may be looking dull already.

I cant see Starc in the starting 11, even what MWaugh said about him being the best bowler in the world. I think it will be Johnson, Hazlewood and Harris.

some of those overs in the World Cup tho, yorkers swinging laaaaate at 153 and 154 kmph. Even with the new cricket bats, you are not gonna disbatch him over mid wicket.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

I'm loving the new england!

Hope they're better than the new Windies otherwise the upcoming Ashes series is going to be dull.

Starc and Hazelwood are both bowling with pace and swing while Clarke and Smith are leading from the front with the bat. Lyon has learned how to turn it with control and Johnson always lifts. The Ashes may be looking dull already.

I cant see Starc in the starting 11, even what MWaugh said about him being the best bowler in the world. I think it will be Johnson, Hazlewood and Harris.

some of those overs in the World Cup tho, yorkers swinging laaaaate at 153 and 154 kmph. Even with the new cricket bats, you are not gonna disbatch him over mid wicket.

Harris is an injury liability. May not last the entire series. Starc will get his chance.

 

[blackcat]

Re: Re:

Harris is an injury liability. May not last the entire series. Starc will get his chance.

i dont know much about cricket, like cycling now, i dont follow it. just get stuff second hand from mates. yes, i have mates!

but you are right. They may even need Siddle, they may need 5 bowlers for a

5 test series. Which is why it is important NAthan Lion or Lyon can do a poor man's Daniel Vettori! Even with Vettori never a strike bowler, just was economical, held up an end, and prolly averaged 4 wickets per test, more indicative no one esle was a strike bowler to take wickets for NZ, besides the fastbowler in the late 90s and early 2000s who was a fireman. Coulda been a copper. He was consistently over 145, outswing, plus could get it over 150. He started late, a bit like Ryno Harris, albeit, Harris did the evolution from district batsman, to state allrounder and middling, medium, trundling medium pacers, to now a genuine fast man who does outswing. Not quite as quick as the Kiwi, I reckon about 3kmph behind the kiwi. But I have seen Harris flirt with 150 too, and get it regularly high 140s.

Be handy to bring in Starc as the 12th man to start the second or third test, if someone has a niggle, and if a new injury goes out, bring in Siddle. Pretty deep.

I wish KP would play. KP, his class and ability, could only stand the few rungs above the others if they went back to 1990s bats. Bats from 20yrs ago, KP would be a few heads and shoulders above the others. Now you can see why the tailenders can make a half century in the blink of their eye, and Mitch Johnson can be Spartacus with the bat. Entertaining yeah, like baseball, but its not a traditional cricket. KP just had a genius and class no one esle has had. I am not old enough to have seen Viv, but I saw Brian Lara, Lara is the best with KP, and by aways.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

Harris is an injury liability. May not last the entire series. Starc will get his chance.

i dont know much about cricket, like cycling now, i dont follow it. just get stuff second hand from mates. yes, i have mates!

but you are right. They may even need Siddle, they may need 5 bowlers for a

5 test series. Which is why it is important NAthan Lion or Lyon can do a poor man's Daniel Vettori! Even with Vettori never a strike bowler, just was economical, held up an end, and prolly averaged 4 wickets per test, more indicative no one esle was a strike bowler to take wickets for NZ, besides the fastbowler in the late 90s and early 2000s who was a fireman. Coulda been a copper. He was consistently over 145, outswing, plus could get it over 150. He started late, a bit like Ryno Harris, albeit, Harris did the evolution from district batsman, to state allrounder and middling, medium, trundling medium pacers, to now a genuine fast man who does outswing. Not quite as quick as the Kiwi, I reckon about 3kmph behind the kiwi. But I have seen Harris flirt with 150 too, and get it regularly high 140s.

Be handy to bring in Starc as the 12th man to start the second or third test, if someone has a niggle, and if a new injury goes out, bring in Siddle. Pretty deep.

I wish KP would play. KP, his class and ability, could only stand the few rungs above the others if they went back to 1990s bats. Bats from 20yrs ago, KP would be a few heads and shoulders above the others. Now you can see why the tailenders can make a half century in the blink of their eye, and Mitch Johnson can be Spartacus with the bat. Entertaining yeah, like baseball, but its not a traditional cricket. KP just had a genius and class no one esle has had. I am not old enough to have seen Viv, but I saw Brian Lara, Lara is the best with KP, and by aways.

I heard that Harris is raring to go and the long break will help his injuries. He has had a few warm up games and no problems. Siddle seems to be on the outer now since Starc and Hazlewood appeared but he could make the squad. Too bad you missed Richards he was something else also an incredible fielder. Once Richards started dominating he was unstoppable but he was sometimes vulnerable early in the innings like Ponting. Scored very quickly once he had his eye in. As for KP even Clarke thinks England have made a mistake not including him as does Warne but it seems he has burnt too many bridges with some of the senior players and it seems to be more of a people issue than anything to do with his talent. People thought he undermined Strauss' captaincy, who knows what goes on in the dressing room but some of the stuff he fed the media was a bit silly in hindsight. He should have at least been in the ODI team that were miserable at the World Cup, who would have though that England would not get through the qualifying stage. Unbelievable.

 

[blackcat]

i dont dispute KP is prolly an arrogant cnut, more hubris than the dressing room could stand, enough for all twelve in one man. but i can forgive him for his genius, like Warne. i give them a wide berth. might be pr!cks, but they were genius is sport.

i dont think they will need a 5th fastman. but they could draft siddle if they need him. bringing Starc into the starting 11 as the twelth man, with Shane Watson bowling some overs, you reckon will be enough, yeah, seems as if Sidds time is up!

think the series will hang on Mitch Johnson, as long as he produces, it could be 5 zip if he plays all the tests.

and yes i know, it was only the last two SAfrica and Ashes at home in Aus, that he produced his best career form. I appreciate that. But Hazlewood and Ryno look solid, but not enough to win a test series, and my mates reckon Starc struggles in the longer game. Not like Sean Tait, or Shaun Tait, but not unlike Tait neither. Not the best temperament, whereas Ryno and Sidds can land it on a dime, and work to a plan... (ok ok ok, not engaging in hyperbole, even district cricketers will have their tactics and plans for batsmen, by Ryno and Sidds seem the patient workhorses you need in the tests. Hazlewood, a little like Mcgrath too I assume.) It seems a better balance for Mitch Johnson, Hazelwood, or Hazlewood, and Harris. I reckon Harris is the glue, much like Sidds was for a few years, he makes the bowling 4 work as a team so much more efficaciously

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

i dont dispute KP is prolly an arrogant cnut, more hubris than the dressing room could stand, enough for all twelve in one man. but i can forgive him for his genius, like Warne. i give them a wide berth. might be pr!cks, but they were genius is sport.

i dont think they will need a 5th fastman. but they could draft siddle if they need him. bringing Starc into the starting 11 as the twelth man, with Shane Watson bowling some overs, you reckon will be enough, yeah, seems as if Sidds time is up!

think the series will hang on Mitch Johnson, as long as he produces, it could be 5 zip if he plays all the tests.

and yes i know, it was only the last two SAfrica and Ashes at home in Aus, that he produced his best career form. I appreciate that. But Hazlewood and Ryno look solid, but not enough to win a test series, and my mates reckon Starc struggles in the longer game. Not like Sean Tait, or Shaun Tait, but not unlike Tait neither. Not the best temperament, whereas Ryno and Sidds can land it on a dime, and work to a plan... (ok ok ok, not engaging in hyperbole, even district cricketers will have their tactics and plans for batsmen, by Ryno and Sidds seem the patient workhorses you need in the tests. Hazlewood, a little like Mcgrath too I assume.) It seems a better balance for Mitch Johnson, Hazelwood, or Hazlewood, and Harris. I reckon Harris is the glue, much like Sidds was for a few years, he makes the bowling 4 work as a team so much more efficaciously

Normally I'd agree with you, as Australia usually lose their way with the ball when Harris is out but the way they ran through India and the West Indies without him was very promising. With Harris back, even at 80-90% the Aus quicks will be even better again.

I saw some crazy stats recently showing that Johnson's average with the ball is around 30 when Harris is out and 21 when he's in! Crazy.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

i dont dispute KP is prolly an arrogant cnut, more hubris than the dressing room could stand, enough for all twelve in one man. but i can forgive him for his genius, like Warne. i give them a wide berth. might be pr!cks, but they were genius is sport.

i dont think they will need a 5th fastman. but they could draft siddle if they need him. bringing Starc into the starting 11 as the twelth man, with Shane Watson bowling some overs, you reckon will be enough, yeah, seems as if Sidds time is up!

think the series will hang on Mitch Johnson, as long as he produces, it could be 5 zip if he plays all the tests.

and yes i know, it was only the last two SAfrica and Ashes at home in Aus, that he produced his best career form. I appreciate that. But Hazlewood and Ryno look solid, but not enough to win a test series, and my mates reckon Starc struggles in the longer game. Not like Sean Tait, or Shaun Tait, but not unlike Tait neither. Not the best temperament, whereas Ryno and Sidds can land it on a dime, and work to a plan... (ok ok ok, not engaging in hyperbole, even district cricketers will have their tactics and plans for batsmen, by Ryno and Sidds seem the patient workhorses you need in the tests. Hazlewood, a little like Mcgrath too I assume.) It seems a better balance for Mitch Johnson, Hazelwood, or Hazlewood, and Harris. I reckon Harris is the glue, much like Sidds was for a few years, he makes the bowling 4 work as a team so much more efficaciously

Normally I'd agree with you, as Australia usually lose their way with the ball when Harris is out but the way they ran through India and the West Indies without him was very promising. With Harris back, even at 80-90% the Aus quicks will be even better again.

I saw some crazy stats recently showing that Johnson's average with the ball is around 30 when Harris is out and 21 when he's in! Crazy.

Same when Glenn McGrath was bowling. Pressure at one end constantly means a few more loose shots and panic at the other to keep the score moving.

 

[42x16ss]

NZ hit 398 in their one-dayer against Eng, Ross Taylor with a big hundred backed up by McCullum and some good lower order hitting.

Morgan smacked 88 off 47 in the chase, Eng did well to get to 368.

 

[darwin553]

Re: Re:

I'm loving the new england!

Hope they're better than the new Windies otherwise the upcoming Ashes series is going to be dull.

Starc and Hazelwood are both bowling with pace and swing while Clarke and Smith are leading from the front with the bat. Lyon has learned how to turn it with control and Johnson always lifts. The Ashes may be looking dull already.

I cant see Starc in the starting 11, even what MWaugh said about him being the best bowler in the world. I think it will be Johnson, Hazlewood and Harris.

some of those overs in the World Cup tho, yorkers swinging laaaaate at 153 and 154 kmph. Even with the new cricket bats, you are not gonna disbatch him over mid wicket.

Harris is an injury liability. May not last the entire series. Starc will get his chance.

I don't see how Starc will not get a chance ahead of Hazlewood. He is the best bowler in the world atm.

Edit: Take this comment as a confirmation that Harris will play every test until he can't physically bowl another ball.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

I don't see how Starc will not get a chance ahead of Hazlewood. He is the best bowler in the world atm.

Edit: Take this comment as a confirmation that Harris will play every test until he can't physically bowl another ball.[/quote]

Yes there is no doubt that Harris will bowl himself into the ground as we have seen before and this time probably into retirement. I think I heard that this would be his last series unless he meant the return series. Haddin can't be far off either after already retiring from ODIs. Harris has had a good break and should be raring to go.