Cricket- the sport not the insect

[blackcat]

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.

think we went thru this, yes, Starc is a strike bowler, and he may be the best bowler in the world at the moment.

but this is test cricket, i am not sure there is a spot for both Mitchell Johnson and Starc in the same team. I don't think Starc can bowl 35 overs in an innings if he has to. (someone gave me these pov)

 

[movingtarget]

Immediate Retirement For Ryan Harris

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jul/04/ryan-harris-australia-cricket-retirement-knee-injury-ashes

Big blow for Australia pre Ashes. Here I was thinking he would struggle to play the entire series but he did not even make it. He has done well even with chronic injuries but this is the end. Sad that he could not go out on his own terms. Pat Cummins comes into the squad. Another fast bowler who has had many problems with injuries. The Rhino has left the field.

 

[thrawn]

Re:

Immediate Retirement For Ryan Harris

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jul/04/ryan-harris-australia-cricket-retirement-knee-injury-ashes

Big blow for Australia pre Ashes. Here I was thinking he would struggle to play the entire series but he did not even make it. He has done well even with chronic injuries but this is the end. Sad that he could not go out on his own terms. Pat Cummins comes into the squad. Another fast bowler who has had many problems with injuries. The Rhino has left the field.

I think Australia were planning on a Starc/Johnson/Hazlewood bowling lineup anyway. Australia have a lot depth in the bowling department so I'm not too concerned. If Smith/Clarke were to get injured, then I'd be worried.

 

[Sasquatch]

Clarke shouldn't be playing. He's past it. Smith should have remained captain and they should have gone to the new era.

Clarke is going to have a very poor Ashes series with the bat.

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

Clarke shouldn't be playing. He's past it. Smith should have remained captain and they should have gone to the new era.

Clarke is going to have a very poor Ashes series with the bat.

Huh? Clarke has had excellent form the last 18 months, the only issue has been his back

 

[blackcat]

i am concerned about Australia losing Ryan Harris. he holds the attack together. i would prefer a team with Hazelwood, Johnson, and Harris. no Starc

for some conspiratorial reason, i think Harris might have a "Clinic" subforum reason for the late pullout. whattya reckon 42x16ss ?

 

[del1962]

Watching Johnson bowl he has an almost Harmison level of waywardness, 0 - 87, was hoping it would be 0 -100 before the end, and with Starc's seeming injury they, Lyons general ineffectiveness they are putting a lot of stress on Hazelwood.

 

[Pricey_sky]

A good 1st days cricket with the Aussies getting early wickets before England fought back with root's superb hundred. Some late wickets make it about even I feel. Haddin must be gutted he dropped Root on 0, don't think England would have recovered from 43-4. Instead they can hopefully push on to around 400 which is a decent score on that wicket.
Weather is set to be warm and mainly sunny for the next 3 days so I think it may do something for the spinners as the game goes on.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Watching Johnson bowl he has an almost Harmison level of waywardness, 0 - 87, was hoping it would be 0 -100 before the end, and with Starc's seeming injury they, Lyons general ineffectiveness they are putting a lot of stress on Hazelwood.

There's no half measures with Johnson. He's on or he's not. Often the way in cricket, one catch dropped changes everything, not an easy chance but still. Root has matured, he will probably be England's best batsman throughout the series. Harris was a huge blow for Australia, even though he was a veteran, as a bowler he is everything Johnson isn't. Very consistent with line and length and also patient which you need to be to be a good test bowler. With all of his injury problems he always gave 100 % for the team. They needed him in the English conditions.

 

[del1962]

Re:

A good 1st days cricket with the Aussies getting early wickets before England fought back with root's superb hundred. Some late wickets make it about even I feel. Haddin must be gutted he dropped Root on 0, don't think England would have recovered from 43-4. Instead they can hopefully push on to around 400 which is a decent score on that wicket.
Weather is set to be warm and mainly sunny for the next 3 days so I think it may do something for the spinners as the game goes on.

Yep I wonder if Haddin dropped the Ashes

Ball was swinging a lot yesterday from the last hour which I saw, but the Aussies bowlers didn't seem to control it (they really miss Ryan Harris), I think they really miss Ryan Harris, I expect the conditions to really suit Jimmy and he should have better control but we won't really know until both sides have batted. Wicket also seems a little two paced so batting in final innings seems difficult. A shame that England don't have a top line spinner, while we will see how Ali bowls, I would much rather have him as a second spinner though I am not sure if he quite deserves a place as a batsman alone.

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

i am concerned about Australia losing Ryan Harris. he holds the attack together. i would prefer a team with Hazelwood, Johnson, and Harris. no Starc

for some conspiratorial reason, i think Harris might have a "Clinic" subforum reason for the late pullout. whattya reckon 42x16ss ?

I'm sceptical. How often does cricket even test? The only positives I can think of at test level are Shane Warne and Shoaib Akhtar and I've been a cricket tragic since I was about 7 years old.

 

[blackcat]

not sure 42x16ss they are lik cycling and dont wanna catch anyone


on the dropping the Ashes. yes, haddin did drop the Ashes. We will lose this test, and go on to lost the Ashes 3-1.

he was just a little bit off. He should have gone two hands, because he thought he needed the extra one foot to stretch and had to go one hand, but the ball did not keep going, it was an easy catch with two hands.

the difference is not "two hands" because ultimately it is caught in the right hand, but the right hand will be pointy with the fingers to the ground, not out to point or backward point. and the hand is not flush perpendicular to the ball, it makes a 90 degree pouch with the other hand, even if the ball will still be caught in the right hand.

And Hadds still could have caught it in his right hand going one handed, but the ball sailed high into the thumb's ball (like the ball of the heel on your foot)

 

[Pricey_sky]

So then Australia require a huge total to win this test, they have time and there is a possibility of showers, however the pitch is becoming increasingly difficult to bat on and if England bowl as well as they did in the first innings they should win.

 

[42x16ss]

I can't see it. Clarke and Smith missed their chance in the first innings with impatient shots. One of them should have gone on to 100+, they're both in good touch. Now England should go 1-0 with the conditions

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

So then Australia require a huge total to win this test, they have time and there is a possibility of showers, however the pitch is becoming increasingly difficult to bat on and if England bowl as well as they did in the first innings they should win.

Unlikely to see Australia win and the Second Test won't be any easier if Starc does not make it. He has been having problems with bone spurs on his ankles and is supposed to be bowling through the pain at the moment. Ponting said it does not look good for Starc. He has had the problems before.

 

[blackcat]

like i said, mitch johnson, rhino harris, and hazlewood were the bowling team. they needed rhino. johnson always bowls well bowling with harris

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

lol

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

This Australian team is just too defensive and old fashioned - scoring nearly a run an over slower than England and it's cost them big time.

They could really do with an imaginative captain to drag them in to the modern era. And get rid of this bad collapse habit.

 

[thrawn]

Re:

This Australian team is just too defensive and old fashioned - scoring nearly a run an over slower than England and it's cost them big time.

They could really do with an imaginative captain to drag them in to the modern era. And get rid of this bad collapse habit.

Just a general lack of quality batsmen. Voges is a shield player, there's reasons why he was never picked for tests. Watson still, is not a test quality player. I honestly have no idea why we continue to pick the idiot.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

This Australian team is just too defensive and old fashioned - scoring nearly a run an over slower than England and it's cost them big time.

They could really do with an imaginative captain to drag them in to the modern era. And get rid of this bad collapse habit.

It's basically the same side that beat England 5-0 in Australia. What are you talking about ? Clarke has showed over recent years that he is a very good captain. Harris was a big blow, Starc is having problems, Johnson is a 50% better bowler in South African and Australian conditions. Australia have been put outplayed for sure but it does not mean they can't improve. I think selectors will be thinking a lot about Watson. He has had more chances than most. The change in coach looks like it has also been a good move for England. They were dreadful in the last Ashes and for a long time after. A lot more spirit about the English team this time.

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

Re: Re:

This Australian team is just too defensive and old fashioned - scoring nearly a run an over slower than England and it's cost them big time.

They could really do with an imaginative captain to drag them in to the modern era. And get rid of this bad collapse habit.

Just a general lack of quality batsmen. Voges is a shield player, there's reasons why he was never picked for tests. Watson still, is not a test quality player. I honestly have no idea why we continue to pick the idiot.

I agree, there is a general lack of quality in Australian batsmen which is reflected in the test team. I tend to agree with Voges but he was the best player in Shield cricket along with perhaps Marcus North who has been tried previously. Younger players are just not making the impression needed to get into the team.

Watson has never been a test match quality batsman but he has done a job okay at times but clearly should not be in the team now. Not convinced Mitch Marsh will do any better but is worth a shot.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Re: Re:

This Australian team is just too defensive and old fashioned - scoring nearly a run an over slower than England and it's cost them big time.

They could really do with an imaginative captain to drag them in to the modern era. And get rid of this bad collapse habit.

It's basically the same side that beat England 5-0 in Australia. What are you talking about ? Clarke has showed over recent years that he is a very good captain. Harris was a big blow, Starc is having problems, Johnson is a 50% better bowler in South African and Australian conditions. Australia have been put outplayed for sure but it does not mean they can't improve. I think selectors will be thinking a lot about Watson. He has had more chances than most. The change in coach looks like it has also been a good move for England. They were dreadful in the last Ashes and for a long time after. A lot more spirit about the English team this time.

I was just playing back the boring, ill-considered criticism of England.

The reality is Australia have been an average team for a long time now. Winning a home Ashes is completely standard, but it's nearly 15 years since you won over here, and this team is not good enough to adapt to different conditions.

England were the last team good enough to win an away ashes, and that doesn't look like changing this year.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Incidentally, the 5 oldest players at Cardiff were all Aussies - not going to be able to put off moving on to the Khawaja generation for much longer...

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Incidentally, the 5 oldest players at Cardiff were all Aussies - not going to be able to put off moving on to the Khawaja generation for much longer...

Clarke and Haddin will be gone for sure and Rogers. Watson maybe for other reasons. Johnson will be around a bit longer. As old as they are they have been pretty successful of late against the best teams in the world plus the World Cup win but you are right, the team will have to change after this series and maybe during, if injuries continue. England may also shed a couple.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

For England Bell would be the only possible - no real injury issues though so that question disappears if he finds a bit of form.

Jimmy is nearly 33 but doesn't rely on pace so should have another 2 or 3 years if he wants them. Cook's got 5 years plus and everyone else is under 30.

Lyth isn't locked in, but there are plenty of interested young players scoring good runs in county cricket, so it's no big concern if a couple need replacing.

Australia will need to replace 5 of their top 7 in the next 2 years, so it will be real sink or swim time for the next generation (presumably you have some 33 year olds who have nearly earned a chance?)