Cricket- the sport not the insect

[movingtarget]

Too many runs, I'm afraid. More rain or it'll be an England win.

Yes we needed to get Bell early. He's been their best batsman throughout the series so far. Not impossible but it will be tough in the conditions.

 

[Alphabet]

I'm still not confident. 179 more to get. If these two can get to 200, I'll start thinking it's possible.

 

[darwin553]

I'm still not confident. 179 more to get. If these two can get to 200, I'll start thinking it's possible.

I don't know whether you are qualified to speak. You have been pessimistic from the start!

 

[Cyivel]

Has Clarke been coaching England on use of the DRS system.

 

[Alphabet]

I don't know whether you are qualified to speak. You have been pessimistic from the start!

With good reason. Australia just don't win cricket matches anymore (unless at home against laughably subpar opposition) without looking like losing it for most of the game.

Down to the Useless Brothers to get us home now. Graeme Swann should be banned from bowling to Usman Khawaja on humanitarian grounds, he would be useful against the quicks.

 

[Alphabet]

Chasing down 300 doesn't happen unless your batting line up includes half a dozen VVS Laxman's. Nice try, though.

England should have led by no more than 240, there was some real turd served up by Bird to the tail.

 

[darwin553]

Dar owed Australian an LB after the shocker when he gave out Lyon in the 1st innings - predictably he hasn't come through

 

[Cyivel]

Don't think this Haddin one is out

 

[Cyivel]

Using every millimetre of the stumps here are England

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Anderson carrying England again.

They need some other players to step up before he gets injured with this workload.

 

[King Boonen]

Anderson carrying England again.

They need some other players to step up before he gets injured with this workload.

Really? Broad has 10 wickets in the test.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Really? Broad has 10 wickets in the test.

I'm just replaying what every lazy columnist wrote after the first test. Even writers I have some respect for came out with that rubbish.

If Anderson was carrying England he'd have a much better record, or England would have a much worse one.

Sadly some people can only remember 1 test back.

 

[Cyivel]

\o/ .........

 

[King Boonen]

Ah ok, I was very confused!

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Booo ya.

Looking forward to this thread going quiet for a week, then the indomitable hope/delusion of our Aussie friends leading them back to discuss how close the series has been and how they will probably win at the Oval if they can just perfect that batting order.

 

[del1962]

Booo ya.

Looking forward to this thread going quiet for a week, then the indomitable hope/delusion of our Aussie friends leading them back to discuss how close the series has been and how they will probably win at the Oval if they can just perfect that batting order.

Is Michael Clarke still talking about drawing the series

Chapeau to Broad, a player whose place in the team I questioned a few years ago.

 

[Alphabet]

Booo ya.

Looking forward to this thread going quiet for a week, then the indomitable hope/delusion of our Aussie friends leading them back to discuss how close the series has been and how they will probably win at the Oval if they can just perfect that batting order.

This series, especially the Old Trafford match, has only cemented my gut feeling that Australia will win in Australia. England have only threatened with reverse swing, which they won't find in Australia unless they exhume Sarfaraz Nawaz and ask him to obtain a British passport; and spin, which also won't work in Australia. The batting won't matter because when there's no swing, seam or spin, somebody will hang around for long enough with Clarke to put up a big score.

Batting tracks with good bounce based on this series is an area where the English attack can't get much done. Of course, if England bat first, then Australia will end up losing. Batting first is crucial to victory anywhere in the world, but especially so when your batting order is terrible and the pitch lifeless for the first 2 days. The only 'sporting' pitches in Australia are the WACA and the Gabba (coincidentally the two grounds Australia are most difficult to beat on)- the rest are loaded far too much in favour of batsmen, with the exception of Hobart, which is usually loaded too much in favour of fast bowlers.

 

[darwin553]

I'm just replaying what every lazy columnist wrote after the first test. Even writers I have some respect for came out with that rubbish.

One great test doesn't make a bowler...now Harris he has been the pick of all the bowlers in the series and remember he missed the first test

 

[Alphabet]

Is Michael Clarke still talking about drawing the series

Chapeau to Broad, a player whose place in the team I questioned a few years ago.

To be fair, what's Clarke supposed to say? "Oh yeah, we're two nil down and we're going to lose four nil, might as well forfeit the next two tests". Leaders have to say stupid things as though they believe them to inspire a little confidence. I'm certain Clarke and Lehmann both privately felt they had no chance of drawing the series

As an aside, it is an absolute travesty that this Australian team is the third best test match team in the world. Yes the rankings may say that Australia are fifth, but the truth is that they would beat everybody except England and South Africa anywhere in the world with the exception of Asia (i.e. Australia would beat India and Pak-istan, the two teams ranked 3rd and 4th, anywhere outside Asia). It's even worse that this England team is head and shoulders the second best team in the world- the 2005 and 2010/11 lot would have monstered this team.

 

[Alphabet]

I think I've banged on this drum before, but South Africa aside, every other of the major nations are at their worst in a long time, or at least, significantly worse than they were 10 or even 5 years ago. The dearth in quality is ridiculous. I know we can't expect like-for-like replacements for some of the giants that played the sport up until the late 00's, but their replacements haven't even had a fifth of their predecessor's class and ability.

 

[movingtarget]

Will Watson, Khawaja and Smith survive ? I have my doubts especially if they fail again in the Fifth Test. What's even worse is that Ian Chappell can't see anyone in Shield cricket good enough to replace them. No one is averaging over 40 in state cricket. Chappell seems to think that the bowling stocks are not too bad but the batting situation is dire. He also watched the Aussies in the last U/19 World Cup and was not too impressed by any of the Australians. After being 110-1 it was truly a pathetic performance. TV ratings in Australia could be interesting for the return series especially if England win the first test or two. How disappointing.

 

[Alphabet]

Cosgrove averages 43. Get him in.

 

[darwin553]

I think I've banged on this drum before, but South Africa aside, every other of the major nations are at their worst in a long time, or at least, significantly worse than they were 10 or even 5 years ago. The dearth in quality is ridiculous.

I wouldn't say that. India are better, West Indies are better, New Zealand are better. Sri Lanka and ****stan about the same with Australia worse. However, our worse is still better than all of those countries apart from India and Sri Lanka (in Sri Lanka) - so we are still within sight of the best cricketing nations.

 

[darwin553]

Cosgrove averages 43. Get him in.

No. I think I've said that to you before. We can do better. Anyway, the selectors won't have a player in that sort of condition playing for Australia.

How about this one: http://www.waca.com.au/other/players_detail.php?ID=47

 

[Alphabet]

India have declined hugely. Back in the early 2000s they were easily the 2nd best team in the world. Even as late as 2008 they were extremely competitive away from home, and of course by 2010 they were ranked 1. They've backslid all the way back to the '90s, where they were monstrous at home, but worse than Zimbabwe away. Even at home, they're vulnerable, they lost to England last summer. Things may have looked rosy for Indian cricket with the 4-0 win and the Champions Trophy win, but it will come crashing back down to earth when they get whitewashed by South Africa, then they tour England next winter for a 5 test series. By the end of that they could have lost 16 consecutive away test matches. Sixteen.

New Zealand around the early/mid 2000s were competitive. Now for the most part they're just pack fodder. West Indies still had three of the greatest ever cricketers in Lara, Ambrose and Walsh; now all they have is a soon-to-be 40 year old Chanderpaul and a couple of young fast bowlers, surrounded by a bunch of T20 specialists who want to waste their talents earning easy money playing for the Whoever Whoever's in T20 leagues. Sri Lanka are still just treading water, but only just. Once the big three batsmen and Herath disappear, which can't be more than 2 to 4 years, their decline will be unprecedented. Pak-istan have also declined. Their batting is shambolic, but their bowling is better than what it was around 2005.