If England can clean up the Aussie tail they have a shot at winning a test. Good tight bowling, and some appalling shot making from the Aussies, showing no patience at all. England can't afford to let Haddin get going otherwise their advantage will be lost.
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darwin553 said:
Kieswetter is a horrible keeper, on par with Kamran Akmal for dropping sitters.
I make England favourites from here, I doubt Australia will come to within 30 runs of this target. Anderson and Broad could run riot with this wind.
Alphabet said:
I'd be surprised if England do it. They have to be deflated by their second innings with the bat and the pressure is off Australia. Time is no issue. England bowled very well on day two but then let the tail wag again.
Only twice since 1996 (when the drop in pitch was first installed at the MCG) have teams scored over 200 in the last innings in Melbourne. It's a huge challenge, although if England show up bowling turd tomorrow morning then they're squandering their chance to save face and win a test.
Alphabet said:
After this morning's efforts from Bairstow, Kieswetter should be given a go. He didn't really put a foot wrong in last night's performance for the Heat and batted tremendously well - hit one of the biggest 6s I have ever seen hit at the Gabba too.
Kieswetter might be worth a go as a proper batsman, but there must be at least half a dozen better glovemen in England. Bairstow hasn't kept in ages, that's his problem, he's out of practice. He needs to spend a full season in county cricket as a keeper before England can viably consider him as a test quality keeper.
Also I'm amazed that England have been so dreadful. This should have been a very, very tough chase for Australia, and yet we've done it at 4 and a half an over with 8 wickets in hand.
Also I'm amazed that England have been so dreadful. This should have been a very, very tough chase for Australia, and yet we've done it at 4 and a half an over with 8 wickets in hand.
movingtarget said:
The problem is who else can captain?
Broad possibly but that might take away from his performance as a bowler.
Cook, for all his faults as captain, can at least point to being able to score runs while he has been captain.
Alphabet said:
Exactly he hasn't kept in ages. In fact, I heard today that he isn't even Yorkshire's first preference as their keeper.
Logic says Kieswetter can't be any worse than Bairstow or Prior for that matter going by his Perth performance and with his batting he should be given a chance in a test that should really be treated as a trial.
Going back in history a little, many people easily forget that Gilchrist wasn't that great behind the stumps at first but grew and got better as the years went on and Kieswetter fits that bill IMO and certainly England could benefit from Kieswetter's attacking style of play down the order.
Butler should be next in line for the gloves if he can progress well enough with Lancashire. He moved there for the opportunity to regularly play 4 day cricket and so this season could really see him push for a Test place. Kieswetter should focus on cementing his place in the limited overs side where his form has been poor and he is being threatened by Butler. I don't think he is anywhere near the standard England want for a Wicketkeeper, but then again England currently aren't in a position to be picky.
Bairstow would have been doing some good work with the England team on his keeping, but in truth he needs a concerted season of keeping imo if he wants his glovework to be international standard.
And Chapeau to Jacques Kallis, surely one of the very best cricket players to have played the game and a truly nice man as well.
Bairstow would have been doing some good work with the England team on his keeping, but in truth he needs a concerted season of keeping imo if he wants his glovework to be international standard.
And Chapeau to Jacques Kallis, surely one of the very best cricket players to have played the game and a truly nice man as well.
People calling for Cook to be stripped of captaincy are ignoring the main point, which is that he has been massively let down by his team. It doesn't matter how good a captain is, if the fundamentals- good, in-form, fresh, and motivated cricketers- aren't there, then the team is going to be brutally punished, irrespective of how many slips you pack in.
Michael Clarke is often considered the best captain in the world. Was his captaincy winning Australia matches in India and England? No. Could Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor, or Allan Border have won any of those matches if they captained instead of Clarke? No. If you haven't got the players to begin with, no captain can ever make a difference.
Finally, Cook isn't the problem. Flower is the cancer, all Cook does is follow orders. Flower brings a Zimbabwean, minnow mentality of avoiding defeat at all costs. A school of thought where a draw is as good as a win. He, along with the rest of England's backroom staff, pride themselves on some sort of cricketing equivalent of marginal gains, where everything is 'scientific' and run through the computer. That's all England have done, run cricket through a stats computer, under Flower. Chris Rogers scored 45 runs today through third man. Not once did England place a man at third man when he was batting, because when you run cricket through a computer, third man, statistically, is not one of Chris Rogers' favoured scoring areas. It didn't matter in the slightest to the Zimbabwean Sir Brailsford that Rogers had creamed 9 boundaries through third man, the computer said that Rogers, I dunno, gets all his runs from ugly T20 slogs to midwicket or something.
Approaching the sport like they're playing International Cricket Captain 2013 is also why when Jade Dernbach serves up his full toss leg stump filth in ODIs, England have fine leg up inside the circle.
Michael Clarke is often considered the best captain in the world. Was his captaincy winning Australia matches in India and England? No. Could Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor, or Allan Border have won any of those matches if they captained instead of Clarke? No. If you haven't got the players to begin with, no captain can ever make a difference.
Finally, Cook isn't the problem. Flower is the cancer, all Cook does is follow orders. Flower brings a Zimbabwean, minnow mentality of avoiding defeat at all costs. A school of thought where a draw is as good as a win. He, along with the rest of England's backroom staff, pride themselves on some sort of cricketing equivalent of marginal gains, where everything is 'scientific' and run through the computer. That's all England have done, run cricket through a stats computer, under Flower. Chris Rogers scored 45 runs today through third man. Not once did England place a man at third man when he was batting, because when you run cricket through a computer, third man, statistically, is not one of Chris Rogers' favoured scoring areas. It didn't matter in the slightest to the Zimbabwean Sir Brailsford that Rogers had creamed 9 boundaries through third man, the computer said that Rogers, I dunno, gets all his runs from ugly T20 slogs to midwicket or something.
Approaching the sport like they're playing International Cricket Captain 2013 is also why when Jade Dernbach serves up his full toss leg stump filth in ODIs, England have fine leg up inside the circle.
a shocking series by the english they have been really poor with the bat after some good partnerships when pitch has not been that testing.
Alphabet said:
Well if Australia beat SA over there, the SA coach may be following Flower's leave should the ECB sack him
Alphabet said:
Really?
Statistically I would say that third man is one of the biggest scoring areas that Rogers had given he is, in layman's terms, a deflector. Normally you would see Cook place a fielder in an area of a batsman's strength.
However, from a wicket taking point of view, it was better that he didn't place a third man and kept the gully up as it is a more attacking tactic to get Rogers out.
After all, he is hardly going to go Warner style and present a chance on the full to the third man.
I was surprised how easily England rolled over in the last two tests. Even worse than the first three. Dominated is probably not the word I was looking for. Maybe overwhelmed would be better. Not much fight at all. Three months ago Bell and Anderson were doing the same to us. The South African series could be very entertaining.
Not a huge cricket fan by any stretch of the means but watch a bit of the Ashes when I can.
I know Rankin well from playing for Ireland in the 07 WC and he looked promising and was earmarked as a future England player back then and follow the example of Ed Joyce and Morgan.
From the parts I seen he looked a bit out of his depth here.
How did he do?
I know Rankin well from playing for Ireland in the 07 WC and he looked promising and was earmarked as a future England player back then and follow the example of Ed Joyce and Morgan.
From the parts I seen he looked a bit out of his depth here.
How did he do?
Great to see the pompous Poms thrashed 5-0.
Wonder where Botham is hiding now, Ha Ha... 5-0 in reverse !
Clarke's men have even won the ashes faster than Ponting's 06-07 team and the legendary 1921 team. Remarkable turnaround and lot of credit should go to Lehman as well.
Hope this is a good omen in the World of sports for 2014.
The Brits to suffer defeat after defeat.
Wonder where Botham is hiding now, Ha Ha... 5-0 in reverse !
Clarke's men have even won the ashes faster than Ponting's 06-07 team and the legendary 1921 team. Remarkable turnaround and lot of credit should go to Lehman as well.
Hope this is a good omen in the World of sports for 2014.
The Brits to suffer defeat after defeat.
Listening to Botham right now. He's looks and sound freaked in the Sky studio.
He's criticising the need for the huge staff behind the team.
He's criticising the need for the huge staff behind the team.
gooner said:
Didn't watch, but the stats indicate not too well. Only 1 wicket for the whole match, not too good as your first change fast bowler.
However he'll be part of cricketing history as he was last man out handing the Ashes Sweep to the Aussies.
Such a shame the English are steeling your best players, Joyce, Morgan and now Rankin. It will most probably continue unless ICC change the laws (highly unlikely) or you get Test Status. (seems to be distant).
gooner said:
Yes he did not do much but no one really expected him to. Also looked nervous. Would have been hard to come into a well and truly beaten English side for one game.
gooner said:
He must be feeling out of sorts. His predicted 10-0 to England turned out to be 5-3 to Australia. Doh !
movingtarget said:
Yep, tough task.
The English Leggie seems to have picked up some wickets.
Was he any good?
the asian said:
He got bashed about in the first innings but came on at the right time in the second innings when Australia were chasing quick runs. Ended up with 3-33 or thereabouts. Warne seemed to think he would not be a one game wonder. He will improve. Took a nice catch in the outfield as well.
the asian said:
Two of his wickets came from full tosses when the Aussies were slogging at the end. Cook rarely bowled him and used Pieterson today to first bowl spin today.
England only batted for 31 overs in the 2nd innings.
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