The Ashes

[PACONi]

Short of Johnson making a complete form reversal (with the bat too, no-one else seems to be making runs), I don't see the poms not keeping the urn.

60 1st innings runs and on his way to 10 wickets, I'd call that a form reversal.

Besides Johnson, I think Harris has some potential. Hilfenhaus is too expensive, and Siddle just doesn't seem threatening. Still no spinner.
Ponting, Clarke and Hughes (too early to tell about Smith) aren't up to scratch. So basically, if Hussey and Johnson have a bad day, we're in a pot of poo. Too much work being done by too few.

But at least the series will still be alive for Boxing Day.

 

[Archibald]

best monday morning here for a while. they've all gone very quiet about the cricket.
it's almost Fawlty Towers-esque - Don't mention the... cricket

Do any of you on here find Michael slater and Ian Healy really irritating?

complete pair of tw*ts

 

[leftover pie]

best monday morning here for a while. they've all gone very quiet about the cricket.
it's almost Fawlty Towers-esque - Don't mention the... cricket

i spent all of thursday and friday plus an hour of sunday in the members at the WACA, fantastic weekend all up.

disappointed i missed out on seeing huss get his ton on saturday, but you can't have everything.

with the series pretty evenly poised, I can't wait for boxing day

 

[simo1733]

i spent all of thursday and friday plus an hour of sunday in the members at the WACA, fantastic weekend all up.

disappointed i missed out on seeing huss get his ton on saturday, but you can't have everything.

with the series pretty evenly poised, I can't wait for boxing day

How is your boxing day so far?

 

[craig1985]

All for 98.

I've seen more backbone in a jellyfish.

 

[Mellow Velo]

i spent all of thursday and friday plus an hour of sunday in the members at the WACA, fantastic weekend all up.

disappointed i missed out on seeing huss get his ton on saturday, but you can't have everything.

with the series pretty evenly poised, I can't wait for boxing day

Only 365 days to go. ( 3 and a half times the Aussie score)

One of the biggest holes ever dug in a single day's cricket.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Maybe the selectors might wake up to themselves after this ashes series defeat. It hurst me to say it but ponting needs to go and clarke also. He is just not good enough atm.

 

[craig1985]

Johnson needs to sort his head out. He's good one Test, and the next Test he is useless. Steve Smith should go as he's not a number 6 at this moment, and his bowling isn't good enough.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Johnson needs to sort his head out. He's good one Test, and the next Test he is useless. Steve Smith should go as he's not a number 6 at this moment, and his bowling isn't good enough.

+1

Smith does not spin the ball very far so he can't afford to bowl short like he was today. He is a very tentative batsman.

 

[LugHugger]

best monday morning here for a while. they've all gone very quiet about the cricket.
it's almost Fawlty Towers-esque - Don't mention the... cricket

I can guarantee you a very different reaction the next time you see your colleagues. Looking forward to going back to work?

 

[AussieGoddess]

I quite like Michael Slater when I hear (or see) him. Healy on the other hand will always be irritating, due to him and Steve Waugh rescuing bad situations with a 200 partnership.

What makes it worse is that us Poms thought that once he was gone things would be OK as the new guy wouldn't be as good a batsman. Doh!

ROFL

Gilly would have to be my all time favourite sportsman

The Aussies may be in just a touch of trouble after today though ... whoops!!!

 

[sublimit]

Maybe the selectors might wake up to themselves after this ashes series defeat. It hurst me to say it but ponting needs to go and clarke also. He is just not good enough atm.

Ponting is losing it but i would get David Hussey in for Smith, Hauritz should come in also.

Mitchell Johnson is like getting to be like Englands Steve Harmison or Devon Malcolm from a few years back where he is looks a world beater then returns to being useless for several games,,

The top order of your team looks vulnerable- With Hughes i expected more but you should stick with your bowlers, .

 

[craig1985]

Australia 4/108, and they still need another 307 runs to make England bat again.

 

[sublimit]

ROFL

Gilly would have to be my all time favourite sportsman

The Aussies may be in just a touch of trouble after today though ... whoops!!!

When Gilchrist was on it there's no better sight in cricket, seeing quick bowlers getting taken to the cleaners and creamed everywhere - you have to respect a player like that.

As for the game I'm not a major fan of Bresnen but he looked very good today, he certainly came to the party and looks the real thing and not a county trundler. Improving quickly.

 

[Frosty]

When Gilchrist was on it there's no better sight in cricket, seeing quick bowlers getting taken to the cleaners and creamed everywhere - you have to respect a player like that.

Yeah, must be quite demoralising for the bowlers to have a team at, say 250-5, think they have done the hard work and that one more wicket will allow them to get into the tail enders, or at least the bowling all rounders, and get the opposition out for say 330 or 350. Then Gilchrist comes in and an hour later it is 320(+) for 5 with the field spread and no idea of how to bowl at him.

As for the game I'm not a major fan of Bresnen but he looked very good today, he certainly came to the party and looks the real thing and not a county trundler. Improving quickly.

I think that Tremlett and Bresnan have both done very well. Nice to know that the back-up bowlers are good, was a bit worried that they might end up being expensive.

 

[leftover pie]

How is your boxing day so far?

terrible!


. . absolute domination from england.

 

[Izzy eviel]

Australia aren't a bad side, they're just a team low on form & confidence who've been hindered by a bizarre selection policy.

England have saved the Ashes. Get's better everytime! Lets hope we make the Aussies wait for 24 years!

 

[dolophonic]

Aussies.. you only sing when your winning !

 

[auscyclefan94]

I was barracking For the Poms. Only way things will start changing across the whole spectrum of australian cricket is if we lose the ashes. I have come to learn in the past few days that some aussies are very bad losers and it is odd that some australians call the poms arrogant. The English are a very good team. Give them credit.

 

[Ferminal]

It's OK, Michael Clarke's amazing leadership and batting abilities will lead us to a consolation win next week.

 

[auscyclefan94]

It's OK, Michael Clarke's amazing leadership and batting abilities will lead us to a consolation win next week.

Good joke! I honestly think that the coaches, players & selectors will never get the message about their failures after listening to numerous different people involved in those positions.

 

[Ferminal]

Typical mindless squad. Bollinger back just three weeks after he was dropped. If they had any idea Copeland would be playing.

 

[lanternrouge]

I was barracking For the Poms. Only way things will start changing across the whole spectrum of australian cricket is if we lose the ashes. I have come to learn in the past few days that some aussies are very bad losers and it is odd that some australians call the poms arrogant. The English are a very good team. Give them credit.

Never thought I would hear myself say this but i agree with you! Well said.

I have looked around the aussie media and some of the comments are truly baffling. It is always someone's fault, never a case of beaten by a better team. And then we get the old chestnut about SA 'B' team, well Australia now have picked a bloke born in ****stan! (FFS you cannot even name a country any more without the ****ing asterisk)

It seems that Aussies are not really as keen on sport as we thought, its more a case of you like winning. Now that is not happening anymore things are not going to get any better until a few home truths are confronted.

Nice article here http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2010/dec/29/ashes-2010-humility-humbled-australia

 

[auscyclefan94]

Typical mindless squad. Bollinger back just three weeks after he was dropped. If they had any idea Copeland would be playing.

Tim Nielsen is so delusional. Then listening to Merv Hughes about the selections you realise how stupid current and past selectors are. Still don't understand how they justify so many of their selections. They said the only reason Hughes was in because the only other good batters at domestic level were not openers. Surely that is a worrying sign if you select a guy that is averaging 20 at domestic level? Supposedly Khawaja has flopped the past 5 innings of sheffield shield cricket? They can't say they are basing selections on bringing in youth because on recent selections they have brought in 'older' guys such as harris and bollinger.

Then we have a captain who is a stubborn little whinger, we appoint a replacement captain to a batsman who is struggling as it is with his batting. It is an absolute mess. I personally don't see what others see in Clarke as a captain. Because he is a 'golden' boy they will never drop him. Because Ponting is captain they will never drop him. They also have brought in guys which after one failure they are dumped and they have barely been given a chance.

But we must admit that England are a very good cricketing team.

 

[Ferminal]

Nielsen and Hilditch are both funny, hilarious how anyone can support Ponting or Clarke for that matter. If any other batsmen had a series (or a year) like these two they would have been axed two tests ago. It's not just the statistics - neither of them look at all comfortable as #3 and 4 in a test side. Clarke should have been disowned of the T20 captaincy 12 months ago, and thus providing the precedent for someone other than Ricky or Pup to captain an Australian side. Unfortunately they have been fixed on this ridiculous succession plan for 4 years now even though we have been reminded half a dozen times how unsuitable Clarke would be as a future captain.

The idea that either of them should be immune due to their "leadership role" is invalid - given that Ricky is the last person you want educating the future of Australian cricket and Clarke does not have the confidence of himself/the team as a leader.