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The Official BL Cricket Thread

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England threw this game away....Harmison's last over was pathetic.....how he thought he was going to get a wicket bowling that wide down the leg side is beyond me.

Ponting is a hero.....Warney battled on....Clarke needs to do something special soon.....but then again most of our top six are playing poorly....Punter and Langer excluded

A week off, then bring on Trentbridge......
 
aussie aussie aussie! oi! oi! OI! even if england deserved to win the test, they didnt, so fuck em!!! lets go aussie, lets go!
 
oh and by the way, even though ponting had a good knock, he shouldnt be in the test side side let alone captain (but thats justmy drunken opinion)
 
Totally agree DB, the English comentators are pretty bog average with the exception of Mark Nicholas who I think is very very good. Not only are they incredibly negative towards Australia they are very negative towards England as soon as they seem to faulter in any way or things don't go their way. I guess they are just very similar to the tabloids over there in that they are very quick to condemn anything. I think the only thing that is more annoying than the English commentators is Dean Jones. He is an absolute fucktard. Its like he is just bitter and twisted and never really has anything intelligent to say. He reckons Billy Bowden had a "stinker" of a game umpiring because he didn't give Lee out LBW. Lee was almost half way down the pitch!! He likened it to Gillespie's dismissal but it was completely different, Dizzy got hit well below the knee roll. The umpiring was pretty good apart from Martyn being given out LBW when he virtually middled it onto the pad.

I stand by my previous comments that Vaughan may have very well cost England the match by batting for too long. Even though Australia did come close-ish to the target, England still just didn't have quite enough time to bowl Australia out. Had they declared earlier then obviously they would have had more time and the dynamic of the Australian innings may have been quite different because they may have felt they had a chance of winning and the pressure may in some ways have been even greater on Australia. When Ponting was batting with Warne it looked like he thought they were still in with a chance with the strokes he was playing and the running between wickets. I don't think he actually thought they could win but this was done more in an effort to keep the pressure on England and try to force them to make mistakes and crack.
This match was definately worth staying up and watching, its the great thing about Test cricket the intensity and tension that can be built that can't happen in one dayers.

England are definately playing well but Australia is yet to click. I reckon out with Gillespie as he is drasticallly out of form and bring in Kasper ahead of Tait. Tait isn't proven at this level and Kasper is a proven performer and was unlucky not to play this Test. There is too much riding on the next Test to try an uncapped player. IF any batsman was to be dropped I guess it would be Katich but that would be harsh and in his place I'd take Hussey but its probably most likely that they would go for Hodge.

Beech out
 
I would have to agree that if any batsmen goes the unfortunate one has to be Katich. I think of all the batsmen he has looked the most uncomfortable against the reverse swing. As for who comes in to replace him i tend to lean towards Hodge. Hussey had a great series in the lead up One Dayer's but as much as the English bowlers have had success against virtually all of our batsmen i think they have made the Left handers look even more uncomfortable. I'm not just not sure if bringing in another one is the answer.
If i was to bring in Hodge i would probably play him at no.4 to bolster the middle order dropping a Martyn a spot to no 5. Playing Hodge at no 4 will allow him to play his natural game in what is virtually his normal position and Martyn has had great success batting at 5 or 6 in the past.
 
England made one major mistake.

They didn't use Simon Jones enough in the second innings. Fair enough he went off with cramp late in the day.. but surely if a bowler takes 6 for in the first innings you're going to give him the ball a bit faster than they did?!

I think this draw in the face of defeat with change our boys for the better. We may even see a whipping at trent bridge in 10 days time.

my predictions for changes in the aussie side.. Tait in for Gillespie and Hodge in for the injured clarke. At least we'll have a nice finger spinner coming into the team to give us a handy 5th bowler and take some pressure off the front liners. Not to mention a great batsman with alot of potential for the future.
 
Gillespie is gone (I reckon), and it is a sad day. He is a champion, but has been bowling badly for the entire tour. Absolute champion who always had injury worries, and I think it is a sad note for him to go out on, but Kasprowicz has been coming on in leaps and bounds. You definitely don't want to be throwing an inexperienced bowler like Shaun Tait into the mix in this next Ashes test.

Personally, I'd definitely stick with Katich no matter what. He is a class player whose only real problem is that he has been too nice. He was constantly getting dropped for team reshuffles ala Symonds coming in in Sri Lanka etc. He is a very sound and solid batsman and if I recall correctly he is one of the few batsmen under age 30 on the team.

For mine if we were going to drop any player, as hard as it would be to do, it would be Matthew Hayden. He just doesn't seem to be taking the English bowling seriously, and it shows by him getting out cheaply, or after making a start and not going on with it. He is an absolute champion, but has been going through a bit of a rut as of late. I'd like to see him take a more cautious approach to the quality English bowling, and go on and make a big score at Trent Bridge.

It was a damning statement on the Australian batting that Shane Warne was the highest individual run scorer for a while. Thankfully Ponting pulled out a damn fine innings to get the draw. I think that in the back of his mind, he was definitely looking at going for the win, but when the wickets started falling, especially after Clarke was out, they gave it up and just went for the draw. I think it is a fantastic effort that in trying to save a test match, Australia still scored over 350 runs in a day to do it. That is quality right there.

I think Australia should win the next test and thus the series - weather dependent, but it depends on whether or not they actually turn up with their heads switched on. Remember all Australia have to do is win this next test and the Ashes are retained. Also that England have been playing at just about as good as they can while the Aussies have been substandard in just about everything.

If nothing else, this series has been spectacularly entertaining so far, and is exactly what the cricketing public of both countries were looking for :)

Bring on Trent Bridge!
 
what a great ashes series so far

a few things that happened have made me wonder a bit about the quality of the australian team. it would not be too unfair to say that the reverse swing of the english bowlers was the major difference between the two sides. the question is, why cant australian bowlers manage it? its easier to bowl than regular swing, all it requires is a ball scuffed on one side shiny on the other, medium to fast pace and an upright seam. i cant understand why we couldnt manage it, it is definitely something we need to work on if we are to be successful in england in the future.

just on reverse swing, i couldnt count the amount of times benaud said 'wow, he can reverse swing in both directions!' of course he can, it just depends on which way you face the shiny side, maybe cricket players arent too bright, but come on?!

with regards to our team, there certainly does need to be some changes, gillespie, unfortunately, has to go. but i certainly dont think tait is the right option, kaspa is the man. i

n terms of batting i think we are paying the price for ongoing success. when a team is as successful as we have been for so many years there is a real lack of oppurtunity for upcoming batsmen to get some experience. so when a chance does come they often struggle to make the transition ie katich, absolute class player but he looked pretty average out there last night.

having said that, there is one man in the team who hasnt been made to wait and prove his ability and i think he is the one man who should probably give up his spot: michael clarke. consider most of the top order today: hayden, langer, martyn, katich, they all were made to wait and prove their ability by playing some tests, being dropped and having to prove themselves in the domestic comp. clarke is straight into the team and everyone is talking him up but look at his record. he only averages 37 in first class cricket and 40 in test matches. how is he deserving of a spot? sure he might be 'exciting to watch' but if he doesnt put runs on the board is he the right man to play at five? i dont think so, at least not right now, give him a few more years in the domestic comp to prove himself.

so who is the right person to play at five? someone who is steady and experienced, especially in england, i think the perfect guy is hussey, he is 5 years older, has triple the experience and averages 52 in first class cricket plus he is a handy bowler, but, most importantly, he protects his wicket which i dont think clarke does.

enough on the aussie team, time to turn to pietersen. he is truly a cocky bugger, looks like a pretty talented batsmen but in the field and in the dressing room he reminds me of one of those supremely arrogant people who believes in themselves a little too much and as result tends to make numerous stuff ups (to the amusement of the audience). its bad enough that he drops his first 5 catches in his career (is that a record?) but his reaction to them is worse, he puts on this look like he reckons he put down the most difficult catch of the day and that most other fieldsman wouldnt even have got their hands to it!

his attempt at running down the ball last night sums everything up in my opinion. when runs clearly didnt matter he charges feet first into the boundary when there was no chance of stopping the ball risking injury just for the cameras, quite hilarious
 
^^I think you have a point there about Katich. He is definately a quality player with a lot of potential. If Katich isn't yet 30 he is very close to it. He is another player who could be considered a late bloomer in terms of how long it took to get a chance at international cricket. To me he looks a bit of out sorts against the English but then again so do most of the Aussie batsmen. Even though Ponting batted well and made a big score I don't think he would claim to be 'back in form' as such, he still had to work exceptionally hard and battle against the English attack. He was by no means comfortable. I think of all the batsmen in the 2nd innings Clarke actually looked the most comfortable, he was just unlucky that he got an incredibly good delivery that reverse swung to rip out his off stump.
I probably wouldn't drop Katich or any batsman but if I HAD to it would be Katich. I don't think you can drop Hayden even though he is a little bit out of sorts because he is a proven star and top level player. He is the kind of guy who can rip an oposition bowling attack apart and he has done so in some of the tour matches. If he gets going then Australia is set to make a massive score. Also to drop Hayden is to break up one of the most successfull opening combinations in the world and in the history of the game. I don't think Hayden has underestimated the English bowlers, he worked very hard in the 2nd innings to make his 37 and then got his leg stumped knocked over from an absolute pearler of a delivery. He faced about 97 balls for his 37, thats pretty slow going for a guy like Hayden and watching him bat he was definately working hard to keep his wicket. I think the fact is that this is the best bowling the Aussies have had to face in a long time. Australian batsmen have not had to contend with reverse swing and attack with 3 bowlers who all bowl at upwards of 140km/h. This is a good attack they are facing and to expect the Aussie batsmen to tear it apart is a big ask.

I agree that England is playing its best cricket and Australia is yet to produce its best and when/if it does the Poms need to look out because there will be trouble. I'm loving this series and can't wait for the next Test. Would love to see Haydos and Gilly fire up and knock up some big and exciting scores.


Beech
 
Just got this emailed to me. Not sure how true they are (probably a bit of a mix of true and false), but funny anyway:
The Greatest Cricketing sledges of all time..........

1. Rod Marsh & Ian Botham: When Botham took guard in an Ashes match, Marsh welcomed him to the wicket with the immortal words: "So how's your wife & my kids?"

2. Daryll Cullinan & Shane Warne:As Cullinan was on his way to the wicket, Warne told him he had Been waiting 2 years for another chance to humiliate him. "Looks like you spent it eating," Cullinan retorted.

3. Glenn McGrath (bowling to portly Zimbabwean chicken farmer Eddo Brandes): "Hey Eddo, why are you so F**ing Fat?" Eddo Brandes: "Because everytime I F*** your mother, she throws me a biscuit"

4. Robin Smith & Merv Hughes:During 1989 Lords Test Hughes said to Smith after he played & missed:"You can't f**king bat". Smith to Hughes after he smacked him to the boundary: "Hey Merv, we make a fine pair. I can't f**king bat & you can't f**king bowl."

5. Merv Hughes & Javed Miandad:During 1991 Adelaide Test, Javed called Merv a fat bus conductor. A few balls later Merv dismissed Javed: "Tickets please", Merv called out as he ran past the departing batsman.

6. Merv Hughes & Viv Richards:During a test match in the West Indies, Hughes didn't say a word to Viv, but continued to stare at him after deliveries. "This is my island, my culture. Don't you be staring at me. In my culture we just bowl." Merv didn't reply, but after he dismissed him he announced to the batsman: "In my culture we just say f**k off."

7. And of course you can't forget Ian Healy's legendary comment which was picked up by the Channel 9 microphones when Arjuna Ranatunga called for a runner on a particularly hot night during a one dayer in Sydney... "You don't get a runner for being an overweight, unfit, fat c**t!!!"

8. James Ormond had just come out to bat on an ashes tour and was greeted by Mark Waugh....... MW : "F*ck me, look who it is. Mate, what are you doing out here, there's no way you're good enough to play for England" JO : "Maybe not, but at least i'm the best player in my family"

9. McGrath to Ramnaresh Sarwan: "So what does Brian Lara's d*ck taste like?" Sarwan: "I don't know. Ask your wife." McGrath (losing it): "If you ever F*&king mention my wife again, I'll F*ing rip your F*fing throat out."

10. Mark Waugh standing at second slip, the new player (Adam Parore) comes to the crease playing & missing the first ball. Mark - "Ohh, I remember you from a couple years ago in Australia. You were sh*t then, you're fu*king useless now". Parore- (Turning around) "Yeah, that's me & when I was there you were going out with that old, ugly sl*t & now I hear you've married her. You dumb c*nt".

11. Yet another Australian witticism with this time porky Sri Lankan batsman Arjuna Ranatunga the victim. Shane Warne, trying to tempt the batsman out of his crease mused what it took to get the plump character to get out of his crease and drive. Wicketkeeper Ian Healy piped up, "Put a Mars Bar on a good length. That should do it."

12. Ravi shastri v/s the aussie 12th man (don't remember who, and don't want to slander anyone ) shastri hits it to this guy and looks for a single...this guy gets the ball in and says "if you leave the crease i'll break your f***ing head" Shastri: "if you could bat as well as you can talk you wouldn't be the f***ing 12th man" 13. Malcolm Marshall was bowling to David Boon who had played and missed a couple of times. Marshall : "Now David, Are you going to get out now or am I going to have to bowl around the wicket and kill you?"

14. Fred Trueman bowling. The batsman edges and the ball goes to first slip,and right between Raman Subba Row's legs. Fred doesn't say a word. At the end of the over, Row ambles past Trueman and apologises sheepishly. "I should've kept my legs together, Fred". "So should your mother" he replied.
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Now THIS could get interesting!!!

Shaun Tait had an awesome debut!! i've been calling for his chance for a long time and I was NOT proven wrong!! Not only is he a superb bowler, he does a lot for the average looks of the Australian cricket team in general.

And how cool was Ponting's wicket -- captain takes down captain. Just a gem.

Glad i stayed up for it!
 
i couldnt stay up to wait for rain to stop. what did ponting do?

i still think our bowling is al little sketchy. i would like to see lee and kaspa, mcgill and warne, plus drop clarke for hussey which provides us with some medium pace, perfect for these wickets in england
 
Last night performance by our bowlers [the first session particularly] was .....well everyone had a chance to see it. Our fielding has been on a downward slide for quite some time. I really think the Australian Cricket Board has to take a good hard look at how this current Australian team is being coached. In the past the dropped catches and no balls have been of little consequence due to our opposition. I am beginning to think that the complacency that has crept into this side has come form none other than the coaching staff itself and the ACB's lack forethought. They have dropped one if it's greatest servants in Dennis Lillee off the payroll, Buchanan apparently leaves a lot of the onus on the bowlers themselves to get things right during training and he's fairly light on fielding training! Coming from a time When Bob Simpson had this side as sharp a tack in the field and had quite a hardline approach i wonder when questions will start to be asked of John Buchanan himself.:\
 
Pleonastic said:
Just got this emailed to me. Not sure how true they are (probably a bit of a mix of true and false), but funny anyway:
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The best sledge i ever heard was by Merv (i notice he features in a few!) He was getting smashed around the ground and he's walked up the pitch and lifted his leg and farted in the direction of the batsman and then said "see if you can hit that for four" :D

hehe
 
Yeah, if we scrape out of this one it'll be a fucking miracle, and actually winning the next test is looking more and more unlikely. Some fairly dodgy umpiring decisions haven't helped, but despite that we're still being totally out played.
 
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