Australian cricket

Edmundo

Edmundo

Whinging pom
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Australian cricket

As I write, Australia are 7 for 192 in their second innings, 127 runs ahead of South Africa. If they lose this match, then they've lost the series - which would be the first at home in over ten years - and if they also lose at Sydney, they will fall off the top of the world rankings.

There's no doubt in my mind that both India and South Africa are currently stronger than Australia and perhaps Sri Lanka too. And this coming summer, we may find that England can beat them too.

What a turnaround.

Strangely, the reaction from many Aussies that I meet over here is one of increased interest in cricket and a feeling that it's about time too. None of the people I talk to are related to Ricky Ponting, mind you! And Peter Roebuck has even called for the head of the Chairman of Selectors.

:)
 

Australian cricket

Never cross an Australian scorned, England will have to improve their consistency to even contest the Ashes, so here's to another classic (or an England whitewash :D)
 

Australian cricket

The sad thing is, England are so bad now that, we will lose in the summer.

Since Moores took over, we have lost a series at home every summer I believe, and I fully expect that to continue.

Moores must go now.
 

Australian cricket

Edmundo said:
As I write, Australia are 7 for 192 in their second innings, 127 runs ahead of South Africa. If they lose this match, then they've lost the series - which would be the first at home in over ten years - and if they also lose at Sydney, they will fall off the top of the world rankings.

There's no doubt in my mind that both India and South Africa are currently stronger than Australia and perhaps Sri Lanka too. And this coming summer, we may find that England can beat them too.

What a turnaround.

:)
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Long may the decline continue. Lets all hope it's a long and painful one.lol
 

Australian cricket

Holysmit said:
The sad thing is, England are so bad now that, we will lose in the summer.

Since Moores took over, we have lost a series at home every summer I believe, and I fully expect that to continue.

Moores must go now.
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I have to disagree here.

I believe we are of equal ability at present with Australia and home advantage gives us a possible edge in what, I expect, to be as close a series as the last one.
Now if it is as half as exciting, we will be royally entertained.
The Australia touring party will have several new faces, keen to do well, mixed with the usual experience. This is an interesting test of the depth of Aussie cricket and I expect one or two England changes as well.
I fully expect SA to get the runs toninght but not without a few hiccoughs as the wicket is getting a little lower and slower.
 

Australian cricket

SpiderBee said:
I have to disagree here.

I believe we are of equal ability at present with Australia and home advantage gives us a possible edge in what, I expect, to be as close a series as the last one.
Now if it is as half as exciting, we will be royally entertained.
The Australia touring party will have several new faces, keen to do well, mixed with the usual experience. This is an interesting test of the depth of Aussie cricket and I expect one or two England changes as well.
I fully expect SA to get the runs toninght but not without a few hiccoughs as the wicket is getting a little lower and slower.
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The Aussie batting line up is far superior IMO.

Their bowling line up is not a shadow of its former self, (while it must be said its the same case for us) and is not as good as ours I agree. However I just can't see us taking 20 wickets in a match too often. In a team which still has Hussey, Ponting (in as good a form as ever) Katich and as much as I hate to say it Michael Clarke and this is forgetting that Matt Prior will probably give them a life each.

The England team has gone backwards majorally since Moores took over (despite a few good one day series here and there) and I just can't see him turning it around in any way. Therefore he and his little favourite Matt Prior, should both bite the bullet.

What odds on Sharne Warne suddenly coming out of retirement for the Ashes?
 

Australian cricket

You seem not to have noticed the declining form of Mike Hussey. With him and Hayden not firing, the batting is very dependent on Ponting - in this match he has scored 200 runs but looks likely to end up captaining his side to a heavy defeat. The English have selection issues, particularly at 3 and wk (and perhaps in the spin department, but maybe Rashid will make his breakthrough soon?), but I think we have every chance of regaining the Ashes. Saying that England are "so bad now" seems to me to fly in the face of how we have played since KP took over from Vaughan, who had become introspective and negative in his captaincy - and ignores how good India (especially at home) and South Africa are.
 

Australian cricket

Ed, we're all supporting Brentford at the moment. We're doing well and you are missing out :shrug:

Let's do cricket next year :shrug:
 

Australian cricket

Taking the 12 in the squad for the 3rd test and the squad from 2000ish (when the Aussies were at their best IMO)

Hayden - Hayden
Katich - Langer
Ponting - Ponting
Hussey - M. Waugh
Clarke - S. Waugh
McDonald - Lehmann
Haddin - Gilchrist
Johnson - Warne
Siddle - Lee
Hauritz - Gillespie
Bollinger - McGrath
Hilfenhaus - MacGill

I'd have pretty much the whole of the squad of 8 years ago and I think only Ponting in todays form is as good as his form in the prime of the Aussies. It's certainly weaker without Lee. I can't see either Clarke or Hussey living up to the standards of the Waugh brothers. I think only one of them would get in the batting line-up instead of Lehmann. The Aussies are certainly not the force they were but comparing the 2005 Ashes winning team to todays side we have problems as well.

Strauss - Strauss
Cook - Trescothick
Collingwood - Vaughan
Bell - Bell
Pietersen - Pietersen
Flintoff - Flintoff
Prior - G. Jones
Panesar - Giles
Sidebottom - Hoggard
Harmison - Harmison
Broad - S. Jones

I personally think Hoggard and Jones are better bowlers than Broad and Sidebottom. Vaughan is probably stronger. Bell is a confidence player and needs runs.

The question is which English players would get into the Australian side. I think Pietersen and Flintoff would get in there without a doubt in place of McDonald and Katich but I can't see how others would get in. I think Ponting and Clarke would get into our side with ease in place of Bell and Collingwood. I think it'll be close come the summer and hopefully we'll come into it with a lot of confidence by beating the Windies.
 

Australian cricket

Only problem is that side you have named ignores, Shane Watson, Brett Lee and Andrew Symonds, who i'm sure will feature in the summer, injury permitting.
 

Australian cricket

Bringing those who are injured into the mix

Still there:

Hayden
Ponting
Lee

Katich - Langer
Hussey - M. Waugh
Clarke - S. Waugh
Symonds - Lehmann
Haddin - Gilchrist
Hauritz - Warne
Clark - Gillespie
Watson - McGrath
Hilfenhaus - MacGill

Again not many would get in ahead of them
 

Australian cricket

I don't think anyone would suggest that this Australia team is any where near as good as there past team. In fact it would take a bloody strong side to ever get near that team.

It is the best team ever without doubt.

The only problem for me is England unders Moores are pretty sh*t.
 

Australian cricket

Holysmit said:
The only problem for me is England unders Moores are pretty sh*t.
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If the rumours are true that KP & Moores don't get on. One has to go.
On Australia, great country, lovely people, but in a spiraling down sporting context :D
 

Australian cricket

Anyone know why SA opened with Morkel and not someone like Amla?

SA don't look interested though Siddle looks pretty decent this test.
 

Australian cricket

Salford Bee said:
Anyone know why SA opened with Morkel and not someone like Amla?

SA don't look interested though Siddle looks pretty decent this test.
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Presumably because if Morkel could have batted for 10 overs or so of the new ball it would have made everyone else's task easier. It didn't work but Amla and McKenzie have batted well.

There is definitely a sense that SA are a notch of intensity down in this game - as they were at The Oval last August, but they might still win.

The Australian bowlers are always going to be decent - they aren't bad players but they aren't world beaters. I'd fancy us to win if they have Bollinger/Johnson/Siddle/McDonald/Hauritz as their attack.
 

Australian cricket

I had the pleasure of a day at the SCG yesterday, watching South Africa's first innings. Boucher and Morkel put up a decent effort until Ponting belatedly switched his bowlers round and Siddle found some spark from the Paddington end. Must agree with WEB that these bowlers hardly strike the fear of god into a watching Englishman, though none are as poor as Gillespie was in 2005. One thing that these South Africans have done is to believe that they can beat the Aussies from a seemingly lost position. KP would do well to take note. Without the stars of yesteryear, this Australian side has no killer instinct. I wonder if Ponting will regret his fairly generous (unusually so, in fact) declaration?
 

Australian cricket

Aus won by 103 runs.
 

Australian cricket

Fair play to Smith for coming out to bat with a broken hand and all.
 

Australian cricket

Australian bowlers were hopeless with the last pair - if they'd tried bowling at the stumps they'd have been home and dry an hour earlier.

Hayden also managed to prove his catching is now as poor as his batting.
 

Australian cricket

Another one day defeat today against Sri Lanka who have won the three match series - leading 2-0 with one to play.
 
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