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English Cricket/ *The Ashes*!

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Re: English Cricket

Practice match Western Australia vs England XI

WA does not have any player who is threatening to fight for a place with the national team, except for their captain North.

WA first innings - 242/8d - Broad got three wickets and the rest of the bowlers chipped in with a few. North didn't make much.

Eng first reply - 223/8d - Pietersen got a 58, but worryingly the rest of top order combined made less than that. Thankfully Bell, Broad and Swann staged a late recovery to get England to respectable 223/8d. I don't know much about the Wester Australia bowlers, you have got to be a hardcore follower of Australian first class scene to know much, especially because a few of these are newbies at first class level.

WA second innings - 109/1 at the end of day 2 of the 3 day match.

I doubt this match will have a result, but its good practice for English batsmen, and from the looks of things they need it badly.

If there is another practice match scheduled, i would like to see how Khawaja, Fergusson and White go...
 
Re: English Cricket

Honestly, all these Englanders/Britishers that are of the opinion in these pages that England can't win, need to take a long hard look at this Australia side.

They are fucking awful. Easily the worst Australian side I've known in all my years.
 
Re: English Cricket

England should be disappointed if they don't come away with a series victory. But that is not because they are a superior team, but because this represents the best opportunity to post an Ashes victory in Australia since ages. I don't really think it will be an easy task though.

* There seems to be huge internal rifts where Clarke's place in the team is concerned. No smoke without fire, and apparently he is very disliked. Rumours are that Katich grabbed him by the throat in training. But these could just be problems of being on a losing streak for eight consecutive games and could change quickly with one good result.

* Some of the batsmen are struggling for form, but on paper they are still miles ahead of English batsmen. Katich, Watson (as an opener), Hussey, Clarke and Ponting are all batsmen who average near or over 50 after playing for a very long period of time, and they will be playing at home. To be frank current English batsmen have never played at that level. The most talented English batsman, Kevin Piteresen averages a 45, and most English batsmen average less than 40 when you exclude West Indies, Zimbabwe, New Zealand and Bangladesh. Lately they have relied heavily on Broad and Swann to do some lower order scoring, but they will soon find out that runs will dry out for the tail at some point and it could be during a very critical tour like the Ashes.

* I would have the Aussie trio of pacer in Johnson, Bollinger and Hilfenhaus over anything England can field. Peter Siddle is another good option that Australia have. Their record and career figures are better than that of their English counterparts who play majority of their games in Fast bowler friendly tracks in England.

* Swann is a big difference in the bowling department. Australia would have liked to have a good spin bowler of their own but they have to make do with Hauritz, and part time spinners in North or Smith and Clarke. Hauritz is not as bad as his figures in India tour suggests. In India, that can happen to the very best of spinners. Warne, Murali are some of the big names that returned with bad figures from an India tour.

I don't really think if i do a head to head comparison England comes out clearly on top. I think this "poorest Aussie team" message is over played in both Australian and English press. I just hope English players don't read all that and become complacent.

Worst Australian side in 20 years does not necessarily mean worse than the current English team. They can still compete. It's just that they are not considered as the invincible team any more.
 
Re: English Cricket

[quote author=Ryan link=topic=41229.msg1212714#msg1212714 date=1289103338]
Honestly, all these Englanders/Britishers that are of the opinion in these pages that England can't win, need to take a long hard look at this Australia side.

They are fucking awful. Easily the worst Australian side I've known in all my years.
[/quote]

We don't all think England can't win. Like my near-namesake above I don't think there's much of a gap between the sides. In theory that ought to give the Baggy Greens the edge at home, but things don't always work out that way and England are defo in the running too.
 
Re: English Cricket

England wrapped up the first tour match with a victory...courtesy of a rapid 100 from Strauss on the final day. Good stuff.


Below is the Australia A Squad for the second tour match. That is a more useful looking squad and will provide a better opportunity for practice.

Australia A squad Phillip Hughes, Shaun Marsh (subject to fitness), Usman Khawaja, Callum Ferguson, Cameron White (capt), Tim Paine (wk), Steven Smith, Steve O'Keefe, Mitchell Starc, Mark Cameron, Peter George.

Marsh
Hughes
Khawaja
White
and Paine are all decent batsmen.

Jury is still out on Ferguson and Smirth.


Starc, Cameron and George form a useful pace trio as well. That will be good practice for the first test.

O'keefe has made a decent impression in the first class scene as well, and i think English batsman will find him tough to negotiate.
 
Re: English Cricket

WA are absolutely rubbish in the Sheffield Shield so practice only, no reading-into-result really.
 
Re: English Cricket

[quote author=LarryHagman link=topic=41229.msg1214615#msg1214615 date=1289311682]

WA are absolutely rubbish.


[/quote]

For sure!
 
Re: English Cricket

So what do we think of this?
124224.jpg
 
Re: English Cricket

Australia announce a big squad. I guess they are uncertain on the starting 11 especially of the batsmen.

Simon Katich, Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Marcus North, Usman Khawaja, Callum Ferguson, Brad Haddin (wk), Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Xavier Doherty, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger.


Clarke has injured his back playing in the shield cricket, so they are uncertain about that.
Hussey is in woeful form.
Katich has not played since the India tour.
North has been as inconsistent as he has always been.

I half expected Khawaja and Ferguson to get the call. They will be playing one more round of Shield Cricket before the first test. I'm guessing they want to assess the players form after that.

This squad announcement is just to meet their marketing obligations probably.

But that is a fairly strong fast bowling unit. Hilfy, Johnson, Doughey, Siddle and Harris is a good fast bowling unit, and Watson can also provide some able support as a relief bowler.

I'm not so sure about spin...but i don't think they are as bad as everyone is making them out to be.

I can't believe they have selected Doherty based on ODI form.
 
Re: English Cricket

They've selected Doherty based on two things:

1 - 5 years of good form for Tasmania.
2 - Nathan Hauritz.
 
Re: English Cricket

I don't know if it transfers properly across the miles but Australia are in disarray. What are the odds on an England clean sweep?
 
Re: English Cricket

Personally i don't think there is a chance of that Larry. I'd be surprised if the series isn't tied or just a 1 game margin between the two sides.
 
Re: English Cricket

England are $3.15 to win the series down here.

As much as I can possibly afford to place on a bet is going onto that. Australia are an absolute fucking shambles.
 
Re: English Cricket

The series will be tied. Australia are shit at the moment, but I'm not convinced England have what it takes to roll them down here.
 
Re: English Cricket

[quote author=StevieM link=topic=41229.msg1220555#msg1220555 date=1290098546]
The series will be tied. Australia are shit at the moment, but I'm not convinced England have what it takes to roll them down here.
[/quote]

England have just taken a near 200 run first innings lead against Australia A.

Australia A at least had two or three players who had earned the test cap or were pretty close to it. Smith, Peter George, Cameron, McKay and O'Keefe...

English batsmen seem to be peaking at the right time.

I still think Australia would take it though...
 
Re: English Cricket

[quote author=Ryan link=topic=41229.msg1219088#msg1219088 date=1289895376]
They've selected Doherty based on two things:

1 - 5 years of good form for Tasmania.
2 - Nathan Hauritz.
[/quote]

He, looks like I was right.

Public pressure told: Hauritz out, Doherty in.

Whilst I admire the semi-balls it took to make this decision, I'm not overly sure about it to be honest. It's a touch unfair on Hauri who's bowling record in Australia isn't bad. Besides, they've (Ponting) made him bowl like a fucking medium-paced bowler for the last 2 years anyway, scared shitless that if he puts a touch of flight on anything that he'll get spanked all round the ground. What's the point in that? If you want somebody to bowl conservatively with a tiny smidgeon of spin just give it to Clarke or something. Fucking North even.

So what happens if Doherty fails? Do they go back to Hauritz? I agree with Warne on this one - they've done it the wrong way around. And surely Hauritz's confidence must be shot to pieces anyway.

Still, re Doherty - it's a ballsy move. Obviously he's been drafted in to negate (and hopefully get out) Pietersen, who's notoriously failed against left-hand finger spinners. But lets' be honest, he's faced better leftie's than Xavier Doherty. If Doherty fails to trouble England's right-handed middle order he, and Australia, are pretty fucked.
 
Re: English Cricket

There's talk of Australia going with 4 quicks on Thursday, apparently the changing QLD weather has them siding towards leaving out hauritz and just going with the part time spin of Clarke and North. Sounds mental to me.

I still wouldn't be surprised to see steve smith come in. He's a decent all rounder and adds a bit of depth to their batting.

Englands 11 was decided about 800 years ago they're in that good shape.
 
Re: English Cricket

Smith didn't make the cut for the 12.

Both sides apparently fancy bowling first on Thursday which is a surprise. Bouncy green wicket favouring the bowlers.

Straight fight between Bollinger and Siddle for the Aussies. I'd prefer Bollinger cos he's more likely to take Cook's head off first ball up, but Ponting loves Siddle so who the fuck knows.
 
Siddle in, Bollinger out - Confirmed.

Yikes.

I guess Bollinger's recent injuries (coupled with Ponting's love of Siddle) have counted against him. But still, this is a major surprise. Bollinger's currently ranked number 7 in the world, and has proven over the last 2 years to be a fearsome opening bowler who - crucially - takes wickets.

I don't mind Siddle, but Doug the Rug's been harshly done by here.
 
Siddle's OK as is Bolli so no great shakes.

The Aussie team looks OK on paper but that's superficial for my money.

England will never have a better chance to steam roll an Aussie team on home turf.

If they don't they ain't half the team they think they are.
 
Siddle's got two!

125-4 with England's 3 best batsmen (Strauss, KP, Colly) out in the process. No celebrating yet mind - gotta get the middle order and tail out, something Australia failed miserably to do last year - especially in Cardiff. Monty fucking Panesar.

Anyway, this pitch is going to be turning at right angles come day 5. Doherty pitched one that turned 50cm away from it's normal line according to the TV deviation thing a second ago. Swann will have it on a string come Monday.
 
[quote author=TheFasterBlade link=topic=41229.msg1223512#msg1223512 date=1290657029]
Big ton to come here from Ian Bell.
[/quote]

Cook's settled in well, and should push on. But it could be the old English problem of players getting in, getting settled, then getting out.
 
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