The Cricket Thread

[Kazza]

It's been really good bowling by Harris. Hope we can dismiss the majority by early morning.

[Kazza]

Supported by excellent bowling by steve smith, taking both bell and bairstow wickets.

[i_amtrunks]

Here comes the collapse.

Tail to outscore the batters once again, with no referrals to save them once Watson and Clarke waste the two we get, again.

[Kazza]

Yeah I give up on watching any more of the ashes.

[MayzaPrime]

It is painful to watch... Our batsman are flat track bullies

[serialmonkey]

Anyone else just rage at the TV ? How is Kawaja out !

[Kazza]

Anyone else just rage at the TV ? How is Kawaja out !

Yeah man what the hell was with the DRS and third umpire. That was the most idiotic decision i've ever seen and i hope the umpires gets in trouble after the game is over.:mad:

Anyways chris rogers is batting beautifully.

[i_amtrunks]

Not sure how they can justify it being given out, the evidence showed there was no way it could be given out. Australia now have "wasted" a review when they should still have 2. How can we stop and review a howler when the third umpire after 5 minutes of deliberation can till give that out?

[Kazza]

Finally a competitive batting total. Hopefully this gives a boost in morale to the whole team.

[i_amtrunks]

I was pleasantly surprised when I turned on Foxsports this morning. I went to bed at lunch, and was expecting to see us all out for under 200 and England already 1/90 or somesuch.

Lets hope the rain stays away and we can post 500+ and see what happens.

[Kazza]

Definitely a pleasant surprise to find us getting up to 527 declared, and 2 wickets from siddle with england currently at 2/58.

[i_amtrunks]

Once again when Australia need Clarke to step up, he bails getting out in a terrible manner. At least he didn't waste a review.

And with Khawaja getting a series of low scores, if he goes cheaply in the second innings, I am sure we will see another panic and Hughes brought back to #3.
With the way we lose early wickets, lets put Warner/Watson at #3 since they will get new ball conditions anyway. :rolleyes:

[Kazza]

Our batting overall is atrocious. They should of dropped Khawaja before the 4th test began.

[Kazza]

Fantastic batting from Roger and Watson, to bring us back into the game. Hopefully now Roger - Haddin, and the tail enders can give us a lead of 50-100.

[Kazza]

Excellent opening partnership, great half century for warner, but disappointing roger short of a half century.

[Kazza]

Well that was utterly disappointing after warner fell.

[Sharky]

Once again when Australia need Clarke to step up,

What we actually need is for him to do his job, not step up, he needs to do his job before he can go beyond it, he has more chances then any other captain out of form or in form,

he is probably the biggest problem in the team..

who else would you have as captain though?

[i_amtrunks]

who else would you have as captain though?

A very good question that I do not think has an answer.

Haddin is too old, he will be re-replaced by Paine or Wade sooner rather than later, Watson is crap, Warner needs to get some runs as well, Siddle is great but again old and not sure a bowler is the best choice as a captain when they are having to do so much more work than the batsmen already.

The problem with Clarke is that he is an excellent on field captain. He makes great bowling changes, sets good fields and generally does well keeping his team going in the field.
What I hate is that the lazy bugger does none of the media that Ponting, Waugh and Taylor all did after every game, he used to let Hussey do it, but now Siddle and Warner do most of it.

I think Australia needs to do one of two things for the fifth test.
1 drop everyone from 1-6 in the batting order and get a whole slue of new blood in the team, make the others (including Watson and Clarke) that they are expendable. We cannot do any worse in the batting department than we have already done in the last 12 months. Or
2 pick a team of bowlers and Haddin.

Neither will happen, Watson is likely to be rested, I am sure Clarkes back will flare up again and Haddin will captain a side with Agar coming in at 7 and Hughes at 3.

At this point I would be happy to see Boof don the whites and captain us out there. Hide him at slip like we do for Clarke and all will be good.

[Kazza]

Damn it Warner out already just as I got home from work 1/11.

[i_amtrunks]

Watson has made another 50, so he'll be out soon.
Rogers just chilling down the other end.

Dumb of us to name our team almost day early, no surprise we go 4 seamers and Watson and a spinner, England go two spinners and Swan is already getting turn. Someone called out the extra low mower... :rolleyes:

[Kazza]

Well now Watson with a 100 is a surprise.:eek: And still batting, thank god for the débutantes.

[Kazza]

Well now I'm definitely surprised that australia has gotten up to 307/4, with watson 176 before he got out. Smith still batting on 66 with siddle on 18. It must be that now the series is over and the ashes retained by england, australia can just treat this as any old regular game and enjoy it for fun.

[Kazza]

Brilliant batting by steve smith and his maiden century in test cricket and support by the lower order batsman to carry us to 492. Too bad we weren't able to get an early wicket. I only hope there is enough time to take 20 english wickets.

[i_amtrunks]

Looks like all Australia need to be competitive is to have England lose a top line bowler. Their bowlers are brilliant when healthy, but they lack depth, perhaps due to the top 4 being so fit and reliable? :p

Still think Clarke was trying hos best to get out in the first innings, his batting was pathetic on what has been shown to be a slow flat deck, wickets have been chop ons or slogs mostly.

[Kazza]

Well, 5th game ended up with in a draw, but it could of easily been a lost. I hope australia use this time and reflect on what they did wrong throughout the ashes campaign. :rolleyes:

[i_amtrunks]

Well, 5th game ended up with in a draw, but it could of easily been a lost. I hope australia use this time and reflect on what they did wrong throughout the ashes campaign. :rolleyes:

Everything?

Watson at 3 looks good, but he cannot bat there and bowl more than an few overs per innings.

Our bowlers kept us in the game, we played crap and stayed in the matches, England didn't have to respond with the quality they have to our meagre batting scores. Ashes will either be a dogfight on competitive pitches that will assist all the quicks or England will spark up and demolish us. That's if they have learnt from previous tours that going slow equates to losing in Australia.

Then again, one or two injuries (especially to their bowlers) and they fall back to the pack very quickly. They have limited depth and South Africa does a better job of retaining their young stars now. :D

[Kazza]

I personally feel that need to stop shuffling players around. Pick your players and just help them hone their skills. Definitely batting is where we need to focus on.

[i_amtrunks]

If we lose this (and perhaps even with a washout) I think the ashes are over. Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney will be better for Swann than Lyon (who I think is better than the media portrays him).

If we lose this series badly, it is time for a cleanout. If Bailey has been brought in more to give some leadership since Clarke has proven time and again that he is not up to the job, its time for all of the batters to go bar Smith. Start again.

I think the actual series will be like the last series in England, the bowlers will bowl their hearts out, then have to score more than the top order did to keep us competitive. Harris is our main weapon, Siddle the workhorse and Johnson will make or break. Lyon should bowl every game, Faulkner first sub, whether Watson or Johnson go down first.

I also like Stephen O'Keefe as a second spinner in Sydney, he is more shrewd and economical than any other spinner in the long form of the game. Have he and Siddle tie them down, then Harris or Faulkner to go in for the kill.

[Kazza]

Luckily that wasn't the case, once we started bowling in the first innings, Australia was in full control right up to cleaning England out in their 2nd innings. Thank god Mitchell Johnson brought his A-Game.

[Trent]

Doin alright so far.

[Kazza]

Australia is having a ripper of a time with cricket this summer. We demolished the poms in the Ashes and starting out well in the ODI series.:D

[i_amtrunks]

Doing well in the women's Ashes too.

Poor things are at the WACA in 40+ degree heat! no tv coverage or even radio coverage. It's a sham and shows how cricket Australia really feel about our champion women's team.

[Kazza]

Doing well in the women's Ashes too.

Poor things are at the WACA in 40+ degree heat! no tv coverage or even radio coverage. It's a sham and shows how cricket Australia really feel about our champion women's team.

Yeah was reading that Ellyse Perry brought aus back into contention scoring 71 when australia was 5/37. Good stuff!!:) Hope they can pull off a win.

[Trent]

Australia is having a ripper of a time with cricket this summer. We demolished the poms in the Ashes and starting out well in the ODI series.:D

England are a shambles at the moment anyway. We'll really see how our team does against South Africa.

[i_amtrunks]

England are a shambles at the moment anyway. We'll really see how our team does against South Africa.

If the Proteas go for the win with 30ish runs to get off the final four overs with 3 wickets in hand, we'll know they think India more of a challenge which is absolute trash. India are playing as many matches against NZ as they did South Africa to help them preserve their test ranking.

[griffin]

Was the game last night the most exciting finish ever? Had me on the edge of my seat for the last 10 overs...

[i_amtrunks]

Well that was just insipid.

Warner and Rogers were playing well, showing the pitch had nothing to fear but some nice turn for a part time spinner.

Then Warner got out at the rest of them folded. I'm not a fan of Watson, but Marsh will be replaced by Him if he is fit, since Watson can at the least score 2 runs a match. Doolan should be safe. Smith and Haddin deserve another chance or two, especially since Smith should have gotten at least the 50 he deserved in the first innings if it weren't for a baffling overrule.

I'll openly admit that I am no fan of Clarkes, but what has he done in the last year to 18 months that has secured his spot? He has scored next to no runs, puts no concrete in our middle order unless batting against India in Australia and is obviously woefully out of form with the bat. He no longer bowls or trains due to potential for injury, and is moddle coddled the whole time.

He makes excellent field placements and bowling changes, but half of that is e coaches plans, so any trained monkey could do that.

Personally I think it is time for him to be shown the door, but there is not really another player worthy of being the Australian captain, no one that Cricket Australia have groomed for a decade and told they are the best thing ever, perhaps Cricket Australia learnt from their horrible mistake with Clarke?
There is obviously a correlation between him finally taking on the full captains duties with the press and training (things that he let Siddle, Hussey and Ponting all do for him) and his complete loss of form. Clarke has skill with the bat, maybe stripping him of the he captaincy will motivate him to rediscover the last useful skill he has left.

We need a Captain like Steve Waugh again, to put some grit in the middle order, since our batting line up is as fragile as the ego of a teen pop diva.

[Kazza]

Well done Australia!! RSA bowled out for 245 just to win the series in 4.3 overs remaining.

[MayzaPrime]

Well done Australia!! RSA bowled out for 245 just to win the series in 4.3 overs remaining.

A great win by the boys :D

[i_amtrunks]

Further proof that Test cricket is the be all and end all, no matter what the sub continent thinks.

[optimus1]

And congrats to the Aussies vs the South Africans! Good way to wrap up a series win, particularly on Warner's batting and Harris' heroics. This is not counting on a fearsome Johnson backing up his Ashes' form.

-----

Is anyone following the other major tournament? The Asian Cup?
I'm glad to see Afghanistan showing signs that they have a future on the world stage, given time of course! Good win vs Bangladesh, however lack of experience against top teams shows through the final results vis India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Now if only Ireland would become the next Full Member and Test playing nation, followed by Afghanistan as an ODI side........

[i_amtrunks]

Now if only Ireland would become the next Full Member and Test playing nation, followed by Afghanistan as an ODI side........

Then the Netherlands and Canada in the next 10 years, with another 4-6 countries added to the T29 format would be fantastic.

Ireland would be a fairly competitive team if England didnt steal all their (and South Africa's) players! :D

[Bartrim]

I am glad Australia are winning in test cricket again, but am I the only one who thinks they are turning into a pack of "bad" winners?

[i_amtrunks]

I am glad Australia are winning in test cricket again, but am I the only one who thinks they are turning into a pack of "bad" winners?

Were we ever good winners?

[Megatran]

We got beaten by Pakistan last night in the World Twenty-20. I can't recall a match where we've dropped so many catches.

[Verno]

Congratulations, Steve Smith. Downright awful captaincy.

[i_amtrunks]

Congratulations, Steve Smith. Downright awful captaincy.

I don't know about awful, the only thing awful about the cricket is Clarke trying to be a commentator...

It was dour, but smart. Marsh showed he can dig in and battle it out and that will improve his confidence, plus Australia only needed a draw to win the series. Getting Marsh the experience will be worth it with Burns not finding his feet and Watson continuing to fail.

Far from exciting cricket, but I'd prefer to have seen Marsh get 100 than us win as a good aside for the future.

[Jenko21]

Congratulations, Steve Smith. Downright awful captaincy.

I find it hard to fault Smith as acting captain, I think he did rather well for his first go round and i do see him as the next captain of Australia, that being said i can not figure out for the life of me why Shane Watson is still a test player, he has done next to nothing so far in this series and i dont see him doing anything during the next test.

[Verno]

Perhaps I'm used to attacking and aggressive captaincy decisions. Smith has been reported as saying he wanted to bat India out of the game, thus why they resumed batting this morning. That would have been fine if Australia had come out and scored an additional 50-100 runs in 15 overs, because that's all it would have needed. But instead, they wasted 2.5 hours (an entire sessions, albeit rain interrupted), seemingly waiting for Marsh to crawl to an undeserved century -- and after that 2.5 hour wait, Marsh ran himself out on 99. Well worth jeopardising a definitive result in the entire match.

In order for Australia to have won, they needed to keep India in the game, trying to win themselves by chasing the runs hard. They don't have Shane Warne to conjure wickets anymore, and haven't done for a while now. Clarke understood that which is why he's been so aggressive in his declarations in the past, to dangle the carrot in the oppositions faces, keeping them interested.


I find it hard to fault Smith as acting captain, I think he did rather well for his first go round and i do see him as the next captain of Australia

Smith IS the captain. He's #45. He's not acting captain. He's not a stand-in. If Cricket Australia wanted that, they'd have given Brad Haddin the reins. But they didn't -- they've officially handed over control to Smith, and if this is a sign of things to come, then we're in for some boring cricket.

[Jenko21]

Smith will find his way, i think he needs this to better himself as a captain. From what I'd read he was a ln acting captain (obviously not true) that beeing said the first day n a half was good cricket then downhill from there

[optimus1]

I'm just glad Australia won the Border Gavaskar trophy :)

Now it will be interesting to see if Agar will make the final 11......

[griffin]

How about them Aussies at the cricket tonight...

(9 for 56 after 18 overs)

Edit... just one minute later - all out for 60 in the first innings.

[gamblor916]

Embarrassing is an understatement.

[Raider]

Please just lock this thread now...

[i_amtrunks]

Came out of the dragonball movie about 9 o clock to half a dozen messages saying not to check the cricket score.

I wish I'd have followed their advice!

[griffin]

It's not good when the highest "scorer" is the Extras.

14 extras, with the highest batsman score being 13.

I feel sorry for any diehard Australian cricket fans who have flown over there for the Ashes. Or those people who buy tickets for the last 2-3 days (because it is the weekend), and the game is over on the third day (like the last one was... and this one probably will as well).

[Megatran]

There could be 20 wickets in a day! :D

Bell just got dismissed.

[Raider]

I think we are rooted... :p

[Bartrim]

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm218/Bartrim/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsouhdnwfo.jpg (http://s297.photobucket.com/user/Bartrim/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsouhdnwfo.jpg.html)

[BigTransformerTrev]

Can’t believe Steve Smith thought he could carry on as team captain after this ball-tampering scandal - he was fooling himself thinking he wouldn’t get stood down.

Arguably being the Aussie Cricket Team Captain is about the highest post a sports player can aspire to in this country - he got the top job and now this all he will ever be remembered for, even if by some miracle they let him resume his captaincy after the current test.

Of course a lot of the team share the guilt - reckon some heads should roll over this :mad:

[ZoonMaster5000]

Can’t believe Steve Smith thought he could carry on as team captain after this ball-tampering scandal - he was fooling himself thinking he wouldn’t get stood down.

Arguably being the Aussie Cricket Team Captain is about the highest post a sports player can aspire to in this country - he got the top job and now this all he will ever be remembered for, even if by some miracle they let him resume his captaincy after the current test.

Of course a lot of the team share the guilt - reckon some heads should roll over this :mad:

I think the part where Lehman told the 12h man to go and tell him he’d was caught on tv will put his job in jeopardy. Pretty sure I read smithy lost his spot in the ipl too

[drifand]

Disgraceful to Australia.

[i_amtrunks]

Abut time they got busted, all teams try it at one point or another but never this stupidly. A yellow piece of tape in a series where the home broadcaster is actively hunting for anything to use as ammo to try and deflect attention away from other incidents from the crowd and Saffers.

Everyone doing it doe not make it right, Smith was very lucky to only get one match suspension, should have been more for the stupidity and blatant disrespect of the laws of the game. He could have the perfect career and be the best since Bradman from here on in but this will always be a blight, just as Monkeygate forever stains the reputation of Anil Kumble (outside of India of course!)

The question remains, who should be captain now? Warner has shown it ct be him, Mitch Marsh is lucky to hold his position and Paine could be gone at any point with the way selectors are with keepers.

Poor Bancroft too, Smith threw him under the bus in that press conference. I've not seen such terrible leadership in sport since Clarke used to get Hussey, Haddin, Watson and whoever else to do his media and interviews so he could preen himself in the mirror. Definitely an abuse of power by making the young guy with only 8 tests to his name do the dirty work. Not that he is guiltless, but I cannot imagine the pressure he would've been under to do the job.

Here's hoping Smith, Warner and the other "leaders" lose their sponsorship deals and face some actual repercussions for their stupidity and complete breaking of the trust of their supporters.

[BigTransformerTrev]

Poor Bancroft too, Smith threw him under the bus in that press conference. I've not seen such terrible leadership in sport since Clarke used to get Hussey, Haddin, Watson and whoever else to do his media and interviews so he could preen himself in the mirror. Definitely an abuse of power by making the young guy with only 8 tests to his name do the dirty work. Not that he is guiltless, but I cannot imagine the pressure he would've been under to do the job.

I thought the same thing. Bloody shameful putting the newest, most inexperienced player in that position. I mean, what was the poor bugger to do? If he had said no it would have put him in the bad books with his captain. If he had reported it it would have put him in the bad books with his whole team. As it is he went along with it and now there will always be that big blemish on his record.

I agree, he is not guilt free and was the one that actually took the action, but realistically he was put in a very difficult position where it would have been hard to say no. Like being the youngest in a gang and the older kids egging you on to shoplift - ya are gonna get in trouble if you get caught but if you refuse then the gang will then gang up on you.

[MayzaPrime]

And with this I am done with test and one day cricket...

I will just enjoy the big bash on TV...

I will never be able to respect an Australian side with the current leadership group.

[Deonasis]

Smith should have a x-game ban and be ineligible for captain for a whole year. The same for the rest of the leadership team.

Right now, who knows what Lehmann said but if he had prior knowledge too, he must stand aside as well.

The baggy green is now the dodgy green.

[BigTransformerTrev]

I will never be able to respect an Australian side with the current leadership group.


Smith should have a x-game ban and be ineligible for captain for a whole year. The same for the rest of the leadership team.

The baggy green is now the dodgy green.

Exactly right!

I don't usually write blogs about current events, but I had to write one about this because I am so p*ssed off! (http://www.bigangrytrev.com/2033-2/):mad:

[ZoonMaster5000]

Tomorrow’s age says that warner is the ring leader in the whole tampering saga. I the test should be forfeited and some massive fines and bans thrown their wY

[i_amtrunks]

Now that the inquiry has been done and the punishments handed down, I am fairly happy that they are all receiving fair punishment.

It’s now up to the ICC and the other nations boards to follow suit the next time Faf or anyone else ball tampers or the only winners out of this whole sorry saga will be the Indian touring team who finally have a chance to be competitive in tests in Australia for the first time since the disgraceful monkeygate team.

I’m glad cricket Australia have decided to go tough on the cheats, it send a clear message to anyone else stupid enough to try it when there are over 30 cameras focussed on you at all times. While it seems Warner was the main instigator and may or may not have pressured Bancroft, Smith surely had to have known something was up and has done he right thing and taken blame, even if he was more innocent than first believed.
Losing their sponsors and IPL contracts will hurt more in the long run but it seems Smith and Bancroft were genuinely sorry they got caught while Warner has gone full Warne and decided not to give a rats!

[Borgeman]

We've always considered our athletes as above cheating, which is why our own punishments were so severe. Other nations have been happy to let the ICC handle these issues and I believe they will continue to do so (though I could see NZ smacking their boys around too if it happened). The ICC fined/suspended our players much the same as they have done to others in the past so they stayed consistent with their dealing of ball tampering.

This is sending a message to our own players and future players telling them not to be dumb shits by trying to cheat.

As an aside I think if the players were to appeal the sanctions they'll have them reduced, given that no ball tampering incident in the past, both locally and abroad, has had anything near this sort of punishment, irrespective of the way the events played out.

[i_amtrunks]

Aaaand Lehmann is gone too. A year and a bit earlier than he said he would.

The more evidence and things that come to light the more clear it is that the media beat up won. Instead of the news cycle moving onto other things like how our politicians are stuffing up, how boko haram victims are coming out of the woodwork and that Unicron will eat the IDWverse, we get the same old irrelevant ex players touting their unwanted and irrelevant opinions to extend the shelf life of this now very dead horse.

It’s somerhing that was bound to happen, but the circus needs to end. I don’t understand anyone now calling for Sutherland and others to be fired to be doing anything than trying to claim the last breaths of airtime this story will get and to be showcasing their sour grapes over old greviences.

Sadly this next test will be a faecal maelstrom, the Australian team will be struggling to get through it, the South Africans deserve a better end to a series hey have flexed some muscle and shown that once again their next generation is looking strong and the media will just keep flogging their horse carcass of a story.

Not to mention all the “comedians” and “commentators” making jokes and sandpaper references throughout channel sevens commonwealth games coverage. But hey at least we know channel seven will show some of these games live, unlike the winter paralympics! (Sorry it’s off topic but a personal sore spot for me!)