The Cricket Thread

[optimus1]

We'll see how Siddle goes in his first match, its always good to see someone under 30 yrs old get a go!

On a sidenote, Bangladesh are 1 wicket down for 4 Runs after 12 overs against the Kiwis in the 1st Test of the series

[i_amtrunks]

63/0 after only 13 overs.

Dravid should be watching Ghambir and Sehwag to learn how to score runs quick.
Siddle and Johnson have started to peg back the run rate though.

[Borgeman]

got back from cricket earlier today, my body was totally unprepared for any form of warm weather, i was buggered :/ better now though than on a 35 degree day....

anywho 2day game, they batted, we got them out for 180, my figures read 19.1-3-3-47, one of their openers was dropped 4 times off my bowling early on (keeper(no attempt to catch), slip(hardish), gully(easy), mid off(imagine dropping a slow underarm throw...)), but i got him caught behind the ball after the drop at mid off....

also i am currently 4 not out after one of our openers fell, i had some nightwatchman duties to do hopefully i can make a nice score next week

we are 1/43 in reply off our 8 overs

George

[Soundwarp]

Man we are in big troubble

[jacksplatt11]

We're in a spot of bother yeah, if we are to get out of it, Hussey has to stay around for a while and keep up the scoring, and the other batsmen just have to not go out haha...

Seen whats happening in the Bangladesh/NZ test? wow...

[i_amtrunks]

Hussey is all we have, and he needs to be the aggressor and score runs, if its left to Watson Haddin and White we won't make the follow on target.

Clarke deserved to get out last night, wasting time and all. I think he needs to be dropped and given some time in Pura Cup (plus NSW are struggling with injuries), it worked out for him last time.

Lee needs to watch how Khan and Sharma are bowling and replicate it, he is really having a bad tour.

[STL]

Hussey is indeed all we have. If we had both Husseys in the team, we'd have a lot more.

I think Hayden deserves to be given a chance. Katich as we've said is a temp and he's done what he can. Watson didn't do half bad today with the bat. Symonds though is better. I watched a bit of the Indian bowling over the weekend at my mates (wish this was free to air) and they're bowling much fuller and straighter, attacking the stumps. Sharma seemed to get some late swing with the old ball that was hard to read. But that aside, it really came down to the spinners that was the difference

Lee's split webbing might give him an excuse but Johnson just doesn't hold up. His figures are appalling and his wickets are too expensive. Siddle shows promise on this pitch. I think he's done astoundingly well for a first gamer on a batsman's paradise. Deserves a chance in Australia. I'd like to drop Johnson and give Nofke a crack at this point and maybe play four quicks. Or even Bollinger who I felt badly for when he missed last year's Pura Cup final. Let's admit it, we don't have a spinner. Period.

I think the Aussies have to bite the bullet and realise that the era's over and look to the future. We need two openers. I don't mean I want Hayden gone, I respect him and i believe all old stagers deserve to be given their last rights to walk away with dignity. But the top of the order is shaky. 5, 6 really need to be looked at. Clarke again crashed and burned under pressure. Watson showed promise but he's a poor man's Symonds. Symonds brings an impetuous confidence to the team in the field. Clarke's throwing at the stumps is off too. Not sure if we should read much into that. As for a spinner, well, I'm as stumped as I'm sure the collectors are. McGain might be a Victorian but he's 37.