The Cricket Thread

[STL]

tis good to see they added hilfy and bollinger to the squad, but wow at picking andrew mcdonald. didnt see that one coming. would have thought hopes would have been next in line..... and now Amac wont be playing on friday night when i go to see the vics win

Depending on weather, I should be going tomorrow too w/ a few mates.

I'm not sure about the call ups though. When was the SCG anything other than a dustbowl? Do we really need to call up 4 quicks? Krezja is extremely unluckly and the scapegoat for Ponting's crap captaincy.

[i_amtrunks]

We should be playing both Hauritz and Krezja at the SCG, with Bollinger, Johnson and Hilfenhaus, Krezja and Johnson have already proven they can score runs, and could be more useful than this McDonald fellow I know nothing about.

Hayden should have been dropped, but he will be anyway after this test, maybe a century and innings to help Australia to a dominant win would save him, but I cannot see it happening. M. Hussey should move to opener to help turn his luck slump (and slight form slump) and move David Hussey into #5 with Clarke to go to #4 since he cannot bat with the lower order.

South Africa to clean sweep the series in Sydney.

[STL]

BigBash 20/20 at the G tonight was a pretty damn good match. It went right down to the wire when I thought we were already home. Lots of fun and all round good cricket. Mackay didn't really impress me again and boy was Nannes wayward. Anyone know why Younis Khan didn't play for the Redbacks? I thought he would given his form (he's brilliant)

[i_amtrunks]

Loved the WA vs NSW 2020 game. Will be going to the other games at Homebush on the 12th and 17th.

Good to see Johnson get his 50 in the test yesterday, could not give a damn about Clarke, but I guess it was nice for him to actually bat well when he was needed for a change. Hauritz's 41 was handy too. Wonder if Kallis or Boucher will Captain South Africa in the remainder of the test and ODI series?

[STL]

Australia took a pretty big risk today. I don't know why they declared so early tbh. I mean they could've pushed for a lead above 400 and put the game beyond doubt and still had over an hour to bowl at SA. It just did not feel like Ponting and given the consistency of the bowling attack, I think he should've erred on the side of caution and batted for another half hour and sent out Haddin.

Haurtiz just hasn't lived up to his containment role for me. He's bowled decently this 2nd innings but it was SA's interest to lose no more wickets before stumps. And generally speaking, he just does not look the part. And Australia need a good allrounder otherwise they need a proper attacking fourth bowler. Stuart Clark will help on that end though I have felt that Siddle is doing very well in his past 4 innings and not conceding too many. And on Siddle I think there's only more upward potential for him. Very unlucky today not to have Amla but the only person to blame is Ponting's fielding positions. I just don't understand why have 1 slip. In the old days we always at least had two.

I think there's some positives out of this match. Bollinger looks good but needs time to adjust. He should adjust quicker than Siddle though as he's not got that much to learn. He knows his trade and has played 3 times as mcuh first class cricket as Siddle. When Lee and Clark come back, there are going to be some serious selection issues. For me, Siddle and Johnson are the future. Bollinger needs time and we still need a spinner.

M. Clarke actually impressed me today. I do not like him and do not want him to be captain but he did change his game and adjust after tea to make quick runs. Sure the presssure valve was off but its still a good step forward. I should mention too that in the 1st innings he was pretty lucky, giving many chances. I wonder if we looked back at all his centuries, how often has he had good fortune? I think its a fair few times but could be wrong.

We're probably going to lose tomorrow, I reckon. Don't know why but I don't mind. A loss is best for us as it will mean the selectors will get a good kick up the backside and start looking to the future. Jaques is back soon in the first class cricket hopefully and i look forward to seeing how he goes. I'd like Hughes as well. He's 21 and he needs time to develop at the top level. There's been a lot of talk in the past about Australia having a lot of players who could walk right into the Australian test team but that generation is quickly passing. At the end there is no substitute to being blooded in the test arena. Look at AB, Duminy, G. Smith, Sharma, Panesar, Cook internationally. Give 'em time.

[blackie]

Haurtiz just hasn't lived up to his containment role for me. He's bowled decently this 2nd innings but it was SA's interest to lose no more wickets before stumps. And generally speaking, he just does not look the part.

As much as i don't like Kreja, cause i don't rate him one bit, hes what we need, although i think a wrist spinner, would be better. Sadly the only decent wrist spinner is >30yo and wont play much further you would think. Were now going to go through a time where we don't have a decent spinner, if we even pick a spinner at all, because in some senses we would be better to pick someone like another m clarke or kattich, someone who can bowl a bit, but bolsters our batting linup a bit more

And Australia need a good allrounder otherwise they need a proper attacking fourth bowler.

Andrew Flintoff is the reason were so fixated on allrounders now. all the teams want someone to bat at 6, who can bowl and bat well, and even flintoff cant do that apart from the ashes series he stared in. IMO we need to pick another specialist batsman and get over needing an allrounder.

When Lee and Clark come back, there are going to be some serious selection issues.

Easy, Clarke in for Hauritz. Lee needs to go back to either state, or when its our winter, county level to get some match fitness. hes no use when he can only bowl 150kph for 3 balls an innings. He needs to, like m clarke has now, to prove himself, and although hes been injured, the past few series, hes been extremely ordinary, and has probably been selected on past glories. If he was fit, and got selected for this test, then i think that would have been a worse decision than picking mathew hayden.

M. Clarke actually impressed me today. I do not like him and do not want him to be captain but he did change his game and adjust after tea to make quick runs. Sure the pressure valve was off but its still a good step forward. I should mention too that in the 1st innings he was pretty lucky, giving many chances. I wonder if we looked back at all his centuries, how often has he had good fortune? I think its a fair few times but could be wrong.

completely agree. hes showing he can actually fight it out, must have grown up a bit.

[i_amtrunks]

It pains me to admit it, but Clarke did very well this test, finally stood up when needed and is now bowling okay on a pitch that suits his style. Still he should not be VC and should never be the captain, but for some reason CA love him.

And why did Morkel open the batting, he would have been useful later on in the innings, like the first innings.

We will lose today, Ponting has made this test competitive (strange since he never declares a competitive total) and this is South Africa's Test to win now. if Ponting had have batted another hour or so and then had an hour at the South Africans last night I think the Ausise total (with Haddin, Johnson and co to come) would have been deemed unobtainable and the South Africans would have played defensive boring cricket today and played for the draw.

They might still do it, but with their line up they can also play for the win. especially if DeVilliers finds his Perth form.

Ponting, Hayden and Katich all threw their wickets away, I cannot remember another test where so many Batsmen got out by playing onto their stumps, especially when the shots have been so attacking rather than defending. Wish Ponting had have allowed Hussey to get 50, it would have helped his confidence.

Katich needs to bowl today, he Clarke and Hauritz really need to tie up one end and strangle the runs to allow Siddle and Johnson a go at the other end. plus the more overs they bowl, the better the chance is to get the South Africans out, 90 overs a day is only the minimum.

Clark needs to return to the side and Hilfenhaus and Krezja need to be in the extended test side for South Africa, Hauritz might be better off like Bracken, a one day specialist. Lee and McDonald need more state time, we can use Johnson and Krezja as out allrounders, coming in at 7 and 8.

Should be an interesting days play, I think South Africa will win, unless Australia take 3 wickets or more in the first session, something they have struggled to do.

Will be interested to see the ODI squad. If Noffke is fit and not picked there is something very wrong with our selectors.