The Cricket Thread

[jacksplatt11]

what youve got to remember is that the NSW keeper is sooooooooo bad, and a tard :P

at least they have someone half decent

And he wont make any runs anyway, D.Nannes will knock him off

Quiet you, as a Victorian you should be agreeing with me, not supporting the stupid NSW cricket peeps

Shame Shame

[STL]

Damn straight. One of the problems with this 20/20 Cricket phenomena is that it brings out the worst in teams/players. Money does that, doesn't it? What NSW did was not outside the rules but it definitely wasn't within the spirit of the game nor very sportsmanlike. I'm annoyed we won't be able to see it and will have to instead rely on someone w/ Foxtel to see it.

but yeah, NSW have always been arrogant, wanting to do what they can. Doesn't surprise me they're pulling this stunt now.

[STL]

Bloody f---ing NS f--ing W won the final. The umpire calling the ball over leg a wide must've been a NSWelshman. Okay, it's only 20/20 but we were totally jibbed. Missing Hodge was the difference, he's one of hte best 20/20 players in the world.

And Australia lost the series to SA. Something's definitely not right with the line up. It just doesn't click through the middle order and M Hussey I think is hurting the momentum a lot. It feels like he's struggling to me. The bowlers have lacked potency. The strike bowlers aren't there. I've mentioned it before but Mitchell Johnson has too many loose deliveries and it came out here. Picking Hauritz was hilarious. Why persist with a guy who can barely make his state side? B/c he's a NSWelshman?

Bringing Bracken to the Ashes is an interesting idea but nothing about him says to me that he's a wicket taker. He's an economic tight bowler with great control but lacks that venom. I think if we need a Stuart Clark type bowler, we should bring him but he's not a strike bowler. Hilfenhaus... just doesn't seem the goods to me.

Warner's interesting too. Will he make a move interstate? B/c that NSW side has a few openers in the wings already and I'm sure he has ambitions beyond the shorter forms of the game.

We'll beat NZ but that doesn't mean very much now, does it?

[i_amtrunks]

We'll beat NZ but that doesn't mean very much now, does it?

Did not think this statement would be wrong.

Both Mike Hussey and Haddin are climbing out of their form slumps, Ponting cant hit his stride, Warner looks to be something to keep around and encourage, White is a great lower order hitter and Hopes is more than useful.

Clarke needs to be dropped permanently, his batting is woeful, and his bowling moreso. David Hussey should be "rested" I really like the Huss, but I am not sure he is what we need when Hodge returns from injury. I know Hodge is older and not in the future plans for the ashes and whatnot, but we need the best team we can get, and he is one of the best ODI and 2020 players we have. Too bad he is injured as he would have made a perfect replacement for the injured Marsh who has not been playing well at all.
I like to keep the Test and ODI sides somewhat different, but maybe Katich might be a good replacement for Marsh?

Johnson is tired even after his 2 week break he still looks buggered. Bracken is great as an ODI specialist, and I think he should stay that way. Noffke needs to be taken to South Africa with Bollinger, Siddle, Hilfenhaus and Johnson, Tait needs to quit cricket, if he cannot bowl two good overs in a row he should give it up (plus he looks like he is chucking is later overs). Hilenhaus needs match time to prove whether or not he is up to the task, while Bollinger and Siddle need more game time to settle in.

Are we allowed a geneticist to try and merge Krezja and Hauritz into a single being? Haurzja would be a somewhat capable spinner.

The team we have at the moment cannot take 10 or 20 wickets in a match, and it cannot bat in long partnerships either, I dont think we will win in South Africa, and I dont think we can retain the ashes either. We might do okay in the 2020 cup, but not much else.

Oh and any NSWelshmen planning on going to the women's world cup? It is in Sydney, and Bowral and looks to be some good fun, the Southern Stars are a damn good team, probably could beat the men with blindfolds on right now.

[blackie]

personally i dont think much of warner at the top of the order
if they want a hack to open the batting theyre better to get cam white to do it, all he needs is to take a few overs to get his eye in, and he will be far more consistent than warner will ever be.

we need to invest in youth again. we did it the last time we were crap, and its time to do it again.
Put Hughes in at the top of the order for the injured marsh, it may take him a little while to acclimatise to this, but so many other greats in australian cricket (waugh, warne, mcgrath etc) all were put in quite young, and were made to learn how to play with the big boys early, and look what they did.

People like symonds should just have their contract disscontinued, because he'll never be right ever again. And although M.Hussey has 'got' out of his form slump (i say 'got' because i think hes still in it) i think hes another that needs to be moved on out of the one day side to help bring in the next era.

Also i still cant get over the fact that Johnson cant seem to actually bowl many legitimate 'wicket' balls. most of what he bowls is crap, and in more cases than not its actually the batsman that get themselves out than vice versa. Tait is another exponent of this problem, bowling few genuinely amazing deliveries.

I think we have to put up with loosing a lot for the next few years before we can start to consistantly win again.

[STL]

Pretty much agree with most of the thoughts up there. We need to go for some fresh blood. I'm happy to lose if we're trying to develop. Not just drop them after 2 or 3 bad games. But some of the choices are mindboggling. Hodge definitely needs to play. He would have been one of the best batsmen in the world if not for the way CA treated him.

And the Vics did brilliantly today. At one point it seemed imposssible at 3/153 but we pulled it off and bowled them out.

And there's a question of whether we bring McGain too. I want youth but then McGain si the best spinner we have. By a long mile.

Warner's still got a lot to prove. But that was a lot to do with the media. Still his innings was pretty special to me. One of the best innings I've seen live

[STL]

Lookie here, it's April Fools Day!

Just a few months too early.