The Cricket Thread

[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.

[jacksplatt11]

Haha yeah, the whole thing was a joke, it was so cringe worthy

[i_amtrunks]

How did our worst player get Test player of the year? Even MacDonald is more useful than Clarke.

Then Ponting and Clarke split the AB Medal?? WTH? Johnson could consider himself robbed by Clarke on two accounts. Johnson should have gotten AB medal, and Katich test player, he has been the only form batsman.

Katich did win some beauty pageant award though.

The Ceremony was unwatchable, Mark Nicholas is a terrible host, the thing in a man suit has no soul, and monotones everything he reads. He more than Tony Greig or Shane Warne makes me switch on ABC's commentary for the cricket (having Kerry O'Keefe doesn't hurt either).

[i_amtrunks]

Why Clarke Should not be Captain.

It's not a bad article on the back of the Clarke and Katich tussle, where Clarke again showed his lack of teamsmanship and more of his true self.

I wonder if Bingle has his balls in her purse or if Clarke is just a git?

[jacksplatt11]

Yeah, Clarke sucks, definitely pretty full of himself, and I really hope he doesn't become captain after Ponting but it's looking that way.

We are batting shocking, NZ are a better bowling side than batting, but even they should be able to chase down 200 odd again seeing as they just did it the other night. 3/185 after 45 is terrible in this day and age, but I guess they could put some more on in the last 5 overs.

Anyway, talk about Duminy having a golden summer. Made his test match debut, made a 50 and hit the winning runs then in his second match made his first 100, then made 3 or 4 50s in the ODIs and 20/20s along with fielding brilliantly and being more than a handy bowler, to now just being bought in the IPL for $950,000. What a summer haha

Good to see no-one bought BAD Haddin, although I suspect someone will take him for his base price later on. Shaun Tait went for $375,000 I think from memory, which I think is about right, too unreliable so I wouldn't have expected the really big bucks for him.

[blackie]

i cant believe duminy went for that much

you wait maybe 6 months, his head will increase in size, everyone will work him out, and that will screw him over... good old second yearitis. saying that if he bounces back he'll be a superstar the year after.

and why cant we make runs against the Kiwis?
its not like shane bond plays for them anymore, they dont have a decent bowling attack anymore and were struggling

Time for a new team and new selectors