Its Summer! - the Fever Cricket Thread.
I especailly like this bit "every truly great attack has someone...like Mitchell Johnson" aitkenmike2010-12-06 19:05:18
I especailly like this bit "every truly great attack has someone...like Mitchell Johnson"
Basically he was talking about the downfall of Aussie cricket and saying it was more about the obvious failings in depth they have now. If you look at it this way, in the mid 2000s when Martyn retired or if a batsman was struggling they brought in Hussey, Symonds or Hodge. Before that it was the ability to pick guys like Hayden or Blewett out of first class cricket which made them so strong. In the bowling ranks you obviously had McGrath and Warne but then behind them you still had quality players.
Now you just plain don't. Arguably there batting line up is still immensely strong but they can get away with not performing because there are young kids that have potential but there is no one in first class cricket that has scored a bucket load of runs and is banging down the door. The bowling attack is a mediocre international attack and again they have nothing behind it.
It was a good article.bopman2010-12-06 21:55:12
But but but, according to the Aussie media they have 8 international class seamers in the wings.
How much did they pay for them?
How much did they pay for them?
Symonds it was the guarantee of a night on the piss in Cardiff and unlimited fishing trips. The others not to sure.
Smart sh*t
Sorry feeling a bit prickly tonight.
Don't try to over analyse why australia are losing atm (haven't lost yet). The only thing wrong with australias team is they lack a spinner who can get wickets. Cricket is a game that requires a huge mental effort i still believe that one big session in the field from australia will turn this series on it's head.
Don't try to over analyse why australia are losing atm (haven't lost yet). The only thing wrong with australias team is they lack a spinner who can get wickets. Cricket is a game that requires a huge mental effort i still believe that one big session in the field from australia will turn this series on it's head.
A bit harsh if one remembers that England were over 200 runs behind after the first innings in Brisbane. They saved the match superbly, but they were never in a position to win that test. So hardly only one team in the series so far.
Don't try to over analyse why australia are losing atm (haven't lost yet). The only thing wrong with australias team is they lack a spinner who can get wickets. Cricket is a game that requires a huge mental effort i still believe that one big session in the field from australia will turn this series on it's head.
There only problem is the lack of a spinner? How about a pace attack, that bar a hatrick, has done absolutely nothing and conceded 1200 odd runs for the loss of 16 wickets in this series. Or a batting line up where most of them have forgotten how to score big hundreds.
El G - your point about Brisbane is fair but the first couple of days of that test were very odd. Probably about par maybe Aus slightly in front then Siddle gets the hatrick. Look at the Aus batting innings, England on top when Hussey and Haddin come together and they put together monster partnership despite the fact that the England bowlers for large periods of the partnership bowled quite well. Especially Anderson in the 1st session on the Saturday morning. So while Aus were on top going into that second innings I wouldn't put it down to a team-wide/systemic dominance that you have seen from the Poms since that day.
Perhaps, but even in the Australian heyday they had plenty of times when they'd be saved by a tremendous batting performance/partnership, or an inspired bowling performance in a single session. That in itself is not a new thing. Their problem this time around is that simply the pool of players who can produce this has shrunk considerably, and is close to non-existant in the bowling department.
Having said that, I don't think England's significantly better, or even indeed better at all. They've happened to have a couple of guys in tremendous form (Cook and Trott), with Pietersen also benefiting from facing a tired and dispirited, and internationally nothing more than average bowling attack. It may be enough for them to retain the Ashes, or may not be.
Katich also.
*does rain dance*
Often its your one or two best bowlers that will win tests for you as long as the rest can play an adequate backup role, and I would definitely take Englands two (Anderson and Swan) over Aussie's two, (? and ?).
Other than that, I agree, I don't see much difference between the sides other than a couple of form batsmen, which can change quickly.
*does rain dance*
Often its your one or two best bowlers that will win tests for you as long as the rest can play an adequate backup role, and I would definitely take Englands two (Anderson and Swan) over Aussie's two, (? and ?).
I know, what I'm trying to say is they used to have maybe 4 guys who could destroy a team in a session (McGrath, Warne, Lee, Gillespie, even Kasprowicz occasionaly), even when things hadn't necessarily gone their way. They could win tests from any position - but now that they don't have that, it's a lot tougher.el grapadura2010-12-07 19:11:41
Yes, Haddin gone.
aitkenmike2010-12-07 13:22:57
Just been listening to the TMS podcast from yesterday. Boycott probably put it best when he said that man for man these teams are probably even but the way both teams are playing and the head space both teams are in England are well on top.
Can't wait to be standing on the bank in Perth when the Poms retain the Ashes!
You lucky lucky bastard