2013 Ashes Part I

[light]

I have a feeling this will end four-zip regardless of who we bring in. The English are confident and know that it only takes one or two good sessions at the end to beat us, even if we are on top the entire game.

Khawaja gets cut and now they are bringing back Hughes. Another left armer who struggles against the new ball and Swann. Fair call, but you have to wonder how many chances these guys will get before we just decide to blood some new young talent. As most of you have alluded to, we don't have many other options which is our biggest downfall.

I've given it some thought and we just cannot leave Harris out of this test. Disappointing that Watson is fit because I would have liked Smith at 6 in the all-rounder position with a specialist batsman at 5. Then again, Watson does provide a right-hander in the middle order though I think he should be at 5 so the ball is coming on to the bat a bit more.

likely side:
Warner
Rogers
Hughes
Clarke
Smith (would like to see him at 6)
Watson (should be #5)
Haddin
Siddle
Harris
Starc
Lyon

what I'd like to see:
Warner
Rogers
Hughes
Clarke
Khawaja
Smith
Haddin
Faulkner
Siddle
Harris
Lyon

(Problem with that side is far too many left-handers in the batting order. Faulkner is meh, but Starc is no better.)

 

[Samuel Smith]

watson should be out of the team, keep usman

 

[Jerusalem]

Boof really needs to start sticking with players now. It's not long before the ashes in Australia and we need an XI we can rely on and if that means losing a few matches till then so be it. Keep Bird, Keep Hughes, Keep Khawaja.

 

[No4918]

Khwaja and Bird dropped, Starc and Faulkner in

How much say does Boof have in the selections? It is a joke. I know it is not exactly feasible to have the national coach as the main selector as in rugby due to so much seasonal overlap & game length but this system appears to be failing. Most of the great players of the last 10 years are calling for stability and these guys are doing the exact opposite.

Dear Clarkie,
Man the fuck up Michael and tell the selectors you are not happy instead of justifying their shit decisions. You can't tell me it is doing the players headspace any good. Who's side are you on?
Regards, Concerned fan.

End Rant

 

[Braveheart81]

Khwaja and Bird dropped, Starc and Faulkner in

How much say does Boof have in the selections? It is a joke. I know it is not exactly feasible to have the national coach as the main selector as in rugby due to so much seasonal overlap & game length but this system appears to be failing. Most of the great players of the last 10 years are calling for stability and these guys are doing the exact opposite.

Dear Clarkie,
Man the fuck up Michael and tell the selectors you are not happy instead of justifying their shit decisions. You can't tell me it is doing the players headspace any good. Who's side are you on?
Regards, Concerned fan.

End Rant

Whilst on tour, the coach and one of the selection panel are the only selectors as far as I know. I am not sure whether Clarke is still a selector whilst on tour. This used to always be the case (but the captain wasn't a selector when at home) but then they made the captain a full time selector last year and then Clarke ditched that job when Lehmann came in.

I certainly understand dropping Khawaja but how do you pick Faulkner in his place? This is a team that has lost due to batting collapses and now we've chosen to play one less batsman and pick an all rounder instead who has never made a first class century. I really rate Faulkner as a cricketer, but that doesn't mean he should be played instead of a specialist batsman.

 

[Aussie D]

Pity the selectors didn't opt for Mark Cosgrove in the Ashes squad, IMHO a guy like his would have been a boon (no pun intended) to our middle order.

 

[Braveheart81]

Pity the selectors didn't opt for Mark Cosgrove in the Ashes squad, IMHO a guy like his would have been a boon (no pun intended) to our middle order.

I don't get this. Several people have raised Cosgrove as an option and I really don't see why.

He has a first class average in the low 40s and averaged just under 40 last season in the Sheffield Shield.

The guy has consistently been out of shape for his entire first class career.

He's a reasonable slip fielder but his lack of agility means he realistically has to field in the slips but he's certainly not of the standard of Clarke or Watson there.

 

[No4918]

It gets worse:

"I hope the Australian public are the same because that was just blatant cheating. I don't advocate walking but when you hit it to first slip it's pretty hard.

"From my point of view I just hope the Australian public give it to him right from the word go for the whole summer and I hope he cries and he goes home.

"I just hope everyone gets stuck into him because the way he's carried on and the way he's commented in public about it is ridiculous.


Read more: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/other-sports/make-english-nemesis-stuart-broad-cry-in-ashes-summer-darren-lehmann-tells-aussie-fans/story-e6frf56c-1226701086979#ixzz2cZJ4GZEk

 

[Braveheart81]

That is outrageous from Boof.

Broad didn't edge it straight to first slip. The edge caught the outside of Haddin's gloves and that caused the big deflection to first slip.

Regardless of what actually happened not walking is not even close to cheating. I don't even think it is poor sportsmanship. He is perfectly entitled to wait for the umpire's decision whatever that decision ends up being.

Australia would have been able to correct the decision if they hadn't frivilously used their reviews earlier in the innings.

If an Australian batsman did the same thing, I have absolutely no issues with it. It is part of cricket. That is why there are umpires.

 

[Aussie D]

I don't get this. Several people have raised Cosgrove as an option and I really don't see why.

The guy has consistently been out of shape for his entire first class career.

Because he has the ability to score runs.

Round is a shape, just not particularly wanted in a professional sportsman.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Boof really needs to start sticking with players now. It's not long before the ashes in Australia and we need an XI we can rely on and if that means losing a few matches till then so be it. Keep Bird, Keep Hughes, Keep Khawaja.

For Ashes Part II, we have got to start training our groundskeepers to prepare "appropriate" pitches as well. And Ground Maintenance staff to do the good host thing - faulty ACU in the dressing room, lights missing, hot water running out early that sort of stuff.

Susie the Waitress would be handy to be assigned as the Soap Dodgers Team Liaison Manager.

The way we are going, we are going to need all the help we can get to win the return series.

Stability should see a return in confidence, and with that we should expect to see a return to form.

 

[mark_s]

England play two spinners, we pick an extra medium a pacer who can bat a bit, at the expense of a specialist batting position. Madness.

 

[The Red Baron]

England play two spinners, we pick an extra medium a pacer who can bat a bit, at the expense of a specialist batting position. Madness.

No, he's injured.

 

[The Red Baron]

Looks like Watson has come in with a point to prove. He is demolishing the England attack at the moment. Chris Rodgers is looking quite organised so far, and more than happy to let Watson smack the debutants about.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

It gets worse:

"I hope the Australian public are the same because that was just blatant cheating. I don't advocate walking but when you hit it to first slip it's pretty hard.

"From my point of view I just hope the Australian public give it to him right from the word go for the whole summer and I hope he cries and he goes home.

"I just hope everyone gets stuck into him because the way he's carried on and the way he's commented in public about it is ridiculous.


Read more: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/other-sports/make-english-nemesis-stuart-broad-cry-in-ashes-summer-darren-lehmann-tells-aussie-fans/story-e6frf56c-1226701086979#ixzz2cZJ4GZEk

This was most likely meant to be a jocular exchange of public bar type banter, but fair dinkum, he is the National Team's Head Coach. The comments will be taken out of context by some 1/2 liquored up buffoon at the match at the Gabba who will probably try to throw a bunch of rotten tomatoes at Broad at some stage after giving him an absolute gobfull of verbal abuse all day. Charming. Right back to the Hadlee is a Tanker chanting days, only worse in that it has been tacitly condoned by the National Coach.

Boof should be a little more media savvy than this.

 

[light]

Watson playing well and brings up a well-deserved ton. Admittedly, I was one of those criticising him but he has played excellently today.

First 100 in 45 innings, well played mate. Keep going.

Anderson seems to be ineffective and then just takes a wicket out of nowhere. Clarke never really looked comfortable but his issues seemed more against Broad.

This is shaping up to be a cracking test. Redemption time boys!

 

[No4918]

Well done Watto. Back it up with a ton next summer and all will be forgiven mate.

 

[Scotty]

Don't forget the oval is generally a great batting track. Lucky we won the toss.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

While the score at stumps on Day 1 looks reasonable, I think we'd do best to reserve judgement on how well we may have performed until after the first dig from the Soapies. If the track is good for our batsmen, then it is equally likely to favour them as well.

 

[Brumby Runner]

It looks like Hughes will replace Khawaja at 3 in the final test.

Brumby Runner - I just don't know who we go back to Shield cricket for that isn't Hughes or Khawaja. Each time they get dropped back to Shield cricket they perform better than the other contenders (Hughes in particular) which is why they keep getting another crack.

It's not like there are a long line of Shield batsmen outscoring them.

I definitely think there is a spot available in the first Ashes test for any shield batsman who can make a couple of big scores in the first couple of games in the season

My concerns about Hughes are that he is first and foremost used at Shield level as an opener, but then is brought into the test team more lately in the middle order (at 3 or below), and second, that his technique will always let him down against sustained good test match bowling. Khawaja I think has had ample opportunity to prove himself in tests but hasn't risen to the level required. Also, he is largely used as an opener at Shield Level.

I think there are a couple of options for the middle order when the test series comes down under. Voges is closest to a Michael Hussey type and should be considered. Also a batsman for Tassie (forget his name, but scored huge runs for Aust A a year or two back).

Hopefully, Watson has now found his best position in the test lineup as well.

As I said in an earlier post, there isn't that much between these two teams, despite England being 3-0 up. Aust was in a strong position in Tests 1 and 4, while they probably would have won test 3 but for the weather. Win the toss, and win the test! Hope they can go on to a good win in this test to set themselves up for the series in Aus.