Ashes 2009

[Scotty]

Great post and great wrap up.

I feel our lack of consistency in the bowling comes from the lack of having a great leader or two out of the bowling unit. Even one of McGrath or Warne could have turned the whole bowling unit around. Johnson is the only one who has the ability to be a great bowler, but with his lack of consistency he is unlikely to be a great leader of the bowling attack. It is a shame Clark is not 3-4 years younger.

As far as the batting inconsistency goes, there is no real excuse. Our three most experienced players are batsmen, and they should be leading from the front (which two of them normally do). I maintain that a big part of our failure to win series over the last year has been Hussey's lack of form. When we were a very strong side we could afford to carry a batsman through a rough trot (our bowlers hardly ever had one), but we cannot anymore. A top of form Hussey would have helped sway the tide Australias way in many of the lost or drawn games (our other big issue was the injury to Stu Clark before the start of the South African series - an injury that is still having ramifications with our bowling unit).

Back onto the batting inconsistency the selectors can be given the thumbs up for handing North his debut, but I feel in the long run a big thumbs down for dropping Hughes. Watson is most certainly not a test cricket opener, and I feel has ridden his luck to score the runs he did. Hughes has the ability to produce a big match defining ton that Watson doesn't, so who knows what he may have achieved at the Oval in the last game.

 

[mark_s]

Ponting has retired from International 20:20 (although he will keep playing IPL and for Tassie in the Aus comp). Good move I think and I suspct the 50 over retirement won't be far away.

Oh, and we are 2 nil up in the ODI series v the Poms. Let see if we can win something while we are in England.

 

[OZGOD]

We will flog these useless PomPoms. Not that it will mean much or that anyone will remember.

 

[mark_s]

6 nil and we are back to no1 ranked nation but still no one cares.................

 

[PaarlBok]

6 nil and we are back to no1 ranked nation but still no one cares.................

Think you drop back after yesterday's loss.

 

[Scotty]

Ponting thinks it is primarily that batting that cost us the ashes. Similar to what I have said - the most experienced parts of the team did not stand up when it counted most:

Batting cost us the Ashes
''We talked long and hard about momentum in games and how to stop it - and when you've got it how to run with it. When we had momentum we were basically unstoppable, every time we got on a good run with the batting we were making close to 600 each time. When we lost a few wickets, and were under pressure like at The Oval, we lost eight wickets in a session. Doing that in a Test makes it pretty hard for you to come back and win. Our batting was the most experienced fact of our team play and it was our batting, on a couple of occasions, that let us down.''

Good article on front page of today's SMH online.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/cricket/finally-time-to-reflect-for-ponting/2009/09/21/1253384951499.html

 

[PaarlBok]

6 nil and we are back to no1 ranked nation but still no one cares.................

Think you drop back after yesterday's loss.

You actually drop back nr 3 behind India now. :nta:

 

[Scotty]

Yeah, crazy isn't it. Very close between the teams at the top. I think it will be that way for a while now.

 

[PaarlBok]

Ja after last night we look like 10th in the ranking. Our lot rusted like hell and Mendes sure one hell of a spell. Never nice to lose against the curry vreters and tea suipers but flippen nice to see him hypnitising our top oreder with his use of his fingers. Albie Morkel the only one that play at the pitch of the ball and getting him away.