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Summer of Cricket 2013/14

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      simont141 Chief Commissioner

    Location: Adelaide
    I think the obsession goes back further than Steve Waugh. Remember, Inverarity played alongside Doug Walters (The Man with the Golden Arm) who could also trundle down a few useful deliveries.
    On one occasion, Chappell brought on Walters because a partnership was becomin irritating. Doug took a wicket in his first over, and was reported to have said, "Bloody beauty; 1 for none. What a great game this is. Did him with pace - lack of."
    Valvegear

    In recent years, the fetish with playing an all rounder picked up again when Flintoff carved us up in the 2005 ashes with 24 wickets and 400 runs. All of a sudden, every team had to have a Flintoff. And of course, Gilchrist changed the course of the game when every team had to pick a batsman that could keep a bit instead of a keeper that might be able to bat a bit.
    Posted: 14 Feb 2014 15:46

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      Valvegear Oliver Bullied, CME

    Location: Richmond Vic
    Warner in the first innings, and now Rogers in the second . . . opening batsmen getting out by dragging wide deliveries onto the stumps. The best openers have always refused to play when they didn't have to, and I hope Boof can get this through the heads of our numbers 1 and 2.  It's a five-day game for God's sake -  the aim is to be there for a long time.
    Posted: 14 Feb 2014 21:16
      lsrailfan Chief Commissioner

    Location: Somewhere you're not
    Aussies are well in control of this game, I anticipate another win for us coming up, very hard to see South Africa getting out of this one, they will go in tonight, and try and get as close to 600 runs in front as possible, then send them in on a wearing pitch, Johnson will be licking his lips

    Kind Regards
    Posted: 15 Feb 2014 12:24
      Valvegear Oliver Bullied, CME

    Location: Richmond Vic
    Australia by 281 runs - that, gentlemen, is a comprehensive flogging.

    Notwithstanding Johnson's magnificent return of 12/127 for the match, it was an excellent team effort. All of the bowlers did their jobs well. The batsmen made runs,  and the fielding was top class.

    Question for djf01:-  who are you going to drop to fit Wonder Boy Watson in?  Australia didn't miss him. Doolan made runs at 3, and showed a lot of people how to field at short leg. His catches were absolute blinders.
    Posted: 16 Feb 2014 09:26
      alstom_888m Chief Commissioner

    Location:
    The only weak link in that first test was Rogers; with 4 and 1, but after his Ashes campaign, he'd have to fail every match this tour before I'd consider dropping him, and even then I'd pick Hughes over Watson, or maybe take a serious look at Jordan Silk (I think he might still be too young for test cricket yet though).
    Posted: 16 Feb 2014 10:52

    Last edited by alstom_888m on 16 Feb 2014 10:53; edited 1 time in total
      djf01 Chief Commissioner

    Question for djf01:- who are you going to drop to fit Wonder Boy Watson in? Australia didn't miss him. Doolan made runs at 3, and showed a lot of people how to field at short leg. His catches were absolute blinders.
    Valvegear

    No-one !!!  I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be wrong here!

    Maybe Smith?  He's obviously out of form.  He didn't make any runs at all in the second innings Smile.

    The way the selectors have been thinking in recent years they'll axe Rogers and open with Watson.  

    If it were me, I'd be tempted to go with the same lineup, but it would depend on the pitch.  The Centurion deck was a bit up and down from what Jim Maxwell tells me.  Whether 4 bowlers and 6 batters will be enough of an attack if Johnson doesn't knock over half the African's top order in his first spell is the big question.  

    So ...

    If the pitch looks flat and dry, I'd be bringing Watson back in for Doolan.  If it's green, we won't need the 5th bowler and we go with the same line up.


    I must say I do like the look of the Aussie top 6 now with Marsh making runs.  Clarke back at 5, Smith at 6.  Marsh has shown himself to be very hit and miss in the past.  He's done this before remember: made a big score on his initial inclusion in the team, then failed till he was dropped.  But I must say I am much happier now than I was when the team was announced!
    Posted: 16 Feb 2014 11:20
      Gman_86 Chief Commissioner

    Location: Melton, where the sparks dare not roam!
    I agree, while Rogers' performance left a lot to be desired, he is just as likely to knock a century at Port Elizabeth as he is to repeat his Centurion performance. He is still a safer bet than Watson. At any rate, why change a winning lineup, they went the whole 5 match test series against England without a change, so why change now?
    Posted: 16 Feb 2014 11:28
      Graham4405 The Ghost of George Stephenson

    Location: Dalby Qld
    Australia by 281 runs - that, gentlemen, is a comprehensive flogging.
    Valvegear


    Indeed. Interesting statistic there. That is two tests in a row that Australia has won by 281 runs, something no Australian team had ever done before...
    Posted: 16 Feb 2014 18:32
      simont141 Chief Commissioner

    Location: Adelaide
    I'm wondering if South Africa watched the Ashes? If they did, they would have known that they need to be on their game to win. As good as Johnson was, South Africa were just as bad. Given they only lost one out of 19 games leading up to this test, I don't expect them to have two bad games in a row.

    Have to go with the same team. Almost everyone contributed, and those that didn't shouldn't be worried about their spot after one bad showing.
    Posted: 17 Feb 2014 09:48
      djf01 Chief Commissioner

    Australia by 281 runs - that, gentlemen, is a comprehensive flogging.

    Notwithstanding Johnson's magnificent return of 12/127 for the match, it was an excellent team effort. All of the bowlers did their jobs well. The batsmen made runs, and the fielding was top class.

    Question for djf01:- who are you going to drop to fit Wonder Boy Watson in? Australia didn't miss him. Doolan made runs at 3, and showed a lot of people how to field at short leg. His catches were absolute blinders.
    Valvegear

    Another take on this theme ... http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-20/collins-sorry-shane--but-its-time-to-part-ways/5271172

    As I see it, were ditching our "reliance" on Watson to place it on Johnson instead.  Why does that not fill me with confidence?
    Posted: 20 Feb 2014 10:41
      simont141 Chief Commissioner

    Location: Adelaide
    Reliance on Watson? He's only taken 12 wickets in nearly 3 years! Over the same time he's only made half a dozen 50s and 2 centuries - in 50 innings!

    How he has played as long as he has will remain one of test cricket's greatest mysteries.
    Posted: 20 Feb 2014 14:18
      Valvegear Oliver Bullied, CME

    Location: Richmond Vic
    As I see it, were ditching our "reliance" on Watson to place it on Johnson instead.  Why does that not fill me with confidence?
    djf01

    Johnson fills me with a damn sight more confidence than Watson does.

    Reliance on Watson? He's only taken 12 wickets in nearly 3 years! Over the same time he's only made half a dozen 50s and 2 centuries - in 50 innings!
    simont141

    Add to that the number of times he has let the team down by limping off with yet another muscle strain.  He's not fit; he's not good enough to be a top order test batsman; he's not good enough to command a place as a bowler; and he is the slowest plodder Australia has had in the field in my recent memory.

    How he has played as long as he has will remain one of test cricket's greatest mysteries.
    simont141

    You are 100% correct.
    Posted: 20 Feb 2014 17:24
      simont141 Chief Commissioner

    Location: Adelaide
    Johnson fills me with a damn sight more confidence than Watson does.
    Valvegear

    Any day of the week I would back Johnson to take wickets and make runs, than I would Watson to make runs and take wickets.
    Posted: 20 Feb 2014 19:35
      TheBlacksmith Chief Commissioner

    Location: Ankh Morpork
    Hey Valvegear! Don't you read your PMs?
    Posted: 21 Feb 2014 09:12
      Valvegear Oliver Bullied, CME

    Location: Richmond Vic
    Sorry - I usually do because I get an alert on my e mail. Didn't happen this time, but I have now replied.
    Posted: 21 Feb 2014 15:25
      bowralcommuter Chief Commissioner

    Location: Asleep on a Manly Ferry
    It was only a matter of time before we got bowled out cheaply, our top order has faucked up has failed yet again. Looks like Rogers could be the scapegoat but Warner, Clarke etc are just as responsible for forcing Smith, Haddin and the tail to play heroes every test.
    Posted: 23 Feb 2014 14:22
      allan Chief Commissioner

    The Australian team has lost. South Africa has won by default. And South Africa would have won more convincingly, still, if the umpiring had been up to speed. Too many reviews allowed, and the umpires are hiding behind them.
    Posted: 24 Feb 2014 03:43
      greasyrhys Chief Commissioner

    Location: MacDonald Park, SA
    Can't believe I woke up to see the score, only for the game to be all over?

    Pathetic batting apart from the openers. Almost feels like the period from the 2012/13 summer to the 2013 Ashes. Sad
    Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:23
      simont141 Chief Commissioner

    Location: Adelaide
    I think natural order has been restored.
    Posted: 24 Feb 2014 10:02
      lsrailfan Chief Commissioner

    Location: Somewhere you're not
    I think natural order has been restored.
    simont141

    Not really, Your allowed to loose one Test once in a while, don't forget this is coming off a 6 Test Winning streak, fairly hard to achieve these days, What will be the test will be the upcoming Test in Cape Town on Saturday, If we loose that one, I would agree with you

    Kind Regards
    Posted: 24 Feb 2014 14:39
      Valvegear Oliver Bullied, CME

    Location: Richmond Vic
    The Australian top order batting is abysmal. We got away with it against England whose attack was nowhere near as good as South Africa's. Now we're facing a mob who can finish the job and Haddin can't keep on saving us.
    Look at the second innings batting card:-
    107
    66
     5
     0
     1
     0
     1
     6
     6
     3*
     0.
    Sundries third-top score with 21.

    Don't try to tell me that the conditions or pitch favoured the bowlers - both openers would laugh hysterically after scoring 173 i.e 80%, of a total of 216.

    And Clarke . . . he has now moved down to no 5, allowing two rookies in Doolan and Marsh to hide him. That is abrogating his responsibility to the team.
    Posted: 24 Feb 2014 17:49
      djf01 Chief Commissioner

    The Australian top order batting is abysmal. We got away with it against England whose attack was nowhere near as good as South Africa's. Now we're facing a mob who can finish the job and Haddin can't keep on saving us.
    Look at the second innings batting card:-
    107
    66
    5
    0
    1
    0
    1
    6
    6
    3*
    0.
    Sundries third-top score with 21.

    Don't try to tell me that the conditions or pitch favoured the bowlers - both openers would laugh hysterically after scoring 173 i.e 80%, of a total of 216.

    And Clarke . . . he has now moved down to no 5, allowing two rookies in Doolan and Marsh to hide him. That is abrogating his responsibility to the team.
    Valvegear


    Funny you should say that Valvegear, but at 0 for 120 ish I was thinking if I was captain I'd be sending Clarke in at #3 !!!  

    As you know I'm not a big fan of Clarke at #4 - I think his technique outside off is too loose to cope with the moving ball in the first 15-20 overs, and Clarke at #4 is a recipe to turn 2-30 into 3-20.  But, in that game in that situation it was perfect for him to move up the order.  Had he got a start (and chances against the older ball on a dead pitch were pretty good) and got into playing his shots he'd have put the Africans to the sword and we'd have gone on to win - or at least let the game be washed out.

    But no, down at #5 he doesn't come in until the bowlers had their tails up after the newbies poked and prodded away their wickets.

    The batting order is starting to look decidedly brittle again, and I think a lot of that is down to S Marsh with 2 centuries and one 50 (great conversion rate) in 9 games bit still an average of only 32.  

    I only saw it on the news, but Stein looked unplayable.  The ball that knocked over Haddin was a ripper: huge late swing at serious pace.  Haddin had the bat between the ball and the sticks 2m before impact - but he missed it by 2 bat widths!
    Posted: 25 Feb 2014 23:08
      Jajb94 Deputy Commissioner

    Location: In a BAM
    So, Australia have won the toss and chose to bat first in Cape Town today.
    So far, into the middle session
    Australia are on top at 2/152 after 37 overs.

    Warner doing nicely on 94* and Clarke in at #4 is sitting on 8*
    Posted: 01 Mar 2014 23:02
      Jajb94 Deputy Commissioner

    Location: In a BAM
    So, at stumps on day 1, Australia are 3/331 with Steve Smith at 50* and Michael Clarke on 92*
    Clearly Australia's day, every partnership was worth more than 50 runs which is a considerable achievement for any batting side.
    Posted: 02 Mar 2014 14:29
      TheBlacksmith Chief Commissioner

    Location: Ankh Morpork
    And with Warner making better than a ton, I bet the Sef Efricans are mightily p1ssed off. So much for targeting him, Hah.
    Posted: 02 Mar 2014 16:11

    Last edited by TheBlacksmith on 02 Mar 2014 16:12; edited 1 time in total

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