Ashes 2010/2011: England in Australia

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Kram81 said:
I bet you were praying that he failed and that he would somehow get replaced by some spud that's worn a Bushranger shirt...

A great innings for Australia when it has really mattered, suck it up buddy.
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I'm done praying for Michael Hussey. It took too long, too much ground has been lost in the meantime. Do you think none of times he has batted over the past 2 years have "mattered"? I reckon a couple of times in England '09 were of some consequence, but you may see it differently.

What do you reckon, Kram? Hang on to him for another couple of seasons until he really is over the hill. What good is that gong to do anyone except Mike Hussey? With Ponting, Katich, North and perhaps even Clarke washed up by then, it would be too late to do anything about building for future years and we'd be facing a situation of having to reconstruct an entire batting order at once. Just cast an eye ahead for a moment if you could.
 
Hussey is Australia's best bat at the moment, which is strange because he probably should have been dropped a year ago. Australia in big trouble though, all out for 243 and England are 0/1 in reply. Hussey scored 93, Watson 51 and Haddin 56 but everyone else pretty much failed. Jimmy Anderson was the best bowlers taking four wickets.

England in the box seat the moment heading into day two.
 
Now Clarke's in the middle of shithouse form and Punter isn't what he was at 3.

North? He came out without even 100 runs on the board, so it's surprising he stuck around for as long as he did. My expectations of him are so low, that it almost seems like a good innings from him.
 
Beeswax said:
Now Clarke's in the middle of shithouse form and Punter isn't what he was at 3.

North? He came out without even 100 runs on the board, so it's surprising he stuck around for as long as he did. My expectations of him are so low, that it almost seems like a good innings from him.
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Well compare it to most of the the rest of the team and it was... not saying much, though.

England in the box seat here. They can really dictate terms after day 2. Cook has scored over 400 runs in 3 innings on the trot. Speaking of Trott he loves playing Australia quite obviously. And Pietersen has decided to chime in with something quite spectacular so far (which seems to be getting quite inconsistent these days). I can't really say these are absolutely superb batting performances though, as the bowling isn't exactly threatening and the fielding even worse.

Australia has for a long time been the best fielding side in the world and I find it quite disgraceful that there are a number who can't throw flat from the boundary to the stumps. I come from a baseball background and find it shameful that I barrack for a team that doesn't have enough power and technique to throw 60 metres in a reasonable amount of time. For the first time in a long time England far out do anything Australia has in the slips and only Ponting and at times Hussey (even that looks down with his drop today) shows a glimpse of what it used to be.

Harris the best bowler today. Can't believe I'm saying this, but please bring Hauritz back. At least he looks threatening even if he doesn't get a wicket.
 
Boris, now you are reverting to revisionism.

My big problem with Hauritz is that he NEVER looks threatening. I can't see that he would have been much more effective than X-man.

The fielding is horrid. When did it get this bad? Huss has dropped catches in four of his last five matches. And I always think of him as our 'safe' pair of hands. For all I expected England to win the series, I didn't expect the Aussie team to look so, so mediocre so early.

I'll have to just live on hope that things will turn around. They just aren't this bad, they really aren't.
 
Beeswax said:
Boris, now you are reverting to revisionism.

My big problem with Hauritz is that he NEVER looks threatening. I can't see that he would have been much more effective than X-man.
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That's the main problem with the selectors, though, is they never realise their mistakes and look to undo them. It's an all or nothing approach that leaves people wrongly dropped dropped forever.

Hauritz was nothing fancy but he got drift and even some decent spin at about 85km/h. Doherty bowls completely flat and doesn't spin it at 95km/h. I like him as an ODI bowler but not once has he looked threatening and if it weren't for Siddle's six wicket haul in the very first innings the tail wouldn't have been exposed and he wouldn't have gotten a wicket. I can't watch him play for another match, sorry Xavier but I can't.

Beeswax said:
The fielding is horrid. When did it get this bad? Huss has dropped catches in four of his last five matches. And I always think of him as our 'safe' pair of hands. For all I expected England to win the series, I didn't expect the Aussie team to look so, so mediocre so early.

I'll have to just live on hope that things will turn around. They just aren't this bad, they really aren't.
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I can only remember Hussey dropping one catch, in and ODI and it was a tough one at that, in the space of a number of years. All of a sudden he can't hold onto them. The one thing Ponting is doing right is leading by the front on the field, he can't be faulted.
 
The only thing that went Australia's way today was the rain at tea and the fact that England are on 551 :D

England all the way, I would be surprised (as long as the rain holds off) if England don't walk out of this Test one up.
 
Call me ignorant but the Aussies are getting the treatment from the English batsmen at the moment. I hate saying it but Xavier Daugherty looks out of his depth.. Hauritz should be playing .. I agree with Warne on that but not on other things. Secondly the Aussie batting does not seem to be the norm that we have all become accustomed to. Is it a lack of form or pressure that some of the players are under? The application just does not seem to be there for the Australian batsmen and they totals have shown the trouble at the moment.

Cook looks to have found his technique and is in the form of his life and KP today looked like he could be back. I for one am loving watching the Ashes and it has lived up to expectations.
 
Australia need 138 runs to make England bat again heading into the final day. They have six wickets in hand with rain and thunderstorms forecast for the final day it looks like the game might be a draw.

There's worries in both disciplines hattrick, the batting is very inconsistent and the bowling has been poor for the last probably five or six days of the series. You're right about Doherty, I was willing to give him a chance but he hasn't done much, he's just not a test match player. Don't know if Hauritz is the answer as he isn't much better.

The batting is the major problem though, Katich needs to make a big score soon, Watson makes a lot of starts but never goes on with it. Ponting is out of form, as is Clarke and North is the worst of the lot. Hussey probably shouldn't be there either but is the team's best batter at the moment and has found some form from nowhere. Haddin is one that is keeping his end of the bargain along with Hussey.

The pitches have been pretty flat and England have taken full advantage the last two times they have had a hit. They've exposed Australia's bowling attack to be pretty ordinary when the pitch isn't doing a lot, although most attacks would be like that. It's a bit disappointing as it's ruining the chances for either side to get a result. The series could be 1-1 heading into Perth but it's more likely to be 0-0 due to the flatness late in the game at Brisbane and the perennial flat pitch at the Adelaide Oval. With rain and some thunderstorms forecast for tomorrow, England may have missed their chance to take this test but it remains to be seen how bad the weather will be.
 
We have real problems with the bowling. The fact that we are still in this game is down to some commitment at last in the batting by someone other than Huss and Haddin.

I didn't want Huss in the test team anymore, but if anyone had to come good, I'm glad it's him. He's been looking like he does in ODI's. That collected look about him. I hope he kicks on all series, then retires from test cricket while we still love him.
 
Beeswax said:
We have real problems with the bowling. The fact that we are still in this game is down to some commitment at last in the batting by someone other than Huss and Haddin.

I didn't want Huss in the test team anymore, but if anyone had to come good, I'm glad it's him. He's been looking like he does in ODI's. That collected look about him. I hope he kicks on all series, then retires from test cricket while we still love him.
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That first innings in Brisbane Hussey did actually look like he was playing ODI cricket (until they put everyone on the fence and made him settle for singles). Wouldn't be surprised if that's how he got himself back in form.

Katich and Broad out. I can comfortably predict Hughes will come in for Katich, but can't work out who will come in for Broad. Shazad, Tremlett and Bresnan are all in great form and all could fill the role. Shazad was the last to be in the Test team, but Tremlett is more a 'Broad' type bowler and I think would better fill in for Broad's absence. Plus he's cooler :p. I'd bring in Tremlett.
 
hattrick said:
Call me ignorant but the Aussies are getting the treatment from the English batsmen at the moment. I hate saying it but Xavier Daugherty looks out of his depth.. Hauritz should be playing .. I agree with Warne on that but not on other things. Secondly the Aussie batting does not seem to be the norm that we have all become accustomed to. Is it a lack of form or pressure that some of the players are under? The application just does not seem to be there for the Australian batsmen and they totals have shown the trouble at the moment.

Cook looks to have found his technique and is in the form of his life and KP today looked like he could be back. I for one am loving watching the Ashes and it has lived up to expectations.
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hattrick the Aussies batting has been poor for some time. They collapse regularly. I expect them to, I don't know if anyone else on the board has more faith than me, but I assume that once either Kat or Watto goes out we'll be at least 4 down for 150 and probably 6 down for 200.
 
I can comfortably predict Hughes will come in for Katich
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Ryan Campbell was on the news today saying that Hughes doesn't deserve to be a shoe-in - given his current domestic form. He says Shaun Marsh should be in instead. Lets see, Hughes FC average - 53, Marsh FC average - 38. :p I'd say Marsh would be about as effective a test opener as his dad was (note test, not ODI - both father and son, interestingly enough, seem better at the shorter form)
 
gandalf said:
Ryan Campbell was on the news today saying that Hughes doesn't deserve to be a shoe-in - given his current domestic form. He says Shaun Marsh should be in instead. Lets see, Hughes FC average - 53, Marsh FC average - 38. :p I'd say Marsh would be about as effective a test opener as his dad was (note test, not ODI - both father and son, interestingly enough, seem better at the shorter form)
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I think Campbell is basing his opinion on current form. Hughes is averaging around 23 so far this season in Shield cricket while Marsh's is around 80. I also think that Campbell is being a little biased as he is from WA as well so would obviously want another West Aussie in the team.

I think Marsh is still a fair way from the side, he's shown good form so far this season but he'd need another season of good form before he's considered in my opinion.
 
Yes, this is probably the first time that Marsh has followed a good year with another. No consistency, so he'll have to keep this up to get a look in.
 
Johnson finishes with 6 wickets, was absolutely on fire out there today. 81 is a handy lead, just need to perform with the bat now..
 
Mitchell Johnson was the star today his bowling was perfect 6/38 that was Awesome!!! The Aussies are 3/119 at Stumps, 2nd innings leading by 200. Australia need about 300 - 400 lead. To have a chance of winning this 3rd Test, And leveling the series 1-1 with 2 tests left.
 
Kram81 said:
Johnson finishes with 6 wickets, was absolutely on fire out there today. 81 is a handy lead, just need to perform with the bat now..
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Johnson came back into the team at the perfect time. Good batting in the 1st innings, Fantastic bowling when needed, Now to do that great batting again when needed in this 2nd innings, Then to do the bowling in the 2nd innings for England. Do you think Australia can win this test and level the series to 1-1???
 
Good day for Australia, bad day for England. This pitch is pretty lively which is probably a good thing as we will get a result here.

I won't be confident until Australia lead by at least 400.
 
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