***Official*** Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series 2007-08

[sideshowtim]

A guy who I thought also played a huge role tonight was James Hopes. His 34 off 29 was incredibly valuable. When he came to the crease we looked liker we'd struggle to make 225. The pitch was still slow and Sri Lanka had their best bowlers on as it was the last 10. Still, he played a vital hand and was there as we passed 250. Very good innings. His bowling performance of 0/15 looks average when everyone else took a wicket, however it was an important spell too. He came on just after Sanga had belted Lee everywhere and the momentum had started to go with Sri Lanka...They were picking up their run rate big time and he really tied them down. He bowled tight, stump to stump and restricted their run rate. Although Bracken took the wicket, the rash shot that Jayawardene played that turned the match right in to our favour can be put down to some of the pressure Hopes created. Same for Sanga IMO. He was starting to get very frustrated.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Although Bracken took the wicket, the rash shot that Jayawardene played that turned the match right in to our favour can be put down to some of the pressure Hopes created.

Johnson took the wicket, actually. But you're right, Hopes bowled well. As he should have, it's the perfect pitch for this type of bowling.

 

[Ospi]

wonder what gilly and sangy were chatting about at the end there, seemed to chat forever till the cut away to haydens interview. I hope it was all in good spirit, i love it when players from opposing teams can publically have a friendly chat to one another.

 

[sideshowtim]

wonder what gilly and sangy were chatting about at the end there, seemed to chat forever till the cut away to haydens interview. I hope it was all in good spirit, i love it when players from opposing teams can publically have a friendly chat to one another.

Given the generally incredibly kind nature of both player's personas I doubt it was anything negative.

 

[Nate]

Nathan Bracken > you

 

[howardj]

I didnt get to see the game, but I think I prefer the ones that are washed out.

At least you can fantasise that they would be a close contest.

 

[Jono]

wonder what gilly and sangy were chatting about at the end there, seemed to chat forever till the cut away to haydens interview. I hope it was all in good spirit, i love it when players from opposing teams can publically have a friendly chat to one another.

Was obviously something friendly and personal by their body language.

Two awesome guys.

 

[Matt79]

"Gun batsman-wicketkeeper society" business, obviously.

 

[Jamee999]

Stop giving our society away

 

[chaminda_00]

Just watching Amerasinghe bowl made me think how mad it would be if Thurshara was picked and Dilhara was fully fit. We could have a pace attack of four 140km/h bowlers (Malinga, Thushara, Dilhara, Amerasinghe). I'm think post Murali and Vaas here. Now that would mad considering it was only a decade or so again we couldn't produce 130km/h plus bowlers.

 

[gettingbetter]

Just watching Amerasinghe bowl made me think how mad it would be if Thurshara was picked and Dilhara was fully fit. We could have a pace attack of four 140km/h bowlers (Malinga, Thushara, Dilhara, Amerasinghe). I'm think post Murali and Vaas here. Now that would mad considering it was only a decade or so again we couldn't produce 130km/h plus bowlers.

I can't see any real benefits in that. Australia displayed yesterday how a variety of bowlers is more beneficial than have 4 carbon copies, as you are suggesting.

 

[chaminda_00]

I can't see any real benefits in that. Australia displayed yesterday how a variety of bowlers is more beneficial than have 4 carbon copies, as you are suggesting.

Just showing progress not the perfect bowling attack. But all four bowlers are completely different. Malinga is a swinger/slinger, Thurshara a left armer (similar to Johnson), Dilhara and Amerasinghe both hit the deck hard. But Dilhara looks to get more bounce and Amerasinghe is more accurate up and down bowler.

 

[Major Wedgie]

Sri Lanka folded

It was a real shame to see Sri Lanka fold like they did. I'm an Aussie supporter who wants to see Sri Lanka come second and India last.

 

[howardj]

It was a real shame to see Sri Lanka fold like they did. I'm an Aussie supporter who wants to see Sri Lanka come second and India last.

Welcome MW.

Anyway, I'm an Aussie supporter who, for years, has been yearning for a contest. I mean, the Aussie attack is good, but FFS no international team should be 9 for 80, on a benign pitch, or whatever SL were. Haven't teams learned that the key against Australia is to see off the first ten overs. They bury so many teams by taking early wickets. Opposing sides really need to be more circumspect in the opening overs and at least give themselves a chance toward the back end of the match.

 

[Jono]

For years been yearning for a contest?

Australia didn't even win the CB Series last year

 

[chaminda_00]

For years been yearning for a contest?

Australia didn't even win the CB Series last year

3 nil CH series in NZ last year that too. Some fans have short memories.

 

[Matt79]

They didn't count.

 

[pasag]

IIRC, the CB series last year was pretty one sided up till the finals. I sort of see howardj's point, in one-day cricket where Australia is involved more often than not it isn't much of a contest. You have your series in SA, CH 07 and upsets will continue to occur every now and again but in general there doesn't seem like much of a contest in this format.

Btw, raining in Melbourne today, hope it stays away tomorrow. Very sick as well, so not sure if I'll even be able to go. Fingers crossed on both counts.

 

[Jono]

I disagree, I think Australian test series (barring South Africa in Aus 05/06 and India in Aus 07/08 that just passed) have been more one-sided.

Whilst Australia were obviously the better team against India in the recent ODI series in India, I think that series is often incorrectly seen as a belting when it wasn't. Yes India's second win was a dead-rubber, but a ODI is a ODI, and Australia didn't rest too many players, if any did they?

On top of that the sixth game seriously could have gone either way, and all things being equal India probably should have won had it not choked. That's how the game goes obviously, but 4-2 isn't such a bad result. It was a competitive series.

Add the South Africa series in 2006, the CB Series 2006/07 and the Chappell Hadlee series in 2006/07.

Australia produce more one-sided tests than ODIs. Even if they win ODIs, its generally a better contest over a series than a test series.

And regarding the CB Series, you can't just excuse the finals because before that the series was one-sided. England were pathetic early in the series, but that's the nature of tournaments. Last year's tri-series was one of the most unpredictable things I've ever seen in cricket.

No one thought England were going to make it firstly, and when they did, no one thought they'd actually win the series. And further to the fact, no one thought they'd actually win the finals series 2-0!!!

 

[pasag]

Yeah but you look at the CB series on a whole and besides the last few games it was more or less a yawn fest. England deserved to win that series because they played better cricket when it counted, but the fact remains the series on the whole wasn't a poster child for competitive cricket. And yeah with Warne, McGrath and Clark and all the batsmen in form the Test side post 2005 Ashes was amazing and question marks remained on Australia's ODI bowling attack, but as those two retired from Tests and the Australian ODI bowling started to become very very solid with Lee and Bracken performing brilliantly with a host of others doing an excellent job as well, the ODI team has become more dominant than the Test side as recent results have shown (Tests vs India as opposed to WC thrashings).

The nature of limited overs cricket is that there's alot more chance of a contest because all it takes is one or two good personal performances to get the team over the line, but on the whole Australian ODI games aren't that much of a contest, relativley.