**Official** Tour Matches

[pasag]

Well played Huss, make it a big one.

 

[Scaly piscine]

I hope this finally draws a line under the ridiculous notion that Saj should be allowed anywhere near the England side.

Seamers who should be ahead of him? Lets see. Flintoff, Anderson, Onions, Broad, Sidebottom, Harmison, Davies, Bresnan, Plunkett, Tremlett, Napier just for a start are well ahead of Mahmood. I could go and mention guys like Kabir Ali, Jon Lewis and Hoggard.

Get that donkey back to Lancashire seconds and stop insulting the half-decent bowlers floating around County Cricket by saying that somehow a scattergun medium fast bowler is ahead of them.

 

[inbox24]

Haha, how quickly some 'fans' like to pass judgement. No problems when he scores a ton on debut, but a few low scores in non-Test Matches later and you're calling for his blood? Okay then.

inbox - I can see you getting reported a lot and even banned if you keep this up. Terrible, predictable stuff from you.

There's definately reason for concern over North's form. But these doomsday predictions seem pretty over the top, have to say.

I reckon he'll come good, even be in the leading run-scorers this Ashes. Surprise, surprise.

No way. If you pick a class player and he doesn't perform, then baying for his blood as soon as he doesn't perform is just wrong because eventually he will perform as class shines through form. On the other hand, if you pick a crappy player in form, he will luck a few runs and then have a bad run, at which time you immediately drop him because you've gotten the best from him already. Now for South Africa, North was picked over Hodge and Hussey, clearly a bad decision without the benefit of hindsight, so to make the best of a bad decision, the best we could of done was use him for a few runs, and then drop him as soon as he faltered. Sure that might sound unfair, but you need to look at the team not the individual, and you need to make good choices in the first place so that you don't end up in hole in the first place.

Nnanden I'm just as entitled to my opinion as you are yours and its quite rich of you to ban me for airing my opinion.

 

[King Pietersen]

Eugh, watching the first few deliveries of this Harmison over bring back memories of him bowling on tour. He's not running in properly and appears to just be putting it down as opposed to bowling it like he was early in the day. Hopefully he's just loosening up.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Never thought I'd say it, but a shame Wright isn't playing in this. Would be interesting to see what he could do with the ball and save Onions and Harmy for the new pill.

Bell could maybe bowl himself too.

 

[King Pietersen]

England and Australia are very evenly matched atm as far as the scores are concerned.

Australia 252-6 with England 243-6. England could do with a nice bit of hitting from Fred.

 

[simmy]

How many bouncers is Hughes going to get this series. Cant wait!

 

[pasag]

One of my pet commentary hates, unless I misheard, Bumble just goes re:Johnson 'looks like he's a player that likes to hit the ball' or whatever, as if he's just seen him for the first time. He's played over 20 Tests, this shouldn't be the first time he's seen him play. Aus commentators besides Chappell are pretty bad as well in this regard. A live cricket match two years into a guys career shouldn't be the first time you've seen a guy play if you get paid to do this sort of stuff.

 

[Nate]

No way. If you pick a class player and he doesn't perform, then baying for his blood as soon as he doesn't perform is just wrong because eventually he will perform as class shines through form. On the other hand, if you pick a crappy player in form, he will luck a few runs and then have a bad run, at which time you immediately drop him because you've gotten the best from him already. Now for South Africa, North was picked over Hodge and Hussey, clearly a bad decision without the benefit of hindsight, so to make the best of a bad decision, the best we could of done was use him for a few runs, and then drop him as soon as he faltered. Sure that might sound unfair, but you need to look at the team not the individual, and you need to make good choices in the first place so that you don't end up in hole in the first place.

Nnanden I'm just as entitled to my opinion as you are yours and its quite rich of you to ban me for airing my opinion.

Haha, really can't be bothered to launch into this, am hoping most people can see through it.

Leaving aside your imo flawed views of North and David Hussey, I can't ban you. But almost every post of yours is a vendetta against a Marsh or a North, who have done nothing but perform on an International Level, and it's tiresome and verging on trolling. So if you continue to post in this manner, members on here will report your posts. Pretty simple.

 

[simmy]

Yeah especially with the quality of the twp RSA v Aus series

 

[Nate]

One of my pet commentary hates, unless I misheard, Bumble just goes re:Johnson 'looks like he's a player that likes to hit the ball' or whatever, as if he's just seen him for the first time. He's played over 20 Tests, this shouldn't be the first time he's seen him play. Aus commentators besides Chappell are pretty bad as well in this regard. A live cricket match two years into a guys career shouldn't be the first time you've seen a guy play if you get paid to do this sort of stuff.

I have to say, it seems that the English in general have no idea on Hughes, North, Haddin, Johnson and Siddle. Which is heavily in our favour.

Nasser was saying before the break how 'Johnson was going to struggle to see tea because all he can do is hit'. Which is just wrong.

 

[andyc]

Haha, really can't be bothered to launch into this, am hoping most people can see through it.

Leaving aside your imo flawed views of North and David Hussey, I can't ban you. But almost every post of yours is a vendetta against a Marsh or a North, who have done nothing but perform on an International Level, and it's tiresome and verging on trolling. So if you continue to post in this manner, members on here will report your posts. Pretty simple.

TBF Nath, it does kinda go the other way with your fanboyism.

 

[Nate]

TBF Nath, it does kinda go the other way with your fanboyism.

Waiting to get banned for getting too excited itbt.

EDIT: Pretty sure I addressed this months ago ftr. Went something like 'I know players perform badly, including, if not mainly, players I like. So I can bore/annoy people with posts on their failures, or get excited reasonably and lightheartedly with their successes.'

ie - I probably post like how I act at a game. I fire up when we're doing well, and generally credit the opposition when we're failing. Sue meeeeee

 

[BoyBrumby]

100 partnership. It's 2005 all over again.

 

[King Pietersen]

Couple of key wickets at the end here. Bres has bowled well today, taken key wickets. Nice delivery from Harmison to get Lee as well. Solid end from the Lions, just need to get Mussey out now.

 

[superkingdave]

Not a lot to be happy about in the Eng-Warks side, Cook excepted...but Jimmy has a wicket early doors.

According to cricinfo its on BBC radio warks or something but when i clicked on the link it was playing Toploader..gah

 

[BoyBrumby]

Hussey dropped again. FCA taking a pounding.

Impressed with the swing Harmy's got today.

 

[King Pietersen]

I've been more impressed by Onions tbh. Has tremendous accuracy, and has probably deserved another wicket, and was very unlucky not to get Hauritz there. Think he should definitely play during the series ahead of Sidebottom, he's the man in possession, and has bowled nothing short of brilliantly all season. Not sure how you could justify dropping him really, other than to pick another spinner at Cardiff, although given how Rashid's bowled today on a slow track I'd be tempted to stick with the seamers there. Panesar certainly isn't good enough.

 

[BoyBrumby]

All 3 seamers (Saj excepted, obv) have bowled well for mine. Never been a Bresnan man, but he's swung it at the high 80s mph. Onions has swung it less than Harmy or Bresnan, but seems to have hurried all the batters. Bowls what the old pros call a heavy ball, I suppose.

Game over for Mahmood tho, surely? Done literally nothing except one or two decent yorkers Mitch has kept out without too much drama.

 

[King Pietersen]

Dropped Mussey in the 70's as well. Played Saj.