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*Official Third Test at Edgbaston
- Thread starter superkingdave
- Start date
Ikki
Hall of Fame Member
I disagree. We have very good players and the future prospects talent-wise are fine.Just don't think you are as good as you (fans in general, media) think you are to be honest.
England are an average side with many weaknesses yet are well on top in the series.
Ponting aside don't think Australia have a world class player in form, how the **** they beat South Africa in South Africa is a mystery to me. The Saffies must have went on the lash between the series in Australia and the series at honme
We have been such a dominant side for so long and the players of yesteryear really forged their careers together. So now that most the team has changed the confidence/character is not there in a physical form anymore. It's simply reputation, one that has been earned by others. I think the likes of Siddle, Johnson, Hughes, etc, are potential superstars, but they no longer have those all-time greats to bail them out while they learn their trade. They have not forged their own identities yet and are unsure of themselves.
Confidence is an extremely underrated thing in cricket. It can make Anderson look like Akram and Hussey look like Hussain.
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When you make calls like that, its not hard to gauge an opinion.
PhoenixFire
International Coach
Yeah gun days cricket.
Was rather impressed with Watto's batting TSTL. Quite like him actually, gives as good as it gets, loved it when he just laughed at Freddie on Friday.
Was rather impressed with Watto's batting TSTL. Quite like him actually, gives as good as it gets, loved it when he just laughed at Freddie on Friday.
zaremba
Cricketer Of The Year
You're right - now I think of it, Brearley basically accused a member of the opposition team of not playing within the spirit of the game, and so it's hard to blame the local crowd for booing him - ....
(repeat ad nauseam)
Burgey
Request Your Custom Title Now!
Should be a good day tbh.
Watson's done very well opening in this game, batting twice at a dodgy time and hanging in there.
Yet another day where the first session will be paramount (seem to say that every day this series). If it's sunny, then Anderson's allergy to sunlight might see us sneak out of it, but if it's cloudy it ought to swing which wil cause real problems.
Good days cricket, really just because I finally got to watch a full days player now I got sky player installed. Looking forward to tomorow, dont think it will be a dead day by any means, backing us to get a couple of early wickets but cannot really see anything else than a draw
zaremba
Cricketer Of The Year
Yeah really liked his interview yesterday, comes across as a cheery and simple sort of chap, I liked his description of not joining in the card games because "I don't understand the rules", prefers to sit with a guitar mag instead.
Burgey
Request Your Custom Title Now!
You may as well keep doing so......
Anyway, i'm off. Bloody extending the days into the evening's a killer over here - 4.30 am FFS.
zaremba
Cricketer Of The Year
Hats off to you for your dedication mate. Fingers crossed for another great day's play tomorrow.
chalky
International Debutant
Potentially so are Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad, Ian Bell Ravi Bopara etc. 1 day they might be quality players but not at the moment.
four_or_six
Cricketer Of The Year
Yeah, loved his cheery "no problem, my pleasure" when the interviewer said thanks for speaking to them.
Burgey
Request Your Custom Title Now!
Yeah, interestingly the more aggressive we play, the more chances likely to be offered, but also the greater the chance of getting to safety. One of those occasions where it's a runs,not just time thing, which is always good.
Would be interesting if Australia bowled out 200 odd in front with 45-50 overs to get the runs on a pitch that's turning a bit now and wth rough outside both left and right handers' off stumps. Would be a grand finish*.
* With a late shower no doubt washing the whole ****ing thing out with 1 wicket and 15 runs required.
Night all
Ikki
Hall of Fame Member
I guess it may be an "eye of the beholder" kind of thing but I think the abovementioned are crap. Stuart Broad gives somewhat an inkling towards possibilities but not much; Cook is decent but nothing more; whereas Bell and Bopara are mediocre at best.
I think for example that Siddle/Johnson can be the best bowler in the world; that Hughes can be the best opener in the world, etc, these are my expectations of their talent. They didn't get their reps by slaughtering the WIndies. Against the 2nd best side in the world they showed themselves. They just need to be more consistent and believe in themselves.
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subshakerz
Hall of Fame Member
Since that infamous Sidney test last year, Ponting's side seems to be losing every major title or distinction that Australia have gained in the past 15+ years. Assuming they lose this series, they would have lost their two biggest trophies (Ashes and Border-Gavaskar), their long unbeaten record at home, and their No.1 rankings in both tests and one days. All in less than a year.
I still think that this Ashes is about momentum. If they can pull off a draw tomorrow, it may be just the boost they need to square things in the next test and make a series of it. But I'm rooting for England to go for the kill.
I still think that this Ashes is about momentum. If they can pull off a draw tomorrow, it may be just the boost they need to square things in the next test and make a series of it. But I'm rooting for England to go for the kill.
BoyBrumby
Englishman
Neither Siddle nor Hughes strike me as lacking self-belief, tbh. Johnson, maybe.
Siddle is a trier, but doesnt have to tools to be the worlds best bowler, he is above average pace, fairly accurate, occasional swing and firey temperament. Hughes has to show that he can score runs at Test level on more than one type of pitch, he has failed when the ball showed the slightest bit of sideways movement. Johnson is no doubt a great talent, and has all the attributes to be one of the worlds best.
Bopara is no doubt a great talent, but he seems to so far lack the metal attributes to hang with the worlds best.
Bell also has great talent, that cannot be denied - however it doesn't seem he will ever fulfil his potential. Just doesnt score enough runs.
Broad has just gone 23.He is nearly 2 years younger than Peter Siddle, bowls around the same pace, gets more bounce and is a far superior batsmen. At the moment he is nowhere near as good a bowler as Siddle, but he could be. He has more raw ability to boot.
Cook is a 24 year old with 3430 runs at 44.5 in test cricket. Not sure how he is average - thats above average already with room to improve.
As you said before, being biased towards our respective countries we are inclined to believe in our players more. To be honest i see our boys as above average at best and your players as being the same. Neither will amount to superstars.
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Dissector
International Debutant
England have about two sessions to get the wickets leaving about one session to get around 150 or so which is quite possible. They will have a new ball in another 50 overs and will hope for a big burst from their quick bowlers to get the last 3-4 wickets in under an hour after that. So they will need to get 4-5 wickets before the new ball; again quite possible. All this is of course assuming no rain.
A draw would be likely except that the Aussie middle order doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence especially without Haddin. In the first innings the last 9 wickets fell in just 40 overs. And there seems to be both turn and swing.
A draw would be likely except that the Aussie middle order doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence especially without Haddin. In the first innings the last 9 wickets fell in just 40 overs. And there seems to be both turn and swing.
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
I don't see how this is much different from "Stuart Broad just needs move the ball more and believe in himself" - gaining consistency is nor easy nor a mitigating circumstance for losing. Consistency is just as relevant to the overall quality of a team or a player as raw potential.Ikki said:
Frankly, I don't think there's much doubt that Australia have a better team than England at the moment. However, the team is not soooo much better that it is not possible for England to outplay them for periods (even lengthy ones) in England. That it has happened does not automatically mean that Australia's approach was wrong, that the wrong team was picked or that the management was poor - some of the reactions whenever Australia happen to be outplayed are the height of arrogance here at times. England do not have as good a team as Australia but, in English conditions, the gap is certainly close enough for England to outplay Australia at times. No amount of over-rating Australia's bowlers and talking down England is going to change that.
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Yeah but Cook has shown no real sign of improvement since he made his debut and is not really showing any signs of doing so any time soon. Looks like he is going to make a very decent test career for himself but not ever becoming one of the worlds great players