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*Official* Fifth Test at The Oval

aussie

Hall of Fame Member
Have to say that Stuart Clark decision was horrendous, that has to be up there with the Symonds decision. How do you not see that? Wow, you could tell it missed the bat by miles with real-time on tv.
It always happens with tail-enders. Onions had a shocker in the 1st innings @ Leeds as well.
 

tooextracool

International Coach
Haha, I kinda agree with this. Before, you might not like them dominating, but you could accept and respect given the quality of their players. Not now.

For me, it's just a bit satisfying to see that despite all that talk of their greatness being due to their cricket system, attitude, this or that, in the end they lucked out by having a few key legends in the team at the same time, like the West Indies. I don't think their decline will be as pronounced as West Indies, and they still have players who can keep the team competitive, but I'm rooting for England just to put the nail in the coffin of Australia berth at the top.

It's hard to believe, but after this loss, Australia will have lost pretty much every glory they earned in the last 15 year. No Ashes, no Border-Gavaskar trophy, no unbeaten streak at home, no number 1 status in tests or one days. All thats left is the World Cup.
and the champions trophy.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
What bs. We're a team in transition and we've lost a couple of tight series against good competition. If it wasn't for our system, we wouldn't have what is still one of the best two teams in the world. You want to see what happens without a system like that, look at the WIs, they won't even be a test team in another 10 years at the current rate.

To put Australia's stint at the top down to 2-3 legends coinciding is stupid. First, there were at least half a dozen great players (Hayden, Ponting, Waugh, Gilchrist, Warne, McGrath), but equally as importantly several more generally durable, consistent very very good players (Langer, Slater, Mark Waugh, Martyn, Gillespie, Kasprowicz, McGill, Lee). And the fringe players meant that when we did have injuries or retirements, guys like Lehmann, Katich, Clark, and Johnson came in.

That number of quality players is not luck and it smacks of sour grapes to say it is, especially in the timing of such crowing.
Yeah I completely agree. We've done okay this series, but in reality with the way we've performed it's very easy to see why South Africa, India and now even Sri Lanka are ranked ahead of us.
 

tooextracool

International Coach
I think if we weren't playing Australia almost everyone except for the English contingent would be goading our team to lose. There are some teams that the majority of people love to see lose and one of them is England.
 

Matt79

Hall of Fame Member
Yeah I completely agree. We've done okay this series, but in reality with the way we've performed it's very easy to see why South Africa, India and now even Sri Lanka are ranked ahead of us.
Think SL would have to beat us before you'd say they're ranked ahead of us. Would back us to beat SL most of the time, England most of the time (despite it not working out that way here), and SA and Ind 50% of the time. Think we'll go back to being a very tough proposition at home and competitive away, but not expecting to tour and win away all the time.
 

andyc

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
We were 1 down when I last saw the score. Congrats, England. If we can't stop Stuart Broad from taking 11 wickets in consecutive innings, we don't deserve the Ashes.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
Think SL would have to beat us before you'd say they're ranked ahead of us. Would back us to beat SL most of the time, England most of the time (despite it not working out that way here), and SA and Ind 50% of the time. Think we'll go back to being a very tough proposition at home and competitive away, but not expecting to tour and win away all the time.
Sri Lanka would be close, but in the Test Rankings if Australia lose this series we'll be behind them. I'm not expecting us to win all the time at home tbh, against the big teams.

We play Pakistan and West Indies at home next and if we do well all will appear rosey again.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
It's not like Australia have done any thing wrong. Sledger gave the Man U example. If Man U is playing Tottenham and Tottenham are 3-0 up courtesy 3 absolute superb goals, would you still laugh. I wouldn't. I can see that some would still laugh at that but that's not the way I look at it. :dry:
What are you on about Pratters?

You're saying it as if people laughing at Australia have done something wrong.

Go to the 4th test, and look for how many "lols" or something similar there were when England disgracefully collapsed (twice).

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Funnily enough I knew someone would pick up on me laughing at Australia collapsing. Yet when people do it for England its all well and good?
 

aussie

Hall of Fame Member
Yeah I completely agree. We've done okay this series, but in reality with the way we've performed it's very easy to see why South Africa, India and now even Sri Lanka are ranked ahead of us.
AUS main problem in this post McWarne era has been inconsistency & horrible selections especially in the bowling. On paper & in depth AUS are still better than SA, IND, SRI especially at home. But of course AUS will always struggle in the sub-continent because of no quality spinner - even though winning in IND historically done by the fast-bowlers.
 

Matt79

Hall of Fame Member
Well, other teams benefit from getting to play the WIs of the world, so should we, if we're too worried about the rankings. We've played India away, NZ at home, SA at home, SA away and England away across our last five series - only NZ at home would be considered anything less than one of the tougher challenges in world cricket.
 

Nate

You'll Never Walk Alone
Hi all . :) :)

I a 'm new 2 the forums, I support England!! Go England , what a game ey?

Nice forum we have her. :)

I love England and Enlgish Cricket, always. Go Broad ! :)
 

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