*Official* Australia in England T20s and ODIs

[King Pietersen]

I am so glad that our selection panel doesn't include Butcher, Donald, Willis, Lloyd and Botham. Heard some terrible suggestions. Jones, Bresnan, and then Botham discussing the ODi team and calling for Blackwell and Mustard. Their cricketing opinions baffle me, and Atherton seems to be the only one that's remotely clued up on who's playing well. At least they're mentioning Trott now though; whether they'd have mentioned him before being picked for that 5th Ashes Test is another matter.

We've lost. We won't bowl Australia out or restrict them to less than 229 with this attack. If we had Flintoff, Broad and Rashid in place of Bresnan, Anderson and Morgan then we'd have a shout, but I don't see where the wickets will come from other than Swann's 10 overs.

 

[TT Boy]

So glad Willis was in that feature, would have been painfully dull without him. Loved that when Athers asked him what to do with Harmison that he just replied leave him at home.

Bob was the voice of reason. AD didn't have anything worthwhile to say, time working for England has contaminated him. Butch wants a full-time commentary gig, so he was doing a Nick Knight...

 

[TT Boy]

Going by Watson's reaction you think he middled it. That was plumb.

 

[King Pietersen]

Watson in lbw shocker.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Watson really needs to deal with his LBW problem

 

[Pizzorno]

Watson clearly doesn't know the lbw rule. He gets his knickers in a twist everytime he's out in that fashion; always giving the umpire evils.

Word of advice Shane; if your leg is front of the stumps and the ball hits it then there's a high likelihood that your out son.

 

[TT Boy]

Paine bats like an England batsman.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Ouch

 

[four_or_six]

Watson clearly doesn't know the lbw rule. He gets his knickers in a twist everytime he's out in that fashion; always giving the umpire evils.

Word of advice Shane; if your leg is front of the stumps and the ball hits it then there's a high likelihood that your out son.

Don't think Watto's getting his knickers in a twist at the umpire, I think he's just annoyed at himself. He's like that sometimes even if it's bowled or caught.

 

[TT Boy]

Good job football is starting in 10 minutes.

 

[four_or_six]

Think I might catch up on Holby City on iPlayer.

 

[grecian]

More of the Blackwell hate (should really have mentioned him in the other thread). The blokes having a great season, deserves some respect,

but not in ODI cricket and spinning all-rounder isn't exactly where we're lacking.

Gosh the crap cricket continues, We deserve to be thrashed, c'mon Aussie

 

[Scaly piscine]

I am so glad that our selection panel doesn't include Butcher, Donald, Willis, Lloyd and Botham. Heard some terrible suggestions. Jones, Bresnan, and then Botham discussing the ODi team and calling for Blackwell and Mustard. Their cricketing opinions baffle me, and Atherton seems to be the only one that's remotely clued up on who's playing well. At least they're mentioning Trott now though; whether they'd have mentioned him before being picked for that 5th Ashes Test is another matter.

We've lost. We won't bowl Australia out or restrict them to less than 229 with this attack. If we had Flintoff, Broad and Rashid in place of Bresnan, Anderson and Morgan then we'd have a shout, but I don't see where the wickets will come from other than Swann's 10 overs.

Mustard's record over the last 2-3 seasons is pretty good, he's certainly an infinitely better option than Matt Prior who along with Swann has the batting to do well but just seems to brain dead when it comes to ODI batting.

 

[social]

Rewind to eighteen months ago and Australia would have this game won in the first fifteen overs but their current lot could make a game of this.

Urm, 18 months ago would've involved some of the greatest players in history and the type of lineup that comes about every 25 years or so

Virtually every team in history would've been decimated by that group

This "lot" is just your normal run of the mill international team and neither appreciably worse nor better than any of the other sides going around at present

 

[four_or_six]

Urm, 18 months ago would've involved some of the greatest players in history and the type of lineup that comes about every 25 years or so

Virtually every team in history would've been decimated by that group

This "lot" is just your normal run of the mill international team and neither appreciably worse nor better than any of the other sides going around at present

I don't reckon this is a run-of-the mill Australian team, especially not if you add Ponting (and Haddin) back in. I reckon it's an excellent team, there's a lot of very good players.

 

[King Pietersen]

Mustard's record over the last 2-3 seasons is pretty good, he's certainly an infinitely better option than Matt Prior who along with Swann has the batting to do well but just seems to brain dead when it comes to ODI batting.

Simply being a better OD batsman than Prior shouldn't instantly move him into the side, as there are quite a few keepers better than Prior in OD cricket. Mustard may have done decently in the past 2-3 seasons, but he'd still be low in my pecking order. Kieswetter would walk into my side when qualified, but until then Davies, Foster and Ambrose would all be ahead of Mustard for me, and all 5 would be above Prior. I guess our selectors are just confused when it comes to the differences between a Test and One Day player. Prior certainly isn't a One Day player.

 

[TT Boy]

Urm, 18 months ago would've involved some of the greatest players in history and the type of lineup that comes about every 25 years or so

Virtually every team in history would've been decimated by that group

This "lot" is just your normal run of the mill international team and neither appreciably worse nor better than any of the other sides going around at present

Of course but I can't see Sehwag and Gambhir plodding along scoring at two runs an over after 10 overs. Same can be said for Jaya and Dilshan, Smith and Gibbs, Gayle and whoever, and Ryder and McCullum. The incumbent Aus opening partnership isn't anything to tell Mum and Dad about and hardly instills the same 'fear' the aforementioned partnerships do.

 

[King Pietersen]

Paine gone. Colly's been pretty handy with the ball in this series. Just a shame he's been batting with the wrong end.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Simply being a better OD batsman than Prior shouldn't instantly move him into the side, as there are quite a few keepers better than Prior in OD cricket. Mustard may have done decently in the past 2-3 seasons, but he'd still be low in my pecking order. Kieswetter would walk into my side when qualified, but until then Davies, Foster and Ambrose would all be ahead of Mustard for me, and all 5 would be above Prior. I guess our selectors are just confused when it comes to the differences between a Test and One Day player. Prior certainly isn't a One Day player.

Kieswetter's record is no better than Mustard's recent record, plus there's the Taunton road factor. Putting Ambrose ahead of Mustard is a total joke.

Basically the three keepers who should be in the running are Mustard, Davies and Foster. They are leaps and bounds ahead of the rest. But because it's England they've hardly played a match between them.

 

[King Pietersen]

Kieswetter looks good at the crease and looks a proper batsman. Mustard's always looked like a mindless slogger whenever I've seen him, and only made runs for England on the flattest of surfaces on a tiny ground. I rate Kieswetter incredible highly and have been incredibly impressed whenver I've seen him bat, and his record is notably better than Mustard's as well. Mustard averaging 28.64, Kieswetter averaging 39.74 and Craig has more hundreds in 60 less matches. Taunton or not, that's a miles better record. As for Tim Ambrose, it's debatable. Their batting is very even, and I'd give the edge on keeping to Ambrose, so that's why I'd take him ahead of Mustard.