*Official* Australia in England

[Athlai]

It makes it a pretty versatlie attacking tool if occassionally you can keep Tait on for a four over spell at some stage. Gives the batsman no time to settle and while thats usually the same for the bowler, Tait never seems to get into a rhythm anyway. Just hurls those rocks down to the other end of the pitch regardless.

 

[Manee]

The idea, imo, is that when he is bowling at full pace, he has to have a few overs to bowl at the tail. He honestly looked like a man bowling to boys in his final spell, he was simply too good, too quick for the lower order players.

 

[Jayzamann]

I crashed when it semeed the whole thing was academic, how did it become so close as it was? :O

 

[TumTum]

I crashed when it semeed the whole thing was academic, how did it become so close as it was? :O

England gifted a couple of wickets to Smith and then Tait and Bolly started an awesome spell.

 

[treamcast34]

In all honesty, Mitch aside, who else is crocked? Doogie Hauritz now, but he didn't seem to make much difference in the first two games.

IMHO it's been the (gash) showing of the Oz top order that's made the difference. Haddin would've prob added ballast, but Paine far from the worst offender.

Lee and Johnson are the two big ones, and are their two best ODI bowlers (with Tait and Bollinger very close). At the end of the day you only have three or so pacemen in a side, so if your two best ones are out it's going to sting, no question. I'm very happy to get this win though, because we've been so dreary in the format over the journey.

 

[Top_Cat]

Yet another sterling, momentum-killing knock from Mick Clarke. How many times has he been out recently forcing the pace to the spinners with a lame chip to long off/on?

 

[Shri]

Enough times.

 

[Faisal1985]

What hammering by England....good to see that....

 

[BoyBrumby]

I crashed when it semeed the whole thing was academic, how did it become so close as it was? :O

There's that many Saffers in our line up it's surprising we don't choke more often.

 

[Jono]

There's that many Saffers in our line up it's surprising we don't choke more often.

Haha that's so good.

 

[Burgey]

Wrapped to see our quicks starting to get it together in English conditions tbh. Obviouslt Tait is the X factor, can do anything, from sublime to ridiculous, but Dougeh!!! Oh Dougeh!!

Reckon he'll carve this Ashes series, barring injury. Wonder what he's paying for leading wicket-taker?

Dougeh.

 

[zaremba]

Dougie?
Ruggy.

Ruggeh.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Wrapped to see our quicks starting to get it together in English conditions tbh. Obviouslt Tait is the X factor, can do anything, from sublime to ridiculous, but Dougeh!!! Oh Dougeh!!

Reckon he'll carve this Ashes series, barring injury. Wonder what he's paying for leading wicket-taker?

Dougeh.

Hmm pretty pointless drawing any conclusions towards the Ashes from taking wickets as they did in an ODI they lost. Completely different conditions.

 

[four_or_six]

Very weird article

"Watson is such a meek and mild-mannered man that Australians, in a more supreme era, were sometimes heard to wonder whether he was an English double agent educated at one of the more polite public schools."

 

[BoyBrumby]

Very weird article

"Watson is such a meek and mild-mannered man that Australians, in a more supreme era, were sometimes heard to wonder whether he was an English double agent educated at one of the more polite public schools."

Haven't heard the press conference, but Hopps isn't a journo usually given to wild flights of fancy.

Think it's reasonable to say Watto's more diffident than the average ocker sportsman, myself.

 

[Burgey]

Hmm pretty pointless drawing any conclusions towards the Ashes from taking wickets as they did in an ODI they lost. Completely different conditions.

Yeah, it's the only time I've ever seen him bowl. I've never said before this series that I think he's a good bowler and that he'll do well.

You're right, I watched that spell in a vacuum.

 

[Prince EWS]

Haven't heard the press conference, but Hopps isn't a journo usually given to wild flights of fancy.

Think it's reasonable to say Watto's more diffident than the average ocker sportsman, myself.

It really depends which Watto you're talking about. Never have I seen a cricketer - or a sportsman of any variety, really - come across so differently off the field in interviews as he does when he's playing.

 

[Jarquis]

Yeah, when I read that article I just had the image of him acting like a 5 year old when he got Chris Gayle out, in my head.

 

[Jayzamann]

Very weird article

"Watson is such a meek and mild-mannered man that Australians, in a more supreme era, were sometimes heard to wonder whether he was an English double agent educated at one of the more polite public schools."

But in an era such as this, we'd take him just the way he is as long as he's scoring runs and providing the lols by getting out spectacularly before large milestones. And crying occasionally.

 

[four_or_six]

It really depends which Watto you're talking about. Never have I seen a cricketer - or a sportsman of any variety, really - come across so differently off the field in interviews as he does when he's playing.

Yeah, true, was just thinking it was a funny contrast with the article on cricinfo this week.

Perhaps he has a Gunther thing going like Nel.