*Official* Australia in England

[treamcast34]

Few thoughts:

- Series wrapped up so it's hard to be devastated

- Strauss is in terrific touch but Pietersen is looking patchy ahead of the Ashes

- Whoever pointed out Morgan's susceptibility to pace is spot on, looks a spin specialist. Does go some way to explaining the FC average and sides will quickly cotton onto this (Ponting making the Harris change for him suggests the Aussies already have)

- Slightly concerning that since Tait's inclusion we've laboured to get much past 200

 

[Jarquis]

Cant believe Nasser is suggesting Morgan is a better ODI player than KP

Pietersen has averaged 18 in the last year with a SR of 76 and a HS of 45. I didn't actually realise his form was that bad but when you compare it with Morgan's record of averaging 52@90 with 6 scores of 50 or more.
I'm not sure that it's cut and dry that you'd take KP ahead of Morgan to play a game tomorrow.
In fact I'd go as far as saying it'd be pretty stupid if you did so.

Two years is just "form" is it? Not even an argument here really. Morgan, by far superior. Oh, I see three years is it.

No he's not been put under much pressure mainly coz we have no-one to replace him. Bopara, Bell, Shah, it really isn't much competition.

People are overly critical of Shah IMO. No idea why but have somewhat of a soft spot for him.

 

[popepouri]

Harris looks genuinely good. I haven't seen him bowl since he played against SA and he was mediocre. I have a feeling those 5fers are justifiable and not luck.

 

[Jarquis]

He really has a pretty appalling bowling record for his county so I put it down to inspired selection

T20 bopwling record is pretty impressive tbh. Economy of a touch over 6 and is no mug with the bat.
Obviously he impressed in the World Cup and it earny him a shot in the ODI side. Not disgracing himself either

Someone's going to quote Trott's List A record in a moment. Maybe he's a better bet at 3 and only play one of the keepers.

This.
Trott and Davies opening for England please
Or if we must have Strauss... Trott at 3.

 

[King Pietersen]

I would keep the faith with Kieswetter. A big talent, and I'd rather we started giving our keeper a fair crack for once. Impressed with what I saw of Davies on the telly the other night though.

Agreed. I like Kieswetter a lot. He hasn't had the best of series, but I think we need to give him a chance to find his feet in ODi's. One thing that should play in his favour is his ability against spin, especially when you consider where the next WC is being held. Opening with Trott and Strauss in the Subcontinent would be a recipe for disaster I think. Strauss has struggled against Hauritz in this series, and on spin friendly surfaces he'll be found out even more. As for Trott, he is pretty terrible against spin TBH. Struggles to rotate the strike, and then doesn't seem to have an out shot either.

1 thing that's barely got a mention in this series is how well Kieswetter's kept too. He might not have made many runs, but he's not been the fish out of water with the gloves that people were claiming he is. In-fact, he's looked very sound with the gloves, and I can't recall 1 mistake he's made all series. Certainly looks miles better than Prior did when he first came in to England set-up.

 

[Jono]

Yeah, Clarke & Punter aside there's no proper pantomime villains. With the latter it's more for past dummy-spits these days as well.

Watson too.

 

[zaremba]

Watson too.

Not for my money. He's not universally liked among Aussies (for reasons I don't fully understand) but he is a good batsman to watch and gives off an aura of good-natured and slightly confused dimness which I find hard to dislike in an oppo player

 

[Jono]

Opposition players seem to take issue with him too.

Probably because he yells in their face.

 

[King Pietersen]

I don't get the hate for Watto. He's actually one of the few Aussies I like, alongside Warner, Tait, Harris and Nannes. This current bunch do seem remarkably likeable for an Australian side though; maybe it's because they're losing.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Smith seems a likeable young chap too, it's just unfortunate he resembles a waxwork of Brummie ego monster Adrian Chiles, that has slightly melted in the sun.

 

[Furball]

Yeah, Clarke & Punter aside there's no proper pantomime villains. With the latter it's more for past dummy-spits these days as well.

Watson surely?

Not a pantomime villain as such, but undoubtably slappable all the same.

 

[pasag]

I don't get the hate for Watto. He's actually one of the few Aussies I like, alongside Warner, Tait, Harris and Nannes. This current bunch do seem remarkably likeable for an Australian side though; maybe it's because they're losing.

Jono's hated him for years, pretty much half the reason so many of us love him.

 

[Jarquis]

Jono knows where it's at.

 

[Burgey]

Smith seems a likeable young chap too, it's just unfortunate he resembles a waxwork of Brummie ego monster Adrian Chiles, that has slightly melted in the sun.

Does rather.. Bit of a ferret face has young Smith.

 

[Top_Cat]

Re: Tait, he's not all pace. The guy averages similarly to Jason Gillespie on Adelaide Oval for SA. Just bowls a lot of balls blokes struggle with. The pace helps of course but he wasn't used in short spells for SA, ploughed through plenty at good pace without hitting the heights he is now. He does know how to get top blokes out.

That he's bowling so quick now is a function of his workload (or lack of). I know he's considered up there with the quickest but guys like Lee/Shoaib kept their pace up through 20 overs a day and there have really been quite a few guys in Australia alone over the years who could touch Tait-like speeds if all they had to do was go balls-out for 4 overs. Guess I'm saying it's not that unique a skill and as more guys make the decision to have a T20-only career, we'll see more guys like it.

In short spells, Tait's a weapon but if he had ambitions to play FC/test cricket again, he'd have to completely revamp his approach to bowling, fitness, etc. and sacrifice some raw pace. Pointless pining for him in whites because if he did go down that route, he wouldn't be the same bowler.

 

[Top_Cat]

Has Harris always been this quick? Seems incredible a bloke who bowls well over 90mph and (judging by his record) is no mug with the bat had to wait so long for a go.

For all but his last year in SA, Harris was med-quick at tops. Manou used to stand up to him (seriously). When T20's first kicked off here, apparently one night he just 'pushed through his action a bit harder' and gained a few yards. Started hitting the weights, put on a few slabs of muscle and now is the 90mph demon you see today.

Can definitely bat too. Better than he's shown for OZ. When first playing A-grade for Northerns, could barely hold a bat and in one of his first few games for SA against NSW, literally didn't see a single ball Lee bowled at him. Amazing how far he's come with just sheer hard work. SACA board, kill yourselves.

 

[Nate]

Fantastic match from a 'players I like' point-of-view. Harris and Smith you stars.

 

[silentstriker]

I don't get the hate for Watto. He's actually one of the few Aussies I like, alongside Warner, Tait, Harris and Nannes. This current bunch do seem remarkably likeable for an Australian side though; maybe it's because they're losing.

Seems like he'll break down and cry every ball. Like Parthiv Patel, but with actual cricketing ability.

 

[Burgey]

Seems like he'll break down and cry every ball. Like Parthiv Patel, but with actual cricketing ability.

And Ian Bell.. Always Ian Bell.

 

[marc71178]

Ah Burgey, when Bell complete's his 4th ton of the series as we make it 3-0 at the WACA, you'll apprecaite the genius that is Ian Bell.

Marc (filling in for GIMH)