*Official* Australia in England

[Jayzamann]

Possible no-ball, and possible grassed catch. Actually showing that in slow motion diminished the effort as Marsh looked fortunate not to fluff that.

 

[GIMH]

turd

 

[King Pietersen]

Quality knock from KP.

 

[Jarquis]

SLAs and leggies. FFS KP.

 

[Jayzamann]

Should Pietersen have really played today?

 

[GIMH]

turd.

 

[benchmark00]

How good is that field set by Ponting. Love seeing men in close in ODI's.

 

[King Pietersen]

Where do England go from here then? We've won the series, played excellently in the first 3 games but have been out-played in these last 2 and looked pretty awful. Even though we've won the series it's clear that changes do have to be made, but who do we bring in? Tim Bresnan is one guy that should definitely get the boot. The only thing he's done all series was the match-winning knock of just over double figures in the 2nd/3rd game? He's bowled awfully, not looked like getting a wicket and really doesn't provide enough with the bat to justify his position. Yardy's another that could make way. He's bowled OK, not taken too many wickets, but has been economical. His batting improved as the series went on, with the 50 in the 4th game, but I still don't think he's International quality with bat or ball. Then there's Kieswetter, who unfortunately is under pressure too. He's had a poor series, has been exposed by the Aussie pace bowlers and not looked very good at all. I would stick with him for at least 2 more series though, as I don't agree with our policy of continually changing our keeper. I'd be tempted to bring Davies into the side as a pure batsman, and then if Kieswetter continues to fail, drop him for Ian Bell. The final guy that's under real pressure is Luke Wright, seemingly doesn't offer much with the bat or ball, a real bits and pieces cricketer. Needs to go back to Sussex and make some runs and take some wickets in List A cricket.

Who comes in then? I'd personally go with:

Craig Kieswetter +
Steven Davies
Andrew Strauss
Kevin Pietersen
Paul Collingwood
Eoin Morgan
Adil Rashid (based on his T20 form)
Ajmal Shahzad
Graeme Swann
Stuart Broad
James Anderson

Wright out for Steven Davies, Bresnan out replaced by Shahzad and given how well Adil Rashid has gone in Domestic T20 he comes in for Michael Yardy. Then, when Flintoff's fit, he comes into the side in place of Shahzad and moves upto number 7. Thoughts?

 

[ashakers]

We've been found out.

 

[wpdavid]

Really deflating this, clearly about five names with massive Question marks over them, back to the drawing board I think, nice to have the series win, but can't delude ourselves that we don't need serious changes in personnel.

Yup, the weaknesses have been really shown up these last two games. They were there all series, tbh, but the Aus weakesses in the first 3 games masked them. I'm really struggling to believe that there aren't a better couple of opening bowlers than Anderson & Bresnan. And we're definitely a batsman light.

 

[GIMH]

Luke Wright will win this game for us, btw

 

[King Pietersen]

Maybe not.

 

[Spark]

Luke Wright will win this game for us, btw

doh

 

[GIMH]

Meant Swanneh obv

 

[Prince EWS]

Where do England go from here then? We've won the series, played excellently in the first 3 games but have been out-played in these last 2 and looked pretty awful. Even though we've won the series it's clear that changes do have to be made, but who do we bring in? Tim Bresnan is one guy that should definitely get the boot. The only thing he's done all series was the match-winning knock of just over double figures in the 2nd/3rd game? He's bowled awfully, not looked like getting a wicket and really doesn't provide enough with the bat to justify his position. Yardy's another that could make way. He's bowled OK, not taken too many wickets, but has been economical. His batting improved as the series went on, with the 50 in the 4th game, but I still don't think he's International quality with bat or ball. Then there's Kieswetter, who unfortunately is under pressure too. He's had a poor series, has been exposed by the Aussie pace bowlers and not looked very good at all. I would stick with him for at least 2 more series though, as I don't agree with our policy of continually changing our keeper. I'd be tempted to bring Davies into the side as a pure batsman, and then if Kieswetter continues to fail, drop him for Ian Bell. The final guy that's under real pressure is Luke Wright, seemingly doesn't offer much with the bat or ball, a real bits and pieces cricketer. Needs to go back to Sussex and make some runs and take some wickets in List A cricket.

Who comes in then? I'd personally go with:

Craig Kieswetter +
Steven Davies
Andrew Strauss
Kevin Pietersen
Paul Collingwood
Eoin Morgan
Adil Rashid (based on his T20 form)
Ajmal Shahzad
Graeme Swann
Stuart Broad
James Anderson

Wright out for Steven Davies, Bresnan out replaced by Shahzad and given how well Adil Rashid has gone in Domestic T20 he comes in for Michael Yardy. Then, when Flintoff's fit, he comes into the side in place of Shahzad and moves upto number 7. Thoughts?

Haha I have an irrational hatred of Yardy as a player in general but there's no way he should be dropped for Rashid based on T20 form of all things (especially given how good Yardy is at T20 bowling himself). He goes at 3.84rpo with the ball across his career which, no matter which way you look at it, is awesome. Even if he couldn't bat to save himself him and had never taken a wicket he'd be a worth a spot for that sort of stuff alone, IMO.

Furthermore I'd rate Trott a better ODI top order bat than both the wicket keepers in that team so playing both of them ahead of him makes little sense to me.

Craig Kieswetter/Steve Davies
Andrew Strauss
Jonathan Trott
Kevin Pietersen
Paul Collingwood
Eoin Morgan
?
Michael Yardy
Graeme Swann
Stuart Broad
James Anderson

Don't really know who to slot in there at seven. Should be a big hitting seam-bowling allrounder really.. don't want Wright, Bresnan or Shahzad and I don't think there's a lot else to choose from. Could just stick in the next best quick bowler and move everyone up one, but Yardy doesn't really have the game to be a #7 unless there's a collapse (and even then he wouldn't be particularly good at it) and perhaps more pertinently, I don't know who that'd be either.

 

[GIMH]

Haha I have an irrational hatred of Yardy as a player in general but there's no way he should be dropped for Rashid based on T20 form of all things (especially given how good Yardy is at T20 bowling himself). He goes at 3.84rpo with the ball across his career which, no matter which way you look at it, is awesome. Even if he couldn't bat to save himself him and had never taken a wicket he'd be a worth a spot for that sort of stuff alone, IMO.

Furthermore I'd rate Trott a better ODI top order bat than both the wicket keepers in that team so playing both of them ahead of him makes little sense to me.

Craig Kieswetter/Steve Davies
Andrew Strauss
Jonathan Trott
Kevin Pietersen
Paul Collingwood
Eoin Morgan
?
Michael Yardy
Graeme Swann
Stuart Broad
James Anderson

Don't really know who to slot in there at seven. Should be a big hitting seam-bowling allrounder really.. don't want Wright, Bresnan or Shahzad and I don't think there's a lot else to choose from. Could just stick in the next best quick bowler and move everyone up one, but Yardy doesn't really have the game to be a #7 unless there's a collapse (and even then he wouldn't be particularly good at it) and perhaps more pertinently, I don't know who that'd be either.

 

[Prince EWS]

Haha yeah he'd be perfect; doubt it'll ever happen again though.

 

[wpdavid]

Good idea if the game was being played five years ago.

 

[four_or_six]

Haha I have an irrational hatred of Yardy as a player in general but there's no way he should be dropped for Rashid based on T20 form of all things (especially given how good Yardy is at T20 bowling himself). He goes at 3.84rpo with the ball across his career which, no matter which way you look at it, is awesome. Even if he couldn't bat to save himself him and had never taken a wicket he'd be a worth a spot for that sort of stuff alone, IMO.

Furthermore I'd rate Trott a better ODI top order bat than both the wicket keepers in that team so playing both of them ahead of him makes little sense to me.

Craig Kieswetter/Steve Davies
Andrew Strauss
Jonathan Trott
Kevin Pietersen
Paul Collingwood
Eoin Morgan
?
Michael Yardy
Graeme Swann
Stuart Broad
James Anderson

Don't really know who to slot in there at seven. Should be a big hitting seam-bowling allrounder really.. don't want Wright, Bresnan or Shahzad and I don't think there's a lot else to choose from. Could just stick in the next best quick bowler and move everyone up one, but Yardy doesn't really have the game to be a #7 unless there's a collapse (and even then he wouldn't be particularly good at it) and perhaps more pertinently, I don't know who that'd be either.

I think if it's 7 that's missing, then I'd go with Wright, but also Bresnan isn't too bad there. I also reckon they may well give Bell a run in the next three ODIs, he's on pretty good form and has a reasonable ODI record anyway.

 

[Prince EWS]

Good game from Hopes. Always seems to pull one out when his spot's on the line. I think it's summed him up a bit though in that he'll very, very rarely be the difference between winning and losing - be it either by playing poorly to let the opposition back into it or playing well to get Australia back into it. I know you could say that about any one player in a game which twenty-two take part but I think it's even more true with Hopes. His performance just seems to invariably keep the status quo of the game. It's not necessarily a bad thing I suppose.