*Official* Tour Matches

[Howe_zat]

That's lunch 7/445. Fairly sedate but solid from Bell, a few bonus runs from Prior. I'd expect a declaration by tea at the latest. G'night CW.

 

[Furball]

Yeah, he was calling him that yesterday too. Had a good chuckle.

Incidentally, Waylon was 6 months old when the first Simpsons episode aired.

 

[Howe_zat]

Thus proving his point

Them's fightin' words.

 

[Jacknife]

I'd imagine that England will try to get a move on after lunch, get as far in front as they can, 300+ would be a nice lead and then see if the bowlers can finish the job.

 

[Spark]

Bloody hell about seven or eight that haven't carried.

 

[Top_Cat]

heh @ George montage with 'Days Like These' playing in the background.

 

[TumTum]

This pitch looks really flat now. If England win this it would be a really worrying sign.

 

[Top_Cat]

Latest Johnnie Walker ad with Steve Waugh I find inane.

 

[Son Of Coco]

This O'Keefe has got some pretty good numbers from his FC career to date. Averages 54 with the bat and 25 with the ball. Now I've no idea if those figures are misleading (this is only his 10th FC match) but if the Crims are scrabbling around for a spinner, they might do worse than him, particularly given KP's problems with SLAs.

I was just looking at the guys who stepped in during the 80's and 90's. Some of them, like S.Waugh, Warne, and McGrath had played 10 FC matches of less when they were selected.

Not saying O'Keefe is the one to select, or that he'd end up like those guys, but it'd be nice if the selectors at least had a crack at selecting someone who could be the next great player.

Take a risk for ****'s sake.

 

[Sylvester]

Guess Strauss wasn't waiting for Bell to make his 200. Maybe 500 runs or 300 run lead.

 

[Jacknife]

With Bell needing just 8 for a double,you'd have thought he 'd have just taken the singles and not go for the hit over the top. Great knock from Belly, really nice to watch.

 

[outbreak]

Very worrying for our batting depth if we can't make runs on our turn to bat now. Time to prove they can blame the first innings on the pitch.

 

[Prince EWS]

I was just looking at the guys who stepped in during the 80's and 90's. Some of them, like S.Waugh, Warne, and McGrath had played 10 FC matches of less when they were selected.

Not saying O'Keefe is the one to select, or that he'd end up like those guys, but it'd be nice if the selectors at least had a crack at selecting someone who could be the next great player.

Take a risk for ****'s sake.

I've never been one for selecting players based on little evidence, but I'd definitely rather we picked someone with an excellent record over a short period than a medicore record over a long period.

 

[Spark]

Haha Bres, knocked himself off his feet. Lucky to have survived so long.

 

[Top_Cat]

tbh, I hate to feed the NSW hubris but if it was between Doherty and O'Keefe, I'd probably go for O'Keefe first. The NSW system seems to breed heaps of players who, if they aren't guns, will still pinch a few cheap wickets or at least do a job, score some gutsy runs and field really well. Just solid professionals which, in the era of hot-and-cold bowlers like Johnson, are always handy.

O'Keefe just has a happy knack of doing well regardless of the conditions or oppo.

 

[Sylvester]

Bresnan out to a roughie, that was messy all round with the slip and then the poor decision.

 

[Jacknife]

Bresnan very unlucky hit his glove before the ball hit his leg,big deflection in slow mo.

 

[Spark]

Perhaps distracted by the whole falling over thing

There you go TumTum. A wrong'un.

 

[Prince EWS]

tbh, I hate to feed the NSW hubris but if it was between Doherty and O'Keefe, I'd probably go for O'Keefe first. The NSW system seems to breed heaps of players who, if they aren't guns, will still pinch a few cheap wickets or at least do a job, score some gutsy runs and field really well. Just solid professionals which, in the era of hot-and-cold bowlers like Johnson, are always handy.

O'Keefe just has a happy knack of doing well regardless of the conditions or oppo.

Indeed. Not saying he's a Test standard spinner but I'd back him to contribute more than I'd back Doherty or Hauritz to at this point. After watching Doherty recently and seeing him do well in Shield cricket for the first time I ever, I do think it's safe to say that he's improved significantly as a bowler, but I definitely wouldn't say he was better than O'Keefe and he's older, a worse batsman, a worse fielder and has a terrible career record. Both of them definitely have that natural confidence that Hauritz doesn't though. So does Smith in fact even if he bowls complete pies at this point.

 

[outbreak]

If you try and compare the job Harutiz is supposedly in the side for (containing one end), I can't see why O'Keefe can't do the same thing plus he can add some more handy batting and actually looks like his lines can take wickets unlike Hauritz. At least he may improve aswell and a run in shield cricket may make Hauritz work to improve.