*Official* Fifth Test at the SCG

[Spark]

Completely AWTA.

I'd be tempted to have played Rogers if he'd been fit to score Shield runs earlier on (and scored them obviously), but Jaques is probably past it sadly, and Marsh... yeah, no.

 

[Spark]

Jeez, vicleggie I think you are exaggerating more than a little.

The ironic thing is that, from what I saw (from start of play to Watson's dismissal), I don't think England bowled as well as they did in Adelaide and Melbourne. IMO, the Australian batsmen were trying too hard to show grit and application and all that and, at times, batted themselves, into a cul de sac of scorelessness. The pitch did a little and England bowled well (if not outstanding) but Australia may have been their own worst enemies at times in this innings. But I may be being a little hard on them, as it may be a case of damned if you are and damned if you aren't.

Anyway, dinner is done and it's back to Starcraft 2 for me.

I will admit it was somewhat frustrating to see legside half-volleys/hip ball after ball go nowhere. Opening bats should score runs in their sleep to those.

Will note that we're 4/130, not 4/50. An improvement, tbf.

 

[JBH001]

England haven't come up with any great bowling plans tbh, their bowlers have bowled a patient outside off line, knowing that the Australian batsmen would oblige sooner rather than later.
On the other hand Australian bowlers are totally different, likes of Siddle and Johnson bowl a load of tripe and every now and then bowl an unplayble delivery, with Hilfenhaus and Harris being the only bowlers to bowl with any discipline.
English batsmen have taken full advantage of this, they have been cautious against Hilfenhaus and Harris and then later feasted on Johnson and Siddle's bowling.The fact that Aussie bowlers didn't have many runs to play with through the series also hasn't helped their cause.

I'm sorry but Hilfenhaus is just ****. He usually swings it from the hand and just looks one of the most innocuous test bowlers around. He is awful. His discipline is the crap delivery a foot outside off demanding nothing from the batsman.

 

[masterblaster]

I really enjoyed Khawaja's innings today. Talk about pressure with your side 2-1 down, on your test debut at your home ground with all your family there watching. A proud moment for sure but with a fair bit of pressure too. He played really well for a guy on debut and he seems to have a really good temperament which will serve him well at this level. It would've been fantastic to see him reach his 50 but there is a second innings as well. Good on him for showing that he belongs at this level.

 

[pup11]

theyre not used to seeing a cricketer with a personality- see clarke, ponting, katich, johnson, ryan harris, hauritz.

bunch of drips. one of the great things about england is they play with flare and free spiritedness- dont have a conservative board breathing down their neck.
as opposed to the geeks who run aus cricket- sutherland, neilsen, hildich- a bunch of pathetic suits who would have no idea what a good time is

they were a bunch of idiots to symonds- a true character and spiritual leader of the team, they've instilled a mentality where u have to conform to a certain image to be in the team. and now its come to bite them in the **** because they're all bland, boring and lack freedom. idiots.

The SCG-gate and Monkeygate episode has a lot to do with that tbh.

 

[Midwinter]

The gulf in the bowling department between these 2 sides far and away eclipses the gulf in the batting. Bowlers like Johnson and Siddle cant land 2 balls in an over on the same spot, even the reserve bowlers like Bresnan are coming in and bowling to set plans.

Didn't we pinch England's bowling coach a while ago ?
Are our bowlers uncoachable ? Can't the coach come up with a bowling plan ?
Do we need to pinch their current bowling coach as well ?

 

[Spark]

There was also the fact that Symonds was a complete ****. When howardj comes on I'll leave him to do the honours on just what sort of "character" Symonds was.

 

[pup11]

I'm sorry but Hilfenhaus is just ****. He usually swings it from the hand and just looks one of the most innocuous test bowlers around. He is awful. His discipline is the crap delivery a foot outside off demanding nothing from the batsman.

Yeah sure mate, I wonder how come he ended up being the highest wicket taker in the last Ashes series.

 

[Spark]

Think Hilfenhaus is in between tbh. "Most innocuous test bowlers around" is probably a tad harsh but it's pretty tough to find positives about his performances other than being a good bowling partner when someone else is bowling a good spell.

 

[Prince EWS]

I'd be tempted to have played Rogers if he'd been fit to score Shield runs earlier on (and scored them obviously), but Jaques is probably past it sadly, and Marsh... yeah, no.

Yeah, if the alternative is Marsh, then I'll pass at this stage. Rogers, Khawaja, Jaques and Klinger are a different story, but the latter two are in awful form (Jaques's being arguably terminal), while Rogers is injured and Khawaja's already in the team batting three.

I will say that those who said Katich's Test career was over are looking a little silly now though. He can't come back from that injury soon enough.

 

[vicleggie]

There was also the fact that Symonds was a complete ****. When howardj comes on I'll leave him to do the honours on just what sort of "character" Symonds was.

so? who gives a ****

he was an alpha male who played good attacking cricket.
pietersen is a ***** too.
so was Border. so is harbhajan. so is steyn. so is graeme smith. so was dennis lillee. so was thompson. so were the chappell brothers. so was botham. so was waqar younis. so was viv richards. so was hadlee.

when u start to try and contain men too much, and regulate their behaviour, u get the current bunch of punces who are conservative and weak in every way possible.

 

[Spark]

Haha that does look a pretty stupid thread now, will put my hand up here. It's possible though.

 

[vicleggie]

Yeah sure mate, I wonder how come he ended up being the highest wicket taker in the last Ashes series.

because it was in england and that's normally a helpful place for crap trundlers who can move the ball a tad- ie jon lewis, hoggard.

 

[Spark]

so? who gives a ****

he was an alpha male who played good attacking cricket.
pietersen is a ***** too.
so was Border. so is harbhajan. so is steyn. so is graeme smith. so was dennis lillee. so was thompson. so were the chappell brothers. so was botham. so was waqar younis. so was viv richards. so was hadlee.

when u start to try and contain men too much, and regulate their behaviour, u get the current bunch of punces who are conservative and weak in every way possible.

Yeah but there was also the fact that he was never that great in Tests to begin with. **** me people go on about him as if he was the next Garry Sobers and Viv Richards all in one, but he really wasn't. Obviously I'd still automatically pick him for our LO sides, even ahead of some names which have done quite decent of late, but in Tests? One of the most overrated players to grace the scene in recent times for mine.

 

[Prince EWS]

Think Hilfenhaus is in between tbh. "Most innocuous test bowlers around" is probably a tad harsh but it's pretty tough to find positives about his performances other than being a good bowling partner when someone else is bowling a good spell.

Yeah, I agree. Hilfenhaus got seriously over-rated for a little while there and I called him out on it so I feel vindicated by his 2 wickets @ 160 this series, but I think people are taking it to the other extreme at the moment. He probably shouldn't be in the team and I certainly agree with all the criticisms of him (especially since I've been signing them for years) but he's far from the worst bowler to ever play for Australia and I'd still have him around the setup, particularly with Harris injured. There are four or five I'd have ahead of him but I don't think it's a disgrace to see him in the team.

 

[Jacknife]

because it was in england and that's normally a helpful place for crap trundlers who can move the ball a tad- ie jon lewis, hoggard.

I'll give you Lewis but Hoggard is **** all like a trundler.

 

[vicleggie]

Yeah but there was also the fact that he was never that great in Tests to begin with. **** me people go on about him as if he was the next Garry Sobers and Viv Richards all in one, but he really wasn't. Obviously I'd still automatically pick him for our LO sides, even ahead of some names which have done quite decent of late, but in Tests? One of the most overrated players to grace the scene in recent times for mine.

id take him over any of our number 6s since

and its the fact that they set that tone- that conservatism- has had a huge dent on the culture of aus cricket- the mental dominance has gone.
even players like clarke have become less expressive and outward.. The snarl in the team has gone

 

[vicleggie]

I'll give you Lewis but Hoggard is **** all like a trundler.

ok fine- insert any other english player in the last decade who bowled well in eng but was pathetic overseas. sure u can pick one, there must be atleast a dozen

 

[pup11]

Think Hilfenhaus is in between tbh. "Most innocuous test bowlers around" is probably a tad harsh but it's pretty tough to find positives about his performances other than being a good bowling partner when someone else is bowling a good spell.

He was our best bowler in India and even in this series he has gone past the bat numerous times without any results. Even during his worst phase he would bowl one tight spell after another, so AFAIC he is a vital cog of the bowling attack.

 

[Jacknife]

ok fine- insert any other english player in the last decade who bowled well in eng but was pathetic overseas. sure u can pick one, there must be atleast a dozen

Rubbish, Hoggard actually averages slightly better away from home than he did at home 30.26 away and 30.75 at home.