***Official*** Australia in England 2012

[theegyptian]

Bairstow has been released from the england squad for the last ODI. Pretty bad last few weeks for him. Not selected for ODI's whilst his potential replacement in the tests Bopara prospers - and then going back to Yorkshire and doing badly in the T20's.

 

[Spikey]

on the other hand, it means he probably won't have to steyn now. he's probably really happy about that

 

[Top_Cat]

AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS IN SHOCK BDSM FETISH

Australia in England 2012: Coach worried team has been too submissive | Cricket News | England v Australia | ESPN Cricinfo

Watson and Lee out of the last ODer. Forrest gets one more chance to receive one more chance.

Oh God, not this **** again. He said the same rubbish back when he was the Saffers' coach.

It's not body language or ambition which is losing the games, they need to just bowl and bat better than England. Forrest and Bailey aren't failing to impose themselves on the game, they're just inferior cricketers to the English.

 

[Psycho Macaque]

I haven't read the thread, but what a pointless series. It has also been awfully boring cricket. Can't wait for the real stuff to happen against SA.

 

[fredfertang]

I haven't read the thread, but what a pointless series. It has also been awfully boring cricket. Can't wait for the real stuff to happen against SA.

Beating Australia can never be pointless, but I understand where you are coming from

 

[Psycho Macaque]

It's 'nice' to beat Aus, but it's quite a meaningless series - we only crashed out of the WC ignominiously a year ago and it's a year or so until the CT. I'd have preferred an extra Test against SA.

 

[Viscount Tom]

The cricket's been halfway decent but without the context it does feel a bit empty. I mean don't get me wrong I like the ODI part of an England vs Australia clash to come before the tests but twelve months before is a bit silly.

 

[Psycho Macaque]

It sort of dilutes the Ashes contest - there's too much a sense of familiarity - we've played them every year for who knows how long. I was reminded that we played them in 2010 over here in a tri-series. That'll mean they'll have been over here for three of the last four years. It's too much. Including the back-to-back Test series, next year I'm sure I'll be sick of Australia (in a different way).

 

[Viscount Tom]

I make a habit of watching the Aussies play their tests so for me its not too much of an issue in regards to the over familiarity with the players more so the lack of 2 more tests for the SA series.

Although I think we go to SA after the next Ashes away anyway, might be wrong.

Stand corrected, looking at the FTP we don't tour to SA till 2020.

http://static.icc-cricket.com/ugc/d...A9CF9040AF280F792D82DCC_1334658390769_259.pdf

 

[Psycho Macaque]

Oh yeah, I watch all the cricket I can. I don't really mean diluting it from my perspective, I just mean that maybe the intensity would dissipate because they've been in each other's pockets for the last four years. But yeah, my main gripe is a poxy three-Test series versus SA - it was totally screaming out for at least four Tests even before we obtained the #1 spot.

The likes of India hastily changed the tour programme versus SA to squeeze in another Test when they became #1, so it can be done. 5 match ODI series are a load of *I don't know the strength of word I can post here* and we've got TWO this year. Fourteen in total. That's waaaaay too many ODIs in one summer.

They can use our lack of ODIs for losing the WC, but the fact is if we're going to pick players that lack dynamism and hence have little aptitude for the format then we're not very likely to win it.

 

[Psycho Macaque]

Stand corrected, looking at the FTP we don't tour to SA till 2020.

http://static.icc-cricket.com/ugc/d...A9CF9040AF280F792D82DCC_1334658390769_259.pdf

That is INSANE! That'll be 10 years. INSANE!

 

[Stumpcam]

I make a habit of watching the Aussies play their tests so for me its not too much of an issue in regards to the over familiarity with the players more so the lack of 2 more tests for the SA series.

Although I think we go to SA after the next Ashes away anyway, might be wrong.

Stand corrected, looking at the FTP we don't tour to SA till 2020.

http://static.icc-cricket.com/ugc/d...A9CF9040AF280F792D82DCC_1334658390769_259.pdf

Page 3 says we're away in SA from Dec 2015 to the end of Feb 2016 actually.

That's only two and a half years hence.

 

[Psycho Macaque]

That's not too bad then. I thought it sounded a bit too far away. It's usually a keenly contested series so our FTP would've been all the poorer for it.

 

[Jarquis]

Wade/Warner/Clarke plz

 

[Stumpcam]

It doesn't look good for an on-time start at Old Trafford today. An area of heavy rain is moving very slowly northwards and has just reached Manchester. There is probably 2-3 hours of heavy rain to come unless the system does an about turn.

The groundstaff will certainly have their work cut out for them as once again our utterly crap summer messes with our lovely game.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I not expecting any play. Lets hope it brightens up for the SA test series.

 

[superkingdave]

Reckon we will get a game but it will be shortened. At least it probably won't be a DL one though

 

[Howe_zat]

Appropriate to have a shortened game given that they'll both be playing half a side.

 

[GIMH]

It's bleeding miserable about 20-30 miles away from Manchester.

And it's raining too.

 

[marc71178]

Been raining steadily for the last hour or two about 2 or 3 miles away from the ground, so not too hopeful to say the least.