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*Official* Fourth Test at Chester-le-Street

Furball

Evil Scotsman
Australia are performing at 100% of theirs. Their bowling has been very, very good, and their non-Clarke batsmen are either rubbish or not quite there as Test players.
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
Winning and saying your playing in third gear reeks of arrogance. Maybe our attack was more disciplined with precise plans
Yeah it's absolute nonsense. England's batsmen could have done much better but that would be dependent on Australia's quicks forgetting how to bowl.

Most batsmen in history do worse than their career average when they come up against very good bowling.
 

Maximas

Cricketer Of The Year
Australia are performing at 100% of theirs. Their bowling has been very, very good, and their non-Clarke batsmen are either rubbish or not quite there as Test players.
Our batting is Clarke, yet he has underperformed for the most part, dunno how you can say Australia performing at 100%
 

Cabinet96

Hall of Fame Member
If Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott only ever faced high quality seam bowling in England, with their technical faults and weak areas exposed regularly by disciplined attacks and well set out and executed plans, I wouldn't expect their career averages to be anywhere near as high as they are.

That's not even the full point though. You can't on the one hand say that England aren't at full percent because a couple of batsman aren't doing as well as they usually do, when the opposition have a batsman who was scoring double centuries for fun against South Africa less than a year ago yet has only made two fifty plus scores this series.
 

Cooky Monster

U19 12th Man
Jeeez, I'm struggling to believe this debate.....

KP - Series average 34.50. Career Average 48.29..........14 below.
Cook - Series average 27.25. Career Average 48.08........20 below.
Trott - Series average 24.25. Career Average 47.33.........23 below.
Prior - Series average 14.33. Career Average 42.31.........28 below.

Now lets look at the Aussie bowling averages series V's career....

Harris - Series average 19.25. Career Average 22.32........3 below.
Siddle - Series average 26.29. Career Average 28.58........2 below
Starc - Series average 27.12. Career Average 32.57.........5 below.
Lyon - Series average 25.00. Career Average 32.40..........7 below (interesting that one.....best improved??)
Patto - Series average 43.85. Career Average 26.42.........17 Over
Twatto - Series average 78.5. Career Average 31.57..........46 Over.
Bird - Series average 62.5. Career Average 23.30..............39.20 Over

Don't think it is right to say England were in 3rd gear, but if we can't say that our batsmen underperformed and their form is a concern then something is very wrong with the world. I agree with Cooky monster that we were at 80% and he got flamed for saying so.
Im gonna have to read back now!.

Oz have bowled well but that doesn't mean you can't say England have batted badly, they have, i really do believe England as a team have only been in 3rd gear this series, compare England to the England of 2 years ago, thats the standard, we see it in patches here and there now but no-where near as consistant as we were back then, still the same players pretty much.

Whats won England this series is 2 outstanding performers in Bell and Swann and a few random outstanding performances from other players, the team really hasn't gotton out of 3rd gear but thankfully it hasn't mattered, no way is this Englands level, theres plenty more in the bank, hopefully we'll see it down under again.

Flame away.
 
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Cooky Monster

U19 12th Man
Winning and saying your playing in third gear reeks of arrogance. Maybe our attack was more disciplined with precise plans
Just saying it how i see it, i guess things can be percieved in different ways online, just think England haven't played nowhere near their best.

Im as far from an arrogant person as you can get, arrogance is one of the worst human traits.
 

Tangles

International Vice-Captain
I was hoping for more from Clarke but I was underestimating the loss of Hussey. We are down to Clarke as the only class bat which allows the opposition to know that they only have to be really on for 1 batter. I also think this is the series where it's dawned on Clarke that its him or bust. Only time will tell if he has the mental strength to keep pouring out runs and be captain. Makes me think of Lara as a great bat who couldn't lead and plunder in a team with no help. Clarkes a better captain but its alot of pressure to be captain and lynchpin. We really need some guys to start consistently putting runs on.
 

Spark

Global Moderator
Were we - by which I mean some Australian fans - this hubristic back in the day? Because seriously...

Here's a hint. Your top order hasn't performed to its capabilities because it has not been allowed to perform to its capabilities. Concentrating slightly harder probably would not have made that big a difference, and as for this tripe that England is only a bit of payin' attention away from beating all and sundry, christ...
 

91Jmay

International Coach
Were we - by which I mean some Australian fans - this hubristic back in the day? Because seriously...

Here's a hint. Your top order hasn't performed to its capabilities because it has not been allowed to perform to its capabilities. Concentrating slightly harder probably would not have made that big a difference, and as for this tripe that England is only a bit of payin' attention away from beating all and sundry, christ...
Yeah, because people have said that if England concentrate more they would beat anyone. That's not bollocks at all is it. You lot really enjoy arguing against straw men don't you, suppose its easier than actually engaging in some real debate.

And yes, Australians were arrogant about your cricket team - although you certainly had a right to be.
 
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GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
I don't know why all of a sudden people seem to have to sit on a certain side of the fence as to who is responsible for certain players' output. Can't we acknowledge that Harris & Siddle have been very good, with good contributions from the rest of the bowlers, but at the same time be disappointed that our batsmen have not found a way to get through it?

Quite frankly what side is ever 100% hitting their straps? Yes to call it 3rd gear is silly but there is room for improvement. Cook doesn't concern me, Trott probably does. Bairstow doesn't cut the mustard and Root may be better down the order. Prior has absolutely under performed.

Alas it's true that you can't expect Bell to average 70 every series and that does compensate for other failings. But the idea that either side should just accept 'well it was good bowling' is absurd.

I just think a lot of people need to calm down and/or convey their opinions better. I do believe we should have scored more runs, in particular the first innings of the last couple of tests. Is that hubristic? I don't think so. England haven't been at their best, but neither have Australia.
 

MW1304

Cricketer Of The Year
Christ thank you, can we leave this thread with that post because the last few pages have not been good to read.
 

Stapel

International Regular
To me, it is as simple as Australian batsmen not getting enough runs. Really that simple! They are not good enough and, I guess, not even performing to their abilities.
 

GotSpin

Hall of Fame Member
I was hoping for more from Clarke but I was underestimating the loss of Hussey. We are down to Clarke as the only class bat which allows the opposition to know that they only have to be really on for 1 batter. I also think this is the series where it's dawned on Clarke that its him or bust. Only time will tell if he has the mental strength to keep pouring out runs and be captain. Makes me think of Lara as a great bat who couldn't lead and plunder in a team with no help. Clarkes a better captain but its alot of pressure to be captain and lynchpin. We really need some guys to start consistently putting runs on.
I think I'll always hold a bit of a grudge against Hussey for the timing of his retirement
 

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