*Official* Ashes Series Thread

[anzac]

well done to the England bowlers for finally showing some fight!!!! Only why has it taken soooooo long & wasted on a lost cause!!!!! This scene was about 4 days tooo late!!!!!

:O

oops - make that 4 matches too late!!!!!

 

[Neil Pickup]

A few reasons, first English team had been performing poorly (though Vaughan led a fantastic fighback for which England team deserve some praise) Secondarily, some immature individuals have been insulting Indian team and Cricketers since some time, unfortunately these same indivisual can't turn blue when one get after their team:!( .

I suggest you learn the differences between insults and criticism and stop seeing everything through rose-tinted glasses.

Now let's get back to the Cricket. Please.

Great effort from Caddick and Harmison this morning to make something like a match out of it. Why can't Caddick bowl properly all the time? There seems to be something about Australia and small 4th Innings Targets.

Now, on to Sydney and let's hope we can finally beat them, if we can find another bowler.

 

[marc71178]

A few reasons, first English team had been performing poorly (though Vaughan led a fantastic fighback for which England team deserve some praise) Secondarily, some immature individuals have been insulting Indian team and Cricketers since some time, unfortunately these same indivisual can't turn blue when one get after their team:!( .

Based on the recent record the criticism of the English side is unjustified. When will you see that? Yes, we haven't performed 100% all through this series, but we've been playing the best side in the World by a long chalk with half a first choice side, which has been further hampered by injuries to bowlers in the middle of 3 of the 4 Tests, yet at times we have played extremely well.

If you want to play by those rules then I can quite easily finish every post in any of the Indian threads with a critcism of them, especially since to my mind they're doing a lot worse than England at the moment, but what would that achieve? Not a lot, so I don't do it.

And as for the last sentence - I'm not sure what "can't turn blue" means, but I'm guessing it's not complimentary, which smacks a of hypocracy!

 

[marc71178]

I think we can take a lot of pride at the way those 2 ran in today for almost 2 hours without a break.

A very good fightback on days 4 and 5, and I wonder what difference another 50 runs or so would've made?

 

[chris.hinton]

I feel that we could scare the aussie in the next test, England Fought today and i am glad they did Caddick Bowled well and Waugh Shitted himself over Harminson

Waugh was out England did appeal

 

[chris.hinton]

Which Innings did you like best from steve Waugh?

The Barmy Army where Brilliant thought the test, aussies should take the joke

 

[Rik]

Why can't Caddick bowl properly all the time?

Haven't you heard that he can only bowl well in the 2nd Innings of a Test? And how many 2nd Innings have Australia had this series?

Also I've just heard McGrath has ruled himself out of Sydney, and they've called up Brag Hogg...which is strange as although he is a useful bat and good fielder, his chinaman bowling isn't Test Standard...I think a FC Average of 44 with the ball will also be of some interist to the Barmy Army who I must say were super throughout the whole match someone needs to tell Langer to put a sock in it before he digs himself into a very deep hole. :saint:

 

[marc71178]

Hmm, McGrath and Warne both out, England on a bit of a roll, Vaughan in top form (up to number 3 in the world and scored the 2nd highest number of Test runs in a Calender year ever in 2002)

Eurobet offer England at 10-1 - now that is tempting.

 

[Rik]

Well guys, here it is! The chance to see how Australia cope with their 2 prime Wicket Takers for the past decade or so. It should be a cracker, but I'm interisted to see who takes McGrath's place, how Gillespie copes with leading the attack, and who ends up with the most Wickets out of the 4 playing. Australia have a ready made (if not half as impressive) replacement for Warne in MacGill, but who to replace their most accurate pacer with is not so clear. I would have liked to see Noffke or Bracken in as they are supposed to be similer types and now would be a great time to give them a go!

Also just a note: Watching MacGill serve up all those full-tosses made me wonder what is going to happen when Warne calls it a day. I mean Warne can be relied upon to land the ball on the same piece of turf over and over again...MacGill, his obvious replacement bowls loads of full-tosses and I doubt he ever lands the ball on the same piece of turf again. He's a bit wild really.

With a Wild Leggie who turns it miles but often can't land it (what's the point of bowling spin if it never touches the ground to let it spin?), a wild quicky, and a (so far) un-known 3rd Pacer, with Gillespie leading the attack for probably the 1st time, who's betting on an England win?

 

[Neil Pickup]

Brad Williams has been called up for McGrath.

This leaves a likely bottom four as:
Lee
Gillespie
MacGill
Hogg/Bichel

Depending on how spinny the SCG is. Now, if we can find some fit bowlers and get in amongst them, I'd back our batsmen to get some against that attack. Come on lads!

 

[marc71178]

Like I say the odds are 10-1 - must have a couple of quid on it myself!

 

[Top_Cat]

Also just a note: Watching MacGill serve up all those full-tosses made me wonder what is going to happen when Warne calls it a day. I mean Warne can be relied upon to land the ball on the same piece of turf over and over again...MacGill, his obvious replacement bowls loads of full-tosses and I doubt he ever lands the ball on the same piece of turf again. He's a bit wild really.

This actually highlights a big problem with picking MacGill. I just don't see how Australian selectors can expect someone like MacGill to come up from the NSW side and bowl like a seasoned Test bowler when his last Test for Australia was a couple of years previously. It does take time to setle back into the Test side and the amount of bad deliveries he DID bowl is indicative of the fact that maybe MacGill is getting fed-up with being looked at as a second-string spinner, only picked when Warnie is injured.

Believe me, MacGill has the capacity to wreck teams when he's settled but when he's unsettled as he was this last Test, it's no surprise he didn't bowl that well. And he STILL took 5 in the second innings. If he was given an extended run in the Aussie side, I can tell you he'd be amongst the best in the game.

How would you feel if you'd been playing in the relative comfort of domestic cricket for a while and you were picked by the Aussie team, expected to do well and then told that you'd only get a couple of Tests? MacGill is MUCH, MUCH better than what we've seen of him in this Test and his 12 wickets against England in Sydney last time they were here is testament to that.

As for the replacement quickie, a couple of months ago I would have said Brad Williams but he hasn't had the best year this year. My next choice would be someone of a similar ilk to McGrath and that would have to be Ashley Noffke or Andrew Bichel.

And with Gillespie to lead the attack for the first time, this fifth Test has taken on an interesting turn. Call it a gut feeling but I think Gillespie will bowl well this Test and take a few wickets. He's been bowling the best of any bowler this series thusfar and it's only a matter of time before he REALLY fires.

 

[Rik]

Hmmm interisting. Anyway, now we have seen how different 2 leggies can be, Warne accurate and attacking, MacGill attacking and occasionally wild. Also I wonder how they will cope without McGrath to tie up an end.

 

[marc71178]

I just don't see how Australian selectors can expect someone like MacGill to come up from the NSW side and bowl like a seasoned Test bowler when his last Test for Australia was a couple of years previously.

He actually played at the beginning of 2002, and then the previous match was the beginning of 2001.

By that quirk of fate he has kept his high PWC rating, and he must very nearly have set a record for having 3 consecutive tests which started on 3 consecutive January 2nds!

 

[warrioryohannan]

If you want to play by those rules then I can quite easily finish every post in any of the Indian threads with a critcism of them, especially since to my mind they're doing a lot worse than England at the moment, but what would that achieve? Not a lot, so I don't do it.

You don't do it? well thats news to me, you and your clonies have been doing that since Natwest series, don't try to play innocent!

 

[Top_Cat]

Alright, knock it off you guys. Keep on topic, please.

 

[age_master]

Australia have heaps of depth and should not have any problem wrapping iup the series, i think that bichel will remain as the most capped 12th man and probably add one more to his record

 

[marc71178]

I wouldn't be so sure Age.

Gillespie's had to pass a fitness Test to play, and he's now got to lead the attack for the first time in his career whilst slightly hampered by injury.

If Caddick and Harmison remember what they did so right against Aus a couple of days back, and the batsmen play like they can do, the odds of 10-1 against an England win are massive.

 

[age_master]

Lee is a NSW player remember, he destyroyed batsmen last time he played at the SCG

macgill is the one that will have to play well

 

[Rik]

Lee is a NSW player remember, he destyroyed batsmen last time he played at the SCG

macgill is the one that will have to play well

This the last Test in which Warne will be un-available due to injury if all goes to plan and he makes the World Cup. So MacGill's got no pressure on him really.

Lee had better do something otherwise people are going to wonder why the best team in the world is carrying someone just because he bowls fast...