*Official* Ashes Series Thread

[age_master]

macgill is still under pressure to retain his place in the NSW squad for next year!!!

 

[Cloete]

England

M.Trescothick
M.Vaughan
M.Butcher
N.Hussain
R.Key
J.Crawley
A.Stewart
R.Dawson
A.Caddick
M.Hoggard
S.Harmison

England are playing the worst spinner in international cricket. and vaughan can't bowl bcoz of his shoulder. england won the toss and elected to bat. bichel comes in for mcgrath. same team as last test with just the change mentioned. surpisingly Hogg is 12th man. england going in with just 4 bowlers i think is a mistake. they desperately need an all-rounder.

 

[marc71178]

Well, we won the toss and batted - that was a key factor.

 

[Top_Cat]

Why didn't England pick Paul Collingwood in their 11? The guy's in form and they could have easily dispensed with John Crawley, as they should have done for the Boxing Day Test.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Good point as he could add to the bowling as well.

 

[age_master]

lee is bowling brilliantly

 

[Rich2001]

Why didn't England pick Paul Collingwood in their 11? The guy's in form and they could have easily dispensed with John Crawley, as they should have done for the Boxing Day Test.

For one reason, his bowling.

England don't like using him in the OD matches, only as a part-timer gap filler.. So if England always planned to go in with 4 bowlers it would have ment he would have had to bowl at least 20 overs, likewise for Blackwell if they knew they would only play 4 bolwers they wouldn't wont to play both Dawson and Blackwell

 

[Top_Cat]

Okay fine but what about his BATTING? He's hit a great hundred against SL without really extending himself and yet that's not rewarded with a Test place? Let's face it; Crawley and Stewart aren't in great form and so you have to pick guys who are in form. Collingwood's obviously hitting the ball well, would add SO much to the fielding and yet he can't get a spot? It's a bit unfair and continuing to extend the career of Alec Stewart is amazingly short-sighted. It's effectively saying to Foster that despite not letting through a bye in the Australian first innings in Melbourne, he's STILL not good enough.

 

[Rik]

Hmmm, Australia loose their World Class New Ball Bowler and England loose 2 cheap Wickets...why can't we just kick a side rather than let it get more confidence?

 

[Eclipse]

Hmmm, Australia loose their World Class New Ball Bowler and England loose 2 cheap Wickets...why can't we just kick a side rather than let it get more confidence?

Dident u see Im supprised Lee did not take 3 or 4 wickets in that spell at one stage he beat the bat 8 times in two overs.

The big thing for Lee is now to come back from that spell when the ball wont be swinging.

 

[Rik]

Dident u see Im supprised Lee did not take 3 or 4 wickets in that spell at one stage he beat the bat 8 times in two overs.

The big thing for Lee is now to come back from that spell when the ball wont be swinging.

Well remember that when McGrath is back in the team, Gillespie and McGrath take the new ball and Lee is more effective when the ball is swinging, which it does not when he comes on as the ball is less shiny.

 

[Eclipse]

Yes that is 100% correct there Ric

He is probably a better new ball bowler Than Gillespie even but untill he can earn the right to open the bowling by bowling better Line and Length with the older ball he does not deserve the privlage.

Obviously he has the talent but hard work and more mental concerntration are needed by him when the ball is not swinging.

 

[Rik]

Yes that is 100% correct there Ric

He is probably a better new ball bowler Than Gillespie even but untill he can earn the right to open the bowling by bowling better Line and Length with the older ball he does not deserve the privlage.

Obviously he has the talent but hard work and more mental concerntration are needed by him when the ball is not swinging.

1st time anyone's said that to me

 

[Top_Cat]

He is probably a better new ball bowler Than Gillespie

What the.....? How do you figure?

Gillespie has pace, great line-and-length, makes the batsman play most of the time and picks up early wickets. What more would you want in a new-ball bowler??

 

[Eclipse]

No Lee always bowl well with the new ball.

At times he looks totaly deadly with the new ball.

 

[Rik]

No Lee always bowl well with the new ball.

At times he looks totaly deadly with the new ball.

Though those times are usually widely spaced...

 

[Top_Cat]

No Lee always bowl well with the new ball.

At times he looks totaly deadly with the new ball.

The key phrase being 'at times' Gillespie almost always looks dangerous with the new-ball. There's nothing worse as a captain than seeing someone who's quick but inconsistent concede 5-an-over with the new-ball, unless that results in quite a few wickets, which it most certainly doesn't with Brett Lee most times. Gillespie is a FAR superior new-ball bowler than Brett Lee right now and other than the pace issue (though Gillepie is hardly slow), there's very little justification for your assertion that Brett Lee uses the new-ball better.

 

[marc71178]

England are playing the worst spinner in international cricket. and vaughan can't bowl bcoz of his shoulder. england won the toss and elected to bat. bichel comes in for mcgrath. same team as last test with just the change mentioned. surpisingly Hogg is 12th man. england going in with just 4 bowlers i think is a mistake. they desperately need an all-rounder.

Yes, we need an all rounder, but they're all injured!

And I feel calling Dawson "the worst spinner in international cricket" is a bit harsh as well. I've already shown that his bowling has been on par with the rest of the team in his career so far.

 

[marc71178]

Okay fine but what about his BATTING? He's hit a great hundred against SL without really extending himself and yet that's not rewarded with a Test place? Let's face it; Crawley and Stewart aren't in great form and so you have to pick guys who are in form. Collingwood's obviously hitting the ball well, would add SO much to the fielding and yet he can't get a spot? It's a bit unfair and continuing to extend the career of Alec Stewart is amazingly short-sighted. It's effectively saying to Foster that despite not letting through a bye in the Australian first innings in Melbourne, he's STILL not good enough.

They went with Crawley as he was initially selected and hasn't had too bad a series.

As for Stewart's return, that means one of 2 things - he's in the minds of the selectors to carry on in the summer.

OR

He's playing for his place, and if he doesn't do so well, they're bringing in someone like Read in the Summer.

 

[marc71178]

Dident u see Im supprised Lee did not take 3 or 4 wickets in that spell at one stage he beat the bat 8 times in two overs.

The big thing for Lee is now to come back from that spell when the ball wont be swinging.

If the ball is swinging for us, Hoggard may finally have a chace to prove his worth.