***Official*** Australia in England (The Ashes)

[GotSpin]

i would like to know why the Australians suck soo much even though they are considered the best team in the world. Even though Matthew Hayden is in a form slump, kick him out for a couple of months and all others in form slumps, replace them and dont leave Shane Warne, Brett Lee and co. to chase a massive total.

Yes i do know that the bowlers are having a bad day, i mean month, a bad month, but Australia should still easily pass 444 in an innings.

It is not just the Ashes it has been happening for ages, it is getting really disapointing to watch them play nowdays

And yet they havnt lossed the series yet...

 

[deeps]

i think gilly is getting done because he's being over cautious against flintoff especially. He normally just hits the ball hard, and doesn't play careful cricket.

He needs to just go back to his natural game, and runs will come.

 

[luckyeddie]

i would like to know why the Australians suck soo much even though they are considered the best team in the world. Even though Matthew Hayden is in a form slump, kick him out for a couple of months and all others in form slumps, replace them and dont leave Shane Warne, Brett Lee and co. to chase a massive total.

Yes i do know that the bowlers are having a bad day, i mean month, a bad month, but Australia should still easily pass 444 in an innings.

It is not just the Ashes it has been happening for ages, it is getting really disapointing to watch them play nowdays

I guess the only people who think that the current Australians suck are very, very young Australian supporters who have never known the days when their side HAVEN'T been the best in the world.

They don't suck, of course not - it's just that they've finally got opponents worthy of the name. Maybe Australia aren't as good as they used to be, maybe one are two aren't in the best of nick, but if you go by what you read on this board and one or two others, they're in a state of terminal decline.

Too many people have believed the hype - and believe me, this is the most hyped-up Aussie side of all time - well, at least from the last 40 years since I've been paying attention anyway.

I can't quite fathom your closing remark (apart from the Leeds United rubbish of course in your signature - how on earth do you expect to be taken seriously with THAT?) about it being really disappointing watching Australia play nowadays. Are you saying that you would PREFER to see Australia thrash the pants off everyone every week?

How boring!

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Found an interesting article on cricket's growth today - containing the following phrase:

Extra demand for TV rights to the current series has spread to countries such as Japan and Norway, not normally known for their love of cricket.

Does this mean that I can get to watch the fifth Test on NRK?

 

[PY]

Does this mean that I can get to watch the fifth Test on NRK?

And fish might fly.....

 

[Magrat Garlick]

And fish might fly.....

Explain the quote, then.

Besides, we did get the NatWest final last year (which may be what the article was alluding to)

 

[Mister Wright]

Hayden given high support

 

[Scaly piscine]

i think gilly is getting done because he's being over cautious against flintoff especially. He normally just hits the ball hard, and doesn't play careful cricket.

He needs to just go back to his natural game, and runs will come.

Really? In the last game he was dropped twice off trying an aggressive shot against Flintoff in the first innings and was caught playing a fairly aggressive shot in his second innings.

 

[Mister Wright]

Really? In the last game he was dropped twice off trying an aggressive shot against Flintoff in the first innings and was caught playing a fairly aggressive shot in his second innings.

Yeah, Gilly hasn't really changed his game plan, its just that the England team is getting more chances to get him out. He's definitely starting to become Flintoff's bunny.

 

[chalky]

Hayden given high support

I tend to I see no point replacing at the moment Hayden if you have no one better. As a selector you have probably got decide if player is going through a form slump or he has just not the player he was. You can say they have made a mistake with Gillespie but I don't believe Hayden is to that level yet.

 

[shaka]

It may come as a shock or expected, but Bowden has said that he will be returning home and will not officiate the final test, this is so he can take time off from umpiring. I find it a shock and thought this would be the idea of Bucknor.

 

[Mister Wright]

I tend to I see no point replacing at the moment Hayden if you have no one better. As a selector you have probably got decide if player is going through a form slump or he has just not the player he was. You can say they have made a mistake with Gillespie but I don't believe Hayden is to that level yet.

Yeah, I have to agree. Its more of a mental thing at the moment, its only going to take one good score, and he'll be back.

 

[PY]

It may come as a shock or expected, but Bowden has said that he will be returning home and will not officiate the final test, this is so he can take time off from umpiring. I find it a shock and thought this would be the idea of Bucknor.

I'm horrified, he had an amazing Test this week and it looks like the last Test could be cauldron which requires worldclass officials in charge.

 

[Dasa]

I'm horrified, he had an amazing Test this week and it looks like the last Test could be cauldron which requires worldclass officials in charge.

He did have a good Test, but on the whole he and Bucknor haven't been upto par in recent times.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Who would you appoint then as the two best umpires for the final Test - given that Bowden's off home, and Taufel's ineligible...

Aleem Dar... and?

 

[Jamee999]

And fish might fly.....

There's a fish called a "Flying Fish"

 

[Jamee999]

Who would you appoint then as the two best umpires for the final Test - given that Bowden's off home, and Taufel's ineligible...

Aleem Dar... and?

Rudi.

 

[Top_Cat]

Really? In the last game he was dropped twice off trying an aggressive shot against Flintoff in the first innings and was caught playing a fairly aggressive shot in his second innings.

Yeah they were reasonably aggressive shots. But they weren't Gilchrist-aggressive. Big difference.

Seriously, Benaud has pointed it out many times that Gilchrist, when the team is in trouble or he's struggling for runs, plays a 'short-arm' style where he does more pushes and doesn't loft the ball but then when he gets his eye in, the shots with the full-swing through the line come into it and he scores quickly. I've barely seen him get out of 'short-arm' mode all series. I think he'll get a big ton once he frees his arms a bit. The thing is, England would have to give him a bit of a chance first and they are bowling too well for that right now!

 

[PY]

He did have a good Test, but on the whole he and Bucknor haven't been upto par in recent times.

You're kidding?

Bowden's my second best umpire at the moment behind Taufel.

 

[Dasa]

You're kidding?

Bowden's my second best umpire at the moment behind Taufel.

Nope. I've seen him make some shocking decisions in the recent past - almost as bad as Bucknor.