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

[tassietiger]

Could have had, if you didn't have a klutz for a captain.

He's getting a really unfair wrap atm I reckon. These little things that people have been picking up about his captaincy are normally acts of desperation, and it's been largely due to the underperforming of his players that he's had to make the decisions.

For the record, he's only made obviously bad mistake. Bowling first at Edgbaston. But, if you remember before the match, a lot of the commentators, reporters, etc. were saying that the person who wins the toss will probably bowl first, and pulled out those stats that show that not many teams have batted first and won on the ground historically. Some of these people were also former captains. So, really, he's not the only one that could make that mistake.

I'll admit to a bit of bias, as he comes from Launceston, Tasmania, and it gives great hope to everyone here that someone from here can become one of the top 3 batsmen in the world (arguably the top), and also captain of the best cricket team in the world. But I still reckon he is the right man for the job, definitely is a great leader.

 

[Mister Wright]

Why would he retire!? He's hardly been in good nick recently...

Cricket Australia are frustrated that Brad Hodge is not earning the money he is getting for his Australian contract.

 

[tassietiger]

Cricket Australia are frustrated that Brad Hodge is not earning the money he is getting for his Australian contract.

Something tells me that there is a bit on the line in this partnership.

 

[Mister Wright]

Something tells me that there is a bit on the line in this partnership.

Hardly. Katich will play the final test. And Martyn hasn't been selected so he will play aswell.

 

[twctopcat]

I reckon Hayden should be taken on tours as a tour match specialist . He has been great against the counties, but not England. It's all in his head. I'm sure if he gets dropped from the Aussie team he will rip it up in Pura Cup. What a shame

Or he simply gets found out against half decent bowlers....hmmmm what is the more viable answer?? Ping!!! We have an aussie Ramprakash!!!

 

[twctopcat]

Originally Posted by Mr. McGrath
"I concede I got my figures wrong in predicting that England would collapse to a 5-0 whitewash in this npower Test series."

What a rookie. Tells you never to listen to australian bravado and attempted intimidating comments, because they know sweet fa.

 

[Slow Love™]

Why would he retire!? He's hardly been in good nick recently...

How much more would he haved gained from this innings? His problems aren't going to be solved by facing bowlers other than Hoggard/Jones/Hoggard et al for hour after hour on one of the flattest tracks ever.

In any case, looks like Hayden will be playing in the final test. The selectors are now in something of a "damned if they do/damned if they don't" situation, and as a result, I think they'll choose not to act.

In any case, this looks boring as hell. The game to "watch" (ie, for me, read the text commentary on cricinfo) right now is clearly Zim vs India.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Or he simply gets found out against half decent bowlers....hmmmm what is the more viable answer?? Ping!!! We have an aussie Ramprakash!!!

Half decent bowlers like? Shoaib, Pollock, Donald, Kumble, Harbhajan, Murali, Hoggard, Ntini, Vaas, Walsh, Bishop, Srinath, Cairns? Those sorts of guys? He's scored centuries against all of them. He also averages about double what Ramprakash did from a comparable number of tests.

 

[twctopcat]

Half decent bowlers like? Shoaib, Pollock, Donald, Kumble, Harbhajan, Murali, Hoggard, Ntini, Vaas, Walsh, Bishop, Srinath, Cairns? Those sorts of guys? He's scored centuries against all of them. He also averages about double what Ramprakash did from a comparable number of tests.

Yes he did that in the past. All i was saying that he hasn't against this attack, which is kind of what counts at the moment. Tonking a random bunch of essex bowlers means nothing, that is my point.
And my Ramprakash point refers to his success against county attacks on this tour compared to the tests. Even i know 52>27.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Yes he did that in the past. All i was saying that he hasn't against this attack, which is kind of what counts at the moment. Tonking a random bunch of essex bowlers means nothing, that is my point.
And my Ramprakash point refers to his success against county attacks on this tour compared to the tests. Even i know 52>27.

Well if your point was that Hayden's past it and has struggled in this series, I agree. However, comparing him to Ramprakash (who savaged county attacks but was a complete failure at test level) is more than a little unfair given Hayden's past success, and your "he gets found out against half decent bowlers" line didn't seem to have a timeframe on it.

 

[superkingdave]

noticed there is a poll on Fox Sports, Which captain upholds the spirit of the game best? and Vaughan currently has 3008 votes to Pontings 978. Mind you the previous poll was 'Do you think Shane Warne is a liability to Australian cricket?'

 

[_Ed_]

Gilchrist out for 8. Not in the best form of his life you could say.

 

[howardj]

Im at a loss as to why Martyn is not playing in this game. He's only averaging 20 in the Test series. Whatever the reason, he needs runs at the Oval, otherwise I reckon his career may well be over.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

noticed there is a poll on Fox Sports, Which captain upholds the spirit of the game best? and Vaughan currently has 3008 votes to Pontings 978. Mind you the previous poll was 'Do you think Shane Warne is a liability to Australian cricket?'

Hehe, what were the results of that? You'd be amazed at the amount of crap you hear against Warne over here. I was hanging around waiting for someone near some builders at uni a week or two ago and they had the radio on some random conservative talkback station where people were calling for Warne to be dropped because "he's a good player but he brings the team into disrepute". People were even claiming he wasn't as good as people made out because he only gets out tailenders and so on.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Im at a loss as to why Martyn is not playing in this game. He's only averaging 20 in the Test series. Whatever the reason, he needs runs at the Oval, otherwise I reckon his career may well be over.

You'd need to be completely insane to drop Martyn after this tour. Not only was he Australia's best batsman along with Langer last year, but so far this tour he's been very good in the one dayers, made a 50 and a couple of starts and had two shocking decisions in the tests. He hasn't set the world on fire or anything, but you'd drop half a dozen other players before him, surely. It would be an overreaction on par with dropping Gilchrist.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

Hehe, what were the results of that? You'd be amazed at the amount of crap you hear against Warne over here. I was hanging around waiting for someone near some builders at uni a week or two ago and they had the radio on some random conservative talkback station where people were calling for Warne to be dropped because "he's a good player but he brings the team into disrepute". People were even claiming he wasn't as good as people made out because he only gets out tailenders and so on.

Jesus tonight.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Gilchrist out for 8. Not in the best form of his life you could say.

To the mighty James Middlebrook, no less.

 

[howardj]

You'd need to be completely insane to drop Martyn after this tour. Not only was he Australia's best batsman along with Langer last year, but so far this tour he's been very good in the one dayers, made a 50 and a couple of starts and had two shocking decisions in the tests. He hasn't set the world on fire or anything, but you'd drop half a dozen other players before him, surely. It would be an overreaction on par with dropping Gilchrist.

Im not advocating Martyn be dropped. On the contrary, I'd love to see him play on and believe - on the basis of his stellar performances in 2004 - that he should retain his place, regardless of what happens at the Oval. However, you have to have a look at the climate. If we lose at the Oval, and Martyn fails, then his inability to score runs is going to be one major reason why we have not retained the Ashes. At, at 34, with no dangerous opponents on the horizon, he could be very vulnerable to a push for regeneration.

 

[Demolition Man]

ha interesting

and they called shane Lee 'meadow' after the butter label meadow lee

 

[vic_orthdox]

and they called shane Lee 'meadow' after the butter label meadow lee

I believe he copped "Ug" for quite a while too.