*Official* Australia in West Indies Thread

[Eclipse]

Great match I am really happy for the West Indies.

I dont think Australia were not tying this match I think they genuinly gave it there best shot and the West Indies were just to good for them.

Also good to See Ponting take the MOTS Award & that all the players shook hands after the match.

I dont know why McGill was keet on I think Lee was under bowled considering he was out best bowler in this match and he has now brought his avrage under 30 again witch is good to see.

I think McGrath is mostly to blame in the Sawan incedent but obviously Sarwan made a little mistake in what ever he said as well.

 

[Rik]

I dont know why McGill was keet on I think Lee was under bowled considering he was out best bowler in this match and he has now brought his avrage under 30 again witch is good to see.

Most consistant bowler? May I ask what Jason Gillespie (17 wickets at 20.76 compared to Lee's 17 at 28.82) has done wrong? Also the reason why MacGill was kept on was because not only was he the only spinner on the tour who seemed to be able to take wickets regularly (the experiment with Hogg ended with 5 wickets in 2 Tests at an average of 52.80 and an econ of 4.55), but he was also the top wicket taker in the Series on either side with 20 wickets. Ok his average of 33.95 isn't impressive but the conditions weren't easy. He's hit and miss, sometimes he will come off and sometimes he won't and he will allways have quite a high econ because of his lack of control, but then, other than Warne, who has?

 

[Rik]

An interisting stat, in a high scoring series, Stuart MacGill, the leading wicket-taker actually conceeded more runs (679) than the leading run-scorer in the series, Lara, managed to score (533). Congratulations to MacGill, not only top wicket-taker but also top of the runs too! What an honour !

 

[Rik]

Yes. I agree in part. I think he's a bit like Pollock in this way. Both are predominantly lower 80's (mph) bowlers who get in close to the stumps and bowl on the spot day in, day out. But if you make up your mind to leave alone that line (just outside off) you generally will not get out.

I don't think that he's actually vulnerable though, because regardless, he will bowl a tight line over by over. He's a machine. The coach's analysis reveal that the way to get to him is to throw him off his game plan, by making him change his length (batting outside the crease) and attacking him to make him think about his bowling.

He showed that he has a very good inswinging yorker today. He removed Ganga with it.

He can loose it though, when Cork was called up against the Aussies 2 years ago he riled McGrath who then started bowling short stuff over and over again and if my memory serves me correctly Cork managed to wack him for 6. His weakness is his temper, wind him up and he will keep trying to get you out and give you balls to hit.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Most consistant bowler? May I ask what Jason Gillespie (17 wickets at 20.76 compared to Lee's 17 at 28.82) has done wrong?

Umm, Rik, Eclipse was referring to Lee being the best bowler in the match at that point...not the series.

Also the reason why MacGill was kept on was because not only was he the only spinner on the tour who seemed to be able to take wickets regularly

When he said 'kept on' he meant in that match....ie continued to bowl even when expensive...

 

[Rik]

Umm, Rik, Eclipse was referring to Lee being the best bowler in the match at that point...not the series.



When he said 'kept on' he meant in that match....ie continued to bowl even when expensive...

Yeah just realised that, having read back. Why wasn't Gillespie called on? He was the best bowler in the series and the most consistant, or was he just bowled out?

 

[Rik]

Australia have become rather adept at loosing the last Test of a series lately, just look at this Test and the 5th Test in the Ashes last winter...which are freakily similer...both had big scores and both times a bowler had a 7-for...:alien8: :alien8: :alien8:

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Why wasn't Gillespie called on? He was the best bowler in the series and the most consistant, or was he just bowled out?

He was. Gillespie was bowling from the other end for most of the morning's play...until McGrath replaced him for an over or two.

 

[The Argonaut]

Congratulations to the Windies for an outstanding run chase. They should be very proud.

Both Sarwan and McGrath should have been hauled before the referee. I thought that the ICC was wielding a big stick when it came to these issues. Surely they both brought the game into disrepute. The other sledging that took part was run of the mill stuff and happens in every game. No action required there. Sarwan and McGrath went over the line.

What the match showed was if you take on the Aussies and play hard you can get results. Merely trying to survive will ensure that you lose the match. The Windies played hard and batted extremely well.

MacGill may have got the most wickets in the series but would also have bowled a heap more overs than any other bowler. He has not been in great form this series though the pitches haven't suited him. Waugh has certainly over bowled him this series. He had five bowlers to choose from all series so he should have been able to share it around better. Bichel did get much of a bowl all series and managed to get Lara's wicket 3 of the last 4 innings (doesn't necessarily mean he was out on all occasions).

The Windies will take some satisfaction out of this series. The batting is looking pretty good but the bowling line up is a real worry for them. Lawson will be the guy to centre the attack around. he'll get through this period and become a very good bowler.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

He has not been in great form this series though the pitches haven't suited him.

The Guyana pitch gave quite a bit of turn (for a West Indian pitch) and Barbados wasn't too bad in that respect either.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Very interesting comments by Chris Ryan.

Jason Gillespie is a particular concern. He is the quintessential modern bowler in that he is built for the abbreviated three-Test series. He bowled tightly enough in this last game but his venom had dried up. His lukewarm third spell, when he leaked 41 runs in seven overs, proved telling. Demonic at the start of a series, he is invariably half the bowler by the end.

The Full Article

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Chanderpaul and Jacobs out. The average age of the ODI squad is less than 25 and there are 4 players who have never played ODI cricket before and have played only 7 Tests between them. It suddenly seems even more one sided...

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Aus 270/5
WI 205/8 chasing 208 off 37 overs
Sarwan 47 not out off 34 balls.

How good is Sarwan! I'm impressed more and more every time I see him bat. He now averages 57.73 with the bat in ODI's.

He has 1134 runs in his last year of ODI cricket at an average of 66.70, with 1 hundred and 6 fifties in 26 matches and 25 innings.

 

[krkode]

That seems to be quite a knock by Sarwan.

Still, I fail to see how Ponting deserved the MoM more than Harvey. Not only did he add some valuable runs in the end, without which, they might have lost, but he also took 3 very important wickets, including that of Lara...

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Still, I fail to see how Ponting deserved the MoM more than Harvey.

I don't understand it either. But then again, he also won Man of the Test Series, which clearly should've gone to Pedro Collins.

 

[V Reddy]

If only they had Chanderpaul:rolleyes:

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

If only they had Chanderpaul:rolleyes:

Or Jacobs even...

 

[Hoggy]

How come Hoggy didn't get a bowl?

Good to see the FREAK get some runs and some wickets, always good to see Victorian's do well.

Should be another big English season for him after these ODI's.

 

[luckyeddie]

How come Hoggy didn't get a bowl?

Easy question (good for Sunday morning with a hangover)

Hoggy looked as though he'd come on round about over 25 (cameras showed him warming up - but maybe he was just trying to catch the skipper's eye).

Then it rained.

Wet ball + leggy = hilarity

 

[Rich2001]

The harshness of the Aussies shows, Harvey the sole match winner yesterday, vital runs at the death that were the difference in the end and 3 wickets in 3 overs to get Aus back in the game..... Today his a poor little Drinks carrier