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*Official* Fifth Test at the SCG
- Thread starter uvelocity
- Start date
wpdavid
Hall of Fame Member
Yeah - massive kudos to Haddin, Stokes & Smith. Given what folks are saying about what the pitch is expected to do over the next few days, obvs we're toast but we knew that anyway.
And Rankin can just piss off. Which I suppose is what he did today anyway.
flibbertyjibber
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Well another disaster after I fell asleep then, happy for Stokes he is the only bright spot of a dismal series for us. Carberry can **** off now and sod off back to county cricket along with Rankin. Can't wait for tonight and seeing us bowled out for below 200 again.
social
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Lots of Irishmen and changing a lightbulb springs to mind
adub
International Captain
Nothing better than Jan 3 at the SCG. Superb Test match cricket. Great cricket weather, sporting pitch and enough bars to ensure you can get set reasonably quickly so long as you can get n00fers out of his seat right as the last ball of the session is bowled.
Tagged TPC and Rad to ton up at lunch so mighty pissed with Haddin throwing it away again
Smith was glorious. His best test innings by a fair way I thought. And what can you say about Haddin. The only fair result would be joint man of the series with MJ. No way has he been less important to our wins. Can anyone else think of a batsman (not just a no.7 or a keeper, but any batsman) who has scored 50s in the first innings of every test of a 5 test series? Bradman didn't. (closest was the 47/48 series against India where he only missed out in the 2nd test). Simply astounding effort from Haddin. He should retire because he will never be this brilliant again.
Poms bowled to short for mine. The pitch looks like it rewards you for banging it into the pitch with some movement off the seam, but if you're too short it does too much to catch the edge. Especially in the middle session the length was just wrong and allowed Haddin and Smith to pull in front of square which is money for old rope for those two. When Stokes especially got it up a bit more he looked much more dangerous and got the reward. Take care of him England and he could reward you handsomely.
Also thought Borthwick despite getting taken to showed more than enough to persist with. Seems to have a nice enough action and his length problems were more being too full than dragging them down which were magnified by Smith's ability to get down the track. I saw a young blond leggy take 1/150 odd on debut here once but he ended up being pretty handy. Not saying Borthwick is anything like Warne league (although the action wasn't massively dissimilar either) but on older drier tracks I think he could pose some real questions, especially once he gets a bit of an older head on his shoulders. Just a pup at this stage and he'll need to be nurtured, but his first class record indicates he could be a pretty handy allrounder for you lot. Along with Stokes he could offer some real value in the lower middle order.
Tagged TPC and Rad to ton up at lunch so mighty pissed with Haddin throwing it away again
Smith was glorious. His best test innings by a fair way I thought. And what can you say about Haddin. The only fair result would be joint man of the series with MJ. No way has he been less important to our wins. Can anyone else think of a batsman (not just a no.7 or a keeper, but any batsman) who has scored 50s in the first innings of every test of a 5 test series? Bradman didn't. (closest was the 47/48 series against India where he only missed out in the 2nd test). Simply astounding effort from Haddin. He should retire because he will never be this brilliant again.
Poms bowled to short for mine. The pitch looks like it rewards you for banging it into the pitch with some movement off the seam, but if you're too short it does too much to catch the edge. Especially in the middle session the length was just wrong and allowed Haddin and Smith to pull in front of square which is money for old rope for those two. When Stokes especially got it up a bit more he looked much more dangerous and got the reward. Take care of him England and he could reward you handsomely.
Also thought Borthwick despite getting taken to showed more than enough to persist with. Seems to have a nice enough action and his length problems were more being too full than dragging them down which were magnified by Smith's ability to get down the track. I saw a young blond leggy take 1/150 odd on debut here once but he ended up being pretty handy. Not saying Borthwick is anything like Warne league (although the action wasn't massively dissimilar either) but on older drier tracks I think he could pose some real questions, especially once he gets a bit of an older head on his shoulders. Just a pup at this stage and he'll need to be nurtured, but his first class record indicates he could be a pretty handy allrounder for you lot. Along with Stokes he could offer some real value in the lower middle order.
wpdavid
Hall of Fame Member
So that's where Rankin got to.
social
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I was also at the SCG the day Warne made his debut and reckon a major difference between he and Borthwick today was that Shane spun the ball miles, beating the bat a lot in between the crapNothing better than Jan 3 at the SCG. Superb Test match cricket. Great cricket weather, sporting pitch and enough bars to ensure you can get set reasonably quickly so long as you can get n00fers out of his seat right as the last ball of the session is bowled.
Tagged TPC and Rad to ton up at lunch so mighty pissed with Haddin throwing it away again
Smith was glorious. His best test innings by a fair way I thought. And what can you say about Haddin. The only fair result would be joint man of the series with MJ. No way has he been less important to our wins. Can anyone else think of a batsman (not just a no.7 or a keeper, but any batsman) who has scored 50s in the first innings of every test of a 5 test series? Bradman didn't. (closest was the 47/48 series against India where he only missed out in the 2nd test). Simply astounding effort from Haddin. He should retire because he will never be this brilliant again.
Poms bowled to short for mine. The pitch looks like it rewards you for banging it into the pitch with some movement off the seam, but if you're too short it does too much to catch the edge. Especially in the middle session the length was just wrong and allowed Haddin and Smith to pull in front of square which is money for old rope for those two. When Stokes especially got it up a bit more he looked much more dangerous and got the reward. Take care of him England and he could reward you handsomely.
Also thought Borthwick despite getting taken to showed more than enough to persist with. Seems to have a nice enough action and his length problems were more being too full than dragging them down which were magnified by Smith's ability to get down the track. I saw a young blond leggy take 1/150 odd on debut here once but he ended up being pretty handy. Not saying Borthwick is anything like Warne league (although the action wasn't massively dissimilar either) but on older drier tracks I think he could pose some real questions, especially once he gets a bit of an older head on his shoulders. Just a pup at this stage and he'll need to be nurtured, but his first class record indicates he could be a pretty handy allrounder for you lot. Along with Stokes he could offer some real value in the lower middle order.
Unfair to judge Borthwick on one outing though and hopefully he can score a few runs to give him some confidence for the 2nd innings
adub
International Captain
Cheers Adders. Love nothing more than smashing Poms in Ashes Tests, but the 5-0 in 06/07 would have just been another series if you hadn't jagged 05. So we need you lot to win the odd one to make it worthwhile. Once every 20 years should do it.
Seriously though, after watching today's play for all the poor shots or too short bowling and the rest how could you not rate Test cricket a million times more than the hit and giggle ****? It was just so absorbing, with the advantage waxing and waning as the day went on. Full house with a happy boisterous crowd, a top order collapse, a middle order counter attack including a high class ton and a guy making history, then a quick tail collapse and an early wicket for the home side. Thrilling stuff. I was even clapping for MJ as he wiped Broad and Rankin off the top 6 fastest balls of the day list in his first over. (something I would have said would be impossible just a few months ago). Love, love, love Test cricket. And day one of an Ashes Test at the SCG is usually about as good as Test cricket can get. Today didn't disappoint.
Seriously though, after watching today's play for all the poor shots or too short bowling and the rest how could you not rate Test cricket a million times more than the hit and giggle ****? It was just so absorbing, with the advantage waxing and waning as the day went on. Full house with a happy boisterous crowd, a top order collapse, a middle order counter attack including a high class ton and a guy making history, then a quick tail collapse and an early wicket for the home side. Thrilling stuff. I was even clapping for MJ as he wiped Broad and Rankin off the top 6 fastest balls of the day list in his first over. (something I would have said would be impossible just a few months ago). Love, love, love Test cricket. And day one of an Ashes Test at the SCG is usually about as good as Test cricket can get. Today didn't disappoint.
adub
International Captain
And on the question of batsmen scoring 50s in each first innings of a 5 test series?
W Bardsley v SA 1910/11
E Weakes v Ind 1948/49 (3 tons and a 90 included)
B Haddin v Eng 2013/14
Botham, Mudassar and Tubby all scored 5 first dig 50s in 6 test series. (Tubster flubbed it with a 43 in the 3rd test of the 89 Ashes, Mudassar let him self down with 38 in the 3rd test against India 82/83 but made up for it with a double and two 150s in the last three tests, and Both failed with 7 in the first test against India 81/82 but then went on a scoring spree scoring 440 at 55)
W Bardsley v SA 1910/11
E Weakes v Ind 1948/49 (3 tons and a 90 included)
B Haddin v Eng 2013/14
Botham, Mudassar and Tubby all scored 5 first dig 50s in 6 test series. (Tubster flubbed it with a 43 in the 3rd test of the 89 Ashes, Mudassar let him self down with 38 in the 3rd test against India 82/83 but made up for it with a double and two 150s in the last three tests, and Both failed with 7 in the first test against India 81/82 but then went on a scoring spree scoring 440 at 55)
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theegyptian
International Vice-Captain
Not that I have much sympathy for Rankin there is no way England should be leaking this kind of thing to the press during the series. Players don't deserve it however bad the performance during the tour. At the end of the day it's the selectors and coaches failure. I could of told you Rankin has a history of injury problems and rarely bowls more than 14 or 15 overs a day at most.
And there have been a few players who have suffered with cramp on debut due to nerves or tension. Rankin's will be a combination of nerves and not brilliant conditioning imo
GIMH
Norwood's on Fire
Nope.
It makes sense now as to why he was putting so little into his action, to only get one ball above 88 MPH is shocking. He normally bowls almost MJ length spells for the Bears at hostile pace.
Tangles
International Vice-Captain
Conditioning normally this bad? Just been living it up on tour then while not expecting to play. Which is also a bad approach for a Pro.
benchmark00
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I've seen a little bit of both Ballance & Borthwick.
I think I posted this earlier in the series when I thought England were going to pick Ballance, but always thought Ballance's strength is also his weakness, i.e. his bottom hand sometimes overpowers his top hand. It's a lot like Cook in a way. If Australia have done their homework they'll target him the same way they target Cook, trying to get him going through covers away from his body with his bottom hand taking over. If he's eye is in he can brain them but it's also a massive area to target. Would be getting a good number of slips in there and even a catching cover or two.
Borthwick is a little bit the same in that he has a pretty powerful bottom hand and doesn't mind rocking back just short of a good length.
I think I posted this earlier in the series when I thought England were going to pick Ballance, but always thought Ballance's strength is also his weakness, i.e. his bottom hand sometimes overpowers his top hand. It's a lot like Cook in a way. If Australia have done their homework they'll target him the same way they target Cook, trying to get him going through covers away from his body with his bottom hand taking over. If he's eye is in he can brain them but it's also a massive area to target. Would be getting a good number of slips in there and even a catching cover or two.
Borthwick is a little bit the same in that he has a pretty powerful bottom hand and doesn't mind rocking back just short of a good length.
He got himself in to really good shape in the English summer, but its always been known to fluctuate.