***Official*** NatWest Series/Challenge

[Barney Rubble]

Tremlett bowls Rafique, Bangladesh 223 all out, England win by 168 runs, Collingwood 6-31, Tremlett 4-32. A good performance, despite the battering Flintoff and Harmison's bowling took, and despite Vaughan and Flintoff's dismissals. An awesome performance from Collingwood.

Vaughan has a groin strain - could help Engand for a couple of games, get Solanki in at no3 maybe? He's got a decent enough record in ODIs to bat there, and he certainly scores quicker than Vaughan.

 

[aussie]

its time Solanki is dropped form the England ODI team, get bell in their but i dont think Vaughan's injury is that serious

 

[aussie]

With Tremlett's very impressive debut today things dont look too good for Anderson , but anyway looking on the positive side the set of fast bowlers that England have at their disposal is wonderful, just look at it:

Hoggard, Harmison, Jones, Flintoff, Lewis, Anderson, Tremlett & Harrison.

Once these guys keep getting better along with the talented batting that is their has well in a few years time England could be world beaters

 

[PY]

Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, 2001, looks like a good candidate...Murali and Vaas...

Comparatively full strength team as well for the Zimbubs.

 

[aussie]

Symonds has shown himself to be more effective batting higher up the order, as he has the capability to make big scores and graft out an innings, as well as being a big hitter. Of course, there are situations where Clarke and Hussey could come in ahead of him.

yes exactly if Australia are 3 down early they could send up hussey and send Symo down to 7 so they can have some hitting power at the end once Hussey & Clarke consolidates their position.

 

[aussie]

I can see the argument for having Katich at 3, given his more classical technique and less of a weakness early in his innings. However, Ponting has proven himself batting at 3, and shown the ability to deal with new ball conditions as well as play as a middle-order batsman, and he's also the best all-round batsman in the Australian team, which makes him best for the number 3 spot. Besides, it's not like he's done anything wrong there or Australia are in desperate need of Katich up the order for greater stability.

If Australia were to develop a serious propensity for batting collapses of course, putting someone like Katich at 3 would be a better idea than it is right now.

Regarding Clarke, his form so far in the Ashes tour has been exceedingly promising, and I expect him to have a fairly good tour. I'd expect a few lean tests and a big hundred somewhere, coming out the other side with a similar average to what he has now.

Agreed on everything but i dont think ponting is Australia's best all-round batsman somehow i think its Martyn.

 

[aussie]

AUSSIES STAY TUNED ON BOWLING TIPS ON HOW TO DEFEND A TOTAL AGAINST BANGLADESH

dont you ever get bored

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Comparatively full strength team as well for the Zimbubs.

Well...no Goodwin, no Campbell, no Strangs...think they could have fielded a better side if they wanted to.

 

[marc71178]

I think Lewis is just someone (kind of like Ed Smith) who has done consistently well on the county circuit that they have to give him a chance.

Like, Saggers, Kirtley and Johnson before him.

 

[marc71178]

What, having to watch these no hopers ensure they keep their unfair spot in international cricket for another few years by pretending to have some spine now?

So much no hopers on Saturday...

 

[marc71178]

What a day!

Tresco, Strauss, Ashraful, Omar, Tremlett - all in my FC side. Amazing.

Collingwood - 80-odd points...

 

[marc71178]

With Tremlett's very impressive debut today things dont look too good for Anderson , but anyway looking on the positive side the set of fast bowlers that England have at their disposal is wonderful, just look at it:

Hoggard, Harmison, Jones, Flintoff, Lewis, Anderson, Tremlett & Harrison.

Once these guys keep getting better along with the talented batting that is their has well in a few years time England could be world beaters

Will you shut up about Anderson, he's not good enough.

 

[PY]

Comparatively full strength team as well for the Zimbubs.

Well...no Goodwin, no Campbell, no Strangs...think they could have fielded a better side if they wanted to.

They not teach you that word in schools in Norway?

I meant that it wasn't before the exodus of players which resulted in 30s and 40s and 50s in ODI being commonplace for Zimbabwe.

 

[Scallywag]

Agreed on everything but i dont think ponting is Australia's best all-round batsman somehow i think its Martyn.

No, Ponting is still number one.

 

[badgerhair]

Will you shut up about Anderson, he's not good enough.

Will you stop being unnecessarily harsh on Anderson? Remember to include the word "yet" with "not good enough" in future. For another couple of years, anyway.

In my mind, Anderson is the likeliest-looking successor to Hoggard, and since Hoggard still has a good 2-3 years left, that gives Anderson 2-3 years to get good engough to play for Engalnd - and on what he did while with the side over the last couple of years, there's no reason to think he can't. He may end up fighting it out with Tim Bresnan, but he's still a prospect for England since he's still in his early 20s.

I'm not impressed with Lewis as an England bowler, by the way. He hasn't got the metronomic accuracy of a Pollock or McGrath, or even Martin Bicknell, and without that he is too slow: at his level of control, he needs to bowl consistently at 85mph to have a chance in international cricket. The sort of pace Tremlett bowled tonight, for instance, which made him look immediately more interesting than previous reports of his pace this season have been. I suspect that his pace has been underestimated because very tall bowlers always seem a bit slower than they really are. I'd move him up to first back-up for the Test side - and play him if Jones isn't fit in time.

Cheers,

Mike

 

[social]

Will you stop being unnecessarily harsh on Anderson? Remember to include the word "yet" with "not good enough" in future. For another couple of years, anyway.

In my mind, Anderson is the likeliest-looking successor to Hoggard, and since Hoggard still has a good 2-3 years left, that gives Anderson 2-3 years to get good engough to play for Engalnd - and on what he did while with the side over the last couple of years, there's no reason to think he can't. He may end up fighting it out with Tim Bresnan, but he's still a prospect for England since he's still in his early 20s.

I'm not impressed with Lewis as an England bowler, by the way. He hasn't got the metronomic accuracy of a Pollock or McGrath, or even Martin Bicknell, and without that he is too slow: at his level of control, he needs to bowl consistently at 85mph to have a chance in international cricket. The sort of pace Tremlett bowled tonight, for instance, which made him look immediately more interesting than previous reports of his pace this season have been. I suspect that his pace has been underestimated because very tall bowlers always seem a bit slower than they really are. I'd move him up to first back-up for the Test side - and play him if Jones isn't fit in time.

Cheers,

Mike

Absolutely correct.

Anderson is potentially a very good bowler - high action, good pace, and outswing.

He has a few kinks in his action, but what young bowler doesnt?

It's my prediction that he'll end up being a substantially better bowler than Jones, who aside from pace (and not extreme pace) offers precious little.

 

[chipmonk]

What, having to watch these no hopers ensure they keep their unfair spot in international cricket for another few years by pretending to have some spine now?

Who's more spine-less ? a team still in it's infancy trying to overcome all the negativity all around managing to beat the best team in the world, or a kid who does not have the gut's to fess-up to admit he was wrong and run's and hides from his friends from an "online Forum" ?

 

[chipmonk]

Will you stop being unnecessarily harsh on Anderson? Remember to include the word "yet" with "not good enough" in future. For another couple of years, anyway.

In my mind, Anderson is the likeliest-looking successor to Hoggard, and since Hoggard still has a good 2-3 years left, that gives Anderson 2-3 years to get good engough to play for Engalnd - and on what he did while with the side over the last couple of years, there's no reason to think he can't. He may end up fighting it out with Tim Bresnan, but he's still a prospect for England since he's still in his early 20s.

I'm not impressed with Lewis as an England bowler, by the way. He hasn't got the metronomic accuracy of a Pollock or McGrath, or even Martin Bicknell, and without that he is too slow: at his level of control, he needs to bowl consistently at 85mph to have a chance in international cricket. The sort of pace Tremlett bowled tonight, for instance, which made him look immediately more interesting than previous reports of his pace this season have been. I suspect that his pace has been underestimated because very tall bowlers always seem a bit slower than they really are. I'd move him up to first back-up for the Test side - and play him if Jones isn't fit in time.

Cheers,

Mike

I alway's admired the tenacity of Hoggard, How has he been performing this season ?

 

[Crazy Sam]

i think there will be just two changes for australia in their next match. Symonds and Lee in for Watson and Kasper.

I'd go with

Gilchrist
Hayden
Ponting
Martyn
Clarke
Hussey
Symonds
Hogg
Lee
Gillespie
McGrath

having symonds come in at 7 will be massive, but our bowling is a big problem. while he may not solve it, he will at least provide a better batting option than watson.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Frankly, I think this would address a lot of problems. But it certainly won't be a reality.

1. Gilchrist (wait for him to fire, oh ye of little faith)
2. Clarke (plays like a genius in this position)
3. Katich (absorbs pressure if an early wicket falls)
4. Ponting (constantly under pressure after a quick wicket at 3)
5. Symonds (give him some time to play himself in)
6. Martyn (might give him some incentive to hurry up)
7. Hussey (stops the bleeding if there's a collapse)
8. Hogg
9. Lee
10. Gillespie
11. McGrath