***Official*** NatWest Series/Challenge

[Pedro Delgado]

sorry LE i meant for Vaughan dropping to number 5 in batting order.

I'd go the other way and open with Mick, drop Strauss to three.

It's "out there" in a "tubular" sort of way but hey.

 

[luckyeddie]

He should follow this Scottish parable

If at first you dont succeed
Pull your foreskin o'er your head (pronounced heed)

I have tried to do that on so many occasions - I'm just not supple enough.

Oh, wait....

 

[luckyeddie]

sorry LE i meant for Vaughan dropping to number 5 in batting order.

I should like to apologise for making you the butt of one of my little gags - just in case you get the wrong idea and think that I'm deliberately singling you out as my future permanent 'Patsy'.

That's TEC's job because he cries.

 

[Scaly piscine]

well played gilly..i wonder how much confident harmison will be going into the Ashes...

Very confident as long as the pitch isn't an ODI-style road where Gilchrist can continually heave through the line and be in no danger.

 

[honestbharani]

I think the worst part, from England's PoV is that Gillespie is hitting some good form. They needed him in bad form so that it might have placed additional burden on Kasper/Lee and McGrath but now, with all four getting in some decent spells, it is gonna be hardwork for them. And obviously, batting is not England's strength.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Very confident as long as the pitch isn't an ODI-style road where Gilchrist can continually heave through the line and be in no danger.

I have... a vision...

I see... Scaly piscine... blaming the... pitches... for losing the Ashes...

 

[Scaly piscine]

It's a bit too early to say Gillespie is hitting some good form, he got 3 daft wickets that can always happen in ODIs - even Gough got 3 wickets in the rained off day/night game (for the cost of 70 granted). Lets see what happens in their tour game.

 

[Scaly piscine]

I have... a vision...

I see... Scaly piscine... blaming the... pitches... for losing the Ashes...

If 5 roads are prepared I will do, it's obvious to everyone that England haven't a cat in hell's chance of winning without there being at least a little bit in each pitch, should have scheduled Tests against Australia in Chester-le-Street and Headingley really...

 

[tassietiger]

It's a bit too early to say Gillespie is hitting some good form, he got 3 daft wickets that can always happen in ODIs - even Gough got 3 wickets in the rained off day/night game (for the cost of 70 granted). Lets see what happens in their tour game.

Being hit for about 6-7 runs per over can happen in ODIs too, so maybe he was never in bad form and the wickets were the first sign of his true form.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Being hit for about 6-7 runs per over can happen in ODIs too, so maybe he was never in bad form and the wickets were the first sign of his true form.

He was getting hit for that, repeatedly, when he was bowling in the middle of an innings when the likes of Collingwood can usually get away with 5 an over.

 

[Mister Wright]

Being hit for about 6-7 runs per over can happen in ODIs too, so maybe he was never in bad form and the wickets were the first sign of his true form.

Going for so many runs in a one off situation can be contributed to a bad day or the batsman just getting the better of you on that particular occasion, however, to go through an entire series and struggle to take wickets and go for runs signals a stretch of poor form. His wickets last night were by no means the result of great bowling, except for some clever bowling to dismiss Pietersen, the batsman brought about their dismissal on the other occasions.

 

[Scallywag]

Going for so many runs in a one off situation can be contributed to a bad day or the batsman just getting the better of you on that particular occasion, however, to go through an entire series and struggle to take wickets and go for runs signals a stretch of poor form. His wickets last night were by no means the result of great bowling, except for some clever bowling to dismiss Pietersen, the batsman brought about their dismissal on the other occasions.

Natwest challenge

Gillespie 27 0vers 3 wickets 152 runs
Gough 20 0vers 2 wickets 130 runs
Harmison 30 0vers 2 wickets 168 runs
Flintoff 27 0vers 2 wickets 132 runs
Giles 20 overs 2 wickets 102 runs

 

[Mister Wright]

Natwest challenge

Gillespie 27 0vers 3 wickets 152 runs
Gough 20 0vers 2 wickets 130 runs
Harmison 30 0vers 2 wickets 168 runs
Flintoff 27 0vers 2 wickets 132 runs
Giles 20 overs 2 wickets 102 runs

When I said entire series, I mean the Natwest series & challenge.

 

[luckyeddie]

When I said entire series, I mean the Natwest series & challenge.

You'll learn what the 'Ignore List' is for one day.

 

[tooextracool]

Gillespie has bowled much better in this game, but his speed in the series is low compared to his normal 85+ mph.

yep, he was just more accurate. i still cant see a case for including him in the first test, he hasnt exactly set the world alight since the tour of SL in tests and his form is still questionable.

 

[tooextracool]

Interesting watching KP here. He clearly has a weakness outside off stump, and looks like a joke when he tries to play anything wide there, even when he gets it right he looks very shaky indeed. Nevertheless, he's doing a great, composed job here, not being suckered into giving it away like Flintoff has at times earlier in the series.

KP reminds me about robin singh. an extremely aggresive player on the leg side and not quite so good at scoring on the off side. while he certainly wasnt shaky, he just couldnt score runs with a packed off side field. i think a major problem with our current england ODI side is that most of them are incapable of just rotating the strike and taking singles ball after ball. vaughan, flintoff, KP and collingwood all spent a large amount of time hitting the ball straight to the fielder, and bar KP eventually contributed to their own dismissals. of course australia were electric in the covers, clarke and ponting just didnt let anything past them.

 

[tooextracool]

Lee bowling at 94.6mph to Pietersen. Holy cow that's quick.

strange that ponting didnt test pietersen earlier with the pace of lee.

 

[tooextracool]

If he scores 200 he still won't get in ahead of Bell or Thorpe.

hopefully......

 

[tooextracool]

The amazing thing about this is that it's actually pretty good death bowling so far, particularly from Gillespie.

bar the one over lesson of how to bowl on the leg side and get hammered all over the park in his 8th over.

 

[greg]

Anyone think Ponting held back on Pietersen (he didn't bowl either Lee or McGrath against him until the end) to give him a shot at the test team?