***Official*** NatWest Series/Challenge

[Neil Pickup]

i'd be more worried about watson to be complety honest.

Yeah, I'm petrified.

21 wickets in 32 ODIs at 46 - not a frontline bowler by any stretch. I don't even know if Hogg is, to be honest.

 

[King_Ponting]

Yeah, I'm petrified.

21 wickets in 32 ODIs at 46 - not a frontline bowler by any stretch. I don't even know if Hogg is, to be honest.

not to mention 25% of those wickets being taken against Bangladesh/Zimbabwe/Kenya

 

[andyc]

i agree with you all. watson and hogg aren't much chop. here's hoping dizzy and pigeon knock them over early!

 

[luckyeddie]

Dwayne Bravo took one down here that I thought was incredible too. Same with Ponting, can't remember who against but it was at midwicket at full stretch. Not to mention Glenn's in the Ashes a while ago.

But about the match, my finger has been hovering over the mute button for a while now, geez these Poms back themselves. Don't know who said it, but after Collingwood's catch, they said something about being the best team ever. Settle down, you're not even the best team in the stadium. Also, about this underrating of our bowling attack, we aren't doing it to you. We're giving credit to your bowler (not a typo btw), so give our bowlers some respect. Just on that, Harmison is a star.

WHO said something about the 'best team ever'? Best ENGLISH ODI team ever, by a mile, because we're usually rubbish. Best English FIELDING team I've seen ever, by a mile, no contest. Best world TEAM ever? Don't be silly. And your side is not a patch on that of two years ago either. At the moment, too many players are going on memory or reputation alone.

As far as under-rating your bowling attack - well, perhaps that's what Bangladesh did.

Your side have thus far been thoroughly unprofessional on this tour. It's about time they got their finger out - or perhaps some poms will start talking the way you seem to be suggesting they are already.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Your forgetting that Watson is a batsman who can bowl, whereas Katich is a batsman who thinks he can bowl. Watson is a better fielder and can bat just as well as Katich in a one day game.

Very arguable.

Harmison on, first battle of the summer between the Aussies and him.

Could be quite defining.

Very true. Not that the actual deliveries were amazing or anything, (Gilchrist made it a lot harder going forward to cut) but (in the case of Ponting and Martyn) they were very well executed to well thought out plans. I doubt that Martyn will play that shot again early this season - it's not a shot of habit, and you'd think wouldn't be likely to work twice.

commentators spending alot of time writing McGrath off as old and slow....

Yes, I heard Nasser refer to McGrath as one of the best bowlers "when he used to nip it". On the back of three tour games suddenly he doesn't move the ball.

 

[_Ed_]

"15,000, and 14 and a half of them will be cheering for England"

 

[Neil Pickup]

I think Nass was probably referring to nip as in pace.

 

[Demolition Man]

looks like pigeon has come to play.

 

[Adamc]

looks like pigeon has come to play.

Can't say the same about Gillespie unfortunately, six off his first ball (effectively).

 

[Mister Wright]

Very arguable.

In the top order.

 

[Mister Wright]

Gilespie will want to up the anti with the competition for bowling spots as it is at the moment.

 

[andyc]

looks like pigeon has come to play.

pity dizzy hasn't

 

[Neil Pickup]

Okay, Jason.

Marcus is a left hander.

 

[luckyeddie]

Come on, Harmison - this is rubbi....

oh, wait. It's Gillespie (with the emphasis on 'pie')

4 wides, a no-ball, a half-volley - and he's barely halfway through his first over.

 

[BoyBrumby]

how silly of you. you're forgetting gillespie. he's the one with the better average, strike rate and economy rate than all the english strike bowlers (excluding lewis, seeing as how he's played one game)

Ah, the big-nosed fellow? Greasy long hair? Bowls lots of wides? Think I recall him now!

 

[andyc]

f*** me i can bowl better than that, dizzy. 11 balls

 

[luckyeddie]

Gilespie will want to up the anti with the competition for bowling spots as it is at the moment.

I think his first over justified his incl...

what competition for bowling spots are you talking about?

 

[PY]

Well that's an enjoyable first over from the mop-head.

Wayward stuff here.

 

[vic_orthdox]

In the top order.

I'd hardly say that's non-negotiable though. Katich has performed well all over the order for NSW and WA, and done some very good jobs for Aus in recent times.

Gillespie, it's like the reverse Samson - exacerbated by the headband. Interesting point Holding raised, about how slow he's bowling relative to his usual self.
Good decision on the Strauss LBW too.

 

[Demolition Man]

I think his first over justified his incl...

what competition for bowling spots are you talking about?

carefull, we might unleash the Tait on you, when he bowls watch out, seriously the ball could go anywhere.