***Official*** NatWest Series/Challenge

[marc71178]

We are in england to win the ashes (as usuall) and all the other stuff is a bonus...

What rubbish - there is no way this Australian side doesn't want to win everything.

And Marc...yes symmo is still ahh numero ono in world one day cricket and 2nd best at drinking late parties...behind ????????????

Symonds isn't even worthy of a place in a World XI, let alone being the best player.

 

[Pratters]

Great innings by KP.

Great bowling by Harmison.

Horrible commentary by Botham. He got so carried away with criticing all concerned for England's "loss" that he failed to notice that KP's swipes had put England back in a winning position.

He and Bob Willis are very, very poor.

Most of the Sky team has sucked. Almost can put any one to sleep. I would love to get coverage from Channel 4. I do like Holding and found Lehmann pretty good.

 

[jlo33692]

A few days ago you were INVITING the English supporters to get behind their side - and as for the sour grapes you claim not to be chewing, well SOMETHING seems to have left a nasty taste in your mouth.

The only person crowing about how one side's going to slaughter the other in the Ashes is some prat who goes by the handle of, er, oh, it's YOU.

There's a surprise. Now as for 4-0, I that's unlikely. I've been predicting 3-1 to Australia for the last year or so and don't see any reason to change my mind (that is assuming, of course, that Australia find a decent captain, a top order and another couple of bowlers from somewhere).

telling england to get behind there team????
what dream did you see that in???
As for my 4-0 whitewash gee im sorry that i did not see you had predicted a 3-1 win to the oz...so sorry i missed that as i would have changed my mind knowing you said 3-1...wow a cricket expert from england ...gee who would have thought...please show me where i was asking the poms to get behind there team or be known as a liar ...i await to see your thread or be gone ..i now change my mind to oz winning 3-1 , but only the dead rubber afetr the 3-0 into 5th test..so sorry to have a different prediction to you sir..now off you go and find that thread you claim i made...go on off you go now

 

[jlo33692]

What rubbish - there is no way this Australian side doesn't want to win everything.




Symonds isn't even worthy of a place in a World XI, let alone being the best player.

No way marc my lad...
the symmo would not only make the one day world side i now appoint him the skipper...

sorry marcus but that is just the facts and long may they remain so...
He will also open the batting and bowling if i get my way.

 

[Retox]

No way marc my lad...
the symmo would not only make the one day world side i now appoint him the skipper...

sorry marcus but that is just the facts and long may they remain so...
He will also open the batting and bowling if i get my way.

So you would like this side to lose often?

 

[aussie]

2) Australia are a team on the way down.

Now let me qualify that second point, Australia are still a magnificent team; unquestionably the best in the world & will probably have too much for us come the tests. Nevertheless there are signs of fallibility. Mainly to do with Father Time I think. Dizzy & Kasper are both palpably creaking &, as good as McGrath was today, he hasn't looked quite the bowler he was on his last visit. After them the seaming cupboard looks a little bare. As for the blonde fella sitting the ODIs out, well even Mark Waugh has said Warney isn't the bowler he was.

As for SR Waugh... well, Clarke is a good young player, but is he a Steve Waugh? Unfair to compare perhaps, but those are the shoes he is essentially being asked to fill. The little fielding slips are very un-Australian too, although there was a big improvement today.

So, to summarise: Australia to win, but we're no longer beaten before the first ball is bowled! Game on!

I dont want to think they are on their way down has yet. Kasper & Dizzy have looked awful so far especially Kasper, when Lee comes back and replaces him and presumably does well Lee could well be playing in the first Ashes test.

McGrath has looked like the man he was during the aussie summer nor in NZ but i am confident he can get up.

Has i said earlier the panic button should not be pressed has yet, two things costed Australia this game:

1. Harmsion's spell
2. Pietersen's Innings

If it werent for that Australia could have got a 300 total and could have restricted England, if Australia lose to England on Thursday and dont destroy Bangladesh then i'll just smash the panic button

 

[The Maestro]

 

[aussie]

Agree on Englands oneday game relying on 1 or 2 players. Especially South African Pietersen who is clearly Englands best oneday batsmen. He has already won them a handful of matches for them in only a few games and has that typical south african flair and fearlessness all too untypical of English players. Wow check out his oneday average and strike rate !!!!!!!!!!!!!

What??? this is the first game he has won for England get your facts right mate

 

[aussie]

I disagree - Solanki is a better batsman than Ali, a far better fielder and Kabir's bowling isn't good enough to warrant a place.

i dont think his bowling is that bad looking at what he did in SA, i'm not saying it was fantastic but in my opinion it was good enough for him to warrant a place instead of Wasting Solanki at 8

 

[aussie]

quick question.....
is this the worst aussie side to set foot on english soil?

if they dont win the NWS, NWC & then go and lose the Ashes i would say that.

 

[aussie]

Because Warne's retired and there's nobody else available.

So much for "strength in depth"

come on not that Hogg has been a horrible player for Australia since coming into the team. He has had his days in ODI his good WC, 5 Fors vs SRI, WI, performances vs NZ last season and yesterday come to mind.

He hasn't carried his good Domestic batting ability into ODI cricket but his 71 vs ENG and 64 vs WI are innings that were played under pressure. All adds up to his worth in the aussie ODI team.

If he were English he would be picked infront of Gilo without doubt

 

[jlo33692]

So you would like this side to lose often?

AAhhhgg

Retox you have betrayed me.
You have betrayed your country.
You have betrayed the symmo man..
Punter ponting will here about this and you will be singled out next time you are spotted at the MCG

 

[aussie]

I shall be there - need to know of a pub close to the ground that'll be open for the Rugby.

all that stress luckily i'm a club member and will be right in the Pavillion

 

[roseboy64]

I might be too early to say this but it looks like Australia are finally slipping. If it was just England beating them I wouldn't be jumping to this but losing to Bangladesh is a bit embarassing.

 

[roseboy64]

Pietersen is definitely cool. He's averaging over 120 in his ODI career. He's definitely beating down the door for a Test place.

 

[Pratters]

I have exams coming up and I think I should take the great cricket played in the last two days and be satisfied and come back after a giving a good exam on 24th July rather than go for more cricket and talking cricket for the time being.

The new guys such as Ian Bell who have come on the forum.. cw is a wonderful place and I am sure you will enjoy it.

Its the right time to leave for the short term after seeing some wonderful cricket.

Ciao every one and take care.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I don't see how anyone can claim Australia are "slipping". I mean, how short is your memory? In the last 12 months or so Australia has beaten Sri Lanka and India away from home - something which is widely acknowledged as being close to impossible to do, performed two brutal whitewashes at home, beat the second best ODI team in the world 5-0 and followed it up with a test series win. So far they've lost 4 games in an Ashes tour, and their performance last night wasn't that bad aside from Kasprowicz and Gillespie, and Gillespie at least will undoubtedly improve before the series is out - not a great deal of evidence to go on.

Now, I think England are a very good side based on what I have seen recently, and I think they will provide real opposition for Australia, but judging on the basis of two ODIs and a tour match that Australia are in decline when there is absolutely 0 evidence of it up to now is dubious at best. Don't forget those New Zealand fans who, after a good run from New Zealand and a 1-1 draw in the Chappel-Hadlee series were predicting New Zealand could run over the top of Australia in their home ODI series, only to suffer a whitewash. Australia are clearly capable of playing far better than they have this weekend, and before the tour is out they will.

McGrath is as good or better than he has ever been, Gillepsie is out of form but he's only 30, Lee is undoubtedly at his peak assuming he returns fit, and Australia has the same old guard who have done well in the past, with additions like Clarke, Katich and Hussey who hardly weaken it much. Now, I said during the New Zealand series that I can see a weakness in Australia's pace attack being a bit one-dimensional, hence I wanted Lee in the test side, but one-dimensional or not it is still the best in the world by a fair margin, and the class will come through. Let's not forget that this Australian side always rises to the occasion, and in this instance the "occasion" is the FINAL of the NWS (although all the matches against England have significance, of course), and the test series. Unless Australia lose to Bangladesh again they will make the NWS final, so as an English fan I'd be keeping an eye further into the series.

So far, Australia look very out of sorts and England look extremely sharp and more than competitive, but things can change quickly, and have in the past.

PS: Sorry about sounding like a parochial fan, but I do think it's astonishingly premature to claim Australia is in decline already. If Australia lose the Ashes, you've got a case.

 

[shaka]

It may start to be concern over whether Ponting is the best captain available, and in the past he has lived based on the effect of Steve Waugh, Shane Warne, and Glenn McGrath.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

It may start to be concern over whether Ponting is the best captain available, and in the past he has lived based on the effect of Steve Waugh, Shane Warne, and Glenn McGrath.

There's no doubt in my mind that Ponting isn't the best captain available for Australia - he's probably about third. Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne would both make much better captains, on a purely performance level. However, Warne has a couple of years in him at the most and only plays one form of the game, and Gilchrist is already talking of retirement. Hayden, Langer, Martyn, McGrath etc are all in the same 32-33+ boat. Ponting is the best option Australia have for a long-term captain, and there's no reason that he can't improve with time. It's not like captaincy skills can't be learned.

 

[jlo33692]

I have exams coming up and I think I should take the great cricket played in the last two days and be satisfied and come back after a giving a good exam on 24th July rather than go for more cricket and talking cricket for the time being.

The new guys such as Ian Bell who have come on the forum.. cw is a wonderful place and I am sure you will enjoy it.

Its the right time to leave for the short term after seeing some wonderful cricket.

Ciao every one and take care.

good luck with exams ...now would you like to leave us with your tip for the ashes????