***Official*** NatWest Series/Challenge

[IanBell]

Pietersen doesn't fear the Aussies like the english brought up in England do. All the saffers I know hate the Aussies as much, but are very confident in themselves. Maybe that's the difference.

 

[Neil Pickup]

no, but he was out first ball.



hey, that's almost like england's fantastic ashes record in their last 8 ashes series of: LLLLLLLL

Living in the past, maaannn....

 

[Jamee999]

All against world class teams.

You faced England(in the unpredicatble Twenty20), Somerset(In Division 2 of the NL), Bangladesh('nuff said) and England again(lookin' good).

Not quite invincibles.

 

[Jono]

KPP won the game for England, it wouldn't have matter if Ponting had a brilliant game as captain, England still would have won. Image if he batted at 4 ilke he should have, they could have got the bonus point.

How the hell would Pietersen have won the game for England if he's not on strike?

Ponting mucked up, point blank. The bowling was horrid by Kaspa and McGrath, but Ponting's captaincy didn't help did it?

 

[Neil Pickup]

On a not-entirely-unrelated subject. KP - you owe me an hour's overtime on the ground's that I've just had to delete my entire match report.

"An uncharacteristically lethargic batting effort from the English middle order proved sufficient to restore the perceived natural order of the NatWest Series as Brad Hogg crafted trip-wires with his chinamen, ensaring the hosts under sweltering summer skies at Bristol's County Ground..."

Or not.

 

[King_Ponting]

Why the f*ck did australia not bounce Peitersen? Well played england.

 

[superkingdave]

KPP I'm trying so hard to hate you, but I can't do it... Congratulations, what an amazing person..

well done Rich

 

[andyc]

The next game in this great NatWest Series is on Tuesday, England v Giantkillers, Bangladesh starting at 13:30GMT

haha the giantkillers...

 

[Slow Love™]

From an Australian point of view, they didn't play all that badly and were knocked off by a fine individual effort in the end. Calling for heads at this stage is worthless.

I'm not sure I'd say they played well though. Only McGrath, Clarke, Hussey and Hogg could say they had a fair-to-good match, really.

Watson actually didn't fare too badly, despite his continuing inability to actually take wickets. It seems like Gillespie and Kasper are lurching from bad to worse. I would think that at least one of them has to miss the next match.

 

[vic_orthdox]

I dont know why the Aussies go for the individual effort line so often. They went for that when Laxman and Dravid had that great partnership.

In this specific match, wasnt Australia out of it was it not for the individual effort of one M.Hussey?

The Aussies were beaten fair and square by a better team on the day.

I think that the most significant words of my post were "in the end" (maybe should have been 'at the end'). Once more, it's not the sole reason they won - there is barely ever a time when there is only one reason why a team won or lost - but in the end the victory came about mainly as a result of Pieterson's batting at the end. This batting is part of a team who did most definently play better cricket for most of the day.

I was just pointing out that, as what will likely occur, people (i.e. the press) will be pointing fingers and calling for heads, but in this performance they hardly disgraced themselves, and did play good cricket. Not their best cricket, but good nonetheless.

 

[King_Ponting]

Kaspa and Gillespie looked f*cking sh*thouse today and the noballs and wides wtf Austalia. Panic buttons must be pressed now for sure. The depth of Australia's pace attack will be tested in the coming months.

 

[Langeveldt]

Pietersen doesn't fear the Aussies like the english brought up in England do. All the saffers I know hate the Aussies as much, but are very confident in themselves. Maybe that's the difference.

Didn't help SA in 2001(?)..

I think the SA problem is that they are too intense.. When you get past a certain stage of intensity, you start creating problems for yourselves.. Pietersen strikes me as someone who likes to look like an intense showboat, but is actually extremely relaxed as the bowler releases the ball..

 

[andyc]

How the hell would Pietersen have won the game for England if he's not on strike?

Ponting mucked up, point blank. The bowling was horrid by Kaspa and McGrath, but Ponting's captaincy didn't help did it?

you mean kasper and dizzy, surely

 

[Langeveldt]

well done Rich

lol, thanks...

 

[luckyeddie]

On a not-entirely-unrelated subject. KP - you owe me an hour's overtime on the ground's that I've just had to delete my entire match report.

"An uncharacteristically lethargic batting effort from the English middle order proved sufficient to restore the perceived natural order of the NatWest Series as Brad Hogg crafted trip-wires with his chinamen, ensaring the hosts under sweltering summer skies at Bristol's County Ground..."

Or not.

Neil, Neil, Neil.

Write your first paragraph last.

 

[chaminda_00]

Watching the game on teletext, are you?

I'm talking about the fact that the only way Australia had a prayer after King Kevin got going was to bowl them out - and he

a) never had a slip to Lewis (naturally couldn't have one to Pietersen, but at the other end it was essential)
b) only had 4 men in the circle every ball to Lewis.

The extras were a huge problem, sure, but that was only part of the reason for the defeat, and to be fair, Ponting's captaincy wasn't the full reason either.

For me, England had the best bowler and the best batsman - both produced huge contributions when the chips were down.

Game on - and I still maintain that this changes nothing as far as the Ashes go.

Even if Ponting did that, they still would have lost, cus the bowlers weren't bowling well enough to make the most of that possible field. You can set whatever field you want but if the bowlers don't bowl to it, then your going to lose anyway.

 

[Jamee999]

How Crucial was that Paul Collingwood catch in the end, if Hayden had made a big score we'd have lost it.

KPP man of the match BTW.

 

[Jono]

you mean kasper and dizzy, surely

Yeah my bad.

 

[PY]

The two guys I really wanted to perform today stepped up to the plate. SH and KP can hold their heads up very high tonight.

Another frank interview from the Aussie captain, I have a lot of respect for this guy.

 

[chaminda_00]

How the hell would Pietersen have won the game for England if he's not on strike?

Ponting mucked up, point blank. The bowling was horrid by Kaspa and McGrath, but Ponting's captaincy didn't help did it?

Cus all that would have done is make them win the game with 6 balls left not 16, Australia weren't bowling well enough to get Lewis out