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***Official*** South Africa In Australia

Ernest

U19 12th Man
Pah only the Third Fleet? ;)
Well that means only a few hundred people were here before my great """" grandfather

Sounds like semantics to me.

Back on the cricket I think that Morkel will struggle with his length & it will be Steyne & Ntini who will do the damage

I just hope they don't get carried away with the bounce. Get it up there and make the Aussies play forward.
 

four_or_six

Cricketer Of The Year
My direct ancestor landed in Sydney cove on the Third Fleet in 1791. I am as Aussie as they come.

What is UnAustralian is the level of arrogance that this Australian team have reached. When Ponting & Hayden have gone then I might think about going for the national team again.
Ah, I'm with you now. :)

Personally, I think the Aussies are losing the plot a bit at the moment. But I'm not sure where the root of the problem is, captain, coach or selectors.
 

Ernest

U19 12th Man
I was playing.
No worries mate I get it.

Just hoping for some competitive cricket. Sick of our boys winning with their mouths.

McKenzie was a revelation in the UK, Solid as a rock. And Prince is like Chanderpaul -unbowlable.

Without Warne we are extremely vulnerable. And I don't mean Punters match fee regarding over rates either.
 

duffer

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I'm not sure either the coach or captain are very cunning in their media dealings. Nielsen in particular is coming over very oddly at the moment.
Nielsen has always struck me as a bit of an idiot. Before and during the India series his mouth always seemed to be writing cheques his arse couldn't cash. I've learnt to ignore it.
 

Ernest

U19 12th Man
Nielsen has always struck me as a bit of an idiot. Before and during the India series his mouth always seemed to be writing cheques his arse couldn't cash. I've learnt to ignore it.
The fact that none of the Aussies have talked the same trash speaks volumes to me.. also the talk "on the street" here is that we will struggle with a mediocre strike bowler (Lee) and some rookies (johnson)

Without Clark we are stuffed. I don't care how the Aussie media portrays it. There are lots of Aussie cricket fans waiting for these blokes to get smashed.
 

four_or_six

Cricketer Of The Year
Nielsen has always struck me as a bit of an idiot. Before and during the India series his mouth always seemed to be writing cheques his arse couldn't cash. I've learnt to ignore it.
I guess it makes me wonder... is it just he's not that good with the media, or is he like that with his coaching too.
 

Ernest

U19 12th Man
I guess it makes me wonder... is it just he's not that good with the media, or is he like that with his coaching too.
Simon Jones knew what he was doing without Nielsen I think. Same with Freddy as well.

The "reverse swing" issue was passe when it came to mediocre seamers in India trying to bowl it. Nielsenless Freddy beat the bat dozens of times more in one innings than the whole Aussie attack did in the whole India test series.
 

Matt79

Hall of Fame Member
Siddle to take a fiver in one of the innings. Sad to see Clark out with injury - this could well be the end of his career if he's out for the next few tests.

Should be a good game - looking forward to some hard fought cricket.

As for what the problem with Australia is, its obviously not the captain or the coach - its the players. Both Hayden and Ponting - the two leading pillars of the batting line up, have been in relatively poor form of late, and the bowling attack is significantly worse without Warne, McGrath, Gillespie and MacGill. Plus we're persisting with Symonds as a test allrounder, something we wouldn't have done before the 05 Ashes. The problem of the batting has been covered somewhat by the guys coming in to replace Langer (Jaques then Katich) doing well, and Hussey and Clarke being solid, but our bowling suddenly is very much only on a par with the other decent attacks around the place. It's not a very complicated theory, but I like it.
 
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Ernest

U19 12th Man
Siddle to take a fiver in one of the innings. Sad to see Clark out with injury - this could well be the end of his career if he's out for the next few tests.

Should be a good game - looking forward to some hard fought cricket.

As for what the problem with Australia is, its obviously not the captain or the coach - its the players. Both Hayden and Ponting - the two leading pillars of the batting line up, have been in relatively poor form of late, and the bowling attack is significantly worse without Warne, McGrath, Gillespie and MacGill. Plus we're persisting with Symonds as a test allrounder, something we wouldn't have done before the 05 Ashes. The problem of the batting has been covered somewhat by the guys coming in to replace Langer (Jaques then Katich) doing well, and Hussey and Clarke being solid, but our bowling suddenly is very much only on a par with the other decent attacks around the place. It's not a very complicated theory, but I like it.
I think Martyn was very underrated and no Gilly is a terrible hole (even if Haddin made a huge tonne against the 7th rank side in the world)

The bowling isn't the problem I reckon the batting is weak. Simple.
 

Matt79

Hall of Fame Member
What games have we been shot out for a terrible score in? Compared to what games have we been unable to knock opponents over for reasonable scores, if at all? Hussey, Clarke and Katich (and in some games Ponting), have done enough with the bat to keep us respectable, albeit obviously down a notch or three from our best of a few years ago, whereas the bowling has not always been respectable.

RE: Martyn, I rate him, but he was IIRC replaced directly with Mike Hussey, who's been fantastic, so he and Langer have been losses less keenly felt that the bowlers and Gilly. And in saying that, I point out that I love Langer.
 

Ernest

U19 12th Man
What games have we been shot out for a terrible score in? Compared to what games have we been unable to knock opponents over for reasonable scores, if at all? Hussey, Clarke and Katich (and in some games Ponting), have done enough with the bat to keep us respectable, albeit obviously down a notch or three from our best of a few years ago, whereas the bowling has not always been respectable.

RE: Martyn, I rate him, but he was IIRC replaced directly with Mike Hussey, who's been fantastic, so he and Langer have been losses less keenly felt that the bowlers and Gilly. And in saying that, I point out that I love Langer.
Mate you must forget about a record collapse in the windies and also a recent wobble against the kiwis. We are on the precepise & my God isn't it exciting.

I did love that Bradmanesque inevitibility when the two Waughs were playing but hey they are gone we are now in the Richie Richardson/ Ken Arthurson era of Australian batting.

Shaun Marsh & Phillip Hughes in the side as soon as possible and where the hell is Hodge? Mate we need a sweep out and that may change the culture as well..
 

Spikey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Plus we're persisting with Symonds as a test allrounder, something we wouldn't have done before the 05 Ashes.
But Nielsen said the all-rounder debate was irrelevant because Symonds had cemented his place in the Test side as a specialist batsman.
I think that may be worse actually...

RE: Martyn, I rate him, but he was IIRC replaced directly with Mike Hussey, who's been fantastic,
Think Hussey was already in, although at 6.
 

Matt79

Hall of Fame Member
Agree that Hodge should be in ahead of Symonds, but I'd rather Watson ahead of both. I'd have never have dropped him for Martyn in the first place, and have stopped going on about it for fear of being labelled an overly-parochial Victorian.

I've said previously that I think this summer campaign should be Hayden's last one, with the timing right with any of Jaques, Rogers, and maybe already Hughes (and I suppose Marsh) ready to come in and partner Katich.

I reckon the culture has got nothing to do with the performance of the team - its obviously something you don't like, and that's fair enough and you're not alone in that opinion, but I don't see how its impacting the team's results, nor how dropping players for whom there are not better alternatives will improve that situation. Watson should be in the team ahead of Symonds, plain and simple. Otherwise, Hayden, Lee, Johnson, and Ponting have been guys that are not performing recently for whom there are viable alternatives. Hayden and Ponting's records demand a bit longer to turn things around, and in Ponting's case you'd say that he would. Lee's record in recent years, and ready explanations for why his form might be a temporary blip mean that he deserves to stay in for a bit longer to see whether he can rediscover his best. Johnson could be great and does look to be showing improvement, but the jury remains out on him for mine. For the other players, whether they're performing or not, there are not better alternatives, so changing them is a counterproductive approach.

FWIW the culture is changing already, with McGrath and Warne gone, and once Hayden and Symonds are gone (in tests, by the end of this summer is my prediction for both), the team will be significantly different in personality than what it's been for much of the past era.
 

Ernest

U19 12th Man
I hope the referral system is in place for this series. If not, atleast hope Ashoka De Silva is consistently dire.
Nope I think most Aussies detest the idea. We still respect the opinion of the umpire (well at least outside the national team)

I reckon we'll resist it as long as possible. I know the Saffies are having it when we tour. Good luck to them.
 

Matt79

Hall of Fame Member
I think that may be worse actually...



Think Hussey was already in, although at 6.
Sorry, you're correct. Hussey originally replaced Langer, then Clarke IIRC. Clarke later came back in when Watson injured himself, before taken Martyn's spot (with Symonds taking Watson's spot, again IIRC). Essentially however, Hussey cementing his slot in the middle order occured around the time that Martyn finished, so he hasn't been missed at 4 like some of the other retirees.
 

Ernest

U19 12th Man
Agree that Hodge should be in ahead of Symonds, but I'd rather Watson ahead of both. I'd have never have dropped him for Martyn in the first place, and have stopped going on about it for fear of being labelled an overly-parochial Victorian.

I've said previously that I think this summer campaign should be Hayden's last one, with the timing right with any of Jaques, Rogers, and maybe already Hughes (and I suppose Marsh) ready to come in and partner Katich.

I reckon the culture has got nothing to do with the performance of the team - its obviously something you don't like, and that's fair enough and you're not alone in that opinion, but I don't see how its impacting the team's results, nor how dropping players for whom there are not better alternatives will improve that situation. Watson should be in the team ahead of Symonds, plain and simple. Otherwise, Hayden, Lee, Johnson, and Ponting have been guys that are not performing recently for whom there are viable alternatives. Hayden and Ponting's records demand a bit longer to turn things around, and in Ponting's case you'd say that he would. Lee's record in recent years, and ready explanations for why his form might be a temporary blip mean that he deserves to stay in for a bit longer to see whether he can rediscover his best. Johnson could be great and does look to be showing improvement, but the jury remains out on him for mine. For the other players, whether they're performing or not, there are not better alternatives, so changing them is a counterproductive approach.

FWIW the culture is changing already, with McGrath and Warne gone, and once Hayden and Symonds are gone (in tests, by the end of this summer is my prediction for both), the team will be significantly different in personality than what it's been for much of the past era.
I stopped caring about the results when I saw what was happening to the team & the personell.. I'd rather them all have been losing than winning so disrepectfully.

No-one will speak of this current Aussie side with any affection or respect. And the rammifications in lower grade cricket here will reverberate for years.
 

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