***Official*** Tour Games

[Woodster]

Hi everyone, new bloke here!
Thought England were well below the Test intenisty they are going to have to reach over the next couple of weeks. The bowling was below par, fielding at times sloppy and a failure to build partnerships in the one-day game continued (bar Strauss & Colly). England are not much kop at one-day cricket as we know, so this result comes as no great surprise.

Englands inability to bowl at the death, certainly enabled PM's XI to reach such a total. Anderson and Mahmood were both off the mark, failing to hit the right areas consistently enough. Mahmoods no-ball problem visibly costing him his rhythm and thus a drop in his usual decent pace.

Credit, however, to the PM's XI, I was impressed with Jaques, who batted positively, and hit some lovely drives down the ground. Travis Birt shows a lot of promise from what I saw in this game, and the games he played for Derbyshire. Shaun Tait bowled very well with his pace and accuracy. As was said in a post before, he has to be up there with the quickest bowlers in the world on this showing.

Any positives for England ? Freddie looking fit and getting through his allocation of overs, bowling decent pace without hitting his top gear yet, and putting it in good areas. Only his last over was costly going for 16. Straussy batted positively and looked in very good nick and Collingwood was solid, and after looking so comfortable will be disappointed he didn't go on and make a big one.

KP will have to decide his strategy against the short ball, the Aussies scent a weakness in that area and will no doubt give him plenty of short ones. If KP comes through it and counters their tactics he will prove he is undoubtedly one of the best batsmen around!

 

[marc71178]

Red ball, white clothing, and no ball change throughout the innings. Tait (in particular) and Hilfenhaus got a fair amount of reverse though the later part of the England innings, but aside from that there was no movement through the air for either side.

I knew the white clothing, but wasn't sure of the ball - because the different colours do tend to behave differently.

 

[PY]

Flintoff bowled some great reverse swing spells in England, and I'd be very worried about him if the ball was reversing significantly. Obviously it'd be more pronounced with Jones, though. If Australia get reverse McGrath isn't too bad with it, though he lacks a bit of pace, and Johnson is very good from what I've seen (if he gets picked), but I'd still think it'd be more of an advantage to England more because of the success Flintoff and Hoggard have had with reverse before.

How did Freddie look today?

I'm wondering if he'll be able to hit the heights of last year in his current situation and if he doesn't, I'm not sure I'd back Hoggard to come up with reverse in any situation other than the most conducive ones. The other option was supposed to be Saj but that's looking a bit dicey at the moment.

Oh and what're the other warm-up pitches like? I find the tactics interesting. Why didn't they keep them in the tank for the Tests rather than showing their hand with the short ball? How do the PM XIs work in terms of orders, will they have received tactical advice from Australian coaches and analysts etc?

 

[PY]

Welcome Woodster! I'm not from Yorks so don't hate me.

 

[Woodster]

Thanks PY, I won't hate you!

I thought Freddie was impressive today, his pace was a bit down on what he'll reach in the Tests, but barring his last over he bowled good areas and was our outstanding bowler, not a terribly difficult thing to be though!

I am still hoping Mahmood will come good this series, it is only one game and we shouldnt read too much into it, despite him going for nearly 100! I like his action, and he has genuine pace and bounce. Needs to sort his no-ball problem out, that affected him in this game.

 

[Dravid]

Welcome Woodster. I'm not English, but I'm still supporting England!

 

[Woodster]

Thanks for the warm welcome Dravid!

 

[Pedro Delgado]

Bit early for the obituaries chaps, one limited overs match (a format we're notoriously poor at currently) in. Did anyone really expect anything else?

 

[Matt79]

How did Freddie look today?

I'm wondering if he'll be able to hit the heights of last year in his current situation and if he doesn't, I'm not sure I'd back Hoggard to come up with reverse in any situation other than the most conducive ones. The other option was supposed to be Saj but that's looking a bit dicey at the moment.

Oh and what're the other warm-up pitches like? I find the tactics interesting. Why didn't they keep them in the tank for the Tests rather than showing their hand with the short ball? How do the PM XIs work in terms of orders, will they have received tactical advice from Australian coaches and analysts etc?

Why wait til the Tests to start hammering at cracks that appear to be there. If you have the English middle order thinking about what they must NOT do, they aren't thinking about what they're meant to be doing. Gives the opportunity for Ponting, McGrath and Warne to stir the pot more and given one of the middle order from today will probably miss out for the test, must increase the stress levels. I think the philosophy is "never give a sucker an even break". Pieterson in particular doesn't seem the type to stop doing something he finds natural, especially if he's been publically challenged the way Johnson and Ponting did.

 

[PY]

But they can also work on it and correct it possibly in the next few weeks? That was my thinking, you've come from a mental disintegration viewpoint which is as equally valid.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

How did Freddie look today?

I'm wondering if he'll be able to hit the heights of last year in his current situation and if he doesn't, I'm not sure I'd back Hoggard to come up with reverse in any situation other than the most conducive ones. The other option was supposed to be Saj but that's looking a bit dicey at the moment.

Oh and what're the other warm-up pitches like? I find the tactics interesting. Why didn't they keep them in the tank for the Tests rather than showing their hand with the short ball? How do the PM XIs work in terms of orders, will they have received tactical advice from Australian coaches and analysts etc?

Hoggy is more your conventional swinger, doesn't reverse it much. He's learnt to be a good bowler in unfriendly conditions I reckon he'll do okay. The PM side were told to get after Fred from what I could see, with mixed results. It could be the undoing of a few if they try it in the Tests, they may decide to see him off if and when they do lose wickets to him, he looked good and will get better and quicker.

FWIW I think they just have to attack him with bat and ball, it's not the Aus way to shirk a challenge and they were right to do it last night; we'll see who wins the contest in time.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

How did Freddie look today?

I'm wondering if he'll be able to hit the heights of last year in his current situation and if he doesn't, I'm not sure I'd back Hoggard to come up with reverse in any situation other than the most conducive ones. The other option was supposed to be Saj but that's looking a bit dicey at the moment.

Flintoff was top class today, especially for a guy coming off an injury. It was a pretty flat wicket and he was bowling to some good batsmen, and his opening spell was pretty much flawless. Bowled some beautiful deliveries, and was on target throughout. He got hammered in his later spell, but did enough early on to be convincing I think. He was a little down on pace, around 10-15 kph slower than Tait, but he was still in the low 140s (high 80s) on a few occasions, which isn't bad.

Oh and what're the other warm-up pitches like? I find the tactics interesting. Why didn't they keep them in the tank for the Tests rather than showing their hand with the short ball? How do the PM XIs work in terms of orders, will they have received tactical advice from Australian coaches and analysts etc?

SCG depends on the weather at this time of the season I think, though really I haven't heard much about it this year yet. It should be okay for batting unless it's really overcast, and may take spin on the... err... third day. Adelaide will probably be a road. Needless to say, both games will probably be draws.

I really don't know about the PM's XI tactics, but I doubt they would have been given any instruction from anyone affiliated particularly closely with the Australian test side. The short balls probably came because a) England weren't playing them very well, and b) it was a flat pitch and you had to try variations of some sort. I'd say Australia tried out the short stuff against England in the CT because, well, it was a competitive international match.

 

[Matt79]

Tait did the short stuff because that's how the guy's wired, from everything I've read. He did a whole interview in Inside Cricket about how he enjoys hitting blokes in the head (but not injuring them, which doesn't make a lot of sense), and otherwise making them hop. He pulled out the Thommo quote about blood on the pitch there as well...

 

[Pedro Delgado]

But they can also work on it and correct it possibly in the next few weeks? That was my thinking, you've come from a mental disintegration viewpoint which is as equally valid.

I agree, they'll get used to the pace and bounce (hopefully) just as touring teams have to get used to the swinging ball over here.

Not even sure if Tait will play a Test either.

 

[Matt79]

Hoggy is more your conventional swinger, doesn't reverse it much. He's learnt to be a good bowler in unfriendly conditions I reckon he'll do okay. The PM side were told to get after Fred from what I could see, with mixed results. It could be the undoing of a few if they try it in the Tests, they may decide to see him off if and when they do lose wickets to him, he looked good and will get better and quicker.

FWIW I think they just have to attack him with bat and ball, it's not the Aus way to shirk a challenge and they were right to do it last night; we'll see who wins the contest in time.

It would make a lot more sense to attack Freddie when he's batting rather than bowling. He looks much more vulnerable with the bat than with the ball, and if he's not working at six, it upsets the balance of the whole team, particularly with Geraint or Read at 7. If he's not producing with the bat, and having to captain, and deal with the media if they lose another match (even a warm-up) it would take something special for him to continue to be as effective with the ball.

 

[Matt79]

I agree, they'll get used to the pace and bounce (hopefully) just as touring teams have to get used to the swinging ball over here.

Not even sure if Tait will play a Test either.

Like the Aussies did last year?

 

[Pedro Delgado]

Like the Aussies did last year?

Well some played it better than others, the conventional at any rate. I'm not sure it's possible to play reverse at 90 odd MPH successfully, whoever you are there's a bullet with your name on at some stage.

 

[Nate]

^ Could use the above arguement for the Aussies selecting Tait?

 

[social]

I agree, they'll get used to the pace and bounce (hopefully) just as touring teams have to get used to the swinging ball over here.

Not even sure if Tait will play a Test either.[/QUOTE

It wasnt a quick or bouncy pitch by any stretch of the imagination and none of the bowlers overdid the short stuff.

The shots of Strauss, Cook and KP were just poor - the first 2 didnt move their feet at all whilst KP lunged onto the front foot and then tried to hook

 

[social]

Well some played it better than others, the conventional at any rate. I'm not sure it's possible to play reverse at 90 odd MPH successfully, whoever you are there's a bullet with your name on at some stage.

Exactly right