**Official** Tour Matches

[SirBloody Idiot]

No one will ever convince me that Lee was the right choice over Bollinger.

 

[social]

Highlights of Day 1 if anyone's interested, courtesy of Sussex TV.

SCTV Player - Sussex TV - Sussex County Cricket Club

Hughes, Katich and Clarke all played terrible shots whilst the Sussex spinner (Rayner) looked like he had a pretty good action

I played at Hove quite a few times and it used to be great - pace in the wicket to encourage both the pace bowlers (including a nice slope to run down) and shot-makers plus a really quick outfield

Hope it's still the same because we're talking ancient history

 

[Nate]

For Australia's sake I hope Brett Lee and Shaun Marsh die in a fire.

Dwta.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Sounds a crashingly good sort of a chap: Rory Hamilton-Brown. Eton, Sandhurst & Oxbridge, no doubt.

Yes indeed! Undoubtedly enjoys a good romp in the ballyhoo with a hip flask of single malt and the foxhounds barking at his heels on the weekends when he's not playing cricker.


Just saw Hauritz hit 12 fours in his 65

 

[Nate]

Aw yeah Binga.

 

[scorpiogal]

Wtf are they bowling so many darn no balls?! Jeez.
I feel sorry for Hauritz though.
Wish I could see the match so I could judge for myself how well they're bowling. I hate depending on journos with their own bias/agendas.

 

[four_or_six]

Any other England supporters hoping Lee does well?

Hoping for a four-man pace attack of Hilfenhaus, Lee, Watto and MacDonald personally, with North to provide the spin.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Was just talking to Gelman about this on MSN earlier, but I can't see what Hauritz has to offer really, with Clark and Siddle both capable of bowling pretty tight spells. Unless there's expected to be a great deal of turn in one of the surfaces I think Australia would be best off with Johnson, Siddle, Clark and Lee, assuming they all bowl decently in the warmups.

I expect Hauritz will be picked anyway though, probably with Clark left out.

 

[Nate]

Hoping North gets a bowl here.

 

[superkingdave]

Hoping for a four-man pace attack of Hilfenhaus, Lee, Watto and MacDonald personally, with North to provide the spin.

Nah, Watto, Macdonald, Hauritz and a late shock call up for Cullen Bailey

 

[four_or_six]

Yawn... not up to 60 overs yet and it's 40mins after tea.

Then again, 3.2 extra overs have been bowled so far in no-balls! Thanks for pointing that out scorpiogal, I hadn't noticed that, that's pretty bad,

 

[four_or_six]

Nah, Watto, Macdonald, Hauritz and a late shock call up for Cullen Bailey

Oh, that's a good call! Or perhaps Katich batting at 10 as the second spinner?

Not sure Kato is as good a batsman as Swann though.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Wickets for all the seamers and nothing for Hauritz. Pretty happy with that.

 

[Prince EWS]

Wickets for all the seamers and nothing for Hauritz. Pretty happy with that.

Yeah, I thought Hauritz would at least keep it tight if he didn't take wickets, and give the selectors a stupidly illogical reason to pick him, but the way it's gone has really pleased me. Hauritz the worst of the lot with Hilfenhaus just ahead of him is great news for us on the selection front.

 

[scorpiogal]

Poor Hauritz..0/98

 

[Nate]

Katich before Norf. L4m3z0r5

 

[scorpiogal]

Yeah, I thought Hauritz would at least keep it tight if he didn't take wickets, and give the selectors a stupidly illogical reason to pick him, but the way it's gone has really pleased me. Hauritz the worst of the lot with Hilfenhaus just ahead of him is great news for us on the selection front.

Did Hilfenhaus bowl badly? Some articles said that he was troubling the batsmen...of course you can't depend on the journos though...

 

[Prince EWS]

Did Hilfenhaus bowl badly? Some articles said that he was troubling the batsmen...of course you can't depend on the journos though...

Well I'm only getting live audio which is basically just someone else's opinion as well, but my impression has been that he's bowled a pretty good line but been generally less threatening than the rest besides his first two overs in which he got token swing.

 

[Richard]

I wonder if the Australians will do what they have, allegedly, done several times before, and let some journeyman look good to try to play him into the England side?

So if Luke Wright makes runs today don't be surprised and don't take it at face value!

This one always interests me. England selectors have been diabolical on countless occasions (so have selectors from elsewhere, obviously) but I've never yet noticed them falling for this tactic.

It mostly seems to stem from the 1993 tour where Shane Warne allegedly tried to make it look like he couldn't bowl to Graeme Hick. Now, Hick was far from some random journeyman, and what's more in that series he played a crucial part in England's consolation victory in the final match.

If there are any other instances of it supposedly being tried and\or working I'd be interested to hear 'em.

 

[Richard]

Really will be interesting to see how Hamilton-Brown can do today. Former England U19 captain, and has had a reasonable start to his career so far.

... so reasonable he's had to shift between three counties despite being no older than me.