*Official* Tour Matches

[Prince EWS]

By way of clarification, which I feel is appropriate in this instance, the emphasis was on "average", as in you take a sample size of many millions and work out the average. This generalisation should in no way be taken as meaning that every English person looks like poor Corrin. It was a gross misrepresentation and one I unreservedly resile from.

And certainly had I read the post properly I'd not have agreed. Had it said "Englishman" I feel it may have more accurately represented the truth. To include both genders was plainly a slip of the keyboard by SOC (wasn't it, mate?) and nothing but inadvertent.

I actually thought your "heh" was your way of saying you disagreed with actually having to come out and say you disagreed.

 

[GIMH]

By way of clarification, which I feel is appropriate in this instance, the emphasis was on "average", as in you take a sample size of many millions and work out the average. This generalisation should in no way be taken as meaning that every English person looks like poor Corrin. It was a gross misrepresentation and one I unreservedly resile from.

And certainly had I read the post properly I'd not have agreed. Had it said "Englishman" I feel it may have more accurately represented the truth. To include both genders was plainly a slip of the keyboard by SOC (wasn't it, mate?) and nothing but inadvertent.

Post reported for personal abuse.

 

[Howe_zat]

Post reported for personal abuse.

 

[Woodster]

No its not. The whole point of a warm up is to get match practice. Its not about winning or losing, its about getting in shape for the real contest. Id much rather we get tested by our opponents, spend 3 days toiling away than just coming in and blowing the opposition away.

Notice how England's second inning performance has been a lot better than their first. Its obvious that many of the players are batting differently in the first innings, Trott playing pull and hook shots like theres no tomorrow is not going to happen in a test match setting, but he needs to develop that side of his game.

Absolutely agree. If we can win it's nice, get into the winning feeling/habit, but the match practice is paramount. Andy Flower seems to be stressing the importance of winning, but I'm sure not at the cost of a competitive three days. Would he prefer to bowl these state sides out for 70 and 80, and score enough runs to win by an innings ? No, I don't think so.

 

[Howe_zat]

According to the Beeb's interview with Swanny here:

BBC Sport - Cricket - Swann relishes opening Ashes challenge at Brisbane

Flower et. al have decided that winning these games is the top priority. They want to take them seriously and get into a winning run before the Ashes starts.

Not sure that's entirely what's going on, but that's the official line.

 

[Woodster]

According to the Beeb's interview with Swanny here:

BBC Sport - Cricket - Swann relishes opening Ashes challenge at Brisbane

Flower et. al have decided that winning these games is the top priority. They want to take them seriously and get into a winning run before the Ashes starts.

Not sure that's entirely what's going on, but that's the official line.

Not sure where it says winning the games is top priority, take them seriously by all means and play to win, but landslide victories with few testing sessions, would not be ideal, despite winning them.

 

[grecian]

By way of clarification, which I feel is appropriate in this instance, the emphasis was on "average", as in you take a sample size of many millions and work out the average. This generalisation should in no way be taken as meaning that every English person looks like poor Corrin. It was a gross misrepresentation and one I unreservedly resile from.

And certainly had I read the post properly I'd not have agreed. Had it said "Englishman" I feel it may have more accurately represented the truth. To include both genders was plainly a slip of the keyboard by SOC (wasn't it, mate?) and nothing but inadvertent.

Typical lawyer (and Aussie), trying to wriggle out of a past misdiscretion.

 

[Burgey]

Typical lawyer (and Aussie), trying to wriggle out of a past misdiscretion.

Lol... Convict heritage

 

[Top_Cat]

Yeah this idea that it doesn't matter if you win or do well in tour matches, I don't buy at all. Winning and losing are habits for any team and, probably, the more difficult the opponent, the more critical it is. When Australia lost the Ashes in '05, they were smashed by a couple of county teams along the way, annihilated in the T20 (telling everyone along the way none of it mattered, of course). It was clear their form was pretty uneven as the Test and ODI's series' showed. Their good form in the second ODI carried over into a Test win at Lords but I remember the feeling from Vaughan was that England would come back even if the press slaughtered them.

In India and SL, tour match form has fairly well predicted who has done well in the Tests. When Australia won in '04, they had the better of the match against Mumbai and bashed the Board President's XI in SL but other times when they've been hammered in the Tests, it's been on the back of losses in the tour matches. You might get less out of belting some FC team in tour matches from an individual perspective but the team gains are far more important, for mine.

 

[GIMH]

What time is start, is it underway?

 

[Top_Cat]

Think they'd have just started. Good day to bowl, cloudy and cool but there may be a few showers later.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Funny i always thought sides had to take 10 wickets.One of our strengths is the fact we bat so far down the order which makes us a tough nut to crack as you and SA have found out to your cost.

They do. Is England's goal to score around 300 in their first innings each time?

Look, if you're happy to be 4/5 down for 100 each time in the first innings thinking your tail will get you out of it every time then good luck to you. I reckon Aus would be pretty happy to be bowling in that situation too.

 

[Son Of Coco]

And certainly had I read the post properly I'd not have agreed. Had it said "Englishman" I feel it may have more accurately represented the truth. To include both genders was plainly a slip of the keyboard by SOC (wasn't it, mate?) and nothing but inadvertent.

I confess, I got caught up in this era of political correctness gone mad. In the interests of equality, I thought I should include both genders in the mix.

 

[Ruckus]

The English team does seem to have excellent balance at the moment. They might not be the best batsmen individually, but someone is always stepping up to the challenge at the right moment. That's exactly how they beat us the last Ashes series - Australia actually had the better overall stats (wicket takers, run scorers etc.) but England controlled the crucial moments in the series. Australia is the absolute opposite. We probably have better individual players (for the most part) but they aren't backing each other up, so we often collapse.

 

[GIMH]

Strauss seems to be motoring along

 

[S Chanderpaul]

Is there no stream for this?

Ton for Strauss

 

[GIMH]

Another ton for Strauss

He's in decent nick then

 

[Woodster]

Very pleased to see Cook spending some quality time in the middle, currently 70 not out. Strauss registers his second ton of the tour so far, top work. So prior to this second tour game, there were concerns over the form, and time spent at the crease, of Cook and Collingwood, so this game will have done those two a power of good.

 

[Top_Cat]

I thought Strauss was already in good nick?

 

[NUFAN]

Yeah well done to Strauss, who cares if he got out straight after making 100.

It's a very weak SACA bowling lineup apart from George in this game. The Australia A match should be another step up.

Does anyone know who will replace the injured Mitchell Starc in the A game?