*Official* Tri Series (Ind, NZ, Aus) Thread

[Ford_GTHO351]

Why the obsession with quick scoring - Test's are allocated 5 days or 450 overs to be played in.

One of the best tail-end innings in recent times was Hoggard, and he spent a hell of a long time blocking!

The reason for quick scoring is that being attacking is the best way of showing to your opposition that your side is not just playing for a draw, they are going for a win. Tests may be five days and 450 overs, but the aim of a side is to win in the quickest possible time and if that they can do that in three days, then its good for them.

One of the things I admire in Steve Waughs Australian Test Team is that they play positive cricket with no intention of drawing Tests, even if it means that they might lose. They have played Test Cricket like its a ODI game which is not only great for spectators, but it has been very sucessful for Australia. Australia has for example Adam Gilchrist who has a strike rate of over 80.00 in Test Matches!

 

[Tim]

Its an absolute nightmare watching the NZ ODI team...you'd expect them to take 9 out of 10 catches & they made a mess of 3 fairly regulation ones.

On a positive note, the younger guys are looking good..Tuffey, McCullum & Oram with the bat anyway..I still think NZ needs to move on from Nevin, Harris & maybe Vincent after they return to NZ.

 

[Tim]

NZ still have big selection issues...Oram should not be opening the bowling & Cairns is still looking a little dodgy with his bowling.

NZ need to get rid of the free-loaders & pick specialist bowlers so then you can't blame the all-rounders who have to try & do everything.

Team for next match:

Fleming
McCullum
Vincent
Styris
McMillan
Cairns
Oram
Mills
Vettori
Tuffey
Butler

Still far too many all-rounders in that team...I hope Bracewell will address this when Pakistan & South Africa tour here.

 

[Kimbo]

About Ponting's dismissal, it was just one of those early wickets which fell due to a bit of complacency. Ponting just tried to do too much with a good straight ball. Played right across it leaving a huge gap between bat and pad. Just a bit of a poor shot, and a decent bit of tight bowling.

 

[marc71178]

So nothing to do with the pitch then!

 

[Tim]

The only time I saw movement in the match was the first 10 overs of the NZ innings, in that situation it was just a combination of bad technique & good use of the conditions by the bowlers.

In the Australian innings the ball did nothing & Australia got themselves out..although Tuffey bowled an excellent channel.

 

[Top_Cat]

Re: Neil's query about Clarke's hooking ability, Clarke can play the hook and pull relatively well at Pura Cup level (as could Bevan) but I strongly suspect he hasn't been fully tested yet and I think he'll come up short initially. He seems to commit himself to the front-foot a little too quickly, much as Hayden did in his early career. He may get away with a flaw like that at ODI level where only one bouncer is allowed but I think when he plays Test cricket, this will be picked up by Test bowlers and exploited. Don't think that Pura Cup bowlers haven't noticed, either.

 

[age_master]

Re: Neil's query about Clarke's hooking ability, Clarke can play the hook and pull relatively well at Pura Cup level (as could Bevan) but I strongly suspect he hasn't been fully tested yet and I think he'll come up short initially. He seems to commit himself to the front-foot a little too quickly, much as Hayden did in his early career. He may get away with a flaw like that at ODI level where only one bouncer is allowed but I think when he plays Test cricket, this will be picked up by Test bowlers and exploited. Don't think that Pura Cup bowlers haven't noticed, either.

his pull is fine, ive never seen him go for hooking.

you may also not have seen him sweep much before - apparently after he found out he was in the squad he did a full week of work on his sweep shot - practice during the day and studying videos of indian spinners at night - interesting most the shots he played off vettori were stepping out though... it will be interesting to see how he handles the indian spinners if he gets a chance at them

 

[Tim]

The sweep shot that he hit Vettori for 6 was a teriffic shot...almost like a whip.

Clarke looks like he's going to be very hard to get out once he gets his eye in but as i've mentioned before, he does occassionally offer the bowlers some food for thought.

 

[Top_Cat]

his pull is fine, ive never seen him go for hooking.

So we differ. I say he's yet to be tested and (I suspect) won't fare very well when he IS tested. Just call it an educated hunch, based on what I've seen in his footwork and batting grip among other things. He doesn't seem to have the same natural penchant for quickly getting onto the back-foot and looking for the pull like Ricky Ponting always had and still does. I'm seeing a lot of angled-bat slips catches in his immediate future for NSW and/or his early Test career.

 

[age_master]

So we differ. I say he's yet to be tested and (I suspect) won't fare very well when he IS tested. Just call it an educated hunch, based on what I've seen in his footwork and batting grip among other things. He doesn't seem to have the same natural penchant for quickly getting onto the back-foot and looking for the pull like Ricky Ponting always had and still does. I'm seeing a lot of angled-bat slips catches in his immediate future for NSW and/or his early Test career.

you could well be right, i guess time will tell

 

[Eclipse]

So we differ. I say he's yet to be tested and (I suspect) won't fare very well when he IS tested. Just call it an educated hunch, based on what I've seen in his footwork and batting grip among other things. He doesn't seem to have the same natural penchant for quickly getting onto the back-foot and looking for the pull like Ricky Ponting always had and still does. I'm seeing a lot of angled-bat slips catches in his immediate future for NSW and/or his early Test career.

I must say you really must know somthing about him I dont because I have never seen him get out pulling and he loves to play the shot.

He had no trouble playing it to Harmison, Tudor, Flintoff and the likes in the Australia A game at Hobart.

 

[Tim]

smart a$$ comment about the quality of bowling that Clarke faced in that Hobart match in...3...2..

 

[Eclipse]

lol but they are all reasonably quick.

I sure as hell remember him putting a Harmison bouncer away with style through midwicket.

 

[Tim]

Clarke has been one of the few players i've seen over the last number of years to make such an easy transition into international cricket...the confidence he must get from batting with the likes of Hayden, Ponting etc must help him enormously too.

 

[Craig]

Although he has played 7 ODIs, his career is really just starting.

 

[Gaijin-san]

He came into his debut with big wraps. He's started his international career with big wraps. It's hard to argue that it's not justified and that he is not going to be BIG!

 

[Top_Cat]

You're all missing the point and acting like I've said he's never played a decent hook or pull in his life. I'm just saying that I've seen something in his technique which suggests he'll struggle when really tested with short-of-a-length bowling.

 

[age_master]

You're all missing the point and acting like I've said he's never played a decent hook or pull in his life. I'm just saying that I've seen something in his technique which suggests he'll struggle when really tested with short-of-a-length bowling.

well i haven't seen steve waugh hook much recently either, so he may me fine.

as i said we really just have to wait and see a) if he is tested much and b) how he goes when he is.


than again every batsmen has a weakness of some sort, its up to the bowlers to exploit it.

 

[Mr. P]

India are batting in the 6th ODI and are at 22/0.