***Official*** West Indies in Australia

[Jason_M]

Symonds should come in for Watson.

Disgraceful performance by the Windies.

 

[tooextracool]

As long as anyone's keeping the runs very tight, then of course they can be effective as far as the team is concerned - 'doing their bit', so to speak - because it can build up pressure. Of course, if the guy at the other end is Glenn McGrath, that pressure build-up is doubly so.

you dont build up pressure by bowling a foot outside off stump and not making the batsmen play i can assure you. pace bowlers dont play test cricket by being defensive.

 

[tooextracool]

I hope Bracken has a good relationship with Mother Nature then, because he's going to need overcast conditions, a wet pitch and those English lollies to get swing. He got absolutely none on Friday. You get more swing from a bowling machine.

or he could just get the conditions he got today.....
look i dont rate bracken when the ball is not swinging either, and as such i find it extremely amusing that he got favorable conditions today, and thats only because i look forward to him being picked for the next 5 test matches(hopefully without any swing) and being completely innocous yet again.

 

[tooextracool]

That's the way he plays though, some days it comes off, others it doesn't. Watson can't get frustrated though, he needs to keep the ball in the same area.

it comes off when he plays in batter friendly conditions, and he looks like a joke in seamer friendly conditions.

 

[tooextracool]

I've got the volume down - what did he say? I guess on a superficial level you could say that they both have what have been judged to be "overly" laid-back attitudes and a very high level of potential not quite fulfilled....

for one thing, saying that marlon samuels makes batting look easy is quite an exaggeration, even if he has plenty of potential. he obviously has some sort of soft spot for samuels.

 

[tooextracool]

Bracken swung the ball really nicely and pretty late but it wasn't hooping. I wonder how he'll do when the conditions aren't quite so good for swing-bowling.

if you didnt already notice in every other innings hes bowled in until today......

 

[tooextracool]

I really think its more like:

1
6
3
4
4
7
7
11
11
11
11

you think marlon samuels is a better number 7?

 

[Prince EWS]

you think marlon samuels is a better number 7?

Yes, I think he would be better suited there.

Im actually more shocked that you didnt take up arguements on Gayle being a #6 and Chanderpaul being a #4 to be honest.

 

[chaminda_00]

you think marlon samuels is a better number 7?

The real question is Devon Smith at 6 or was that meant to Chris Gayle?

 

[Prince EWS]

The real question is Devon Smith at 6 or was that meant to Chris Gayle?

That was Gayle. There is no way Devon is anything but an opening batsman.

 

[chaminda_00]

That was Gayle. There is no way Devon is anything but an opening batsman.

And there is no way Gayle is anything more then an opener...

 

[Slow Love™]

for one thing, saying that marlon samuels makes batting look easy is quite an exaggeration, even if he has plenty of potential. he obviously has some sort of soft spot for samuels.

A lot of Australians probably developed a soft spot for Samuels after he showed some admirable grit (and a fair degree of talent) back in the 2001 tour - Steve Waugh was definitely impressed by what he saw, too.

Funnily enough, I think I remember reading somewhere that the player Samuels most admired was Carl Hooper. (IIRC, he also said that Tendulkar was the best batsman in the world, which wouldn't have won him any brownie points with Lara.)

 

[tooextracool]

Yes, I think he would be better suited there.

why? i honestly think his best position would be 5 and he certainly didnt deserve to be batting with the tail like he did today.

Im actually more shocked that you didnt take up arguements on Gayle being a #6 and Chanderpaul being a #4 to be honest.

chanderpaul wouldnt be considerably worse at 4 to be honest, and if anything chris gayle would be better off at 6 than he would be at any other position in the side, hes most definetly not an opener, and the idea of having a slogger as an opener in test match cricket is quite ludicrous.

 

[tooextracool]

The real question is Devon Smith at 6 or was that meant to Chris Gayle?

had to be chris gayle surely.

 

[Linda]

Mid-on, dived rather brilliantly to stop a ball, and just jarred his shoulder on impact. Grabbed it, mouthed something to Ponting and then left the field holding it.

That fall looked completely harmless (not suggesting he faked it, haha) but I cant believe he was injured from that, to be honest..!

I gotta say how chuffed I was that neither McGrath or Warne picked up a wicket in that innings. Made a nice change, at the very least. Apparently the first time in 157 [completed] innings that the two have bowled together? Anyway, what an effort by Lee and Bracken, although I get the feeling Lee's length variation was still a little dubious? I dont know...

 

[Prince EWS]

chanderpaul wouldnt be considerably worse at 4 to be honest, and if anything chris gayle would be better off at 6 than he would be at any other position in the side, hes most definetly not an opener, and the idea of having a slogger as an opener in test match cricket is quite ludicrous.

I agree with all of that.

why? i honestly think his best position would be 5 and he certainly didnt deserve to be batting with the tail like he did today.

I dont think he quite has the technique to bat at 5 or 6 to be honest. He scores quickly and is reasonably good with the tail, so I think he'd be good to have coming in at 7. Obviously this isnt really possibly unless the team keeper is an especially good batsman, or one or more of the top 6 can bowl.

 

[Arrow]

, and worse still, I don't think LAra will be able to make even a half century in this series.

He was unlucky this test match. Got a terrible LBW decision and then out to a freaky catch. I think he will get at least one big score.
His last two tours to Australia have been poor though. Failed in both 97 and 2000 mostly until hitting big centuries late in each series.

Pathetic performance from the windies though. They are just so brittle in the batting and fielding, and have an impotent bowling attack. Nothing better for the out of form aussie batsmen than to feast on one of the worlds worst bowling attacks in a long time.
Im wondering how many times in the last 10 tests have the windies gotten to 300 against the aussies. I bet its only a few times.

I was thinking back to the last time they beat australia in a test series which was their tour of 92/93 and in comparing the sides, its clear that their current batting line up is far superior, but they compensated back then by having 3 great bowlers who were capable of running through a side.

Anyway im glad this isnt a 5 test series.

 

[chaminda_00]

and if anything chris gayle would be better off at 6 than he would be at any other position in the side, hes most definetly not an opener, and the idea of having a slogger as an opener in test match cricket is quite ludicrous.

Well Gayle does have a respectable record opening the bating, his unorthdox but so is Shewag. Your better off having a slogger opening then someone like Ganga, who one of worse batsmen to play Test Cricket lately.

 

[Prince EWS]

And there is no way Gayle is anything more then an opener...

What would make you say that? He has a loose technique which has often been exploited against the new ball. I really dont know why he opens to be honest, apart from the fact that he likes the ball coming onto the bat (hence, he is effective in this position on flat pitches against bowlers who dont swing the ball).

 

[Arrow]

Marlon samuels has always struck me as a waste of space.
His test average of 29 seems to confirm it.