Team Of The Ashes

[FaaipDeOiad]

I still think Trescothick is a better batsman than Strauss. Im not sold on Martyn either, I'd probably put Pietersen in, or possibly bat Strauss down the order.

You'd put a guy who's played 5 tests or an opener down the order in the team over a guy who averages nigh on 50 in tests and was close to the best batsman in the world last year?

 

[PY]

You'd put a guy who's played 5 tests or an opener down the order in the team over a guy who averages nigh on 50 in tests and was close to the best batsman in the world last year?

I have to say I found that slightly bemusing.

Martyn had a partially unlucky but also shonky series but I still rate him as one of the top batsmen in the world and I'm rather glad he didn't have any influence on the series except for that blinder he took for Pietersen's wicket on the boundary @ Lord's (?).

And I think it's pretty relevant argument with Tresco and Gilly, though it's obvious that Gilchrist is a better player it always annoys me when idiots don't give Tresco at least some credit for the way he's played for England. So he doesn't move his feet as much as he should but he averages 45 in Tests after 66 Tests and 5 years of international cricket, give him some credit.

 

[Prince EWS]

You'd put a guy who's played 5 tests or an opener down the order in the team over a guy who averages nigh on 50 in tests and was close to the best batsman in the world last year?

Have to say I never really rated Martyn as "great."

Hes a good batsman who deserves his place in the Australia team, but nothing more. Pietersen and Strauss are definately better players IMO.

 

[PY]

Have to say I never really rated Martyn as "great."

Hes a good batsman who deserves his place in the Australia team, but nothing more. Pietersen and Strauss are definately better players IMO.

What?

I don't think we can make claims about things like that after 5 Tests for Pietersen and 19 for Strauss.

I would say that both have the potential if they continue, on current tracks of form and performance, of eclipsing Martyn but I wouldn't say it now when Martyn has been pretty consistent for a fair while.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Have to say I never really rated Martyn as "great."

Hes a good batsman who deserves his place in the Australia team, but nothing more. Pietersen and Strauss are definately better players IMO.

If Strauss or Pietersen manage four centuries in the subcontinent in the winter, I'd be surprised, and they don't even have to contend with Murali on Sri Lankan wickets.

I find it somewhat inexplicable that anyone would even consider rating Pietersen ahead of Martyn honestly. Pietersen's a talented but flawed player, who may yet go on to have a good test career (but obviously nobody knows yet). Martyn's done it for years really, and particularly based on his recent performances wouldn't be too far off a world XI, let alone rated behind a guy who's played one series and scored one century. That's like rating Dhoni as the equal of Gilchrist in ODIs.

He had a poor Ashes series, granted, but that hardly cancels out what he's done in the past.

 

[Prince EWS]

If Strauss or Pietersen manage four centuries in the subcontinent in the winter, I'd be surprised, and they don't even have to contend with Murali on Sri Lankan wickets.

I find it somewhat inexplicable that anyone would even consider rating Pietersen ahead of Martyn honestly. Pietersen's a talented but flawed player, who may yet go on to have a good test career (but obviously nobody knows yet). Martyn's done it for years really, and particularly based on his recent performances wouldn't be too far off a world XI, let alone rated behind a guy who's played one series and scored one century. That's like rating Dhoni as the equal of Gilchrist in ODIs.

He had a poor Ashes series, granted, but that hardly cancels out what he's done in the past.

Im probably blinded by the fact that I never rated Martyn as anything more than a solid batsman. Ive been proven wrong by his good performances, but I cant seem to shake my perception of him.

 

[chris.hinton]

my ashes 11

1) Trescothick
2) Langer
3) Vaughan
4) Ponting
5) Pietersen
6) Flintoff
7) Gilcrist
8) Warne
9) Lee
10) s.Jones
11) Mcgrath

 

[marc71178]

Gilchrist is the best evr in his position - simple.

Were not comparing apples with apples, it's apples with turnips.

With Trescothick being a Zoiderman, does that mean Gilly is a turnip then?

 

[luckyeddie]

If Strauss or Pietersen manage four centuries in the subcontinent in the winter, I'd be surprised, and they don't even have to contend with Murali on Sri Lankan wickets.

I find it somewhat inexplicable that anyone would even consider rating Pietersen ahead of Martyn honestly. Pietersen's a talented but flawed player, who may yet go on to have a good test career (but obviously nobody knows yet). Martyn's done it for years really, and particularly based on his recent performances wouldn't be too far off a world XI, let alone rated behind a guy who's played one series and scored one century. That's like rating Dhoni as the equal of Gilchrist in ODIs.

He had a poor Ashes series, granted, but that hardly cancels out what he's done in the past.

I'm willing to wager that Pietersen breaks at least one world record in his test or ODI career

 

[luckyeddie]

Ha ha Eddie..
I am trying to please two people here hahaha
I know it should not be said as someone we know would be pretty angry and hopefully will miss this part of a thread. I know this bloke who plyed a pretty high grade of cricket.
He travelled to a far away land to sort out the best team in there respective comepetitions.
This bloke copped a fearfull going over a few games into the series against one another.So much so that he ended the 3rd game with 2 fractures of the forearm ,this never saw light of day in any articles and was kept to the bare amount of people to know. He then continued to bat out the last 2 games and had a special protector on the offending part,as well as some pain deadening stuff.
This guy was in a lot of pain after each and every day from then on ,but never left the field of play.
There is a lot of stories that never come to light in a mans game,and that is how the warriors like it.
No excuses,just give your best and if thats not good enough tne you still sleep well knowing you were beaten by a better team. These things are not taken into consideration when people do the series teams and nor should they. But your selections and eye for a good hard fighter is noted with glee from afar away place. i love your team of the series,i wonder now if you love your team even more as it is a pretty guttsy team that would give you the best they had,and what more can you ask than that?....

Were my reasons for the selection that easy to spot?

I always used to think, as a kid, that there's no substitute for talent, but there is. The greatest football manager the world's ever seen taught me that (Brian Clough - is it almost a year since he passed on? How time flies).

Talent's great, but without courage, will-to-win and a complete absence of the fear of failing, it's not enough. I actually think that last bit (not being afraid to fail) is probably as important as anything. Strange, that. One of my boyhood batting heroes, Geoff Boycott, was terrified of failure, yet he turned that weakness into a virtue. I think, on reflection, I'd rather watch JL bat.

 

[luckyeddie]

With Trescothick being a Zoiderman, does that mean Gilly is a turnip then?

Churchy - the Baldrick of wicketkeepers.

 

[Barney Rubble]

I'm willing to wager that Pietersen breaks at least one world record in his test or ODI career

One? I think that could turn out to be a conservative estimate. If he keeps batting like he did on Monday, he'll break them all!

 

[twctopcat]

As sick as it may sound i can't wait til he faces a poor attack on a flat track with small boundaries, the consequences could be staggering....

 

[PY]

I'm willing to wager that Pietersen breaks at least one world record in his test or ODI career

Would be interesting to see what the record is for most consecutive dropped catches in Tests was? And/or the record for most consecutive dropped catches at the start of a players career.

There's two.

 

[Swervy]

I'm willing to wager that Pietersen breaks at least one world record in his test or ODI career

number of sixes in an innings may well be under threat I would say

 

[luckyeddie]

number of sixes in an innings may well be under threat I would say

I'm bagsying first 200 in an ODI and most sixes in a career, please.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I'm willing to wager that Pietersen breaks at least one world record in his test or ODI career

Wouldn't surprise me either. Doesn't mean he's a better player than Martyn right now though.

 

[marc71178]

I'm willing to wager that Pietersen breaks at least one world record in his test or ODI career

What is the most 6s in a Test knock?

Off the top of my head, I think 11, but can't be certain.

 

[luckyeddie]

Wouldn't surprise me either. Doesn't mean he's a better player than Martyn right now though.

(takes a leaf out of FaaipDeOiad's book)

Relevance?

 

[greg]

(takes a leaf out of FaaipDeOiad's book)

Relevance?

Faaip picked a composite team without reference to Ashes form, and Prince EWS said he'd pick Pietersen (or Strauss) over Faaip's choice of Martyn.