**.....UNOFFICIAL.....** ASHES 2007 thread

[aussie]

Yes, you have mentioned that he has a 5 month break coming up.

I still ask the question when does it turn from a form slump to a lessening of ability - I mean 15 tests isn't a short period of matches.

yes he has had 15 matches in a jam packed 6 months or so. When the Bangladesh tour is over he 5 months off to refresh himself and if especially during the ashes his form hasn't improved then we can say for sure he is losing it.

 

[howardj]

This Ashes series is even more condensed than in 2005. Next summer, the series will span just 45 days - five Tests, in six and a half weeks! As in England last year (where we saw the effect of McGrath's absence at Edgebaston and Trent Bridge; and Simon Jones's absence at the Oval) the team whose bowlers can remain healthy will certainly have a huge advantage.

To that end, it's difficult to see McGrath and Warne both playing every Test match. Not surprisingly, their 36 year-old bodies find it difficult to cope with the strain of back-to-back Tests. The flipside to that is that virtually every touring team that comes to Australia seems to suffer an inordinate number of injuries. My theory is that the harder grounds over here are as much as an ally to the Australian team (in that they result in injuries to opposition players) as Ponting's blade, or Warne's spinning fingers!

 

[aussie]

ye this years schedule is tough & McGrath & Warne could struggle. But i think they could go through the series, firstly Pigeon will be pretty fresh & Warne as well (depends if he plays for Hampshire this year). But even so i'll back Australia's attack to stay fit.

I think England may have a bit more worries since they have a tough international schedule coming up & they could go into the ashes with a bit of a burnt out 4 man attack after 7 test. England may want to preseve Jones & Freddie (especially since he is England best bowler and he plays in both forms of the game).

Your theory about the Australian grounds is true ,haha, lets hope it works again.

 

[Richard]

not totally, Tendulkar hasn't been the same test batsman since late 2002, while his OD form since has for the majority been pretty good. Gilly only since the ashes has had this slump in test matches, while OD form has been good.

And yet... as I've mentioned, it's actually possible to trace it further back than that.
Since 2003\04, Gilchrist's batting has been much, much less effective than previously - that's sort of masked by the fact that he had a short 8-Test period where he averaged 107; in the other 28 Tests since 2003\04 he's averaged just 25.

 

[howardj]

Is Dizzy back for the Ashes? Really impressed with his return to the Test match theatre. I still think Stuart Clark is the favourite to edge him out, if McGrath and Lee are both fit. Dizzy's the sentimental favourite though.

 

[aussie]

And yet... as I've mentioned, it's actually possible to trace it further back than that.
Since 2003\04, Gilchrist's batting has been much, much less effective than previously - that's sort of masked by the fact that he had a short 8-Test period where he averaged 107; in the other 28 Tests since 2003\04 he's averaged just 25.

What? you got to be kidding, let me do a thing off my head. You say since 2003/04 right, that would start from the 2003/04 home series vs India where between the Gabba test to the Galle test he suffered his 1st real trott of his career.

2004:

- failed in the test vs India
- had a decent tour of SRI where he made that blistering 144 in kandy
- decent home series vs SRI, remeber that 8- he scored on the horrific darwin pitch
- had a very good series in India
- solid series at home vs the Kiwis i remeber his hundred at the gabba & a fifty in Adelaide
- solid series vs PAK as well higlighted by his superb 50 under pressure in perth & superb century at the SCG


- absolutely murdered the kiwis in NZ

Then the biggest trott of his career began in the ashes, where his only big scores are 91, 86 & 144. I aint able do no maths but even he really averaged 25 between IND 2003/04 to NZ 2004/05 its hard to believe.

But maybe he wasn't as consistent as he was from 99 to 2003/04 but its too marginal to be so critical he still produced some fantastic batting performances then, your stat of him averaging 107 in 8 test shows that. But NO his trott began in the ashes no sooner.

 

[aussie]

Is Dizzy back for the Ashes? Really impressed with his return to the Test match theatre. I still think Stuart Clark is the favourite to edge him out, if McGrath and Lee are both fit. Dizzy's the sentimental favourite though.

nah once Dizzy shows he's back i'd have him in front of Clark for sure. But its a good problem to have..

 

[Richard]

Is Dizzy back for the Ashes? Really impressed with his return to the Test match theatre. I still think Stuart Clark is the favourite to edge him out, if McGrath and Lee are both fit. Dizzy's the sentimental favourite though.

It'll be a shame if he doesn't get the chance to exorcise the ghosts of 2005.
Assuming he's back bowling like he used to be, you'd be hard-pressed to say either Clark or Lee are better bowlers, even if you can't justify picking Gillespie ahead of either.
Has he bowled well domestically and against Bangladesh, presumably?

 

[Richard]

What? you got to be kidding, let me do a thing off my head. You say since 2003/04 right, that would start from the 2003/04 home series vs India where between the Gabba test to the Galle test he suffered his 1st real trott of his career.

2004:

- failed in the test vs India
- had a decent tour of SRI where he made that blistering 144 in kandy
- decent home series vs SRI, remeber that 8- he scored on the horrific darwin pitch
- had a very good series in India
- solid series at home vs the Kiwis i remeber his hundred at the gabba & a fifty in Adelaide
- solid series vs PAK as well higlighted by his superb 50 under pressure in perth & superb century at the SCG


- absolutely murdered the kiwis in NZ

Then the biggest trott of his career began in the ashes, where his only big scores are 91, 86 & 144. I aint able do no maths but even he really averaged 25 between IND 2003/04 to NZ 2004/05 its hard to believe.

But maybe he wasn't as consistent as he was from 99 to 2003/04 but its too marginal to be so critical he still produced some fantastic batting performances then, your stat of him averaging 107 in 8 test shows that. But NO his trott began in the ashes no sooner.

It didn't - like I say - he had one bad trot, then one where he averaged 107, then another bad trot.
And given that both bad trots were considerably longer in length than the exceptional one, it's fair to say that he's not been too crash-hot (given that, in his 42 Tests he'd averaged all but 61) since 2003\04.

 

[GotSpin]

.
Has he bowled well domestically and against Bangladesh, presumably?

Yes. But Clarke ripped it up in South Africa and Lee is effectively spear-heading the attack right now

 

[aussie]

It didn't - like I say - he had one bad trot, then one where he averaged 107, then another bad trot.
And given that both bad trots were considerably longer in length than the exceptional one, it's fair to say that he's not been too crash-hot (given that, in his 42 Tests he'd averaged all but 61) since 2003\04.

but has i said that little drop is too minimal to be so critical about because up until the ashes series he did enough between the 2003/04 India series to the 2004/05 NZ series.

 

[marc71178]

Yes, you have said that.

But the fact that it's something like 27 games out of a 34 game spell it's hardly a "little drop"

 

[aussie]

Yes, you have said that.

But the fact that it's something like 27 games out of a 34 game spell it's hardly a "little drop"

when did Gilchrist go through a 27 game trott?

 

[marc71178]

Did you even read Richard's post or did you just see who it was about and decide to defend the player regardless since he's an Australian?

 

[GarethKeenan]

Hi all, this is my first post and for my two cents worth I think the slide of the Australian team their loss of aura, their diminished dominance etc etc is equally mirrored in the demise of the English side which has lost a series in Pakistan, just salvaged a draw in India before getting hammered in the on-going one day series there, I think with more than a point to prove in Australia and playing on home ground they will be very tough to beat.

 

[Richard]

Yes. But Clarke ripped it up in South Africa and Lee is effectively spear-heading the attack right now

Uh?
Clarke didn't play in South Africa!!!
What's he got to do with Gillespie, anyhow?

 

[Richard]

but has i said that little drop is too minimal to be so critical about because up until the ashes series he did enough between the 2003/04 India series to the 2004/05 NZ series.

No, he did enough in the games against NZ and Pak in 2004\05. He certainly didn't do enough in any of the other Tests since 2003\04.

 

[Richard]

Hi all, this is my first post and for my two cents worth I think the slide of the Australian team their loss of aura, their diminished dominance etc etc is equally mirrored in the demise of the English side which has lost a series in Pakistan, just salvaged a draw in India before getting hammered in the on-going one day series there, I think with more than a point to prove in Australia and playing on home ground they will be very tough to beat.

I don't think a ODI series has any bearing on anything.

 

[aussie]

Did you even read Richard's post or did you just see who it was about and decide to defend the player regardless since he's an Australian?

yes u stupid fool, and i presume you didn't read my post where i questioned that record?. So before you stupidly accuse me of defeding players because they are Australian get your facts right big head..

 

[aussie]

No, he did enough in the games against NZ and Pak in 2004\05. He certainly didn't do enough in any of the other Tests since 2003\04.

show me those records, because i find it extremely hard to believe that from the the India series in 2003/04 to the India series in 2004/05 he only averaged 25.

Plus off my head how did u get 28 test between that period?. 5 vs India at home, 3 in Sri, 2 vs SRI in Aus and 4 in IND. Thats 14 yo..

Even if you add the 8 test vs NZ & PAK you get 22, so...