Anderson needs a very long break from the game you think, scrambled head.
Ashes II - 2013/14 - In Australia
- Thread starter NinjaFletch
- Start date
Pretty intriguing stat that only 143 deliveries hitting the stumps out of 2700 odd England have bowled this series, doesn't seem right that.
He, he - switched on thinking 'masochism' as Broad bowled him.
I take it that's just the seamers?
They've bowled like dross again today.
Best mockers I've ever seen from Warne there.
Really like Stokes.
Stokes has been a real find.
If anyone ever asks you to describe Shane Watson that dismissal is absolutely perfect.
LBW? Check
Well set, in the 40s? Check
Just before an interval? DING DING DING
LBW? Check
Well set, in the 40s? Check
Just before an interval? DING DING DING
Haddin again. 
why was Panesar dropped?
Only just tuned in, Aussies all out already for 320 odd. Is that a good score for this pitch or should england be feeling confident right now?
First wicket down, with england looking like they got away with one or two as well
I'm not sure if that Aussie top6 have any chance of surviving the Steyn and Co in South Africa.
Yeah, this is the most insane anomaly I've ever known. Steyn and Philander will eat that lot alive.
Bailey hasn't done enough to justify a place for SA tour. At least not as a first teamer. Steven Smith has done well and Aussies will have hope from him as far as future is concerned. SA bowling will most probably be too good for Aussies and aussie bowling too will find it tougher to take wickets as compared to this Ashes. Will be intriguing series nonetheless.
I forgot this was even on!
I'm soooo glad I went to sleep before Smith and Haddin's usual revival.
England need a root and branch review.
England need a root and branch review.
It looks pretty good after Australia were 5 for just over 100. I'd guess it isn't that good a batting pitch if England put the Aussies in but I'm not sure.
England's biggest issue is their mentality, been saying that since the first series. They need to stop fecking around with players too, the treatment of Root has been stupid and I have no idea why Panesar was dropped and Rankin's selection raises questions.
All the signs were in the first series, Australia's tail were getting them back into the game then too, England's batsmen bar Bell were all underperforming. Now Warner has stepped up for Australia as well as Johnson, England have just regressed even more. Think Anderson needs a break, Monty should be first choice spinner until we can find someone better and England need someone who can bowl at express pace but players like Mills, Overton etc. need to be honed otherwise they'll be Dernbach 2.0's. Not sure Bairstow is a long-term bet at wicketkeeper either. Not impressed at all the chopping and changing these last 6 tests, 6 debutants is it?
No doubt SA will flog us.
Mind you I was preaching the same thing before the Ashes about England too.
The number one best thing they can do is get the best bowler in the country who isn't called Stuart Broad or James Anderson in to the fecking team. How Finn is the only player not to get a game on this tour is beyond me.
Then they can put Root at 6 where he actually fecking scores runs. Ballance can go to 5, Pietersen at 4, Bell at 3 and blood an opener (going to have to be Sam Robson, they've given themselves no other choice). Or shaft Ballance and stick with Stokes.
Then they can put Root at 6 where he actually fecking scores runs. Ballance can go to 5, Pietersen at 4, Bell at 3 and blood an opener (going to have to be Sam Robson, they've given themselves no other choice). Or shaft Ballance and stick with Stokes.
They keep dropping openers, don't think they should have dropped Compton in the first place or they should have had Carberry in there a while back if they wanted a bit of positivity.
Problem with both of them is they were both short term choices. I agree about Compton, but he never made himself undroppable and with his age I can see why they discarded him.
Same reason Carberry will go too.
The Aussies won't win as easily (or necessarily at all) but it will probably be a close contest now that Australia are playing as more than the sum of their parts rather than less, as has been the case recently.
Don't agree with that.
Australia have been dominant, but lets not pretend like they don't have glaring weaknesses.
Lets start with their top order. Shane Watson is a test match number 6, batting at number 3 just asks for trouble and its luck they've got away with it for a 5 match series. Rogers is going to go at some point and Warner would worry me in South Africa, because I don't think he has it in him to reign himself in and play a responsible knock. They've been 5 down for not very many 5 times in this series so far and been bailed out by Haddin, Smith and their tailenders.
It seems odd to talk about their bowling as a weakness but I think there's cause for concern. Johnson is the key strike bowler these days but I would worry how much he will threaten the Saffers vastly superior batting unit.
Since the first test Johnson's key contribution has been in blowing away the tail, for a guy who's taken that many wickets at that low an average the percentage of top order wickets has been very low. South Africa are not a team who care too much about aggression. I would be surprised if they did anything else than just get out the way of his short stuff, and they bat a lot, lot deeper than England do.
Harris has his obvious fitness concerns and Lyon is a decent defensive spinner who has been played awfully by English batsmen. If Harris stays fit he will be the pick of the bowlers, but you wonder how big an if that is. Siddle and Watson are good bowlers who do their job, but their not match winners.
Then we get on to the lower order. Bailey isn't a test match player, so you're looking at a guy who isn't good enough or a unknown quantity like Doolan. Smith is probably my favourite player in this Australian team, he just struggles and grafts and works and puts a game that doesn't look good enough together and scores runs, but I fancy him to be exposed by as thorough an examination of his technique that he will receive by the South African bowling attack.
Then there's Haddin, who we all know has had a magic series but there's a reason he averages 36 over his career. He's in good nick, and he's a good player but can he bail Australia out from poor first innings starts for a whole nother series? You'd probably bet against it.
Or put simply, I just think South Africa are a vastly superior side in all departments than England.
SA's batting not as good as you think it is, IMO.
Duminy's a weakness and Kallis has retired. They'll have a new player in, as well.
Duminy's a weakness and Kallis has retired. They'll have a new player in, as well.
Haddin should get man of the series. Johnson bowled really well but without Haddin's runs lower down the order Johnson wouldn't have had a good total to bowl at in most of the matches.
Panesar was a doubt anyway with injury. Finn should have been picked. Root has been taken out of the firing line which I can understand. Carberry's test career doesn't look like going any further at this stage.
Compton's treatment has been disgraceful, the man still averages above 40 yet a couple of low scores and he's dropped meanwhile good old Prior keeps going at his average of 16. Plus Compton plays on a fast pitch at Taunton, he probably would have done well in the series.
Yeah Duminy isn't the greatest, but I think he's a handy bat and with the way they can set up they have more than capable batsmen all the way down to 8. They've got the two best batsmen in the world for me in De Villiers and Amla and Smith is in the mix too.
Wonder how they'll go with Kallis gone, thats their biggest question mark. Wonder if they might be tempted to give QDK the chance, let De Villiers concentrate on batting and then use Duminy and Petersen more to cover Kallis' overs.
Oh and Du Plessis is brilliant, can't believe I forgot him. Love that guy.
I think Johnson's 32+ wickets at under 14 is more impressive - He could finish with 40 wickets!
He's also scored 165 runs at any average of 32.
If you check my posts before du Plessis made his debut, you'll see that I thought he'd do great in test cricket -- he plays T20 for my local team and I have seen quite a bit of him, even though the formats are dissimilar.
Having said that, I do not believe he is the same player he was a year ago.
He got that match saving 100 versus India and a 43, but to me, he has lost the fluency he had a year ago, that will be exploited by better bowling attacks. Could be just a case of form, but I think he won't do well against Australia.
Australia are being underrated here. They might not be as good as they were but this team for me is exhibiting lots of qualities their teams of the past did, prime among them is ability to counter attack as they have done repeatedly this series. Easy to say England have been shit but I'd say a lot of England's shittiness has been down to the way Australia have played and how aggressive they have been.
Wouldn't at all surprise me if they win vs South Africa
Wouldn't at all surprise me if they win vs South Africa
Yeah, it was playing for CSK that I started to notice and admire him.
I think it was him that played the most ridiculous shot I've ever seen, the bowler pushed it down the leg side he turned 180 degrees so he was facing the wicket keeper and then effectively pulled the ball over third man as it passed him.
I've never been able to find a video of it but I'm sure it was him.
Play a lot of shots similar to that that season.
Pretty sure du Plessis hasn't done something like that. Always in the V, straight bat for him.