The Ashes - 2010-2011 Thread

[EastStandBlue]

Looking forward to seeing Khawaja in action... One of the Aussies in the office was waxing lyrical about him and fully expected him to see some action during the series.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Injuries and squad rotations will mean that this probably won't be much of an issue. Remember Graham Onions anyone?

Personally I'd try and avoid playing the same bowlers in back to back tests.

This next test means so much more to Australia than it will to England, who have already retained the Ashes. England won big in Adelaide but then got thumped in Perth. Write the Convicts off for this one at your peril. England will need to be at the top of their game.

I agree with you about Finn, apart from avoiding playing the same bowlers in back to back tests, there's also the conditions to be taken into account.

Seeing the interviews with Strauss & Flower they are asying the squad is focused on winning the series. And while we can't write off the convicts they seem to be a pretty demoralised bunch at present.

 

[number11]

Hauritz has apparently scored hundreds in his last two games. He may be a better option than Smith with the bat as well!

I thought Beer was picked for Perth because it was his home ground (despite him having only played there a couple of times) and then retained because the selectors were criticised for panicking.

Indeed, it seems they are sticking with that policy of trying not to be seen to have made a mistake with their spinner by retaining Beer and surely being obliged to play him at Sydney. Apparently he has NEVER played at the SCG. Hauritz has evidently burnt his bridges with his house sale, which I thought was quality.

I know you can't write the australians off, but hopefully the rumours of the players not being enamoured with Clarke (which surfaced around the time North was then touted for the captaincy - where is he now!) are true and a bad session on the first day will reveal the cracks in the Australian squad and mean the players will not rally. Siddle and Bollinger seem like honest types, but if Johnson is not managed well he is a liability, and with Beer unlikely to be better than a Tredwell we have to have hope we can focus and win comprehensively.

Id also like Colly to get some runs. I think he will be jettisoned in the summer for Morgan but it would be nice for a great servant to have contributed to the series win (in addition to his catching).

 

[EastStandBlue]

In the pre-test presser Siddle was talking about how Ponting gets him motivated and riled up to bowl with the required hostility... It'll be interesting to see if Clarke can produce the same effect. As for Johnson, he strikes me as a bit of renegade to be honest and is probably a pain in the arse to handle.

 

[Bluesmanager]

Ponting's out of Sydney, his injury's flared up again.

 

[southend_aussies]

Hauritz has apparently scored hundreds in his last two games. He may be a better option than Smith with the bat as well!

I thought Beer was picked for Perth because it was his home ground (despite him having only played there a couple of times) and then retained because the selectors were criticised for panicking.

Most of us Australians are surprised Beer is selected and is potentially playing for Australia in Sydney. He wasn't close to selection for his original state of Victoria (Bryce McGain is the number one spinner who made his debut in South Africa and took 0 for a lot) then he went to WA where he has been moderately successful for them but WA isn't a spinners paradise. So I'm not sure why they selected him. I'd prefer Hauritz or even Doherty. I didn't think Doherty did all that bad particularly when you look at both tests he played where all our bowlers bowled poorly except for the first innings at the Gabba. Anyhoot we'll just have to wait and see how he goes.

 

[southend_aussies]

Looking forward to seeing Khawaja in action... One of the Aussies in the office was waxing lyrical about him and fully expected him to see some action during the series.

Well he has scored the most runs in the domestic season so far and his technique looks very good for his age so hopefully he can do well and there is no pressure on him to be "the next ponting" otherwise he will fail miserably.

 

[southend_aussies]

In the pre-test presser Siddle was talking about how Ponting gets him motivated and riled up to bowl with the required hostility... It'll be interesting to see if Clarke can produce the same effect. As for Johnson, he strikes me as a bit of renegade to be honest and is probably a pain in the arse to handle.

Johnson reminds me of Stephen Harmison for you guys. A bowler who bowls on confidence. If they have it they can't do anything wrong and they look capable of bowling a wicket every delivery. If they don't have that confidence then they look likely to throw the ball anywhere. With the others particularly Siddle he doesn't seem to need confidence because he gives it all which is probably what you want with a bowler.

 

[Shrimper]

Let's go England!

Get into them early on and shatter any remaining hopes they have.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Johnson reminds me of Stephen Harmison for you guys. A bowler who bowls on confidence. If they have it they can't do anything wrong and they look capable of bowling a wicket every delivery. If they don't have that confidence then they look likely to throw the ball anywhere. With the others particularly Siddle he doesn't seem to need confidence because he gives it all which is probably what you want with a bowler.

I know what you are saying and both Harmy and Mitchell Johnson are similar in the sense that when they get it right they can be unplayable but when they get it wrong it can be pretty ugly, but Harmy did give it his all even when things weren't working for him. I've seen him bowl 25+ overs in the heat, on an absolute road of a pitch in places like Colombo and even at the end of the day he was still giving his all. Don't doubt Harmy's heart, only his rhythm!

Tremlett and Anderson starting to get it right here.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Johnson reminds me of Stephen Harmison for you guys. A bowler who bowls on confidence. If they have it they can't do anything wrong and they look capable of bowling a wicket every delivery. If they don't have that confidence then they look likely to throw the ball anywhere. With the others particularly Siddle he doesn't seem to need confidence because he gives it all which is probably what you want with a bowler.

Johnson has to be one of the most frustrating players I've ever seen, absolute toilet one game, amazing the next and then toilet again!

 

[number11]

Think England just about edged that by the end. Never know what a good total is until we have batted, but from 105-1 to 134-4 we are into their last (and most in form) recognised batters. Economy rate of our bowlers was exceptional and has kept their total down by about 50 less than they would have got had they batted at a normal run rate. I hope we can make a couple more inroads before the new ball is taken in 21 overs.

Odd looking pitch. Looked very grey skies and green pitch, and the outfield was pretty slow. Suggestions that with it geting a bit hotter the pitch and outfield could dry out and speed up and make scoring easier on days 2 and 3, before taking spin later. If so, lets hope its us who get to use the majority of days 2 and 3!

 

[Shrimper]

:smile:

 

[Bluesmanager]

45 minutes to lunch, Aus 189/8. We'll be batting before the day's out, hopefully a good 100-150 on the card.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Ha, am struggling to tell the difference between replays and live. I think that's Australia eight down and the second wicket was live, but Richie is confusing me by saying Australia are 9 down!

 

[Shrimper]

8 down, when does the domestic season start?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

8 down, when does the domestic season start?

Not until April but we've got the World Cup first!

 

[number11]

I'd still just about favour favour our position, but we can't quite keep up the intensity to keep them down.....letting them get at least 50 more than they should, then KP getting out 4 overs before the close....... Need two more good partnerships at least to clinch a series win...... come on Colly - a century and retirement will be a great way to go!

 

[MrB]

come on Colly - a century and retirement will be a great way to go!

Not forgetting bowling out Mr Cricket!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I'd still just about favour favour our position, but we can't quite keep up the intensity to keep them down.....letting them get at least 50 more than they should, then KP getting out 4 overs before the close....... Need two more good partnerships at least to clinch a series win...... come on Colly - a century and retirement will be a great way to go!

That was some of the worst cricket England have played all tour.

God knows what Strauss was thinking opening with Bresnan and Swann after lunch and men back on the boundary offering easy out shots. Anderson belatedly came back and only needed one ball to wrap things up.

It was so bad that at one stage the field was back for Hilfenhaus as well and he just had to get bat on ball for an easy single.