**The Official Cricket Thread** (serious)

[Hitch23]

If we lose this test our only chance is to roll out a team that looks something like: Katich, Rogers, Ponting (although I doubt he'll come back), Hodge, Clarke, D. Hussey (he deserves a test, and M. Hussey is less likely to come back under Clarke as Hodge and Katch are), Hartley, Agar/ Faulkner (if Agar isn't good enough, then we shouldn't play a spinner), Harris, Patto/ Siddle, Bird.

Watson isn't good enough to act like the big man the media is claiming he is in the dressing room. If the rumours are true then he needs to go.

The team you just named is 100x better than our current XI and I'd actually back them to win over in England. It's a shambles how players like David Hussey and Katich suddenly fall completely out of favour with selectors even despite maintaining a high level of performance.... I mean, David Hussey not being in last month's champions trophy team, wtf? It's all politics. He should be the first name picked in our middle order considering the players available right now.

I also laugh at how all the sheep that were jumping on the media bandwagon a few months ago saying that Mike Hussey and Ponting were "too old" and "past it" are now the first saying that they need to be recalled. Our current team is crying out for players like them

[G_Train]

So what the fugg happened last night?

[Iron_Prophet]

God I hate Watson, smuggest kunt out who hasn't backed up his selection in years. Watched the first hour and a half of Aus batting last night and turned it of in disgust.

Was always going to be hard getting over the fact we will likely not reach the level we did with our golden team for many many years. Once in a generation line up of players that we will probably never see the equivalent of while we live.

[G_Train]

God I hate Watson, smuggest kunt out who hasn't backed up his selection in years. Watched the first hour and a half of Aus batting last night and turned it of in disgust.

Was always going to be hard getting over the fact we will likely not reach the level we did with our golden team for many many years. Once in a generation line up of players that we will probably never see the equivalent of while we live.

100%

I missed the play last night were there ANY positives at all? How did Usman look?

[Hitch23]

100%

I missed the play last night were there ANY positives at all? How did Usman look?

Zero positives.

Didn't really look comfortable at all. Struggled especially with Swann. He knicked one straight to Trott at first slip off his bowling who dropped a sitter. Shortly after he had a brain fade and was on his way

[sculopasta]

^^ The problem is Usman, Smith, Hughes etc are all playing for a spot in the team which is putting them under more pressure with the bat. They don't want to go out so play defensively which kills the run rate, which leads them to try and up the run rate which leads to stupid shots chasing wide balls (hughes) or playing a chit shot (usman)

Once this series is unwinnable for aus I wouldn't be surprised to see one of them or even that ******* watson crack a ton with the pressure off

[Bunk247]

Hodge was a run scoring beast, pity about the age and the era he played in. Still thought he should have been able to push his way in at different stages though.

Funniest memory of Hodge is him fielding on the boundary right in front of me at an ODI in Auckland in 2005-ish, with these literally slack'jawed cleetus yokels screaming the most over the top abuse at him, calling his mum a whore, etc etc,... was pretty bizarre. He eventually lost the plot completely and started screaming at them hahahahhaa.

He should have moved to NZ and qualified for them, could have been our best batsman since... the beginning of time probably.

Always been a huge fan of Hodge, was really pleased for him when he got his chance and he didn't really do alot wrong. He's played alot of County cricket and i seem to remember his twenty20 record at the start of the format was one of the best around.

Contrast that with Khawaja, the only thing that made me laugh more than his selection was Clarke bigging him up at the toss. For me he will never be a Test batsman, his innings yesterday was one of the ugliest i've seen. Swann bowled pretty well, but it looked like he was scratching around with a toothpick before that ugly heave to get out.

David Hussey and Hodge are far better players imo.

[Hitch23]

Khawaja is actually one of the current players in the team I'd persist with and give an extended run in the team to prove himself. His technique is solid and at the moment is the best we've got, still young too

[Judge_Joe_Brown]

lol @ Australia, just lol.

[Bunk247]

Khawaja is actually one of the current players in the team I'd persist with and give an extended run in the team to prove himself. His technique is solid and at the moment is the best we've got, still young too

i hope you do when he made his debut in the last Ashes there was alot of hype over him, i was shocked to see him look so out of place though. Over the last few years i've kept an eye on him to see if my first impression was wrong, but if anything he seems to of gone backwards.

England in 2004 against South Africa, they gave debuts to Amla, De Villiers and Steyn. Even though they weren't great, you could tell they were going to be eventually. Khawaja? Nowhere near that, for me.

[gangaslayer]

I was excited about Rogers getting a shot at the start of this series, but watching last night he was pathetic.

He got so many 4 balls the over or 2 before he got out and could barely hit them off the square. What's the point in keeping out the good balls if you can't put away the bad ones? The same overly defensive mindset resulted in him missing a ball-high full toss (seriously?).

He's just looking like being another Ed Cowan at test level.

he got put into a position that isnt natural. watson was smashing it around the park and he had to play the steading roll. seeing him first hand he is the best opener in the country, i have no doubt in my mind about that. his second innings in the first test showed what he can do. and getting a ball like that you never suspect has that effect, if he had the challenge, would have been given not out.

[kiwiguy68]

Khawaja is actually one of the current players in the team I'd persist with and give an extended run in the team to prove himself. His technique is solid and at the moment is the best we've got, still young too

From memory he got into the team about 2 years ago when either SA or England were touring Aus? Seemed pretty solid at the time although didn't get huge scores

[TheJediBrah]

^^ The problem is Usman, Smith, Hughes etc are all playing for a spot in the team which is putting them under more pressure with the bat. They don't want to go out so play defensively which kills the run rate, which leads them to try and up the run rate which leads to stupid shots chasing wide balls (hughes) or playing a chit shot (usman)

Once this series is unwinnable for aus I wouldn't be surprised to see one of them or even that ******* watson crack a ton with the pressure off

I wish that were the case. Honestly they just aren't good enough at this point in time.

[QB_Killa]

Anyone here played any decent level cricket?

I'd love to know what facing a ball from swan is like

Faced Curtly Ambrose when I was 15. (srs) Bricks were shat.

[Hitch23]

England will just bat the rest of this day out, get a lead of 500+ then we'll just have to try and bat for 2 days and get a draw. Highly doubt we can do it, but I hope to see at least some fight from our batsmen

[Bunk247]

Thought we already established Root was getting a century here? lol.

That was the first innings, but still, wizard.

[itsMoeyy]

Just lol... First Haddin drops Root at like 10/20ish and then 3rd umpire doesn't give bell out when he clearly got caught at 1. Even though the Aus team is in shambles right now, I really do feel for them because of some of the bad umpiring decisions they've had to face.

I can't imagine what will happen in the 3rd, 4th and 5th test, yet alone another series undertaking after this one...

[Bunk247]

Just lol... First Haddin drops Root at like 10/20ish and then 3rd umpire doesn't give bell out when he clearly got caught at 1. Even though the Aus team is in shambles right now, I really do feel for them because of some of the bad umpiring decisions they've had to face.

I can't imagine what will happen in the 3rd, 4th and 5th test, yet alone another series undertaking after this one...

The worrying thing is that i thought the Trent Bridge and Lords pitches would be Australias best chance. Swann is going to get alot more bounce and turn on the last 3 pitches, same for Broad. i expected the first two games to be close, with England pulling away over the second half of the series.

People laughed at the white wash before, i was one of them. i'm starting to think it's a possibility now though.

[Doomster23]

The worrying thing is that i thought the Trent Bridge and Lords pitches would be Australias best chance. Swann is going to get alot more bounce and turn on the last 3 pitches, same for Broad. i expected the first two games to be close, with England pulling away over the second half of the series.

People laughed at the white wash before, i was one of them. i'm starting to think it's a possibility now though.

Inb4 the English press claim this England team could beat the 06' Aussies. Aus would currently be 2-0 up in this series if the 06' team was playing.

[Bunk247]

Inb4 the English press claim this England team could beat the 06' Aussies. Aus would currently be 2-0 up in this series if the 06' team was playing.

Maybe! And the Borderline team of the '30's would be 2-0 up on everyone

Past is past, there's nothing anyone can do about that. All that matters is what's happening now and over the coming series' for me.

What did you think of Root today? i know you weren't too sure about him before the series.

[FunSize1990]

Inb4 the English press claim this England team could beat the 06' Aussies. Aus would currently be 2-0 up in this series if the 06' team was playing.

We would be 1-1 if the umpire wasn't being paid... With this current game being completely different and probably much closer.

Lets be honest the standard of umpiring in this series has been mvp status for England.

[Doomster23]

Maybe! And the Borderline team of the '30's would be 2-0 up on everyone

Past is past, there's nothing anyone can do about that. All that matters is what's happening now and over the coming series' for me.

What did you think of Root today? i know you weren't too sure about him before the series.

He's good, but he is a player who looks like he could get out at any delivery - especially early in his innings. He's young, so he'll improve, but at the moment he doesn't have that 'assurity' that the best players have at the crease when they are in (Clarke, Pietersen, Cook, Kallis, Amla, De Villiers, Sangakara, Chanderpaul etc). I'd take a player like him in the aus team at the moment.

EDIT: By assurity, I mean that when players like Ponting (pre-35) and Lara got past 10, you'd start peppering your Angus if you were a fan of the bowling side.

[Bunk247]

He's good, but he is a player who looks like he could get out at any delivery - especially early in his innings. He's young, so he'll improve, but at the moment he doesn't have that 'assurity' that the best players have at the crease when they are in (Clarke, Pietersen, Cook, Kallis, Amla, De Villiers, Sangakara, Chanderpaul etc). I'd take a player like him in the aus team at the moment.

EDIT: By assurity, I mean that when players like Ponting (pre-35) and Lara got past 10, you'd start peppering your Angus if you were a fan of the bowling side.

Oh yeah he's certainly not there yet. This is only his second Test opening afterall.

For me the sign that someone is going to be good is when they look like they have all the time in the world, which he has.

Will be interesting to see what they do if Pietersen is injured for the 3rd Test. There's lots of options, Taylor, Bopara, Morgan, Ali, Chopra, Ballance. KP has one huge innings a year, then not alot else for awhile.

[FunSize1990]

Katich is over in England at the moment playing for Lancashire, currently averaging 73. This is the player they dropped in 2010 because they wanted a "strong opening wicket partnership for the Ashes in 2013"

... That went well.

[Doomster23]

Oh yeah he's certainly not there yet. This is only his second Test opening afterall.

For me the sign that someone is going to be good is when they look like they have all the time in the world, which he has.

Will be interesting to see what they do if Pietersen is injured for the 3rd Test. There's lots of options, Taylor, Bopara, Morgan, Ali, Chopra, Ballance. KP has one huge innings a year, then not alot else for awhile.

I really hope you guys pick Morgan or Bopara, they look seriously average at test level - especially Bopara.

[Bunk247]

I really hope you guys pick Morgan or Bopara, they look seriously average at test level - especially Bopara.

Morgan isn't great yeah, he's one of the best one day players out there, the shots he comes up with and the way he picks the gaps is incredible. He just doesn't have the right technique for the longer game unfortunately. Bopara isn't so bad, he's always been weak mentally, which he seems to of fixed over the last year and his record is fantastic. He was also very good in the Champions Trophy. The talent is strong in him, he scored 3 centuries in a row a couple of years back.

i mentioned Taylor last week, he would probably be my pick.

[Psychotropic]

Katich is over in England at the moment playing for Lancashire, currently averaging 73. This is the player they dropped in 2010 because they wanted a "strong opening wicket partnership for the Ashes in 2013"

... That went well.

Katich has said he would jump at the chance to play for Aus again, so there may be some hope.

In other news David Warner made 6 & 11 against Zimbabwe…

[Bunk247]

Katich has said he would jump at the chance to play for Aus again, so there may be some hope.

In other news David Warner made 6 & 11 against Zimbabwe…

6 and 11? Get him back to England quick, you might manage to make 150 in the next game lol.

[Psychotropic]

6 and 11? Get him back to England quick, you might manage to make 150 in the next game lol.

This ad has been playing regularly during cricket telecast in Aus

Obviously ‘fame’ has got to Davey’s head

[Bunk247]

This ad has been playing regularly during cricket telecast in Aus

Obviously ‘fame’ has got to Davey’s head

Oh wow haha. Do they keep showing the same adverts over there too?

Sky have a great opening over here, but after seeing it what must be 50 times by now, it's doing my head in.