4th Ashes Test: Australia v England, Dec 26-30, MCG

[Public Enemy No1]

From a facebook friend:
Captain Cook's Ashes tour has been so bad he'd better hope the flight home doesn't include a stopover in Hawaii. ‪

lol

 

[LukeParkerno1]

No better option? Cooks woeful broad and KP were arguing with him today over field placements.

He's a good player but not a captain, if he's not going to listen to those around him he needs results from his decisions as it is he's shown nothing.

Nothing to do with moulding the side he needs a hiatus to learn HOW to captain, he doesn't listen to advice and continually makes poor decisions.

He's like Ponting his s**t captaincy protected by team performance, when the team was on fire his s**t decisions didn't have much impact.

Now England have fallen soooo far so quickly his s**t decisions are masked by brain fades and poor reaction Times.

The longer he captains the worse they will suffer, he lacks the decision making skills to dig in and fight back.

You can have your rant...but who is better. Bell hates captaining, Michael Vaughan even said he hated being given the vice captaincy, so he isn't a chance. Broad, possibly, but jeez a bowler as a captain and one who does get injured a bit wouldn't be the best option. Who else? Root...maybe in 5 years...Stokes is 22..Carberry will be lucky to be there in a year..KP will retire soon. Go on, please name me a 'better option'. I agree his captaincy isn't great, but there isn't a captain in the side that could take over. It isn't like Clarke...and now Smith who is being groomed.

 

[Outshined]

Johnson 3 man of the match awards in 4 tests and 30 wickets so far. What a blinder of a series he's having!

And to think everyone laughed when Clarke said he'd be the player of the series.

 

[Dan Cooper]

And to think everyone laughed when Clarke said he'd be the player of the series.

He already is in most people's minds, regardless of what happens in Sydney.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Even when Rogers went out, Watson seemed to be wanting to hit fours and to get the game over and done with ASAP. I suspect he wanted to fit in a quick 18 before the celebratory party gets under way.

Watto looked very good today, as did Rogers.

England were abysmal, tactically had nothing, and dropped utter sitters.

Big question, Did you have a go on the slide????

 

[Copernicus]

Cook isn't the greatest captain, but he's seemingly well-respected within the team and leads by example.

Sure he's a bit of a nuffy tactically, but that stuff isn't desperately important. Field placings aren't why they are down 4-0. If England were holding catches and making runs they'd be fine.

Yeah, about that...

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Even though I only got to see 1 1/2 sessions, it was thoroughly enjoyable to see Rogers make a ton, Clarke to get to 8,000 runs and the poms get crushed by eight wickets.

 

[Dan Cooper]

Watto looked very good today, as did Rogers.

Big question, Did you have a go on the slide????

I think the entire Aussie team should go and have a slide after they've fully 're-hydrated.'

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Watto looked very good today, as did Rogers.

England were abysmal, tactically had nothing, and dropped utter sitters.

Big question, Did you have a go on the slide????

Alas no. It was on the other side of the ground from where we were sitting.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Watto looked very good today, as did Rogers.

England were abysmal, tactically had nothing, and dropped utter sitters.

Big question, Did you have a go on the slide????

Watson always looks good when he plays almost ODI mode...heaven knows why he decides to bat every other way possible. His batting does not suit a stay in, anchor type. If he gets out being aggressive, so be it, but I'd rather that than him prodding around getting 15 off 80 balls before the usual poke outside off or the LBW.

 

[MinerBoy]

They were saying how Clarke's batting average has jumped since he became captain. It was the same with Ian Chappell. He was averaging high 30s until he became captain, and then averaged over 50 in his captaincy. Some people are just natural leaders.

No one rates Ponting's captaincy but pretty sure his batting average went through the roof his first 3-4 years at the helm before he tapered away in his final years.

 

[Dan Cooper]

Watson always looks good when he plays almost ODI mode...heaven knows why he decides to bat every other way possible. His batting does not suit a stay in, anchor type. If he gets out being aggressive, so be it, but I'd rather that than him prodding around getting 15 off 80 balls before the usual poke outside off or the LBW.

I am in no way comparing Watson in ability to Mark Waugh and Doug Walters, but he is similar in that he is best just playing his own natural game and not taking into account the state of the match.

 

[Bianconerri]

wtf, did you people watch the game? Johnson's bowling was critical. He destroyed the tail, took eight wickets for few runs, got a great run out and took the huge wicket of Cook when England were looking really settled. Roger's 100 was great but he should've been caught out twice and it was in dead time really.

​

Rogers made it dead time !​

​

 

[Donakebab]

wtf, did you people watch the game? Johnson's bowling was critical. He destroyed the tail, took eight wickets for few runs, got a great run out and took the huge wicket of Cook when England were looking really settled. Roger's 100 was great but he should've been caught out twice and it was in dead time really.

England's tail is ******* woeful, destroying it is hardly something to write home about. Lyon's 5 in the second innings in rough conditions were more impressive than Johnson's 5 in the first imo. Rogers' along with Haddin saving Australia from utter capitulation in the first innings was just as vital as either effort from the bowlers.

As for Rogers century being in dead time and that he should have been caught twice, the dead time part is bullshit and the woulda shoulda game about dropped catches, does the fact Pietersen should have hit the ball that Johnson got him with detract from the wicket?

 

[Dan Cooper]

wtf, did you people watch the game? Johnson's bowling was critical. He destroyed the tail, took eight wickets for few runs, got a great run out and took the huge wicket of Cook when England were looking really settled. Roger's 100 was great but he should've been caught out twice and it was in dead time really.

You cannot possibly be serious

I got a belly laugh out of that

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

A 100 chasing a total of over 200 is now dead time?

Hmm....

 

[Sylvia Saint]

England's tail is ******* woeful, destroying it is hardly something to write home about. Lyon's 5 in the second innings in rough conditions were more impressive than Johnson's 5 in the first imo.

Actually England's tail is pretty good normally. Bresnan averages 30, Broad 25 or so with a test century, even Swann was averaging 20+ before he retired. There's a reason they have looked '******* woeful' this series and that's because they are scared shitless and have been completely destroyed by Johnson.

 

[Black Diamond]

I didn't take a radio with me. Was there any reason why Broad barely bowled in the post-lunch session? From memory, Cook alternated Stokes and Bresnan from the northern end and Anderson and Monty from the southern end, but it seemed to me that Broad barely had a trundle.

There wasn't a particular reason. I wouldn't be surprised if Broad is stuffed though.

 

[Caesar]

Cook probably figured the match was lost and there was no point wasting Broad when he's been bowling all match injured anyway.

 

[Forward Press]

So did Clarke still make the wrong decision to send England in first?

 

[royalsfan]

Im calling it now. Watto out for under 5 LBW

How you feeling now?

 

[Zach Package]

So did Clarke still make the wrong decision to send England in first?

bowl them out for 250 in the first innings, i'd say that's a pass, just

 

[Big Bryza]

Cook isn't the greatest captain, but he's seemingly well-respected within the team and leads by example.

Sure he's a bit of a nuffy tactically, but that stuff isn't desperately important. Field placings aren't why they are down 4-0. If England were holding catches and making runs they'd be fine.

Tactical nous as a captain is massively important. The bloke is so reactive that it's not even funny anymore. Where Clarke looks to win a match, Cook tries to not lose it.

 

[yakka man]

England's tail is ******* woeful, destroying it is hardly something to write home about. Lyon's 5 in the second innings in rough conditions were more impressive than Johnson's 5 in the first imo. Rogers' along with Haddin saving Australia from utter capitulation in the first innings was just as vital as either effort from the bowlers.

As for Rogers century being in dead time and that he should have been caught twice, the dead time part is bullshit and the woulda shoulda game about dropped catches, does the fact Pietersen should have hit the ball that Johnson got him with detract from the wicket?

You cannot possibly be serious

I got a belly laugh out of that

******* Watson got 80 runs! That show how relatively easy it was out there. I'm not having a go at Rogers at all. Just saying that Johnson has destroyed the Poms this series and 8 wickets (one of which was Cook who was looking superb) is enough to see him be MOTM.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Now, NO ******* STUPID SHOTS!

We have TWO. *******. DAYS.

Thanks for heeding my advice Australia.

Well, most of you anyway.