Cricket

[Gysberts2Bate]

Cricket is unsurpassed.

 

[Johnny Karate]

Visceral anti-English reaction: I hope those tea-sipping, soap dodging, small handed, cabbage odoured, pitch doctoring carnies enjoy their tie x 2, count back, hollow crown. No doubt there’ll be open top buses, parades, OBEs, MBEs and knighthoods. Or perhaps they could take all of that and the 4 off the bat, Seth African opener, Barbadian fast bowler, Irish captain, NZ born coward puncher, kolpak contracts and stick it all up their arse?

 

[Cannon82]

Visceral anti-English reaction: I hope those tea-sipping, soap dodging, small handed, cabbage odoured, pitch doctoring carnies enjoy their tie x 2, count back, hollow crown. No doubt there’ll be open top buses, parades, OBEs, MBEs and knighthoods. Or perhaps they could take all of that and the 4 off the bat, Seth African opener, Barbadian fast bowler, Irish captain, NZ born coward puncher, kolpak contracts and stick it all up their arse?

How dare you not support the Empire...

 

[Klyntonius]

Australia play an intra-club match yesterday in preparation for the Ashes - and make an impressive 225 runs for the loss of 20 wickets...

Warner - 4
Harris - 6
Labuschagne - 41
Head - 1
Patterson - 2
Pucovski - 4
Carey - 6

Bancroft - 17
Burns - 18
Smith - 9
Wade - 10
Handscomb - 2
MMarsh - 29
Paine - 2



In some slightly relieving news, England are playing a test again Ireland and had their top order skittled to the tune of 7 for 43.


Crazy. (actually just incompetent)

 

[Cannon82]

Australia play an intra-club match yesterday in preparation for the Ashes - and make an impressive 225 runs for the loss of 20 wickets...

Warner - 4
Harris - 6
Labuschagne - 41
Head - 1
Patterson - 2
Pucovski - 4
Carey - 6

Bancroft - 17
Burns - 18
Smith - 9
Wade - 10
Handscomb - 2
MMarsh - 29
Paine - 2



In some slightly relieving news, England are playing a test again Ireland and had their top order skittled to the tune of 7 for 43.


Crazy. (actually just incompetent)

Bancroft has now returned so the band is back together. I'm a little surprised with some of the selections - completely ignore previous form in the most recent series and just put most of the selection weight on a scratch match. Saying that, I woudn't have minded seeing Carey get a go. Not sure how long we're supposed to persist with Paine just because he's a nice guy.

Ireland were rolled for 38 in the last innings, too. Poms had a few missing from their best XI, and I'm shocked they think Jason Roy is a test cricketer.

 

[Klyntonius]

Bancroft has now returned so the band is back together. I'm a little surprised with some of the selections - completely ignore previous form in the most recent series and just put most of the selection weight on a scratch match. Saying that, I woudn't have minded seeing Carey get a go. Not sure how long we're supposed to persist with Paine just because he's a nice guy.

Ireland were rolled for 38 in the last innings, too. Poms had a few missing from their best XI, and I'm shocked they think Jason Roy is a test cricketer.

I'm not terribly surprised with the selections as, outside of the bowlers, Warner, Smith and Paine* were really the only walk up starts. Maybe Khawaja (for the squad) as well. The rest have significant question marks.

What XI would you pick for the first test? I can't really confidently settle on an XI, just a squad of options.

1. Warner
2. Bancroft
3. Khawaja/Harris
4. Smith
5. Head
6. Labuschagne/Wade
7. Paine
8. Cummins
9. Pattinson
10. Siddle/Starc
11. Lyon

On what I think it's deserved form I'd have Harris, Khawaja and Wade in but that would leave us with 5 of the top 6 as lefties and the English bowlers have an excellent record against left handers so I'd probably have Bancroft and Marnus in for balance (and they've had reasonable form too).

The reports from the practice match were that Starc and Hazelwood looked short of a gallop which is why I didn't have them in and I think we'll have a rotation of our quicks through the series. I could live with Starc in over Siddle though I have a nagging doubt about him in English tests.

In terms of Jason Roy, the English top order is a carousel of failure. They'll be praying he can become Warner level competent.


* Paine is a walk up start purely by virtue of being the current Australian Captain. Hopefully he succeeds for our sake. Good chance Carey is keeper after the series.

 

[Cannon82]

I'm not terribly surprised with the selections as, outside of the bowlers, Warner, Smith and Paine* were really the only walk up starts. Maybe Khawaja (for the squad) as well. The rest have significant question marks.

What XI would you pick for the first test? I can't really confidently settle on an XI, just a squad of options.

1. Warner
2. Bancroft
3. Khawaja/Harris
4. Smith
5. Head
6. Labuschagne/Wade
7. Paine
8. Cummins
9. Pattinson
10. Siddle/Starc
11. Lyon

On what I think it's deserved form I'd have Harris, Khawaja and Wade in but that would leave us with 5 of the top 6 as lefties and the English bowlers have an excellent record against left handers so I'd probably have Bancroft and Marnus in for balance (and they've had reasonable form too).

The reports from the practice match were that Starc and Hazelwood looked short of a gallop which is why I didn't have them in and I think we'll have a rotation of our quicks through the series. I could live with Starc in over Siddle though I have a nagging doubt about him in English tests.

In terms of Jason Roy, the English top order is a carousel of failure. They'll be praying he can become Warner level competent.


* Paine is a walk up start purely by virtue of being the current Australian Captain. Hopefully he succeeds for our sake. Good chance Carey is keeper after the series.

Pretty decent lineup you've put forward, although I'm more worried about the level of hack in it than the number of left-handed players. Patterson, Pucovski, Handscomb, Burns and Harris are on the outside looking in. I'd rather see Labuschagne in than Wade, although I'd consider taking an additional pace bowler, punting Paine and having Wade keep at 6. Hopefully Pattinson is more durable than his history suggests. I've always thought Hazlewood has been our best bowler in tougher conditions, so an attack of Cummins, Pattinson, Starc, Hazelwood and Lyon has plenty of variation and venom.

I think take your lineup, scratch Harris, Wade and Starc. Siddle will get the nod for his somnambulist consistency. Someone who I think the conditions would suit is Tremain. He's been very handy in the Sheffield Shield for a few seasons now and would be a good option to throw in if a Cummins or Pattinson went down.

 

[Fork n Hell]

I'd go with,

Warner
Bancroft
Khawaja
Smith
Head
Labuschagne
Paine
Cummins
Pattinson
Lyon
Siddle

i'd rest Starc for now. i'm backing in Siddle over Hazlewood. I think Hazlewood is the better bowler, but have found him a bit underwhelming for a while now, so i'd give Sids first crack, he can keep it tight and keep the pressure on.

 

[Fork n Hell]

for some reason i'm watching the European cricket league on Fox, good for a laugh. most of the players don't look European though.

 

[Cannon82]

I'd go with,

Warner
Bancroft
Khawaja
Smith
Head
Labuschagne
Paine
Cummins
Pattinson
Lyon
Siddle

i'd rest Starc for now. i'm backing in Siddle over Hazlewood. I think Hazlewood is the better bowler, but have found him a bit underwhelming for a while now, so i'd give Sids first crack, he can keep it tight and keep the pressure on.

Yep, that'll be the eleven for the first test. Don't mind the idea of Pattinson / Cummins opening up - should be lively for the likes of Roy and whoever opens with him. Been a revolving door for England there of late.

 

[Cannon82]

for some reason i'm watching the European cricket league on Fox, good for a laugh. most of the players don't look European though.

I saw the scorecard for the Norway U19 vs Denmark U19 match... not a Svensson or Bjornebye to be seen amongst the two sides. Guess there's not much interest in the sport from the local inhabitants.

 

[Fork n Hell]

Yep, that'll be the eleven for the first test. Don't mind the idea of Pattinson / Cummins opening up - should be lively for the likes of Roy and whoever opens with him. Been a revolving door for England there of late.

yep thats the combo i'm looking forward to seeing with the new ball. could prove a real handful hopefully.

 

[Cannon82]

Australia bargain big three breakup as Mitchell Starc falls behind

Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc have been told they won't play together in the first Ashes Test in order to help prolong their careers after being relied upon too heavily in previous major Test series

www.espncricinfo.com

Crivens. Imagine telling McGrath, Gillespie and Lee that we're too reliant on them and that they won't play together.

"The last two or three years, we've been way too reliant on Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood - they've played a lot of Tests and subsequently picked up lots of niggly injuries along the way. It's a positive for all those guys."

Best quicks selected to play for country - we're too reliant on our best quicks! We need to play our next best bowlers so we're not so reliant on our best bowlers!

 

[Klyntonius]

Australia bargain big three breakup as Mitchell Starc falls behind

Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc have been told they won't play together in the first Ashes Test in order to help prolong their careers after being relied upon too heavily in previous major Test series

www.espncricinfo.com

Crivens. Imagine telling McGrath, Gillespie and Lee that we're too reliant on them and that they won't play together.

"The last two or three years, we've been way too reliant on Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood - they've played a lot of Tests and subsequently picked up lots of niggly injuries along the way. It's a positive for all those guys."

Best quicks selected to play for country - we're too reliant on our best quicks! We need to play our next best bowlers so we're not so reliant on our best bowlers!

I guess if they were injury prone and there were the likes of Ryan Harris and Damien Fleming as depth then it would have been a legitimate consideration. The conversation with Allan Border or Rod Marsh explaining the rotation policy to them would have been entertaining.

 

[Johnny Karate]

I think it will be:
Warner
Bancroft
Khawaja
Smith
Head
Wade
Paine
Cummins
Pattinson
Siddle
Lyon

England
Burns
Roy
Denly
Root
Buttler
Bairstow
Stokes
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Anderson

Starc and Hazlewood out doesn’t bother me. Both are overrated imo.

 

[Klyntonius]

I'm really quite excited about the Ashes. To me, it feels like this is going to be a very close series, pretty much 50/50 with no favourite in my eyes. I think it could very much be a contest similar to 2005 albeit clearly at much lower quality.
Two teams whose undoubted strengths are their bowling lineups, similar to the last Ashes in England, this will be decided by single sessions - disastrous batting capitulations that cost a match. Fingers crossed we have less collapses than they do.

 

[Johnny Karate]

I'm really quite excited about the Ashes. To me, it feels like this is going to be a very close series, pretty much 50/50 with no favourite in my eyes. I think it could very much be a contest similar to 2005 albeit clearly at much lower quality.
Two teams whose undoubted strengths are their bowling lineups, similar to the last Ashes in England, this will be decided by single sessions - disastrous batting capitulations that cost a match. Fingers crossed we have less collapses than they do.

I think England will win because their bowlers and batsmen will be able to exploit the home conditions slightly better. Aussie bowlers should do well and England won’t rack up mammoth scores but it’s hard to see where the centuries come from for Australia. Apart from Smith, no current Australian has scored a test century in England. In short if Bancroft, Khawaja, Head and Wade surprise and can each score a ton in this series (assuming Smith and Warner do) Australia will retain the Ashes.

 

[Cannon82]

I think it will be:
Warner
Bancroft
Khawaja
Smith
Head
Wade
Paine
Cummins
Pattinson
Siddle
Lyon

England
Burns
Roy
Denly
Root
Buttler
Bairstow
Stokes
Ali
Woakes
Broad
Anderson

Starc and Hazlewood out doesn’t bother me. Both are overrated imo.

Bleh, you were right. Wade is in.

 

[Klyntonius]

Player numbers in test cricket. Bleh.

 

[jhong]

Warner very lucky the poms didn't review that first ball to him

 

[Klyntonius]

Uh oh

 

[Cannon82]

Warner very lucky the poms didn't review that first ball to him

Got him in the end. First reaction to that LBW was that it was going down leg. Surprised he didn't review.

 

[Klyntonius]

Got him in the end. First reaction to that LBW was that it was going down leg. Surprised he didn't review.

Thought the same.

 

[Cannon82]

Has Warney spent some time off doing media training? He sounds a little weird and seems to be focusing more on enunciation. Perhaps his larrikin commentary persona has been shelved?

 

[Klyntonius]

Has Warney spent some time off doing media training? He sounds a little weird and seems to be focusing more on enunciation. Perhaps his larrikin commentary persona has been shelved?

So no pizza talk then.