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Is Cricket 'DEAD' Thread

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We are playing like headless chooks need to bring that fast bowler svek or whatever we have no spice on our bowling it's sickening to see us play like this.
 
Stuck in the beach house with a sleeping 3 year old.

Don't blame the bowlers; lay this at the feet of the batsmen who couldn't survive the first day on a featherbed.

It's really no suprise Doherty is struggling - nothing to defend and batsmen seeing it like watermelons. He is bowling near enough to Swann's speed btw, just doesn't know how to defend himself.

The long term spinner is Smith, maybe Krezja.
 
I've seen enough of Doherty now. It might be nerves, but he seems to lacks the most important attribute a spinner can posses.... the ability to beat the batsmen with flight.

It's also pretty clear Ponting doesn't rate him. We needed the guy to bowl 30+ overs yesterday. He's into his second or third over of the middle session, bowls three short ones that Cook cuts for 4... instead of challenging him for the next over, Ponting takes him off. I think that's Ponting's biggest weakness as a skipper, but it must be hard when you just don't have the cattle.
 

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As a point of comparison, and I'm not advocating his case as a spinner, North gets much better flight than Doherty. X barely spins the ball either.

Roebuck has written a very good article in today's Age re spinners, he makes some salient points re Ponting and field placements etc.

Terrible few days, hey Langers? That cobbled together batting line-up is starting to self-destruct. By the way, does anyone know what the highest total that Katich and Watson have put together since opening?
 
Australia are 26/1 to win. Not bad odds considering how topsy turvy this series have been so far.
though it just aint gonna happen.
 
KP is destroying the pies that Siddle is dishing up. Dumb, dumb, bowling. Time to bring in Doherty, the bowler brought in to target KP's weakness.
 
grizzlym said:
KP is destroying the pies that Siddle is dishing up. Dumb, dumb, bowling. Time to bring in Doherty, the bowler brought in to target KP's weakness.
Click to expand...

Bowling change worked a treat Grizz
 
I think we're bowling to a plan with KP. Let him hit a lazy 200 odd, lull him into a false sense of security, then strike like a toothless golden retriever.
 
Willie_Rioli said:
might hold out for one more day, when the odds blow out to 500/1 - then it'll be time to strike.
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Ill be generous and give you 600's Cyril....

Im over it now. Cant stand the field placings by captain fantastic.

V8's starting shortly so switching across and flicking back during the ad breaks.
 

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This is the worst Australian team since the early 80's ,time to sack guys like Clark and North and give younger guys a shot like Ferguson ,Kawaja and cam White and not drop them after just 1or 2 tests ,give them as many opportunities as they have given Ponting's mates to make runs.
 
Nielsen and the selectors have to go. The apparent lack of planning for the composition of the team post retirements has been bad. Look at the players in the team now, and the pile of discards, and it paints a sad picture.

And then the woeful skills, the mental resignation, the brittleness exhibited on the field...

Time to clean house in my opinion.
 
grizzlym said:
Nielsen and the selectors have to go. The apparent lack of planning for the composition of the team post retirements has been bad. Look at the players in the team now, and the pile of discards, and it paints a sad picture.

And then the woeful skills, the mental resignation, the brittleness exhibited on the field...

Time to clean house in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Won't happen until the Ashes are lost, which could be Perth....
 
Yes, aussies will learn a leasson today. Disgraceful perfromance.

We can be officially labelled as 'dad's army'.
 

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grizzlym said:
I think we're bowling to a plan with KP. Let him hit a lazy 200 odd, lull him into a false sense of security, then strike like a toothless golden retriever.
Click to expand...

I was right!
 
grizzlym said:
Nielsen and the selectors have to go. The apparent lack of planning for the composition of the team post retirements has been bad. Look at the players in the team now, and the pile of discards, and it paints a sad picture.

And then the woeful skills, the mental resignation, the brittleness exhibited on the field...

Time to clean house in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Don't usually place much stock in Bob Craddock's writing, but he cut through today in the Hun. Australia is, in essence, picking it's best team.

I disagree that there is no one knocking on the door. You don't leave Khawaja out on the back of a failure for Australia A and ignore a body of work in the Shield, nor should they ignore Callum Ferguson when he is fit.

The question is now does picking the best team serve our long term interests? We can beaten just as easily playing Khawaja at 6 as North, getting Phillip Hughes another chance instead of Katich and playing Steve Smith instead of the cavalcade of three test spinners we seem to enjoy producing. And in 12 months, you hand the keeping gloves to Tim Paine or Matthew Wade and say "they are yours, go for it."

And I wonder whether Shield Cricket is acting as a handbrake on the Test team in the way County Cricket held back the English for so long. Too many players not on the national radar holding state contracts just good enough to stop them seeking a living beyond the game?
 
See, I think, despite averaging 50+ that our opener partnership is wrong for the team balance. I can't see either batsman hitting a big score or occupying the crease. I also think that Watson needs to bowl for Australia and opening doesn't help him do that. I'd love to see Watson settle at 5 or 6. But we're pretty much locked in now. I honestly don't know where another opener will come from in the short term - people I know say Hughes is a shadow of the player he was.

Khawaja is a big talent, no mistaking that. But again, I'm not sure if he's quite ready yet. Incidentally, a couple of the more experienced NSW boys felt he might have a lean year. Second year blues, I guess!

Smith's an interesting one. Again, hugely talented but for my money, at the moment, doesn't make the team as a specialised batsman. And his bowling is quite a bit off test level. I don't know what role he plays.

I like the look of Ferguson. He's got a nice game, very good technique. I'd play him at 5/6 ahead of Khawaja at the moment.

I was having a conversation over coffee this morning with a friend who's an ex Victorian keeper. He's firmly of the opinion that he'd play North as a spinner in front of Doherty or Hauritz. He also thinks we shpuld be aiming to take him to England in 18 months time as a spinner! He thinks he's got good flight and spins the thing. Also says he's had his chance as a test batsman. Sort of like a worthwhile project - nothing to lose. Interesting.
 
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