The Association Football Cricket thread

[Art Vandelay_]

Why is Anderson in that side...

He's the Boomer Harvey of fast bowlers

Lillee or Ambrose or Walsh or Hadlee are ahead of him

Yeah nah. He’s one of the genuine greats.

 

[go you pups]

Yeah nah. He’s one of the genuine greats.

Lol

Giving him way too much credit/overrating him imo

Above average swing bowler and one of England's best, but no way in the conversation of best ever XI, longevity has largely gotten him the test fast bowling record, not excellence.

Where's Murali then?

 

[go you pups]

Anderson, 149 tests 575 wickets av 26.94

McGrath, 124 tests 563 wickets av 21.64

Massive gap between them two

 

[eth-dog]

Yeah McGrath's record stacks up far better. McGrath averages 27 or less against everyone. Averages 29 or less in every nation bar Pakistan, where he's averaging 31. Anderson only averages under 30 in England, UAE and the West Indies. That being said, he's a great bowler. As for mine:

Alastair Cook
Graeme Smith (c)
Kumar Sangakkara
Jacques Kallis
Ricky Ponting
Sachin Tendulkar
Adam Gilchrist (+)
Shane Warne
Dale Steyn
Muttiah Muralitharan
Glenn McGrath

And based on their records:

Jack Hobbs
Herbert Sutcliffe
Don Bradman
Jacques Kallis
Kumar Sangakkara
Garfield Sobers
Adam Gilchrist (+)
Richard Hadlee
Malcolm Marshall
Shane Warne
Muttiah Muralidaran

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Alastair cook.
I ought to slap you

Lol

Giving him way too much credit/overrating him imo

Above average swing bowler and one of England's best, but no way in the conversation of best ever XI, longevity has largely gotten him the test fast bowling record, not excellence.

Where's Murali then?

Only one spinner needed and the chucker doesn’t get the spot

 

[glenferry23]

Anderson I would classify as an all time great, yes. Whether he’s great enough to get into an all time XI, for me, no.

I would have Ambrose ahead of him, a handful of others probably too such as Marshall. It was a pretty good XI nonetheless from Gero I felt.

Comes down to a lot of personal preferences and gets in very subjective territory. For example, one of the best pace bowlers I’ve seen was Shane Bond. Unbelievable at his peak however crippled by back injuries, couldn’t really justify getting him into my final XI.

 

[eth-dog]

Alastair cook.
I ought to slap you
Only one spinner needed and the chucker doesn’t get the spot

Name a better opener of the past 20 years other than Smith.

I'm a fan of the best 4 bowlers, regardless of whether they're seamers or spinners, and those two are probably 1 and 3 of who I've seen with Steyn in between. Kallis adds a third seaming option. Regardless of whether or not he chucks it he was a great bowler and deserving of that spot.

 

[go you pups]

Name a better opener of the past 20 years other than Smith.

I'm a fan of the best 4 bowlers, regardless of whether they're seamers or spinners, and those two are probably 1 and 3 of who I've seen with Steyn in between. Kallis adds a third seaming option. Regardless of whether or not he chucks it he was a great bowler and deserving of that spot.

Hayden

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Name a better opener of the past 20 years other than Smith.

I'm a fan of the best 4 bowlers, regardless of whether they're seamers or spinners, and those two are probably 1 and 3 of who I've seen with Steyn in between. Kallis adds a third seaming option. Regardless of whether or not he chucks it he was a great bowler and deserving of that spot.

This isn’t even worth discussing if it’s only the last twenty years.

 

[WealstoneRaider]

I’d have Phil Tufnell over Warne.

 

[Magma]

I’d have Phil Tufnell over Warne.

in the commentary box yeah (yeah)

speaking of, loved the pommy broadcast of the test. it feels really professional and well done. one of my favourite bits was nasser pulling up the analysis of smith's batting strengths and that he really only had 1 weakness, but deviate from it slightly and he averaged 60.

plus i hadnt heard kumar commentate before and i thought he was brilliant.

 

[glenferry23]

in the commentary box yeah (yeah)

speaking of, loved the pommy broadcast of the test. it feels really professional and well done. one of my favourite bits was nasser pulling up the analysis of smith's batting strengths and that he really only had 1 weakness, but deviate from it slightly and he averaged 60.

plus i hadnt heard kumar commentate before and i thought he was brilliant.

The commentary was very good yes, refreshing change from the broadcast here where at times you have Healy and Slater etc talking for the sake of talking.

Not every single second of the game needs to have a voiceover, it’s ok to have moments of silence. I also noticed a mark difference on the final day of the stump mic, the volume appeared much higher.

 

[WealstoneRaider]

The commentary was very good yes, refreshing change from the broadcast here where at times you have Healy and Slater etc talking for the sake of talking.

Not every single second of the game needs to have a voiceover, it’s ok to have moments of silence. I also noticed a mark difference on the final day of the stump mic, the volume appeared much higher.

Don’t mind the Aussie commentators we have over here. Not overly biased in my opinion and they obviously respect the viewers by not showing their partisanship

 

[eth-dog]

Hayden

Averages below 40 in Bangladesh, England, New Zealand and South Africa. Compared to Cook who averages above 44 everywhere except New Zealand and South Africa. Nine of Hayden's tons came outside of Australia compared to 18 of Cook's. Cook is better.

This isn’t even worth discussing if it’s only the last twenty years.

Well then you should keep your gob shut for once.

 

[Magma]

at least bancroft can catch. doesnt offer much else.

 

[glenferry23]

Huge issues with this opening pair, not many alternatives though. Warner is Broad’s bunny.

They leave so much for Smith to do, the man is human and eventually he’ll get out for a low score. Can’t expect him to hit 140+ every innings.

Bowlers have been pretty damn impressive. This rotation policy seems to be working, Hazlewood comes in and looks sharp and hits the deck hard.

On an aside, Siddle’s figures don’t really do him justice. So many dropped catches, Paine in particular has fluffed a few. With a bit of luck he’d have a few bags of 2-3 wickets.

 

[WealstoneRaider]

With the obvious brilliant exception of Smith, no one can bat in this series. Dreadful application. It’s got to be down to the shortened versions of the game

 

[glenferry23]

Agree with that, many of the players have rolled into this series off the back of the IPL in April/May and then the long World Cup.

Also, it must be said both teams have some damn good bowlers. Australia’s pace attack is about as good as it’s been since the days of say Gillespie, Lee and McGrath. That’s had an impact too.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Warner is anyone's bunny in England. Siddle is in as horses for courses.
IF we did that with batsman Warner wouldn't be on tour. Rubbish record in England.

 

[glenferry23]

That was just about the only way to remove Smith from the crease, he’s just in ridiculously sublime form. Nasty delivery from Archer, almost unplayable. Hope he’s ok.

 

[glenferry23]

Still a decent chance of a result here, with the rate at which wickets have fallen this match. Weather depending of course.

Hell of a battle between Archer and Smith, keen to see them face off for the rest of this series. There are all sorts of possibilities with a blow to the head like that; delayed concussion symptoms, brain fog, cognitive delay etc.

He just didn’t look quite right in coming back out, bravery aside but some things just aren’t worth the risk. He’s a one man show at the moment, amazing batsman.

Pleased to see Siddle finally get a return for his efforts, so many dropped catches off him so far. He had to do it himself to make sure it’s caught correctly. Great series so far, gripping to watch.

 

[glenferry23]

Smith likely out of the next test (possibly more) is almost a victory in itself for England.

The batting is very brittle without him, Broad and Archer could easily skittle that line up.

 

[Magma]

all hail marinated bus change

 

[WealstoneRaider]

Archer is brutal. He really wants to break a few bones out there. Gotta to have balls of steel to face up to deliveries like that.

 

[glenferry23]

Archer has almost single handily changed the Ashes. Brutal bowling.

Smith was on course for a 750-800 run series total.