The Ashes

[Ace Ventura]

did anyone actually see the scores of the county game against somerset? everyone thinks its such a shocking loss. their opening batters were jayasuriya and graeme smith! who both belted centuries. i dont believe u can take anything away from either team. both teams batted superbly well. and im not sure if u noticed but a few australian batsmen retired while still in the 80's to give everyone a hit. to make 350 and lose is extremely un lucky.

 

[Craig Ryan]

did anyone actually see the scores of the county game against somerset? everyone thinks its such a shocking loss. their opening batters were jayasuriya and graeme smith! who both belted centuries.

Finally someone has seen the light!!!! Smith and Jayasuriya are international cricketers in their own right, Jayasuriya is as dangerous as they come if he gets on a roll... Given they both made 100's it was no surprise that we lost...

The Bangladesh loss was embarrassing but all other performances have been creditable.. We are in England to win the Ashes, not this hit and giggle crap

 

[BT]

Ok, so I have waited a few days for things to simmer down after the one day final on Saturday but i think some things need to be raised.

For those of you who think that this "Hit and Giggle" Game doesnt mean much, then why does everyone make such a fuss about the Cricket World Cup? Australia is by far the best team in the world according to the rankings, they have won the last 2 (England and South Africa) world cups and so are expected to put in a great performance throughout the entire cricketing year.

I believe Saturday Night rasied some eyebrows. Setting a target of 196 for victory...What can be said about that? Australia started fantastically but then England came back and bowled very well. What happened next is the big issue. England was at 5/33...........that sounds like my local school score. Collingwood and Jones managed to get it back to 5/150. Fantastic batting by those two. The last over, 10 was needed and Glenn McGrath was sent in to bowl...A NO BALL and 4 FULL TOSSES...i would not call that smart bowling.

Do not get me wrong i am not bagging australia in anyway. They have been by far the best team EVER. But is it time for a change? Is an aging pace attack and a continual reliance on part time bowlers their downfall at the moment? Does the one day side need Shane Warne Back??? Is the offield antics of players becoming a more important part of their game?? What do you all think?

 

[Ted the Ambo]

There are some elements of One Day International matches that you can take into Test Match cricket: How well a batsman is hitting a ball; how well a bowler hitting a certain length and how well a captain is tossing a coin. Test match is certainly different from One Day matches. In Test Match cricket, Strategy and Concentration are probably the two most important elements of a Test team.

Australia has been such a cricket superpower due to the depth of players that they have and if one is struggling in the team... usually one (or more) of the others makes up for them. This is most evident when they are playing in Test Matches.

One Day matches were introduced to be appealing for the wider public with a shorter time frame and closer results. Then you have 20/20 cricket. As a cricketer I hate this form of cricket although this doesn't mean all cricketers hate it. 20/20 cricket is definitely the hit and giggle type and should not be indicative of any players form. I hate the idea of having a 20/20 international competition. If it has to be played, keep it on a domestic level. Unfortunately though, if spectators like it then nothing can stop it I suppose. It just seems to be waste of time for mine.

BT, I love it when Australia gets challenged and I think that you are right in some ways when they need a change in the one day arena. Shaun Tait from South Australia is definitely one bowler who should be looked at for the one day series I think. As for the Test team, I really don't think they need to change anyone. The problem with our country is that probably many of the people who cannot make the Australian Test side would be selected in other International teams and I would certainly hate to be a selector!

I'm not sure but it sort of seems as though Australia may not be playing to their fullest potential. Either that or they are struggling a little bit. I suppose what I'm trying to say here is that it is difficult to tell when a team is struggling in 20/20 and ODI matches because of their shortened length and the probability of a loss in these matches is higher. Test Matches soon sort them all out as to form and the like! My honest opinion is that we wait for the first Ashes Test which will determine who is playing well or not. There is no doubt that England has been playing well lately, so don't take anything away from them. In fact (dare I say it), England may very well be the team to give the Australians a run for their money in the Test series because hardly any other country has come close in the last few years. The Australians won't be immortal forever though.

The Ashes willl be a good contest and I can't wait!

 

[Graham]

Who is wearing the handbags now ? LOL

 

[Andrew S.]

The aged pace attack didn't do too badly last night.

 

[Feral]

I didn't see you bowling last night Andrew

 

[Andrew S.]

Not going to enter a battle of wits with you Reg. I don't like to go up against an unarmed opponent.

 

[Tash]

Hi Braddles my sweet well well I have 6 words for you my hun(all in good fun tho) AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OI OI OI !!!!!

australia won yet another trophy , had Englands hopes up but oh well what a sweet victory lol

I know you wont see this till you get back from watchin shield so ill await your reply

 

[Feral]

Not going to enter a battle of wits with you Reg. I don't like to go up against an unarmed opponent.

Brilliant Andrew, brilliant. But I hope you regard me as at least a half wit

 

[69=breakfastofchampions]

lol alot off ppl posting here can not see wos really happening.
in aus its fine 4 the aussies to flog every1 in every match coz australians r goin to go and watch their team win..... so the grounds will b packed alomost everytime ...so therefore the players will get a much larger sum off money ( they get a % of the gate fees, more for a win less for a loss )..
When they play in England or newhere eles 4 that matter for a long period of time (eg. more than a 3 game series) if the aussies go out smashing the poms straight off the bat.. the ppl over there r gonna say " nah stuff that im not going out to wtch my team get smashed again" . So less crowd less money.
So they lose a couple of games... im not sayin they throw them.. but they make the other team feel like they hav a chance, then every1 gets excited, the is controversy and stuff.
Then when the ground is full for the final they all put the effort in and win, Leaving the other team with no excuse and they walk away with mor ein their pocket...

 

[BT]

Ok, i cannot resist any more

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Fantastic series for all, even better that England got over the line!!!

 

[~*DaProBowler*~]

Hi All,

I realise that you can't judge how an entire tour is going to go by one Twenty20 game, it is a bit of a hit and giggle. But 2 further games into the tour and things seem to be getting worse, with one-dayer losses to Somerset (a county side) and - let me doublecheck this - Bangladesh!!

The last time I saw an aussie cricket side in this sort of slump it ended the career of captain Steve Waugh, when they didn't even make the finals of their own VB series in the summer of 2001-2.

I'm sure that the aussie cricket team will snap out of it, and soon. They are far too classy to keep performing like this for long, and I'd hate to be in the side that cops it when this does happen. But until this happens the whole ashes series - indeed the whole northern summer - carries quite a bit more interest from cricket fans all round the world, not just in England, Bangladesh or Australia.

WAY TO GO BANGLADESH!!!!!!!!

David.

Why play for a TROPHY (ASS HESS) if u can't take it HOME.Let em Poms have it for A year,we will get it back next time.Hey Mr Bean :rofl: whos da NO 1 team in da world, Bangladesh or KIWIS? [-X
Still NO 1 ...Go AUSSIE

 

[Ted the Ambo]

First of all congratulations to the English cricket team. I don't think there would be many people out there who would say that the English didn't deserve to win The Ashes. Australia was completely outplayed by a team who sort of has the characteristics of the Australian team a few years back.

It was said that the English cricket team was maturing some time ago when Australia absolutely slaughtered them. The Australian team had the experience but now some of their older (excuse the term) players may very well be coming to the end of their careers. The English team are coming into their own now with a strong middle order and two very capable opening batsmen with Trescothick and Strauss. Not to mention the bowlers Harmison and that all-rounder Flintoff... far out can he bowl and bat!

These characteristics were like the Australian team when they were in their prime a few years ago. If the top order of the Australian team failed, then the middle order players like Martyn, Gilchrist and the like would stand up and help the Aussies to victory. Now the English have players like Pietersen and Flintoff who can make a victory happen like those middle order Australian batsmen.

Is England the next big thing in the cricketing ranks??? Will Australia make a comeback and was this Ashes defeat just some poor form on the part of the Australian team? Time will tell I suppose. However, for England to match with what the Australian team has achieved over the last several years would take a lot of doing... and I think England would have to step up another level to do this.

MrT

 

[Rig]

Adam, I have no idea what they put in the water in Bathurst, but it must make you delirious. Australia will win the Ashes, again, the top order of Australia will come out on top, again, and Warne and the rest of the bowlers will hurt England, again. Australians seem to have the edge. Coming from America originally, that is one thing that I notice about Australian athletes. Put on an Australian jumper, and they grow and improve, and become nearly invincible........now if only the soccer team could do the same......

Damn Adam...Sorry. You picked the series better than me. Sorry to doubt you mate