3RD ASHES TEST: England v Australia at Manchester Aug 1-5, 2013

[TheParraboy]

No room for error anymore, we need to win the next 3 ashes tests to regain the ashes (lmfao)

Will there be a few changes? Or will we stick solid ?

I think some serious drastic changes are needed. This series is a write off, pointless trying to pick the same ole' blokes, cause we will get the same ole' results

Id be seriously looking to drop or rest these blokes

Sunshine
Rogers (cant see a fulltoss, and also lets a straight one bowl him, that not a test cricketer)
Harris (delicate body, bring back for the 4th or 5th)
Agar (too young and raw to play a whole ashes series)
Pattinson (starts well in a series, but is drifting away)



Hughes
Warner
Khawaja
Clarke (c)
Smith
Faulkner
Haddin
Siddle
Bird
Starc
Lyon
12th man - Jordon Silk (groom him to play in the home ashes)

 

[JW]

Changes of personnel or the order probably won't make too much of a difference, as we all know the problems run deeper than that.

Just stick to the best XI we have to suit the conditions and hope that they have an outlier performance where everything clicks and goes their way, and work from there.

 

[BunniesMan]

With Harris, you don't rest players from Ashes tests. He is 33. What are we saving him for? A long career? He should play every test he is fit for.

The question mark for me is Smith. He is our 6th best batsman and our 6th best bowler. As a team, we desperately need a longer batting order. He is a luxury we cannot afford. Warner failing against Zimbabwe doesn't help his cause. I'd like to see Katich or even Voges come in. They are actually scoring first class runs at the moment.

Also Watson simply must go down the order. He doesn't have big innings in him.

Hughes should go up the order. He showed in the first test he can handle Swann relatively decently when his eye is in. Hughes is a much better player of quicks early. His best position is opener.

Khawaja is another that handles quicks better. I'd like him opening aswell.

And as much as it pains me to say it because I really like Agar and hate Lyon, I think Lyon needs to come back in.

My XI:

Hughes
Khawaja
Katich
Voges
Clarke
Watson
Haddin
Siddle
Pattinson
Harris
Lyon

Swann is quite toothless against right handers, our lefties at 1/2/3 and our righties at 4/5/6 goes a long way to neutralising Swann.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

HAH can't play spin. Doesn't matter where you put him in the order. Anderson will get him anyway.

There is no point bringing in Katich for this series. The ashes are gone, his presence will not see us win 3 games, FFS he's Simon Katich not Shane Warne or Don f**king Bradman. The team is fractured enough with Twatto being in the team let alone having another faction.

I'll say it for the fiftieth time: Twatto needs to go. He offers nothing with the bat, he doesn't want to bowl because he's soft and selfish, he's a pretentious wanker who only cares about his career and not the team. His body language the whole test was atrocious. A line needs to be drawn in the sand and this merkin needs to be dropped and f**ked off back home.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

And FFS you gimp Swann is not toothless against right handers, he's an off spinner you clueless nonce.

 

[JW]

I would like to see how Bird would go in terms of keeping things tight, even on these drier Pommy pitches. Whether it's worth subbing Sids, Patto or Harris though, I'm not sure. The batting is obviously the bigger issue ATM.

 

[Jason Maher]

Warner failed in Zimbabwe, but he still scored more runs than Hughes. Just like he did in India. Looking at our touring squad, I'm not sure there is anything we can do to improve our batting line-up. The available batsmen who haven't played the first two tests: Warner, Faulkner, and Wade. Warner is the only specialist batsman. He's not going to make the difference. The other options are to drag M. Hussey out of retirement (won't happen), Katich and/or D. Hussey out of county cricket, or someone out of the A team squad.

 

[BunniesMan]

HAH can't play spin. Doesn't matter where you put him in the order. Anderson will get him anyway.

There is no point bringing in Katich for this series. The ashes are gone, his presence will not see us win 3 games, FFS he's Simon Katich not Shane Warne or Don f**king Bradman. The team is fractured enough with Twatto being in the team let alone having another faction.

I'll say it for the fiftieth time: Twatto needs to go. He offers nothing with the bat, he doesn't want to bowl because he's soft and selfish, he's a pretentious wanker who only cares about his career and not the team. His body language the whole test was atrocious. A line needs to be drawn in the sand and this merkin needs to be dropped and f**ked off back home.

I agree with you about Twatto, but looking at it realistically noone in the Aussie setup has the balls to drop him.

And how many times has Anderson got Hughes so far this series?

Hughes has done just fine against the quicks. And in the 1st test once he got his eye in he was looking fine against Swann. Wasn't scoring a whole lot but looking safe and comfortable.

That's why he should open and get his eye in against the quicks who haven't been troubling him in this series. Then 10 overs in once he is set he can handle Swann.

And FFS you gimp Swann is not toothless against right handers, he's an off spinner you clueless nonce.

Do you know his stats against right handers? Averages close to 50.

 

[BunniesMan]

Warner failed in Zimbabwe, but he still scored more runs than Hughes. Just like he did in India. Looking at our touring squad, I'm not sure there is anything we can do to improve our batting line-up. The available batsmen who haven't played the first two tests: Warner, Faulkner, and Wade. Warner is the only specialist batsman. He's not going to make the difference. The other options are to drag M. Hussey out of retirement (won't happen), Katich and/or D. Hussey out of county cricket, or someone out of the A team squad.

Bringing in Katich and Voges for Smith and Rogers would do wonders for strengthening and lengthening our top 6.

 

[unbreaK]

1 - Katich
2 - Hughes
3 - Doolan
4 - Khawaja
5 - Clarke
6 - Smith
7 - Haddin
8 - Agar
9 - Siddle
10 - Harris
11 - Bird

 

[jargan83]

Cricket Australia can throw the bank balance at Ponting to come back and bat at 3 as well

 

[Timbo]

I'd go:

1-Watson
2-Rogers
3-Katich
4-Khawja
5-Clarke*
6-Smith
7-Haddin+
8-Faulkner
9-Siddle
10-Harris
11-Lyon

 

[Jason Maher]

We are not going to win this series no matter what we do, and we are unlikely to win a match. Can't see us challenging in the home series either. It's time to start thinking long term. Rogers is not a long term solution. He's not even there for his experience, but purely as a stop-gap. Katich would be ideal as someone who could shepherd our developing talents (Hughes, Warner, Smith, and especially Khawaja), but the rift between him and Clarke rules that out. In an ideal world, Watson would be fulfilling that role by now, but he's too self-absorbed, and too busy wasting his own considerable talent. The only other option I can see is David Hussey, who at least has a lot of one-day cricket behind him so he shouldn't be overawed. I suppose Boof could take Watson aside and say "Look, you're an all-rounder, and you're batting at 6. If you don't like it, then piss off." Or we could juts go with 5 young blokes and Clarke and hope that long term they learn to swim.

Bowling wise, it's a tricky decision. I'm not giving up on either Starc or Pattinson, but Bird surely deserves a shot. Agar I'm uncertain about. Would he benefit more from being kept around the test team, or being sent off to South Africa with the A-team? Lyon or Maxwell would replace him if that's the case. I don't think it would matter too much which one.

If only the selectors could be persuaded to consider Chris Hartley. He's the best keeper in Australia, can handle the bat, has plenty of first class experience, and is hardly washed up at 31. In the real world, I suppose we're stuck with Haddin.

Basically, I don't think there are any clear best options. We need to take a punt, and not worry about the result of this series or the next, but focus on building for the future.

Warner
Hughes
Khawaja
Clarke
Smith
Watson
Haddin
(Maxwell)
Siddle
Harris
(Lyon)
Bird

Or piss Watson off:

Warner
Hughes
Katich/Khawaja
Khawaja/D. Hussey
Clarke
Smith
Haddin
(Maxwell)
Siddle
Harris
(Lyon)
Bird

 

[BunniesMan]

Clarke isn't a selector anymore. If he has a problem with Katich it is irrelevant. Just like his supposed problems with Watson haven't stopped Watson from being selected.

I prefer Katich to Rogers. For now he'd be the ideal number 3. I'd open with Hughes and Khawaja. If either fails early in comes a steady hand in Katich at first drop to stop 1 wicket turning into a collapse.

 

[Twizzle]

captains always have a say on selections whether they are selectors or not

 

[BunniesMan]

They have a say. But if their say is wrong they get overruled by the people who are employed to do the job.

And if he or anyone else in the CA set up argued against Katich being good enough, they'd be wrong.

 

[hineyrulz]

Go back to katich really???

Steve Waugh, Mark Waugh, Warne and Pigeon are over there lets draft them in as well.


The selectors made their decision on Kat and its time to move on, we stick with who we have over there and If they can't do the job we look to guys like Doolan, Burns, Maddison and Silk. Seriously something should be done to find the best young batting talent in the country and fast track them in state and then national squads.

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Tbh we'd go better with those 4 in the team than we already are :lol:

 

[Horrie Is God]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/the-ashes/malcolm-conn-rates-every-australian-player-after-the-second-ashes-test-at-lords/story-e6frf3gl-1226682891768#.UeyobdJHI_s

Malcolm Conn rates every Australian player after the second Ashes Test at Lord's..

Malcolm Conn News Limited Network July 22, 2013 6:50AM

MALCOLM Conn runs the rule over Australia's line-up after a disappointing defeat at Lord's.

Shane Watson – 4 – Once again made two good starts but fell leg before wicket twice to his sucker ball, the full inswinger.

Chris Rogers – 3 – Had two confused failures to Graeme Swann, who is proving a nightmare for Australia’s left-handers.

Usman Khawaja – 5 – Fought hard for a second innings half-century after a dreadful shot in the first innings.

Phil Hughes – 1 – His polished 81 not out at Trend Bridge is fast becoming a distant memory after scores of 1 and 1.

Michael Clarke – 6 – An improved performance with a second innings half-century. Appears to be struggling with his back.

Steve Smith – 4 – Picked up four bonus wickets with his occasional leg-spin but very disappointing with the bat.

Brad Haddin – 1 – Disappointing match with bat and gloves. Two single figure scores and two edges he simply let go.

Ashton Agar – 1 – His honeymoon lasted just one Test. The talented 19-year-old failed to take a wicket or make many runs.

Peter Siddle – 5 – Another wholehearted performance on an unresponsive wicket, including a brilliant early second innings spell.

James Pattinson – 4 – Was disappointing with the ball again but batted quite well. His place is in danger.

Ryan Harris – 7 – Australia’s best player at Lord’s. A wonderful return to Test cricket after more than a year out.

 

[TheParraboy]

Go back to katich really???

Steve Waugh, Mark Waugh, Warne and Pigeon are over there lets draft them in as well.


The selectors made their decision on Kat and its time to move on, we stick with who we have over there and If they can't do the job we look to guys like Doolan, Burns, Maddison and Silk. Seriously something should be done to find the best young batting talent in the country and fast track them in state and then national squads.

We went back to Rogers :crazy: