2ND ASHES TEST: England v Australia at Lord's Jul 18-22, 2013

[Meapro Ham]

For all the criticism of Watson, he top scored and reviewed the decision because his partner told him to.

I agree he's hardly likeable but on stats he's probably our 2nd best player. Is unfairly being made the scapegoat for what happened yesterday.

 

[TheParraboy]

If we bowl England out cheaply due to good bowling we are screwed, cause if then they bowl half decent we wont get near 150. What we need is them to play stupid shots and get out. Then (fingers crossed and wishfull thinking) we bat sensibly on a batting belter and run down anything under 400

That's our only hope

I can see poms batting or getting out 1hr after tea, with 450 ahead, and us 3/30 down at stumps

 

[Horrie Is God]

Watto would be given some slack if he wasn't a serial offender..

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

If I wrote an article calling Watson a myth the merkin would score 1,000 runs for the rest of the series :lol:

 

[BunniesMan]

For all the criticism of Watson, he top scored and reviewed the decision because his partner told him to.

I agree he's hardly likeable but on stats he's probably our 2nd best player. Is unfairly being made the scapegoat for what happened yesterday.

You can't blame Rogers. Reviewing was Watsons responsibility. Noone put a gun to his head.

 

[Meapro Ham]

Way too much is being made of Watson's referral. Its always gonna happen if you leave it in the hands of the players. Watson was batting well, the only guy who looked comfortable all day, his partner tells him its going down leg, whats he gonna do? Of course he's going to review it. Just like Clarke always reviews his. If we had any reviews left you can guarantee he would have reviewed his and it would have been a wasted review.

Wasted reviews aren't what cost us. Shit batting is what cost us. Like the woeful shot of Hughes. And he did hit that and he would have known he hit it which makes his review worse than Watson.

The continual chopping and changing of the batting order is also part of the problem. Very unfair to throw Khawaja straight in at 3 and Hughes was never going to be the answer at 4, he showed in the first test that the only way he can score runs is down at 6 where the pressure is off.

 

[Meapro Ham]

You can't blame Rogers. Reviewing was Watsons responsibility. Noone put a gun to his head.

I'm not blaming Rogers. I'm blaming the system. It shouldn't be in the players' hands.

 

[Jason Maher]

I blame Watson for being a clumsy f**k who is completely incapable of getting his front leg outside the line of off. What was the stat again? 27 times reaching 30 without going on to make a century. In a period for Australian cricket where we absolutely need him to convert those starts. What a complete waste of a talent. Everything he cops is 100% fully deserved.

 

[BunniesMan]

Way too much is being made of Watson's referral. Its always gonna happen if you leave it in the hands of the players. Watson was batting well, the only guy who looked comfortable all day, his partner tells him its going down leg, whats he gonna do? Of course he's going to review it. Just like Clarke always reviews his. If we had any reviews left you can guarantee he would have reviewed his and it would have been a wasted review.

Wasted reviews aren't what cost us. Shit batting is what cost us. Like the woeful shot of Hughes. And he did hit that and he would have known he hit it which makes his review worse than Watson.

The continual chopping and changing of the batting order is also part of the problem. Very unfair to throw Khawaja straight in at 3 and Hughes was never going to be the answer at 4, he showed in the first test that the only way he can score runs is down at 6 where the pressure is off.

1. Hughes didn't hit it. Batsmen without fail snap their head back to watch the ball after they've nicked it. Hughes didn't even glance back. He didn't hit it.

2. World record 10th wicket partnership to save a test is batting where the pressure is off? Hughes should be opening.

3. Watson should have known he was plum. That wasn't close to missing the stumps. Referring there was inexcusable.

 

[BunniesMan]

I blame Watson for being a clumsy f**k who is completely incapable of getting his front leg outside the line of off. What was the stat again? 27 times reaching 30 without going on to make a century. In a period for Australian cricket where we absolutely need him to convert those starts. What a complete waste of a talent. Everything he cops is 100% fully deserved.

Best bit is that includes his last 21 consecutive scores of 30+.

 

[Jason Maher]

21 is it? I couldn't recall the actual number. Still an utterly shit return.

 

[Jason Maher]

I don't believe there are words to summarise how galling it was to see Watson waste a review when he was clearly out, only for Rogers to balk at reviewing for fear of wasting the second one when he was clearly not out. Mind you, like the last test with Broad, the mind boggles at how the f**k the umpire reached the decision he did in the first place.

 

[Xfactor1979]

So, during Australia's terrible performance during the first innings last night, I flipped channels to Rage on ABC1 (yes, Rage, that crappy show is still going)

But there was a music video for Justin Timberlake's "Tunnel Vision"

There were some lovely ladies wearing nothing on top

*Terrible Australian batting performance forgotten*

For those who missed the video and understand what I'm talking about, go find it on the internet

 

[BunniesMan]

Yep, Tunnel Vision was almost as fantastic as Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines. The uncensored version of that is AMAZING. So many boobs, so little time.

On more depressing matters, I might be crazy but I still think we're in with a chance tonight.

 

[Mr Spock!]

I don't believe there are words to summarise how galling it was to see Watson waste a review when he was clearly out, only for Rogers to balk at reviewing for fear of wasting the second one when he was clearly not out. Mind you, like the last test with Broad, the mind boggles at how the f**k the umpire reached the decision he did in the first place.

Pretty sure the lbw law for full tosses was changed. If hit in front of the stumps it is assumed that the ball will go straight on.

 

[Twizzle]

1. Hughes didn't hit it. Batsmen without fail snap their head back to watch the ball after they've nicked it. Hughes didn't even glance back. He didn't hit it.

2. World record 10th wicket partnership to save a test is batting where the pressure is off? Hughes should be opening.

3. Watson should have known he was plum. That wasn't close to missing the stumps. Referring there was inexcusable.

he hit it and he's out

end of

 

[Meapro Ham]

1. Hughes didn't hit it. Batsmen without fail snap their head back to watch the ball after they've nicked it. Hughes didn't even glance back. He didn't hit it.

2. World record 10th wicket partnership to save a test is batting where the pressure is off? Hughes should be opening.

3. Watson should have known he was plum. That wasn't close to missing the stumps. Referring there was inexcusable.

1. You're a clueless gimp

2. See 1.

3. See 2.

 

[Mr Spock!]

How sad is our top order.

With these stats we may as well pick a team of bowlers. Pretty disgraceful and worse than any time I can remember in the last 40 years. They're worse than Bangladesh ffs.

This was the eighth time out of 13 innings that Australia haven't been able to post a score of 300 or more runs in an innings, in the last year. This does not include Michael Clarke's declaration against India at Hyderabad, when Australia were 237 for 9. Among the top Test teams, again, only New Zealand have done worse.

Australia's first four batsmen in their line-up have contributed, largely, to their team's batting woes. They have not been allowed to spend much time at the crease by the opposition bowlers. Their top order has faced 52, on average, balls per batsman-innings.
The top four batsmen of only West Indies and Pakistan have hung around for fewer deliveries in Tests in 2013.

No.1 to No.4 batsmen peformance & average deliveries faced per innings
Team Players Inns Runs Ave BF 100s 0s BF/Inns
West Indies 5 11 218 24.22 390 1 2 35.45
Pakistan 5 24 484 20.16 1242 1 4 51.75
Australia 9 52 1263 24.28 2696 0 7 51.84
South Africa 5 28 1051 38.92 1868 2 8 66.71
New Zealand 7 52 1589 31.78 3470 4 5 66.73
Bangladesh 7 31 962 33.17 2143 1 0 69.12
India 6 28 1331 53.24 2246 4 0 80.21
England 7 52 1850 36.27 4435 5 4 85.29
Sri Lanka 6 24 1341 60.95 2230 5 2 92.91

Not surprising then, their top four batsmen are yet to score a hundred from 52 innings in 2013. They are the only Test team not to have a single hundred from their top four batsmen. They are also the team with most ducks - seven - from batsmen at batting at No.1 to No.4

http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2013/content/story/653215.html

 

[Mr Spock!]

Those who thought Rogers would be our saviour - fail. Plays like a county player out of his depth.

Khwaja looked like he was in agony when padded up to be next in. Not surprised he was out twice in his innings. Looked like a dead man walking.

Hughes and Watson played to the script.

I hope they lay all batting positions open in the next season.

Doolan, Silk, Burns, Benji Marshall can't be any worse.

 

[BunniesMan]

Love how many people are calling for certain players to be dropped when there is still an innings to go. What if Hughes or Khawaja or Rogers or Watson...ok not Watson but maybe the first 3, get a century in the 2nd innings. You'll look very stupid.