5th Test: Austalia vs England at SCG Jan 3-7 2011

[El Diablo]

Deadset, these Vics would pay Mick Lewis and Fumbleball Fleming to come out of retirement.

did you hear Fleming have a tug over Lewis the other night?

 

[hineyrulz]

While i know you were just going for the inevitable bite, the funny/sad thing is that Siddle will actually end up with a higher average than Hughes if he scores a couple more runs tomorrow. What a sorry state of affairs that is :crazy:

You can add Ponting and North to that list as well. Besides Watson,Hussey and Haddin our batting has been terrible all series.

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Here he is, Clarke defender.

How did it all pan out? Your mate made you to look the fool this Test.

Enjoy.

Clarke's captaincy was very good the best we've had for some years he isn't the one bowling pies and he isn't dismissed 10 times in an innings.

Is there anyway we can give Siddle's batting technique to Phil Hughes?

We should get Michael Hussey to teach Siddle how to bowl aswell.

 

[lockyno1]

That is true...but he does have some say in terms of selections...lol at Beer, Hilfenhaus and Smith being in a test XI!

 

[Gaba]

all you can do about this test series is :lol::lol::lol:

Particular at watson, hughes,ponting.clarke and some of the others


Never be disgusted in a series like this before

 

[Evenflow]

You can add Ponting and North to that list as well. Besides Watson,Hussey and Haddin our batting has been terrible all series.

No argument there, most of our top order have been woeful and need a spell on the sidelines. I only mentioned those two as Siddle and Hughes were mentioned in the previous post, hence why i responded to it.

 

[lockyno1]

What has Watson done wrong. Him, Haddin and Hussey would be the only guys to get a pass mark this series, the rest have been awful!

 

[Big Pete]

Bit tough to judge Clarke's captaincy, there were some decent signs but I thought he was too quick to rotate his bowlers, didn't allow them to gain their rhythmn. Also giving Johnson the new ball was bit of a dud.

I thought Richie made a good suggestion in trying to make Siddle work on his bowling and turning him into a Bresnan type player - could be worth a shot until the next generation develop.

Anyways, I hope Smith sticks in their a bit tomorrow, would be a good consolation to see him rack up a score and justify the hype.

 

[El Diablo]

none of our bowlers have rythmn to find

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Bit tough to judge Clarke's captaincy, there were some decent signs but I thought he was too quick to rotate his bowlers, didn't allow them to gain their rhythmn. Also giving Johnson the new ball was bit of a dud.

Actually I thought that was the kind of roll of the dice move that Ponting doesn't usually use Johnson had made runs with the bat and the confidence player he is Clarke saw the oppurtunity to capitilise. Sure it didn't work but you don't know until you try it. His field placings were good and only Beer bowled to them. The second and third new ball are fairly irrelevant, the most overrated as they say.

 

[Mr Angry]

Your mate made you to look the fool this Test.

How so?

He did not make runs, but his bowling and field changes were fine.

Clarke the batsmen failed this series, but Clarke the captain was sound in a side that lost.

 

[hineyrulz]

No argument there, most of our top order have been woeful and need a spell on the sidelines. I only mentioned those two as Siddle and Hughes were mentioned in the previous post, hence why i responded to it.

Blind Freddie can see Hughes is struggling but as i said to Boggerwood Storm with Kat injured who else could you pick to open the batting???

Jaques is in worse form, Rogers injured. Klinger also struggling. Cosgrove is still 180kgs, Marsh scoring all his runs at 4. Maddison still far to young, the cupboard is well and truly bare. The only option i can see is Hussey up to open in a stop gap solution.

 

[Gaba]

What has Watson done wrong. Him, Haddin and Hussey would be the only guys to get a pass mark this series, the rest have been awful!

watson isnt an opener , he has not got the patience to last more then 2 sessions a good opener or batsman would be able to last more then 2 sessions to a day , some can bat over a day


watson is not that type of player, its no good scoring 50's at a reasonable rate and not sticking around to help the batsman who are struggling

 

[Mr Angry]

What has Watson done wrong

Watson did nothing wrong, he showed the world what a solid 6 he would make. He was outclassed by both English openers, and this series showed an opening bat needs to be an opening bat.

Hughes failed but @ 22 they need to persist. He only played three tests. Watson needs to be in the team but not @ opener.

Clearly England were the better team, Ponting has been building a team for this and failed, Clarke failed him, Watson opening failed, North failed, Hilfy failed, the spinners failed. This was Ricky's team. When it failed at least they gave some young guys a go.

England persisted with a true opener and got rewards, they persisted with Bell and got rewards.

They were to good, Clarke now needs to be allowed to build to 2013.

 

[Big Pete]

Actually I thought that was the kind of roll of the dice move that Ponting doesn't usually use Johnson had made runs with the bat and the confidence player he is Clarke saw the oppurtunity to capitilise. Sure it didn't work but you don't know until you try it. His field placings were good and only Beer bowled to them. The second and third new ball are fairly irrelevant, the most overrated as they say.

It was refreshing to see but hard to say whether it was good captaincy since it didn't work.

That's not to say he was bad either, just passable. Obviously there's more to being a captain and let's be fair to Clarke for it, he's really just caretaking the side - let's see how he goes when he isn't just subbing in for Punter before we truly judge him.

 

[lockyno1]

I may have been the only one but I liked Johnson getting the new ball. You best bowler needs the new ball, he is your best bowler. It is Mitch's job to learn to bowl with one.

 

[lockyno1]

watson isnt an opener , he has not got the patience to last more then 2 sessions a good opener or batsman would be able to last more then 2 sessions to a day , some can bat over a day


watson is not that type of player, its no good scoring 50's at a reasonable rate and not sticking around to help the batsman who are struggling

Averages just a tick under 50 opening. He is doing fine, and until you can find TWO alternatives he will continue to open. My ideal position for Watson is at 4, and that is purely to make him bowl a bit more.

 

[Mr Angry]

I may have been the only one but I liked Johnson getting the new ball.

No, I actually agree.

First off Siddle is not a new ball bowler, he is the guy you give the ball at first change and know he will give his best. Great first change bowler IMO.

Also Mitch can swing and this works best with the new ball.

If he is not bowling well yiu can always take him off, which Clarke promptly did.

So for mine this already shows the difference between Punter and Clarke. Punter did not open with him, and if he did, he would have bowled him at a set plan (say 6 overs), Clarke gave him a go, when it was not working so well took him off quickly.

But for mine if Mitch is in the team open with him.

 

[lockyno1]

Watson did nothing wrong, he showed the world what a solid 6 he would make. He was outclassed by both English openers, and this series showed an opening bat needs to be an opening bat.

Hughes failed but @ 22 they need to persist. He only played three tests. Watson needs to be in the team but not @ opener.

Clearly England were the better team, Ponting has been building a team for this and failed, Clarke failed him, Watson opening failed, North failed, Hilfy failed, the spinners failed. This was Ricky's team. When it failed at least they gave some young guys a go.

England persisted with a true opener and got rewards, they persisted with Bell and got rewards.

They were to good, Clarke now needs to be allowed to build to 2013.

He was better than Strauss or at least was equal if you include his all round capabilities. No drama being outclassed by Cook..so did every other player. Watson averages 18 at no6..he averages a tick under 50 opening. He is a top 4 bat, he needs the ball coming on. Did you see what happened when Swann came on...he hates the spinners straight up. England persisted with Bell..say what..they dropped him quite a few times in the process!

 

[lockyno1]

No, I actually agree.

First off Siddle is not a new ball bowler, he is the guy you give the ball at first change and know he will give his best. Great first change bowler IMO.

Also Mitch can swing and this works best with the new ball.

If he is not bowling well yiu can always take him off, which Clarke promptly did.

So for mine this already shows the difference between Punter and Clarke. Punter did not open with him, and if he did, he would have bowled him at a set plan (say 6 overs), Clarke gave him a go, when it was not working so well took him off quickly.

But for mine if Mitch is in the team open with him.

I agree. The other thing I liked was bowling Hussey. Sure it did not work, but so many times the little trundling mediums pick up a wicket or two. It shows he has the balls to TRY something. Part of being a captain is the ability to try things. You are more of a failure in trying the same thing over and over again.