posted Dec 26, 2006

why did freddie win toss and have a bat? why do we insist on putting more pressure on are own players! its teh 1st time on this tour where teh austrailan conditions, we could of bowled them out for under 300 which would of helped so much, i was so shocked when freddie said "well have a bat" i droped my cup of tea and knew that we would be in for a strugle!
and why is colly batting so poor, i know was quality in 1st and 2nd test match! but whats happened to englands best one day batsman?? hes a nugder, a man that can find gaps in teh field and keep teh scorebaord ticking over! now he cant even do that! why not?

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Dec 26, 2006

Country cricket is just too poor in quality to produce international cricketers and must be changed. Too many teams with average players.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Dec 26, 2006

OK, your first sentence is there to provoke, because the interest in cricket the 2005 series has sparked in England is clear and universally welcomed. However, we should understand always that cricket is just not as important in England as in Oz; cricket fans see this fixture as the equivalant of football's Eng v Scot grudge game, but in reality it's that and England v a Brazil select XI captained by Mr.Pele McPonting and his claymore-wielding samba magicians and we just don't beat Brazil that often, despite the resources available. When you add to that that; we haven't been able to pick a first-choice side since the last Ashes; this is arguably the finest Aussie side ever - most succesful opening pair, fast bowler, spinner, keeper and captain/batsman (Ponting will finish his career greater than Bradman) and the prep, selection and attitude were flawed from the start. 5-0 seems about right. From here, 4-0 or even 4-1 would be a moral victory. The strength of feeling in Aus regarding '05 seemed to have been underestimated too. I never sensed the same intensity in England's prep as has been evident and well-documented in the Australian side. Freddie is clearly unfit and I worry that the endless round of cortisone injections and the like, which have to be happening on the fly, will shorten his career to boot. The greater concern overall is why the England players are breaking down both physically and psychologically at such an alarming rate. That's what's wrong in the set-up. Is it that they don't play enough county now? Not enough opportunity to punish average bowling for test misdemeanours, build some confidence? Endless test-matches eroding technique and stress-management systems? Diet and fitness insufficiently managed? Contract system introduced a comfort zone? It's the same Fletcher who was a hero for the last four years and who would rather not be selecting. I worry more about the anonymous Graveney who hides behind Fletcher and who surely inspires confidence in no-one, let alone the players. Put a journeyman in charge and that's what you get and to call Graveney that as a player almost insults journeymen. Let's face it, if it wasn't for dad or Uncle Tom, he'd never have played county cricket. I'd prefer to see a Botham-type in the job, who has been there, done it and has no more use for the tee-shirt. Botham for example, inspired a generation of England cricketers, why not the current one? I accept there is no correlation at all between a players ability to play and his ability to coach, but motivation is surely the bottom line always in this fixture? One final point. Freddie bats at 6 for us, while Gilchrist bats at 7. Who would you rather see at the crease for your side. Jones has never been the problem. Freddie is the problem. We keep harking on about the difference in set-up between the 2 sides, but Freddie should be at 7 with an extra batsman. Tony Greig a greater all-rounder? You'd say no, but he averaged 40 over roughly the same number of tests that Freddie averages low 30's. Which long-standing test 6 averages 33? The reason we've had to play 5 bowlers for so many years is because we didn't have a match-winning spinner since Underwood. Now we have Monty, so pick the batsman who'll take the pressure off Flintoff and Jones, then Duncan still gets to bat to 8 and a 4th seamer doesn't spend a week picking his nose at fine leg. 4 bowlers - that's my final answer, Chris. If 4 Aussie bowlers can bowl you out twice, why not Harmi, Hoggard, Freddie and Monty? Colly and Pietersen in support if needed. No wonder Mahmood and Anderson look bored

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Dec 26, 2006

Now perhaps we will realise that occasionally we may win......but that's it.

This is true of any sport England play.

The media have theitr own aganda however - ie selling a product, and most England sports fans prefer sentimentality to objectivity and fall for it every time.

Take a parallel to football....no sooner is the draw made 6 months before a tournament than some idiot is on the TV telling us who we'll have to beat in the final...

There shpould be a few cricket pundits a bit red faced now, because a 5-0 thrashing was the odds on outcome long before Harmison decided that Flintoff was a better target than the stumps.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Dec 26, 2006

Andierae, agree with you about Flintoff, England's selectors are kidding themselves about his batting, but he'll still be batting no 6 this time next year and so the argument about the wk, no 8, blah, de, blah will rumble on. I like Flintoff as a player a lot, but while they are unrealistic about what he can actually achieve, he will continue to have too much pressure on him.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Dec 26, 2006

"The most unfortunate thing to have happened to English cricket in the last 20 years was when they won the ashes in 2005."

Not really. The most unfortunate thing was losing Tresco, Vaughan and having Flintoff injured and as captain as well as having a stronger Australian team. Now with MrGrath and Warne gone after the Ashes maybe England can do better in the world cup. But apart from Strauss today's batting was absolutely awful. Fortunately we got two wickets. However I'm fearing Australia will get a lot of runs like they got in Perth and then it's all lost again...

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Dec 26, 2006

Have everyone forgotten that players like tres, monty, s.jones, vaughen, flintoff who all have fantastic records have come through county cricket and how can anyone think that players like broad, tremlett,davies, rashid who are the next generation players are bad just because of the fact that they play county cricket and what about australian domestic cricket the pura cup or sheffield shield it is not in that good shape either presently because there are not many good players coming up among below 25 years of age leaving maybe jaques, jhonson, tait mind you even tait, jhonson have had questions marks hanging over them especially on their fitness because they have already suffered so many major injuries then what they have a baseball like striker in cosgrove, a spinner who still has to prove in cullen the also rans like dorey, watson, hauritz. so that shows even the oz domestic cricket too is not good presently.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Dec 26, 2006

I think, with respect, Shane Warne is more qualified to comment on the 2005 series, which he has done with some humility.
159 all out in overcast conditions has happened before and will continue to happen. As for the strength of the Aussie system, who can foretell what it will produce in the next series, without two of the current stars? I for one have already bought tickets to find out.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Dec 26, 2006

Greyblazer, I am an Oz supporter and I am very interested as to who will be in the Oz team a year from now.

I don't think that either the county championship or the Pura Cup are bad proving grounds for cricketers. I don't mind change and it will be really interesting to see what quality players appear in the Aussie line-up. I just hope they don't give young players 2 tests then drop them when they don't prove world beaters straight away. A team needs time to settle and learn how each other plays and fits into the whole picture. The world of cricket doesn't need one team flogging other teams all the time, it becomes dispiriting.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Dec 26, 2006

What no celebrity piss up from flintoff Pieterzen and co tsk tsk

add comment | complain about this comment