The Cricket Thread

[caz]

aussies batting themselves into a strong position.
personally, i'm happy with head at the top of the order. ussie's been great but with age and injury concerns i'd like to see him score runs in sheffield shield before he's risked at test level. weatherald has looked good and while inglis played a bad shot this game, he has scored a test ton.
time will tell if we regret not picked the goat.

[mightyrooster]

Australia don't deserve to win.
Why drop the spinner? I could understand if Cummins and Hazelwood were available, but these useless hacks like Neser , Dogget and Green aren't up to it.
Chanel 7s coverage is embarrassing as well.
Anyway, I've decided to go for England.
The "welcome to country" crap was the final straw.
I'm sick of having proud yabba dabba doo men welcoming me to my own country.
None of them were even alive when my parents were born in Sydney.

Sorry Eddie but…..shame shame shame. Supporting England in the ashes? That’s a no no no no no as Gus would say.
I'm not sold on Head at the top of the order either but I think Uzzie is just about ready for retirement so either Head will have to make a permanent move there or we will need to eventually find a replacement. Maybe Renshaw, though he’s not completely convincing either.

Aussies in a great position at the moment.

[Crab]

Doesn't happen very often but when it does its Gold ! The pommy commentator, Broad think says "the English batsman are moving forward of the crease, taking the stumps out of the equation " . The very next sound is whack as Scotty Boland knocks his stumps out of the ground, lol. CLASSIC

[eddie]

Sorry Eddie but…..shame shame shame. Supporting England in the ashes? That’s a no no no no no as Gus would say.
I'm not sold on Head at the top of the order either but I think Uzzie is just about ready for retirement so either Head will have to make a permanent move there or we will need to eventually find a replacement. Maybe Renshaw, though he’s not completely convincing either.

Aussies in a great position at the moment.

You got me MR, I was hoping to see english wickets fall despite what I said the other day.
I'm just very frustrated with this Australian team.
The selectors are mad.
Choosing Dogett over Lyon?
Picking a player as a specialist batsman and playing him at 7 ?
The green experiment ?

I did agree with leaving Kwawja out. He is finished.
One hopes never to see him shuffle out again.

[Jacks Fur Coat]

You got me MR, I was hoping to see english wickets fall despite what I said the other day.
I'm just very frustrated with this Australian team.
The selectors are mad.
Choosing Dogett over Lyon?
Picking a player as a specialist batsman and playing him at 7 ?
The green experiment ?

I did agree with leaving Kwawja out. He is finished.
One hopes never to see him shuffle out again.

I'm with you Ed. Not a Khawaja fan.

For a pretty patriotic person I'm very un -patriotic when it comes to our national teams in Cricket and Ruhby League. Often hope the opponents. Not proud of this, and I still admire people who do support our Aussie reps. I always back our individuals though...Olympics etc.

[horrie hastings]

Sorry Eddie but…..shame shame shame. Supporting England in the ashes? That’s a no no no no no as Gus would say.
I'm not sold on Head at the top of the order either but I think Uzzie is just about ready for retirement so either Head will have to make a permanent move there or we will need to eventually find a replacement. Maybe Renshaw, though he’s not completely convincing either.

Aussies in a great position at the moment.

Although i am not a big fan, maybe throw Sam Konstas back in and let him find his way as an opener ( and maybe he can find a bit of humility also ), i actually stuck my head in at the SCG the other day after finishing up at the Allianz gym and watched a couple of overs of the Sheffield shield and he was batting, he looked comfortable but i didn't hang around long and also test cricket is a big step up from Sheffield shield

[horrie hastings]

Nathan Lyons would be handy now cleaning up the tale. He has a good record against Ben Stokes.

[mightyrooster]

You got me MR, I was hoping to see english wickets fall despite what I said the other day.
I'm just very frustrated with this Australian team.
The selectors are mad.
Choosing Dogett over Lyon?
Picking a player as a specialist batsman and playing him at 7 ?
The green experiment ?

I did agree with leaving Kwawja out. He is finished.
One hopes never to see him shuffle out again.

Oh agree with you on Lyon being left out. A dumb decision as Brisbane is always a great wicket for spinners as they get plenty of bounce there. I like Cameron Green. He’s very talented and will come good.

[mightyrooster]

Although i am not a big fan, maybe throw Sam Konstas back in and let him find his way as an opener ( and maybe he can find a bit of humility also ), i actually stuck my head in at the SCG the other day after finishing up at the Allianz gym and watched a couple of overs of the Sheffield shield and he was batting, he looked comfortable but i didn't hang around long and also test cricket is a big step up from Sheffield shield

Apparently he just scored a century in that Shield game so he’s finally finding some form. He kind of rubs me the wrong way too with his carry on and needs to find some humility like you said. I like Nathan McSweeney too but he’s not an opener and the stupid selectors picked him as one.

[mightyrooster]

I'm with you Ed. Not a Khawaja fan.

For a pretty patriotic person I'm very un -patriotic when it comes to our national teams in Cricket and Ruhby League. Often hope the opponents. Not proud of this, and I still admire people who do support our Aussie reps. I always back our individuals though...Olympics etc.

Very disappointing Jack I thought I could count on you to be a big Aussie team supporter. I’ve followed and supported the Australian cricket team for nearly 50 years now.

[Jacks Fur Coat]

Very disappointing Jack I thought I could count on you to be a big Aussie team supporter. I’ve followed and supported the Australian cricket team for nearly 50 years now.

Yes I know, Mighty one. More power to you for your unwavering support though, like that. I guess I havent really "liked" an Aussie cricketer since the days of Dougie Walters and Thommo. Viv was my favourite all time sportsman I'd say, revered him as a kid when I was obsessed with Cricket. I don't think he's Australian though.

Of todays crop I think young Konstas is a star. I'd be playing him now, if you're good enough, you're old enough.

[mightyrooster]

Yes I know, Mighty one. More power to you for your unwavering support though, like that. I guess I havent really "liked" an Aussie cricketer since the days of Dougie Walters and Thommo. Viv was my favourite all time sportsman I'd say, revered him as a kid when I was obsessed with Cricket. I don't think he's Australian though.

Of todays crop I think young Konstas is a star. I'd be playing him now, if you're good enough, you're old enough.

The master blaster was a legend with a genuine arrogance and swagger. I hated playing the Windies in the 80s/90s as they were impossible to beat. Poor old AB had to carry us for a long time. I was a Chappelli fan during WSC and Kim Hughes fan growing up then Steve Waugh later. I don’t really have a favourite these days but like Smith, Green, Cummins and Starc. Kostas has some potential. Hopefully he can deliver down the track.

[horrie hastings]

The master blaster was a legend with a genuine arrogance and swagger. I hated playing the Windies in the 80s/90s as they were impossible to beat. Poor old AB had to carry us for a long time. I was a Chappelli fan during WSC and Kim Hughes fan growing up then Steve Waugh later. I don’t really have a favourite these days but like Smith, Green, Cummins and Starc. Kostas has some potential. Hopefully he can deliver down the track.

I remember being at one test against the West Indies, think it was in 1982, was sitting in the members pavilion and the players would walk out right where you were sitting, Greg Chapell came swaggering out to bat and one real okker woman goes bewddy when he walked past which made me and my sister crack up, 2 mins later Chappell was walking back in as he got out for a duck and i couldn't help but go bewddy when he went past.
Was there for a couple of days so got to see Viv bat one of the days but he wasn't out there for to long. Just amazing to think of some of that West Indies side. Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Michael Holding,Joel Garner, what a side.

[caz]

great win to the aussies. batted better, bowled better, fielded better than the english.
i've got nothing but respect and support for this team. they've been on top of world cricket or thereabouts for so long and it didn't have to happen. england and india more than match us in resources but this team has a culture of excellence. people knock robbo for talking about roosters footy but you look at the australian cricket team and you appreciate that it's important for a team to have an identity, to know what it's about. no doubt there's been individual brilliance, but other countries have that and haven't been as successful as we've been.
selectors got it right - they chose neser ahead of lyon because of the pink ball and it worked but lyon still has a role to play in this series.
i'd stick with head at the top of the order. maybe he's not a traditional type opener but he's averaging 60 in the position this series, and it's not as if konstas is more conservative. also, doesn't sit right having an opening pair with less than five tests experience between them. if konstas continues to get runs and inglis doesn't then maybe they can revisit it.
hats off to ben stokes. that bloke's a real competitor

[007]

it's important for a team to have an identity, to know what it's about. no doubt there's been individual brilliance, but other countries have that and haven't been as successful as we've been.

The West Indies were undefeated in a test series for 15 years (1980 - 1995). In my opinion, the best cricket team I have ever seen in both Test and 50/50 formats.

Once Australia can go 15 years without losing a Test series, then you may have something to brag about.

Quite simply, the West Indies from the late 70's to the mid 90's would absolutely demolish this current Australian line up of ego maniacs.

Test matches | Team records | Most consecutive series without defeat | ESPNcricinfo