Cricket thread

[mazolaman]

Hi All,

Thought I'd start a new thread solely for the sport of Kings and Gentlemen. And Gentlewomen.

Rather than lumping cricket chat everywhere else.

Anyway, I'm on my way down south to play a match on the Chelse FC training site, and back in Poppy the van, for another road trip..heaven.

So, Birmngham being a good mid point, I decide to swing by Edgebaston to see if I can get in to see England v Australia.

Lucky for me I did.

On a beautiful day (rare) I sit with a load of beer swillers, wishing I wasn't driving, so I could swill beer, and watch England start well, then have their usual batting collapse, which left us all wondering if 270 was enough...Even Ravi Bopara (how many chances)? played well.

Australia bowled well particularly Faulkner, who mixed his pace well.

It was enough, we won..

It left me wondering this about the Australian side.

Wot, no spinner?

Is Mitchell Stark really your great hope, as he was the only bowler to be tonked all round the ground?

Where's the grit? After watson was out, we kind of knew it was over, only Bailey showed some stickability, and again, Faulkner played a great solid innings, well deserving his 50.

Can Mitchell Johnson handle the abuse he gets...any time he was remotely near the action

"He bowls to the left,

He bowls to the right,

We love Mitchell Johnson,

His bowling is -----"

etc etc

This tournament means zilch, but I wonder how Australia are going to shape up.

[El Presidente]

We are a shadow of our former self.

Throw in Pattinson and few others, we will be competitive. If Clark is out it will be a cake walk in the Ashes.

the fact that England struggled against New Zealand is our only hope

[mazolaman]

Ha, you're right!

Good ol' England, sometimes we turn up, sometimes we don't.

New Zealand are a good one day side, and the key was some excellent captaincy from McCullam.

I'm finding it hard to gauge the Australian side, as I know so few of the players, whereas in previous years, we knew what to expect.

[Guest rob]

We are a shadow of our former self.

This is so true. Such a shame.

Our team is full of high paid, underperforming egos.

[westg]

This is so true. Such a shame.

Our team is full of high paid, underperforming egos.

You got it.

[winelover]

Well done for starting a cricket thread. I haven't been following the recent NZ encounters but time to re-engage.

Looking forward to the start.

G

[Ken Gargett]

didn't even realise that we had a game? and this from a bloke who as a kid would stay awake all night every night of each of the overseas tests listening to the radio under the sheets. how sad is that, in every respect.

clark our only top level performer but dire back problems and unpopular even within his own team, it seems. pattison a very good quick. most of the others need a good suitable pitch or a lucky day.

warner an absolute grub. watson the great potential that has fallen so abysmally short. something wrong mentally. no ponting and no hussey - even if old, they were still our best shot.

we'll be lucky if we don't lose all ten tests by an innings plus. this might be the lowest point for aussie cricket since federation. i hope i am wrong but hard to see us as competetive.

[michaelhealy]

At least Le Tour is on at the same time so there is a chance of an Aussie performing exceptional well. And with Bradley Wiggins out, we wont be losing to a Pom

[Danston]

At least Le Tour is on at the same time so there is a chance of an Aussie performing exceptional well. And with Bradley Wiggins out, we wont be losing to a Pom

Still a chance you could, we imported Chris Froome

[dicko]

I can't see us consistently taking 20 wickets and making 400 plus runs ergo we can't win. I don't think the english are top rate enough to whitewash us though.

[mazolaman]

I can't see us consistently taking 20 wickets and making 400 plus runs ergo we can't win. I don't think the english are top rate enough to whitewash us though.

That seems to be about right.

I would be more worried about the Australian batting though. Not too many stand up guys from what I've seen.

As for England, we still seem to collapse in the middle order now and then, wel ack a bit of steel I think. Our bowling regularly saves us.

BTW...my money is on NZ today...

[Coolio]

didn't even realise that we had a game? and this from a bloke who as a kid would stay awake all night every night of each of the overseas tests listening to the radio under the sheets. how sad is that, in every respect.

clark our only top level performer but dire back problems and unpopular even within his own team, it seems. pattison a very good quick. most of the others need a good suitable pitch or a lucky day.

warner an absolute grub. watson the great potential that has fallen so abysmally short. something wrong mentally. no ponting and no hussey - even if old, they were still our best shot.

we'll be lucky if we don't lose all ten tests by an innings plus. this might be the lowest point for aussie cricket since federation. i hope i am wrong but hard to see us as competetive.

Agree whole heartedly with everything written in the responses about Watson, Warner, Johnson etc.

Our women cricketers got a pay rise a fortnight ago but I doubt if the men will even raise an eyebrow as they are too arrogant to even see a hint of a message! I'd actually like to see a couple of women break into the mens side. At least it would be worth watching! They play with a bit of heart.

Warner is simply a knob and belongs in the 20/20 side at best. Certainly not a Test cricketer. Watson can play to Test standard when he's on mentally but too many cheap dismissals between 50 and a 100 for him to ever be mentioned in the same breath as the Husseys, Lairds, Taylors etc. I think one of our main issues is we've forgotten how to play Test cricket. Cowan at least looks like a Test cricketer, but you can see that peer group pressure has gotten to him and he has forgotten what he was playing like when he first made the team. Now even he is slashing outside off stump like he's playing 20/20.

We've been on the slide since the IPL really took off, and I can't see us getting back to where we were.

I've resigned myself to watching You Tube videos from the 70's this English summer. Mind you, Channel 9 probably won't be broadcasting it live on free to air anyway and I'm too cranky to pay for Foxtel!

[Coolio]

Oh how ironic!

Send him home immediately.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/warner-stood-down-over-altercation-with-england-player-20130612-2o431.html

[mazolaman]

Oh how ironic!

Send him home immediately.

http://www.theage.co...0612-2o431.html

Looks like handbags at 20 paces to me...dunno if it's worth banning a guy for.

Agree whole heartedly with everything written in the responses about Watson, Warner, Johnson etc.

Our women cricketers got a pay rise a fortnight ago but I doubt if the men will even raise an eyebrow as they are too arrogant to even see a hint of a message! I'd actually like to see a couple of women break into the mens side. At least it would be worth watching! They play with a bit of heart.

Warner is simply a knob and belongs in the 20/20 side at best. Certainly not a Test cricketer. Watson can play to Test standard when he's on mentally but too many cheap dismissals between 50 and a 100 for him to ever be mentioned in the same breath as the Husseys, Lairds, Taylors etc. I think one of our main issues is we've forgotten how to play Test cricket. Cowan at least looks like a Test cricketer, but you can see that peer group pressure has gotten to him and he has forgotten what he was playing like when he first made the team. Now even he is slashing outside off stump like he's playing 20/20.

We've been on the slide since the IPL really took off, and I can't see us getting back to where we were.

I've resigned myself to watching You Tube videos from the 70's this English summer. Mind you, Channel 9 probably won't be broadcasting it live on free to air anyway and I'm too cranky to pay for Foxtel!

Interesting point re the T20 crap.

Australia changed the way test cricket is played, with batsmen going for it from the off, is the lack of long lasting test batsmen not an extension of this progression? Ie, no one to stay there for a day, Boycott style.

btw..3 for 37 for me, and top scored with 33...not our best batting day...

[Coolio]

Looks like handbags at 20 paces to me...dunno if it's worth banning a guy for.

Interesting point re the T20 crap.

Australia changed the way test cricket is played, with batsmen going for it from the off, is the lack of long lasting test batsmen not an extension of this progression? Ie, no one to stay there for a day, Boycott style.

btw..3 for 37 for me, and top scored with 33...not our best batting day...

Top scored with 33! You're not Peter Siddle are you!

[mazolaman]

Top scored with 33! You're not Peter Siddle are you!

Naaa, I'm not quite as good looking as him

[Ken Gargett]

warner! possibly the greatest tosser cricket, not just aussie cricket but cricket, has ever produced.

if cooper gets hit $40K for calling the atmosphere toxic, this bloke should be hit with $100K plus. and i'd love to see him banned for all ten ashes tests. then it might start to get through to him. blokes i know who have worked with him describe him as the biggest arsehole they've met.

but one small point - i know nothing about joe root but what sort of bloke must he be for someone to punch him and not stuart broad?

mind you warner could probably only have reached up to broad's nipples.

[Coolio]

warner! possibly the greatest tosser cricket, not just aussie cricket but cricket, has ever produced.

if cooper gets hit $40K for calling the atmosphere toxic, this bloke should be hit with $100K plus. and i'd love to see him banned for all ten ashes tests. then it might start to get through to him. blokes i know who have worked with him describe him as the biggest arsehole they've met.

but one small point - i know nothing about joe root but what sort of bloke must he be for someone to punch him and not stuart broad?

mind you warner could probably only have reached up to broad's nipples.

lol Ken you sure know how to sledge!

[ARRV]

warner! possibly the greatest tosser cricket, not just aussie cricket but cricket, has ever produced.

if cooper gets hit $40K for calling the atmosphere toxic, this bloke should be hit with $100K plus. and i'd love to see him banned for all ten ashes tests. then it might start to get through to him. blokes i know who have worked with him describe him as the biggest arsehole they've met.

but one small point - i know nothing about joe root but what sort of bloke must he be for someone to punch him and not stuart broad?

mind you warner could probably only have reached up to broad's nipples.

Warner is so out of form he only nicked Root anyway.

Why are they partying at 2am? What have they won that permits them to be out getting on it at 2am?

This squad is gone - where is the leadership that prevents this in the first place.

Clarke is obviously a rubbish man manager - as is apparent from India. Walking dead leading the brain dead. It is going to be embarrassing.

[El Presidente]

Allan Border would have pulled Warner before it got ugly. He the would have beaten Warner to a pulp.

Border, Steven Waugh, etal.....we would be double the team with leadership.

[Danston]

Allan Border would have pulled Warner before it got ugly. He the would have beaten Warner to a pulp.

Border, Steven Waugh, etal.....we would be double the team with leadership.

Can't imagine Warner would have got near that side Pres, but it would have been a great site to see.

[mazolaman]

Warner is so out of form he only nicked Root anyway.

Clarke is obviously a rubbish man manager - as is apparent from India. Walking dead leading the brain dead. It is going to be embarrassing.

Ha, nice one.

The chit chat from the assembled journos (what do they know)? is that if there is no Clarke, there is no Australian side.

I can't quite believe that, and if Clarke is there, will he take the preassure dumped on him?

George Bailey is shaping up well.

[Ken Gargett]

Allan Border would have pulled Warner before it got ugly. He the would have beaten Warner to a pulp.

Border, Steven Waugh, etal.....we would be double the team with leadership.

never heard of border laying a finger on anyone. mind you, he would notn have had to with this moron. he simply wouldn't have been there.

[winelover]

Warner is so out of form he only nicked Root anyway

LOL

[Isotonic]

Have to agree to much written already. It's sad to see our national side in such a state. I am 29 and grew up watching the Aussies grow into the greatest side in the whole. I was spoiled watching Border, Waugh x 2, Warne, McDermott, Boon, Taylor, McGrath take us into what would become the greatest test side ever. And I know that you can't expect it to last forever.

But even with these great names and I assume their sizable egos we never got petulance or bratty behaviour. Well... maybe Warne once or twice. But Border, Waugh, Taylor and co never let it fester.

Recent Australian cricket died the day Katich was turfed aside. He was the man who collared the man that set the standard for what we have now. Michael Clarke. Katich IMO should have been leading our side through the transition. He was our best performed player in 2010, the year before he was sacked.

Pup is far and away our best player. Our only proven world class performer. And he has a terrific bricket brain. But he is also a flog. A la Shane Warne, one of my cricketing heroes. And flogs should never captain our most visable and revered national sporting team.

1. His nickname is Pup. 2. Pup has a sleeze tattoo. Alarm bells ring immediately. 3. Pup did Bonds underwear commercials. I am starting to get chest pains. 4. Pup was engaged to Lara Bingle who had an affair with Brendan Fevola. Someone call me a Packer Whacker because I think my left arm just went limp.

Can anyone imagine Allan "Captain Grumpy" Border, Mark "Tubby" Taylor, Steve "Tugger" Waugh or Ricky "Punter" Ponting doing any of the above?

The list of flogs in our test side now is growing by the day. Clarke, Warner, Watson, Johnson, Khawaja, Wade, Hughes, Maxwell. These are blokes you wouldn't drink with if the beer was free.

Compare that to Hayden, Langer, Gilchrist, Waugh, Hussey Martyn, Lee & McGrath. And I am not talking talent. Quality of people. The fish rots at the head and the best player is not necessarily the best captain.

Anyone think Lance Franklin should captain Hawthorn Football Club. Or Quade Cooper captain the Reds?