The Ashes - 2010/11

[trekkiebaggio]

Also: Who are the usual English supporters in Ashes threads like these? I'm suprised I'm the only one so far.

Me!

It's just weird not being able to comment as the match is happening.

I've been watching the highlights on Sky every day. It was weird to see England bat that well. I've only been interested in cricket for a few years but we played like most teams seem to play against us.

Was good to see Cook get a big score seeing as his technique has been a bit dodgy over the last year or so, and Strauss recovered well from his first innings duck.

Hopefully we can bat that well in the first innings next time to win the test rather than to save it.

 

[Lor'Vela]

Yeah, I watch the Sky Highlights too at the 8pm slot in the hope that Bob will find something to moan at.

I've also been watching the ITV 4 highlights which show the Channel 9 commentary. It's interesting to get an Aussie perspective on things.

Apparently, the pitch for the next test match at Adelaide is reportedly not that different than the Gabba. We may be in for another run-fest. If true, I predict another draw.

Morning session, day 5: Ian Botham on Sky has berated the Aussie supporters twice so far for abandoning their team. It's eerily quiet for an Ashes test match, despite the efforts of the Barmy Army.

Beefy is wide of the mark here - nobody pre-books for day 5 at the Gabba, and who on earth would part with (plenty of) their cash to buy walk up tickets to watch the game fizzle out to a draw? The Barmy Army are on holidays - it was a workday for us. The Day 4 crowd for the Sunday was conspicuously poor though.

That may be true, but that won't stop Beefy taking a pot-shot at you guys when the pressure is on.

 

[Botany Bay]

that won't stop Beefy taking a pot-shot at you guys when the pressure is on.

I'm sure they're all lining up to have some revenge after 20 years of the shoe being on the other foot. Beefy is a card-carrying legend. Plenty of mongrel as a player and commentator. I would give anything to have him, Bumble, or frankly any of your guys in our commentary box if it spares us the likes of Ian Healy and Michael Slater.

To the second test, and the rumour mill is in overdrive that Johnson has been dropped for Adelaide, had a massive dummy spit and walked out of today's training session after getting the bad news. He wasn't seen at training, so this mail could be right. Apparently he was told he's in the mix for Perth, pending a display of accuracy at state level.

Chief Cricket Australia yes-man, Michael Clarke then fronted the media and said Johnson was 'resting up'. I wouldn't believe Clarke if he told me the sky was blue, so this story could well be spot on. He also added that he's declaring himself fit for Adelaide. I await his next fifty-ball score of nine with breathless anticipation.

Apart from Johnson out, and Clarke in, Hilfenhaus is set to play subject to fitness, so Harris misses out again.

Bit of rain around in Adelaide from all reports.

 

[donners22]

Apart from Johnson out, and Clarke in, Hilfenhaus is set to play subject to fitness, so Harris misses out again.

The Herald Sun is reporting that it will be Bollinger for Johnson and Harris for Hilfenhaus, barring any last-minute flare-up for Harris.

I believe the team is going to be announced later today.

 

[Jono]

Yep, Johnson is out.

 

[Orac Zen]

Hallelujah.

Really, the amount of complete and utter crap he bowls even when he's at his "best" beggars belief. I don't wish any ill on the bloke but he's no loss, IMO.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

Apart from Johnson out, and Clarke in, Hilfenhaus is set to play subject to fitness, so Harris misses out again.

The Herald Sun is reporting that it will be Bollinger for Johnson and Harris for Hilfenhaus, barring any last-minute flare-up for Harris.

I believe the team is going to be announced later today.

I heard it will be tomorrow. Good changes. Hopefully we win the toss.

 

[Lor'Vela]

Despite the bowling changes, I doubt they would be much more effective given the reported flat batting track at the Adelaide. Plus England are pretty confident too.

No doubt they are brought in to reduce the chances of wides, eh?

 

[Botany Bay]

Some talk tonight that Hilf has been dropped as well.

Normally it's a no-brainer to slot Harris straight in, but his knee is absolutely stuffed apparently, and there is a risk of him not going the distance. He's a fantastic bowler, and more than capable of causing some serious damage on his old home ground, but his chronic injury needs constant management these days, so it's tricky call - particularly if the Adelaide wicket is the usual batsman's wet dream.

Apparently it's been 17 years since 40 wickets fell in an Adelaide test

Interesting to note that the longtime Adelaide curator has been replaced - the new guy is preparing his first international wicket, so there may be some surprises yet - particularly if the rain hangs around.

I agree that the toss is vital - I'd love to see the coin land our way for this one.

I suddenly feel a lot better about our bowling, even though it makes our tail look awfully long. Would love to see a statement of intent from our selectors by having Smith replace Clarke, or playing five bowlers, but it ain't gonna happen, so the pressure will all be on Katich and Watson to get the bulk of our runs as usual.

Have a horrible feeling that if England's bowlers start to fire, and/or have a fraction more luck with the umpires than in Brissy, the floodagtes might open.

A ray of hope for me though is Ponting's fifth day batting in Brissy - he's due for a score I reckon.

I didn't see a ball of the Adelaide test four years ago because I was overseas - here's hoping for another epic, with a similar result

 

[donners22]

Harris and Bollinger in for Johnson and Hilf, as the reports suggested.

Australia won the toss, batted...and lost two wickets in the first over.

Utter shambles.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

Now it's 3 for 2, as Clarke just got out. Anderson is on fire with the ball.

 

[Botany Bay]

Utter shambles.

Sums it up nicely.

Another gritty knock from our captain-in-waiting I see

Clarke now averages 17 since moving to #4. He needs to go, ASAP. The morning session has likely put us out of the series - as expected, a firing English attack is going to really embarrass us this summer till we begin picking batsmen on merit rather than reputation or favoured status.

Ricky's time as skipper is fast running out, and it is really disturbing to see how badly this team is unraveling. I'll be honest, I'm no fan of Ponting, but I have admired the way he's tried to hold this team together, but we're at the point where the task is likely beyond his once superhuman batting powers.

Hussey did his best rescue job once again with Haddin, but only double centuries from both would have got us out of this hole. 450 is the minimum first innings total required in Adelaide - 245 will cost us this match.

Our only hope is a fiery session from Bollinger and Harris in the morning, otherwise it's England 1 up with three to play. Bearing in mind England only need a drawn series, and the Aussies' task looks enormous.

Today was dreadful, and I'd like to think it was rock bottom for us, but till generational change takes place and the new breed find their feet, I'd say we've got a few more days just as humiliating as today ahead of us.

 

[trekkiebaggio]

I had to get up early for work this morning and it was the tea break, I was very happy to see the score.

Hopefully we can now get a mammoth total to really put the pressure on.

ETA: Oh and I'd love to know what the confrontation was about as the players walked off.

 

[Botany Bay]

Apparently Ponting and Haddin got stuck into Strauss about time wasting in the final over.

I didn't see the incident (thankyou Channel 9 ), but apparently it was quite ugly - sounds like a typical Ponting effort when things aren't going his way.

Onto day 2, and I'm hoping for a bag of wickets from Harris to even this test up a bit.

Sounds like Adelaide is a furnace today. We're in big strife if we can't get rid of the openers in the first hour.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

^ I'm surprised they didn't broadcast it on their digital channel. Also agree about Clarke shouldn't be at number 4. At 5 or 6 would be better for him. Plus North needs runs, or he is gone from Perth team.

Great start from Dougy.

 

[Botany Bay]

Very nice of Strauss to inexplicably shoulder arms to a ball that was only ever going to hit the top of middle and off. Cheers, Straussy

Apart from that, a poor session from Australia. Doherty's missed run out, and Hussey's dropped catch (Trott the beneficiary on both occasions) will be costly you feel.

Why no spin in a two hour session on a 40 degree day? Odd.

Trott and Cook will be thinking they have an opportunity to re-write the Ashes record books after lunch. Where are we up to now? 2/600 odd since the first innings in Brissy?

 

[Botany Bay]

Most runs in an Ashes Series : belongs to none other than Don Bradman who made 974 runs at an average of 139.14 on 1930's tour to England from 7 innings of 5 tests with 4 centuries. WR Hammond has English record for most runs against Australia in an Ashes series = 905 from 9 innings of 5 tests in 1928 England tour of Australia.

From : http://www.itsonlycricket.com/entry/1077/

Cook now has 392 with six (possibly seven) innings to go, and doesn't look like he'll get out in this innings.

Glad I nominated him as the weak link for England

Doherty has been poor today - he needs a breakthrough, or the revolving door of post-Warne spinners may continue.

Two more hours of coming up for the Aussie bowlers and supporters.

 

[Jono]

Can we lose by an innings and complete the humiliation?

Or can the weather save us? Forecast has scattered thunderstorms tomorrow and thunderstorms Tuesday. Come on English weather!

 

[Botany Bay]

It would be one of sport's greatest injustices for us to get out of this with a draw, but with talk of 80mm of rain on Tuesday, plus plenty forecast tomorrow, we might just be able to do it.

All the same, you'd think we'd have to survive around 100 overs over two days - I wouldn't put the house on that.

Interesting scenario if we go to the WACA 0-0. As I mentioned upthread, it is pissing down constantly in Sydney this summer, and I would not want to be relying on the SCG test to produce a result. Melbourne is apparently much the same - so the WACA test becomes the one to win. This is a ground where touring sides have not particularly enjoyed themselves, but do we have the bowlers to exploit the conditions? Not the ones playing in this test (Harris excepted).

I know people will disagree with this, but I reckon Ponting has one last great innings in him. Think Taylor at Edgbaston or Waugh at the SCG. Punter must know he's running out of games as captain, and I feel he may just deliver one of his greatest when it counts the most.

That said, he'll need support, but where do we get the bowlers from? The Doherty experiment hasn't worked out, Bollinger looks like his zip has gone, and Siddle has bowled terribly since his hat-trick. I suppose one of Johnson or Hilf has to come back in, and probably a rookie - Cameron? As for a replacement spinner, I'd be tempted to give the job to North. Desperate times.

As for our batting, Clarke must surely be dropped on fitness grounds, let alone his dreadful form. I'd bring in White so we have a standby leader should Ricky quit as captain, or (god forbid) retire at the end of the series.

It's been a shocking couple of weeks for Aussie cricket - we knew England would be tough against a middling Aussie side, but we are not middling, we are poor. England look to have 8-9 contributors. We have 2 or 3. Generational change is probably only a few weeks away.

This is stumps for me - back to work tomorrow. The shitful weather and the dire standard of our cricket has actually encouraged me to take a few extra summer uni classes - long days in front of the cricket are not exactly relaxing at the moment. Have a great christmas, all, and hopefully the Ashes will still be live when the Boxing day test rolls around.

 

[Orac Zen]

Once again offline life has ensured I've seen very little cricket these past few days. I'm not the least bit sorry about that. It's also one of the very few times I'm okay with it raining anywhere but my part of the world. It would be something of a travesty if weather saved us at this juncture but I'll take whatever I can get.

This has been eight pretty embarrassing days for Australian cricket and the stark reality is that this is about the best we've got. No one is really putting their hand up in Shield cricket, batting or bowling. I suppose we can still fall back on the excuse that losing a couple of world-class players and three once-in-a-generation players a few years ago is a blow no side can overcome in the short term, but the reality is that they all retired several years ago now and since then few of their successors have stood up and been accountable, much less been a consistent contributor. Instead, they have a good session or day and then lapse back into mediocrity. This is not a great England side by any conceivable stretch of the imagination, yet they're streets ahead of us in every facet of the game. The wheel always turns and it's their time in the sun, but it would be nice if we'd offer a bit more of a fight.

I don't share BB's dislike of Clarke but it's patently obvious he isn't fit (or even close to it); why the hell is he in the side? It's patently obvious that there's a reason Doherty has very rarely featured in Tasmania's Shield side over the past several years, yet the genius selectors decided he's the answer and the idiocy of that choice has been thoroughly exposed. Siddle is a trier but lacks genuine Test class. Bollinger is clearly underdone. The batsmen (Hussey aside) are a joke - I wouldn't back any of them to bat an hour, never mind six sessions to save the game. It seems that Harris has stood up but he's the wrong side of 30 and has a lengthy injury history. Ponting is our only genuine world class player but unlike the Tendulkars and Dravids and so on he's not found a way to flourish in his twilight years.

Oh, well. There are plenty of bigger issues in life and as I said earlier the wheel always turns (remember when West Indies were by far the most powerful side in the world? Look at them now). We just have to get used to the fact that we're an ordinary side and will be for some time to come. Such is life.