summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Australia in a bit of a pickle : 155/4, only 467 runs behind India's 622-7.
Cricket
- Thread starter summerisle
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summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Tea : Australia 198-5.
A pretty awful statistic.
A pretty awful statistic.
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Sydney does turn and they lost it at the toss for me. Their inexperience is showing but some of these batsmen are young and still learning, the bans have transformed this batting team from a good competent outfit at home to one completely dependent on their bowlers and thus getting the better of conditions with the toss.
The fact they have lost three from four tosses, winning the test where they won it, has made it an easy path for the visitors, without the toss, this Australian side were always to succumb all too easily.
England beat India 4-1 over here but with the traditional Ashes rivalry and their batting strength restored, Australia could be a far tougher nut to crack so while we should still be confident we shouldn't be looking at this series as a guide.
Perhaps my previous post illustrates the effect of the ban on their batting
Australian centuries by calendar year:
2001 23
2002 18
2003 25
2004 22
2005 21
2006 19
2007 6 (4 Tests)
2008 19
2009 15
2010 12
2011 8
2012 15
2013 13
2014 16
2015 21
2016 12
2017 15
2018 4
(This list originally posted by 'bluerinse' on the TEF forum)
I think this illustrates the issues the Aussies have had in replacing Smith and Warner.
Every side would struggle but that is quite a stark drop off.
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Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
In the end the bad weather won out in the final test but that will be scant consolation to these batsmen, they now only have abject travellers Sri Lanka, a very poor side away from the subcontinent atm, before a big year ahead.
It's been perhaps the worst year in Australia's test history so picking three batters to drop is going to be difficult simply because they're have been so so many who haven't stood up when given the chance. Shaun Marsh, Handscomb and Finch look the most likely for me.
It's been perhaps the worst year in Australia's test history so picking three batters to drop is going to be difficult simply because they're have been so so many who haven't stood up when given the chance. Shaun Marsh, Handscomb and Finch look the most likely for me.
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
A few typos in that lol
....simply because there have been so so many who haven't stood up when given the chance. Shaun Marsh
....simply because there have been so so many who haven't stood up when given the chance. Shaun Marsh
Picking anyone other than warner or smith in the top 6 is just rearranging the deck chairs at the moment plus tim paine at 7 has made no runs. England will roll through us very easily, each test will be lucky to make the 4th day.
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
England fly to the Caribbean tomorrow with their two month tour getting underway with the first of two consecutive two day practice matches over four days against a West Indies board XI starting next Tuesday.
The squad is virtually identical to that which enjoyed such success in Sri Lanka although Ollie Pope is not required this time around.
Test squad: Joe Root (Yorkshire) (captain), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Joe Denly (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Keaton Jennings (Lancashire), Jack Leach (Somerset), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Olly Stone (Warwickshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
ODI squad: Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) (captain), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Tom Curran (Surrey), Joe Denly (Kent), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Ben Stokes (Durham), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham)
In recent times these warm up practice matches have tended to be downgraded from first class in order to give as many as possible game time, but they can all too easily degenerate into meaningless run fests or the absolutely farcical with the standard of pitches provided not always being the best.
However their importance cannot be totally disregarded as Joe Denly found out to his cost after two thoroughly underwhelming performances in the equivalent before the Sri Lankan series. Poor Joe's feeble efforts were just so inept as to force the tour management into a last minute change of predetermined plans for the test series. Disappointingly for Joe he wasn't picked to start in any of the three tests only being used to carry the drinks or as a substitute fielder.
England's history of warm up games in the Caribbean hasn't always passed without notable incident or stories though as this entertaining article shows...
https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/2019/ ... est-indies
The squad is virtually identical to that which enjoyed such success in Sri Lanka although Ollie Pope is not required this time around.
Test squad: Joe Root (Yorkshire) (captain), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Joe Denly (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Keaton Jennings (Lancashire), Jack Leach (Somerset), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Olly Stone (Warwickshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
ODI squad: Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) (captain), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Tom Curran (Surrey), Joe Denly (Kent), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Ben Stokes (Durham), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham)
In recent times these warm up practice matches have tended to be downgraded from first class in order to give as many as possible game time, but they can all too easily degenerate into meaningless run fests or the absolutely farcical with the standard of pitches provided not always being the best.
However their importance cannot be totally disregarded as Joe Denly found out to his cost after two thoroughly underwhelming performances in the equivalent before the Sri Lankan series. Poor Joe's feeble efforts were just so inept as to force the tour management into a last minute change of predetermined plans for the test series. Disappointingly for Joe he wasn't picked to start in any of the three tests only being used to carry the drinks or as a substitute fielder.
England's history of warm up games in the Caribbean hasn't always passed without notable incident or stories though as this entertaining article shows...
https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/2019/ ... est-indies
Minimeister
Player Valuation: £35m
One of the best tours West Indies. Watching Test cricket in the evening is great.
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
There are one or two selection conundrums ahead of the tour to which Ed Smith and Trevor Bayliss will have to find answers.
The balance of the bowling attack
Although the pitches are likely to provide turn and Bangladesh and Pakistan's spinners have had decent figures relatively recently they do offer a little more bounce up front for the seamers even if they can flatten out.
England would appear unlikely go in with each of Leach, Ali and Rashid in the Tests in Barbados, Antigua and St Lucia. Ali looks safe as the number one spinner and his batting a potential asset. While if there is not too much turn on offer then Rashid, who gives the ball the biggest rip out of the England spinners, may be what's needed if the pitch flattens with his batting a useful bonus. Leach, for all his success in his debut Test series, could be the most vulnerable.
I would think a three seamer, two spinner attack most likely which begs the second question, with Ben Stokes assured of his place as the third seamer after his superb performances in Sri Lanka and the all round batting bowling and fielding skills which balance the side, which seamer from Broad, Anderson or Curran miss out or do they sacrifice a batsman?
The batting and finding the right solution
The six batsmen and keeper are Burns, Jennings, Bairstow, Root, Stokes, Buttler, Foakes, leaving two seamers plus Ali and Rashid/Leach.
With Curran offering those crucial explosive runs down the order and the selectors really wanting to look at Jennings facing proper seam bowling ahead of the ashes, it may appear likely that Broad and Anderson may have to wait until the Ashes to be reunited properly.
The balance of the bowling attack
Although the pitches are likely to provide turn and Bangladesh and Pakistan's spinners have had decent figures relatively recently they do offer a little more bounce up front for the seamers even if they can flatten out.
England would appear unlikely go in with each of Leach, Ali and Rashid in the Tests in Barbados, Antigua and St Lucia. Ali looks safe as the number one spinner and his batting a potential asset. While if there is not too much turn on offer then Rashid, who gives the ball the biggest rip out of the England spinners, may be what's needed if the pitch flattens with his batting a useful bonus. Leach, for all his success in his debut Test series, could be the most vulnerable.
I would think a three seamer, two spinner attack most likely which begs the second question, with Ben Stokes assured of his place as the third seamer after his superb performances in Sri Lanka and the all round batting bowling and fielding skills which balance the side, which seamer from Broad, Anderson or Curran miss out or do they sacrifice a batsman?
The batting and finding the right solution
The six batsmen and keeper are Burns, Jennings, Bairstow, Root, Stokes, Buttler, Foakes, leaving two seamers plus Ali and Rashid/Leach.
With Curran offering those crucial explosive runs down the order and the selectors really wanting to look at Jennings facing proper seam bowling ahead of the ashes, it may appear likely that Broad and Anderson may have to wait until the Ashes to be reunited properly.
summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Two Indian cricketers sent home from Australia due to naughty comments.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/46849441
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/46849441
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Australia beat India comfortably enough in the first ODI.
The other news is that their banned former captain and superstar batsman Steve Smith is to undergo surgery on January 15th on ligament damage in his arm which caused him to give up the Bangladeshi ODI franchise tournament he was playing in earlier than expected.
The recovery time for such an injury is said to be six weeks but will bring him up to the end of the Australian summer and perhaps lead to problems making his comeback for the national ODI team when the ban is lifted in March.
Whether the lead-up time and availability of match practice will be there before the world cup begins in our summer is another question.
There is no way Australia won't pick such an iconic batsman but it is whether he will have the right preparation following his recuperation.
The other news is that their banned former captain and superstar batsman Steve Smith is to undergo surgery on January 15th on ligament damage in his arm which caused him to give up the Bangladeshi ODI franchise tournament he was playing in earlier than expected.
The recovery time for such an injury is said to be six weeks but will bring him up to the end of the Australian summer and perhaps lead to problems making his comeback for the national ODI team when the ban is lifted in March.
Whether the lead-up time and availability of match practice will be there before the world cup begins in our summer is another question.
There is no way Australia won't pick such an iconic batsman but it is whether he will have the right preparation following his recuperation.
Excuse of a game. How could an athlete stop for tea? Drunks, wasters and boys who were crap at football. Close thread!
summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Footballers who have a heart attack when somebody sneezes in the crowd - thread remains opened.
I would argue.. but can't!
Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
England start the first of their two consecutive two day non first class warm up games against a WI Cricket Board XI at the 3 W's Oval - University grounds, Cave Hill in Barbados today.
While Barbados, being in the tropics, is hot, it hasn't anything like the soaking humidity and sauna like conditions England had to endure in Sri Lanka, and is far more comfortable for the players. The wicket keepers were all put through a long session with Bruce French yesterday, all concentrating on standing up to the stumps and catching balls which turned a long way, because the pitch for the first two-day game is not going to be one of those traditional West Indian pitches of unblemished sheen. In fact, no pitch had been marked out before England left for an afternoon swim, let alone rolled and polished.
So these four days of match practice are more likely to be an extension of England’s tour of Sri Lanka before Christmas than the start of an old-time West Indian tour with Keaton Jennings, who has shaved his head for charity, calling it an 'interesting' surface. All three spinners are likely to play in what, given the nature of an under prepared spinning wicket, could be more than a little farcical with wickets falling in regular clusters. In the first-class match on this ground last month between Barbados and Jamaica, the home side’s left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican took 12 wickets for 116 runs. Jamaica, chasing 107, were dismissed for 65.
It is more than likely to be a glorified net practice with England batting all one day and bowling the other although with the state of the pitch that may alter, at least 12 a side and possibly a few more will play, even if only eleven of the fielding side are actually out on the field, the rules being relaxed as practice is more important.
Kensington Oval, however, the venue for the first Test starting on Jan 23, supplied a good wicket for its only first-class match there this season, so England then can be expected to play Moeen Ali with either Adil Rashid or Jack Leach and three seamers including Ben Stokes which possibly means Broad or Curran.
While Barbados, being in the tropics, is hot, it hasn't anything like the soaking humidity and sauna like conditions England had to endure in Sri Lanka, and is far more comfortable for the players. The wicket keepers were all put through a long session with Bruce French yesterday, all concentrating on standing up to the stumps and catching balls which turned a long way, because the pitch for the first two-day game is not going to be one of those traditional West Indian pitches of unblemished sheen. In fact, no pitch had been marked out before England left for an afternoon swim, let alone rolled and polished.
So these four days of match practice are more likely to be an extension of England’s tour of Sri Lanka before Christmas than the start of an old-time West Indian tour with Keaton Jennings, who has shaved his head for charity, calling it an 'interesting' surface. All three spinners are likely to play in what, given the nature of an under prepared spinning wicket, could be more than a little farcical with wickets falling in regular clusters. In the first-class match on this ground last month between Barbados and Jamaica, the home side’s left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican took 12 wickets for 116 runs. Jamaica, chasing 107, were dismissed for 65.
It is more than likely to be a glorified net practice with England batting all one day and bowling the other although with the state of the pitch that may alter, at least 12 a side and possibly a few more will play, even if only eleven of the fielding side are actually out on the field, the rules being relaxed as practice is more important.
Kensington Oval, however, the venue for the first Test starting on Jan 23, supplied a good wicket for its only first-class match there this season, so England then can be expected to play Moeen Ali with either Adil Rashid or Jack Leach and three seamers including Ben Stokes which possibly means Broad or Curran.