Match Thread: 1st Ashes Test - Page 10

Fazal · #**226** July 24, 2005, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fazal
I am looking for a 5-0 whitewash. But will be happy with a 2+ margin win ( 3-1, 4-1, 5-0, etcx).

This time no mercy.

One gone. 4 more to go.

Highway to whitewash!!

Ejaj · #**227** July 24, 2005, 05:02 PM

Congrats to Aussies.. They are just GREAT!.. BUt. I wont be disappointed with England team much. I think.. a test pitch shouldnt be liek this. When BD came to play the test.. they played on the most difficult pitch of the world at the worst time of the year, Now. .If I look back.. England al faultered similarly. The quality of oppositon bowling is infact much higher agasint BD then England team. BUt.. my assumption will be ... England will be a much better team in next 2 years. when.. Warne and Mcgrath wont be there in the team. So.. I would probably stick to this team and keep on playing the same team in the next match.

Akib · #**228** July 24, 2005, 06:46 PM

A bloody brilliant match by Aussies. Ruthlessly wrested the advantage and held on...

Congrats to Pieterson.. a great debut although I think a win would have made things happier for him.

Rob · #**229** July 24, 2005, 08:26 PM

You gotta feel sorry for KP.

In England colours : 6 50's, 3 100's - 1 win.

He has made England exciting though. He has played 22 times for England now and has hit 77 4's and 29 6's!!

Only three of them sixes have come against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh as well, the rest have come from against South Africa and Australia

Edited on, July 25, 2005, 1:28 AM GMT, by Rob.

Edited on, July 25, 2005, 1:29 AM GMT, by Rob.

Edited on, July 25, 2005, 1:30 AM GMT, by Rob.

chyicarus · #**230** July 24, 2005, 09:16 PM

maybe England might see a chance if they can bat for 3 innings. Still it would be a nail biting finish.
Hmmmmm- cmon Punter, give the Pommies another innings- see if they can hold for 10 more wicktets!

Tintin · #**231** July 25, 2005, 02:17 AM

Quote:

"Dear Australia, congratulations on winning the first Test match by 239 runs. You were great. We beg to remain, sirs, your humble servants, the England cricket team,"

The Times' chief sports writer Simon Barnes

Huda · #**232** July 25, 2005, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rob
The catching was a bloody joke. I am a big fan of GoJo but hee needs to pull a finger out and take the catches, he is the worse keeper in the world at the moment, and what the hell was he doing with his batting? We are trying to save a test match you bloody fool, he got caught at mid on pulling!!!!

Also, Vaughan the batsman. Good captain but a complete liability with the bat. Scratches out a few good innings here and there but is generally poor. He got his off stump knocked out twice in the match and he is a number 3. Pathetic.

yes ive always believed hes been overrated, ive only seen him produce in that one year where he scored like 7 hundreds or something and scored the most runs in the year, 2001, i think not sure.

but his odi form is poor and his test career is falling backwards, people call this guy world class, i dont think so, if you produce your best cricket for around a 1 year and then dont produce it again i cant call him a world class player

Rob · #**233** July 25, 2005, 09:27 AM

He is as good as anybody when he plays well, but he hardely ever does. And for this inconsistency, he cannot be rated world class.

He is a poor starter to an innings. If he manages to survive and get to 30 or so he starts playing well and usually gets a good score.

mwrkhan · #**234** July 25, 2005, 09:36 AM

Rain, 5 wickets and all Aus needed was a 2 hour window. A rather sad capitulation.

Do you expect any changes to the England lineup for the next test? I don't.

Rob · #**235** July 25, 2005, 11:03 AM

I don't think they will make any changes, mainly because that would be a moral victory for Australia.

They should drop Giles though in my opinion. He is a complete waste of a player against this mighty Australia team and we would be better served by another batsman.

But as I said, any changes are unlikely.

The England players have some time in county cricket now, although Vaughan has opted for intense nets instead of the county championship match, he will play a one day game on Sunday with Hoggard, Trescothick and Flintoff get to have a slog in 20/20 cricket, Bell, Giles and Pietersen all go off and play county cricket. Strauss, S Jones and Harmy are rested.

Just a word on Flintoff. I have said before he should bat at number 7, but what I think he really needs is to come in with England in a good position so he can play his natural game. Too often recently he is having to pick up the pieces of a top order collapse and he isn't really suited to doing that.

Huda · #**236** July 25, 2005, 03:01 PM

giles is living on last years perfomances, where if he didnt have that summer he would have been to timbuctoo now.

england really need a spinner, this use to be topic recently but has been forgotton because of their recent success.

englands success has been mainly on seaming pitches, but when they go to sri lanka or india they will struggle, as shown by englands last series in sri lanka, where they had a poor time

Rob · #**237** July 25, 2005, 04:06 PM

The thing is that Giles isn't even the best spinner we have. Gary Keedy who plays for Lancashire is by far the best and can actually turn the ball, quite sharply. He is an off spinner and has averaged under 25 for the last three seasons.

The problem is that Keedy can't bat for magic beans and that is what has caused his England chances harm. He is 30 now I think.

Here are his stats. They don't really tell the whole story, he is better than an average of 31 these days.

It would also be good if Pietersen can unearth his spin bowling talents again. He has focussed on his batting since coming to England. But this scorecard and the match reports that go with it show he does have talent as an off spinner.

This especially is just very weird to read now.

Edited on, July 25, 2005, 9:20 PM GMT, by Rob.

Huda · #**238** July 26, 2005, 08:58 AM

if pietersen doesnt start to bowl, i would really, like vaughan to put some work into his bowling, some time and effort with a specialist could unearht some spin talent.

he should be bowling his alloted 10 overs in the odi arena, instead of giles, because when ever i do see vaughans spinners, i like them, there better than the average player who does part time off spin.

r56hg · #**239** July 26, 2005, 12:29 PM

whatever everybody has some good point, but I am afraid England is going to whitewash again.... I don't wanna see that,, but Australian Pace bawlers can make it possible

Spitfire_x86 · #**240** July 26, 2005, 12:42 PM

Andrew Millar wants to replace Giles with Paul Collingwood for the next test

Link: England need to address their balance

Rob · #**241** July 26, 2005, 08:12 PM

Well Collingwood has made 190 and 181* in his last two county championship matches.

banindfan · #**242** July 27, 2005, 01:54 AM

england need someone to play like Laxman and Dravid
Laxman(avgs 52 vs Aus--4 centuries and highest 281 match winning knock against Australia at Eden Gardens)
Dravid(avgs 51 vs Aus -2 test centuries and highest 233 match winning at Adelaide against Australia in Australia.
Both these batsmen have scored two 300+ partnerships against Australia.....then just imagine they would have batted the whole day...
And to go with this Sachin 7 test match centuries against Australia
The problem with England is only Vaughan has a good record against Australia.Thorpe has retired and Butcher is injured who had a very good track record against the aussies.
Hope someone comes good or they will humiliate england.

Edited on, July 27, 2005, 6:58 AM GMT, by banindfan.

Edited on, July 27, 2005, 9:20 AM GMT, by banindfan.

chyicarus · #**243** July 27, 2005, 11:14 AM

Finally my man Rob admits that Giles is not even worth keeping in the England XI, as i said earlier, they're playing with 10 ppl. With his toothless bowling and his useless batting(Gillespie or McGrath bats even better than him)- he can only stay if Duncan Fletcher or Michael Vaughn has something working for them(eg: a personal preference/politics).
Paul Collingwood should come in for Ian Bell and another bowler needs to be added. Because Collingwood is a useful all-arounder alright, but his (and for Ian Bell for that matter) style of bowling won't really give them vital breakthroughs. And putting so much pressure on Andy isn't fair and will affect his batting somewhat. I don't agree with Andy being at no.7, but rather moving him around depending on the situation. Yes, you're right about him needing a little carefree time out there in the middle. But I think the most vital position is no.3; an inform player needs to be in that spot and frankly speaking, looking at how the batters are playing KP would be my no.1 choice for that position even though its going to be hard on him.