OK, what's the deal with Nessun Dorma at cricket?
They played that at Edgbaston last week, I didn't get it either
2009 Ashes Series - England vs. Australia **Spoilers**
- Thread starter oli collett
- Start date
They played that at Edgbaston last week, I didn't get it either
All turning around now. Australia bowled out for 160, we'll get 600 and then bowl em out for 10.
Mark my words.
Mark my words.
Amazing what happens when you bowl in the right areas...
Thing is with Harmison, he was never that consistent when he was bowling well. He'd always bowl 4/6 or 5/6 good balls an over, along with some utter drivel. Look back to Old Trafford, vs. Pakistan 2006 - he was dreadful all series and then was unplayable on the variable bounce of that wicket, but he could still bowl the odd dreadful delivery whilst returning amazing figures.
Anderson was really dissapointing today - another frustrating player. Anderson could be one of the best bowlers of the world. Could. He bowls between a pace where he can get conventional swing with the new ball and reverse the old ball at will, but his length can sometimes let him down. It's as if some days he turns up and he just bowls a yard short, and that will be it. Even when he does bowl well, it'll usually only be for one innings (take lords and edgbaston for example).
Anderson was really dissapointing today - another frustrating player. Anderson could be one of the best bowlers of the world. Could. He bowls between a pace where he can get conventional swing with the new ball and reverse the old ball at will, but his length can sometimes let him down. It's as if some days he turns up and he just bowls a yard short, and that will be it. Even when he does bowl well, it'll usually only be for one innings (take lords and edgbaston for example).
I think Anderson was injured today. Pulled a muscle or something. Commentators on Sky Sports said he wasn't moving properly. Just a subtle change in his walk but they all thought he wasn't at 100%. Much like pretty much the whole squad today.
Well I thought that, but the word from the england camp was that he was fine
Can we just declare our second innings and get on with the next test? This is painful.
At this rate we'll end up 600 behind with 3 days left.
Strauss, Cook, Bopara & Bell all to make 100s, England 600-3 declared by COP day 4, Australia all out for 150*
*I don't actually believe this.
*I don't actually believe this.
Worse.
Lots of people are backing Ramprakash for a recall now..
He has been the best batsman in county cricket by a long way for the last few years - playing on his home ground.. would it be any worse than playing Bopara/Bell?
He has been the best batsman in county cricket by a long way for the last few years - playing on his home ground.. would it be any worse than playing Bopara/Bell?
Thing is though, they said that in 2006/07 when they were looking at calling him into the squad at the last ashes, and that was 2 1/2 years ago and he's still scoring runs!
9 matches, 14 innings, 1204 runs, 5 100s, average of 100.75. I believe he's averaged on or around 100 for the last 3 years. He's also first to 1000 runs this year.
As a short term measure, you could do worse.
Nothing wrong with bringing in a scapegoat though!
I think what will happen is:
Flintoff -> Harmison
Trott -> Bopara
and that'll be it.
On another note - did anyone see "the fanatics" were claiming responsibility for setting off the fire alarm at the England team hotel? Not a good precedent to set for fans..
Ah cheers for that - what worries me is that the "army" will end up doing a lot worse..
LOL @ the story though - unnamed woman trying to wash her stockings and knickers in a hotel room. I wonder what she'd been up to..
Just to make it clear btw - Ramprakash wouldn't be my pick either, I just wouldn't be too annoyed if he was recalled. I think Trott or Key would be a better pick, probably Key given his experience. I think it'd be a bit of a risk giving Trott his debut in a must-win test like that, but then he would also have the opportunity to get a good run in the side.
What I don't understand about our middle order, as you have pointed out, is why they are consistently found out against a swinging ball. Yes, I know any world class batsman will struggle when the ball is doing hoops, but the ball always swings in England and the past 2 years we've had bowlers come over and make some of our batsmen look inept. The first innings saw the batsman nibbling at wide deliveries and in the second innings they were missing straight ones!
It was a crazy result for a team enjoying a solid lead. England went to Headingley with their hands on the reins and every prospect of success; Australia turned up with three embarrassing results and every prospect of defeat. But only one captain had already decided he would take control of the game, and it was not Strauss. I don't believe he has the killer instinct.
When all you can say is "we didn't turn up", there's definitely something very wrong. And to claim that "it wasn't a 450 wicket"?! Australia hit 445 in their first innings!
I'd say 400 was a very good score on that wicket - there was some inconsistent bounce with the new ball and plenty for the bowlers, but England's bowling plans were dreadful. They gave away at least 100 runs after taking Katich's wicket by bowling far too short.
Hmm, Ramps did always consistently score runs against the aussies though, 12 matches, 6 50's, 1 100 @42.50. You're right some of them were dead rubbers though. He was just never able to hit big runs against teams, it was always 20s, 30s and the odd 50.
Still, 8 years on, I expect he's calmed down a bit as a person, but at 39, it'd be one of the most bizzare recalls ever. Part of me wants the selectors to pick him just to see how he performs!
Which side do the Fanatics support then? Never heard of them. They an extremist wing of the Barmy Army?There was an article on BBC Sports a while back looking at why Bell wasn't in the England team. It compared Bell to Collingwood, who both had played in similar number of Tests, but that Collingwood with arguably more mental strength than Bell but arguably less talent than Bell was in the England team and Bell wasn't.
The main point of the article that stuck with me was that it said that Bell has never scored a century for England where he's the only English centurion. He's only scored a century when someone else also has, in other words when another batsman is working towards 100 and taking some of the pressure Bell can play but when its backs against the wall and every man for himself Bell can't score 100. In fact he never has!
The fanatics are sort of Australia's version of the barmy army. I get the impression though, unlike the barmy army which has quite a mixture of folk which results in a group of supporters who on the whole are tolerable, the fanatics mainly consists of tossers. Could be wrong there, though.
Haha, I love the way they go on about Gary Pratt. He was on the pitch for Simon Jones at the time who didn't play any more cricket for England from that point on! But anyway, I think everyone's glad they are cracking down on it, it's got silly, and it's not just England doing it!
With regards to Ramprakash - Surrey have only been in league 2 for this season, and his averages have been as follows:
Year Avg 100s HS
2005 74.66 6 252
2006 103.54 8 301*
2007 101.30 10 266*
2008 61.75 6 200*
2009 100.75 5 274
And Rob Key is also playing in league 2, and his average is only 53.90 - but that includes a 270*. A certain GO Jones has scored more runs for Kent so far this season, although he has played in a couple more games.
Maybe because the Aussies are playing away and don't have the same luxury of substitute fielders? I don't recall England doing it too often when they are playing away.