cool
Anderson and swann have been strangely useless. I wonder what has happened to Anderson in particular. He was unplayable in the first test.
He’s not getting lots of wickets, but he bowls a lot of maiden overs too. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/scorecard/87722 Useless is a tad harsh imo.
Every chance now that Australia will be heading home having lost 4-0 to an under performing England. Despite all their recent fighting talk of their chances for the return series, this has been a chastening experience and must be demoralising to their mindset. There’s a generation of Australian cricketers now in Siddle, Harris, Watson, Hughes, Smith & Haddin who have multiple series losses against England to their names and know nothing but Ashes failure. They now inhabit the same world that the likes of Mike Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Alec Stewart, Graeme Thorpe Darren Gough & Angus Fraser did in the 1990’s. Mostly decent players and decent guys but without that winning mentality.
That was some humiliation for Australia yesterday. Was reading there that they haven’t lost 4 Ashes series in a row since the 1890’s. That’s surely what they’re looking at in the return series Down Under.
Hard to know. England have been poor enough this series as well. Have had luck at crucial times. It all started when glen McGrath trod on the ball. If I were Lehman I’d hire a gypsy to piss in the four corners of the mcg.
Lord’s was a humiliation for Australia, wouldn’t say yesterday was at all. They finally put an opening partnership together, and while the collapse was obviously disappointing, it was a wonderful spell from Broad and Bresnan. Warner and Clarke got absolutely cracking balls, Haddin and Watson were on the wrong end of marginal decisions. Don’t think either should have been given out, both had the look of hometown decisions.
I think the series in Australia will be competitive. Would be a huge boost for Australia to win at The Oval, it’s a long time since they beat a decent team in a Test and look like a team that has forgotten how to close out a game. As alluded to a while back, I think Australia’s quicks are more suited to get something out of the Aussie wickets than England’s, though that depends somewhat on Harris’s continuing fitness. Warner should score runs at the top of the order at home. They are still probably two batsmen short, Khawaja and Smith don’t look good enough at the moment, though I think Smith has improved a lot as a batsman.
Bell has ultimately been the difference between the sides in this series.
As Braz has said its the lack of a winning habit that is killing Australia. England have been patchy enough throughout the series, Australia have had a sniff of a win in 3 of the tests but ultimately could go down to a crushing 4-0 win.
Generally tests in Australia produce results so the first test in Brisbane at the Gabba will be crucial. Australia absolutely have to win that, if they lose it could be a long series. England batted really well in Australia 3 years ago and should find conditions to their liking again. Graeme Swann while not been at his best this series has also been crucial. I imagine the Australians will be serving up pitches to negate his influence.
Hard to see Oz turning it around in a few months. Yesterday was a dagger blow. They might have stumbled on an opening partnership but Rogers is not young so it’s a short term fix. Major problem at number three. Clarke’s back is dodgy, Watson is brainless. Haddin a stopgap. Would feel sorry for the bowlers and they are injury prone.
Can’t see all of Cook, Trott, KP and Prior all batting so relatively poorly again.
The big worry I have for down under is as balbec alluded to. I doubt Cook and Pietersen will be as bad they have been this summer,then again Bell will probably go the other way. Swann is made for Sydney Cricket Ground too you feel. If Australia don’t win Perth then it’s time to really worry.
Exciting finale in store after a typically sporting Michael Clarke declaration earlier. Pietersen at the crease and playing his shots. England need another 122 from 20.3 overs with 8 wickets in hand.
15 runs from that last over. England need 88 from 16 overs. Pietersen is on 45 from 30 balls.
KP gone. England need 64 off 59 deliveries.
Advantage Australia for the draw.
This is great entertainment. 36 from 36 balls required.
Drawn test
Ah fuck. Cricket really shoots itself in the foot terribly sometimes. Off for bad light with England needing 21 from 4 overs. A draw.
Great declaration from Clarke. His captaincy is great for the game.
Flower was fairly non-committal about staying in the job when interviewed on pitch afterwards. Apparently there were some rumours flying around that he would be leaving. Hard to know whether to read anything into his comments though, he never gives anything away really.
It was good of the Wexford U21 hurlers to give me something even worse than Australian cricket to be depressed about over the weekend.
I’ve seen enough from Australia in this series to be of the opinion that they’ll turn things around this winter and win back the Ashes on home turf against a poor England team.