KVR Audio

egbert · Post by **egbert** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:10 pm

boogooloo1 wrote:Ah - it's been done. I think Gilly has a decent record as a fill-in from memory...

Actually he has that effort with Butcher taking the game away to his credit. The cricket brain is Warne. Pity he has discredited himself off the field.

I think Ponting was annointed as a long term bet. Marsh says Ponting was the best young player he has ever seen and his career shows the fulfillment of his potential as a batsman. He is no genius though when it comes to tactics - inflexible and lacking creativity. He's called Punter for f's sake coz he likes the GGs and the form guide

I just think he's been able to get away with playing by numbers because Oz has been so dominant and playing a lot of ordinary sides of late. When you have to struggle to make the most of what opportunities you have against a worthy adversary there's no room for anything but the smartest moves from both selectors and captains.

Watto · Post by **Watto** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:13 pm

I agree with most of that, but Gilchrist also has a great cricket brain. Warne's is great, but especially for his own purposes - he can be bloody reckless, too. I CAN'T BELIEVE PUNTER HAS PEOPLE ON THE BOUNDARY!!! What is the bloody point????

original flipper · Post by **original flipper** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:14 pm

HI

This is bullshit!!!!

England are giving the aussies a whiff of the booty!!

This is why we suffer on the world stage - we lack the killer instinct, no disrespect to the aussies but England were the only team in this series - but now they are showing too much respect and getting boxed in

.

Flipper.

Watto · Post by **Watto** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:15 pm

And yes, Shane Warne, although he SHOULD be known as one of the all-time greats, will always have a little snigger associated with his name - whether it's the chicks, the smokes, the fat, the baked beans...

Watto · Post by **Watto** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:16 pm

Er, we DID win the first one, and you'll have egg on your face if we win the last...

nuffink · Post by **nuffink** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:18 pm

This one aint over.

egbert · Post by **egbert** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:19 pm

nuffink wrote:Ponting for Bell. Langer (ave 33) and Martyn (25) no chance. You could nake a case for Clarke but where?

I don't think you can realistically rate players on the basis of 4 test matches in one country. Do you?

I think you should look at 12 months or more of performances in all conditions and against a diversity of opposition. You can't just write off class like Martyn and Langer or Clarke who is clearly one of the best few young talents in the world. Vaughn is very classy, Freddie and Jones are really firing. The rest are not worldbeaters IMO. Together, playing as a team they are very competitive though - no doubt about that.

nuffink · Post by **nuffink** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:24 pm

egbert wrote:I don't think you can realistically rate players on the basis of 4 test matches in one country. Do you?

Well, realistically, I have to in order to post any views about it. For the last decade the Aussie machine has been the best team in sport. It contains two players (Warne and Gilchrist) who have redefined cricket and who would be in the alltime greatest 11.

So if we're going on past performance you win. 11-0.

Watto · Post by **Watto** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:28 pm

11-0??!! It's Tait's debut!!!

egbert · Post by **egbert** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:31 pm

nuffink wrote:
Well, realistically, I have to in order to post any views about it. For the last decade the Aussie machine has been the best team in sport. It contains two players (Warne and Gilchrist) who have redefined cricket and who would be in the alltime greatest 11.

So if we're going on past performance you win. 11-0.

Oh - look I don't think we need to get that serious.

The fact that we have a real scrap on test after test is just fantastic for the game. Freddie is just what the game needs - a great talent with a generous spirit. I watched Vaughn's 160 with great enjoyment even though he is "the old enemy".

Its great to see the real scrappers like Lee and Warne coming up with the goods game after game too. We are living in interesting times as they say in the orient.

Watto · Post by **Watto** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:35 pm

Yep, if cricket's killing me, I'll at least die happy...

kritikon · Post by **kritikon** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:53 pm

I think it would have been even closer and even more tense if Warne had been captain. He had a brief spell a couple of years ago - I remember he was pretty canny in his field placings. Reminds me of Fleming that way - always adjusting the field depending on the batsman and how he was doing - can change the field 3 or 4 times an over even. Warne is crafty enough to do a very good job. But I suppose the off-field stuff buggered it up for him. Doesn't do well to have a captain banned for drugs.
(Although Atherton got caught with his pockets full of dirt - didn't do him any harm

)

And why didn't they play Tait earlier - he's got lots of promise - the only Aussie to swing it well. That's what seems to have done for the batsmen.

Ponting has surprised me at how defensive his field has been at times. The Aussies always had success by getting in everyones' faces. Literally.

Anyway - the Ashes are staying home this time.

378-8 ....should be a short finish (but England have many years of collapsing in a heap at the most crucial time

)

Watto · Post by **Watto** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:55 pm

The Ashes are staying home?? You realise there's another test match??

By the way, I'd almost have put money on Australia winning it if Flintoff had been given out a few minutes ago, as he clearly was...

Watto · Post by **Watto** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 4:58 pm

Holy shit, Lee got Flintoff! AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!

Watto · Post by **Watto** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 5:00 pm

That's the way to ensure those bloody English bails come off - hit them instead of the stumps!

Cricket's killing me