[Closed] A Summer of Cricket - SPOILERS

Cut it out ransos, it's been pleasant in here for a change.

I've no intention of carrying on. I've already pointed out that I would prefer not to.

What do you think about Kerrigan playing?

Can you leave your childishness for another thread please

Zokes please try to not react to that and lets all just discuss cricket please
EDIT:

I've already pointed out that I would prefer not to.

Just stop please .

What do you think about Kerrigan playing?

Not a bad call on this wicket. I'm more bemused by Woakes over Tremlett.

Plus, Jimmy was rocking it - taken out of the attack too early?

Pity we're not batting first - the two spinners on last would have been very nice

We might yet be -

Aus to score a mediocre total, England to score a big one, Australia bat last to avoid an innings defeat (or virtually last, maybe just get enough so we technically bat last but target is double rather than 3 figures)

Aus to score big, England don't make follow on, score big in the second and Aus bat last.

Not a bad call on this wicket. I'm more bemused by Woakes over Tremlett.

It's offering turn, then?

Kerrigan's a good bowler but lacks the control of Swann, IMO. Clarke could get stuck into him.

According to Mike Selvey, the pitch offers very little for someone like Tremlett.

I'm more bemused by Woakes over Tremlett.

Well, as Monty seems to have voted himself out thanks to his toiletting problems, I suppose they needed to try out the next spinner for the future should Swanny get hurt.

That, or they just reckon Tremlett's not his old self after injury

blooding nearly men in a dead rubber to see how they react?

Yes you did just after your comment/dig/goad.

Just stop please .

Evidently. Drop it please.

Virtual STW cricket hug anyone?

[img] [/img]

Kieswetter - whatever happened to him?

Sidebottom, too. What's the curly-haired maestro up to these days?

blooding nearly men in a dead rubber to see how they react?

Well yeah, but that's at odds with everything they've been saying about going for the jugular and taking a 4-0 win to Aus.

Kieswetter - whatever happened to him?

I don't have live stream, but... it looks as if England has lost the initiative here?

Not panicking yet. Rogers can't score against spin and is holding an end up, watson is flattering to deceive and will shortly try one shot too many and get out for a dashing 60-odd.

If not said in jest, busy keeping Somerset's wicket & scores high.

No, not in jest. Only really follow at the Test level. I guess Prior's consistency has kept him out of the picture.

I think Woakes thinks he's still playing T20, which is annoying.

Kerrigan - short fulltoss short over pitched short short... 18 off the over I could bat against this

2 debutant bowlers in the same match - seems madness/cocky/idiotic/condescending to the Aussies, no?

Also, whatever confidence Kerrigan had coming into this match must be waning after a couple of overs?

Can't help thinking that England's arrogance/complacency has been laid bare here. Whatever happens from now on, Watson's taken the two debut lads out of the attack and our attack feels thin...

Terry Alderman vs. Gooch was a terrifying experience, sonny.

Yes, but at least it was over quickly most of the time.

People have mentioned the era of the Waughs, Warne, McGrath, Boon etc, but what really shows the fall of Australian cricket is the others whose era that was, but couldn't get a game for Oz. Instead, they just dominated county and/or shield cricket.

Jamie Cox
Darren Lehmann
Stuart Law
Greg Blewett
Andy Bichel
Stuart MacGill
Duncan Spencer
Matthew Elliot

Any of these would walk into the Aussie side today.

Oh, and can someone please have a squiz back through stuff on youtube featuring 'Boof' and find an example of him smashing the cover off of one to the keeper and not walking. It shouldn't be too difficult.

I think he might be trying to deflect some criticism from his team - the only players who are doing any good are no spring chickens, either - take Clarke, Rogers, Siddle and Haddin out of that team and......

The series has been only nominally approaching an even contest at a few points, and this has almost completely been down to England under-performing. The gulf in class at the moment is huge.

Hmmm. That may be so, dannyh, but I can't help thinking that this short snapshot today has revealed that England's squad isn't as deep as we like to think

Hmmm. That may be so, dannyh, but I can't help thinking that this short snapshot today has revealed that England's squad isn't as deep as we like to think

Yep, it would be interesting to know if there really are top quality players being kept out of the team by our first XI.

And not all XI are great at the moment - Prior being a notable example.

I'll add to that actually...

Root has had one brilliant innings and has otherwise looked vulnerable
Compton didn't seem to cut it
Bairstow never seemed to click

Yes, I know they're young and need time to gain experience (as do these two bowlers), but they're not there yet

From today's Torygraph - Dan "the cuckoo" Hodges:

After Durham I wrote how this England side had built a shield of arrogance around themselves that had stood them in good stead during the pivotal moments of the series. But I also said they had a habit of letting that arrogance drift into boorishness. This week Stewart Broad and his team-mates,(I assume his interview was an accurate reflection of the prevailing team ethos) turned boorishness into an art form.
Arrogance is one thing. Petulance is another.

Before the series started, England were confronted with accusations of ball-tampering. They reacted with shock and indignation: “It's come as a very unwelcome distraction and, frankly, we could do without allegations such as these,” said Jimmy Anderson.

After the Old Trafford Test they faced a new charge of putting tape on the edges of their bats to prevent the Hot Spot camera from detecting an edge. They responded by threatening legal action against the TV channel that had first broadcast the allegations.

But England can’t have it both ways. If they want to wander around parading their “win at all costs” attitude, they can’t then complain when people start accusing them of trying to win at all costs.

Andy Flower has built a very good cricket team. But his side is now in danger of letting their hubris outpace their talent. They have just bested Michael Clarke’s Australians, not Steve Waugh’s. They have only briefly managed to hold the world number one spot, and that at a time when the standard of Test cricket is lower than at any point in the past 50 years. If England want to be truly great then Stuart Broad and his colleagues have to realise one important thing: winning is no longer enough....

...Yes, glorious failure is meaningless. But so is inglorious success. England have to win. [b]But to reach the pinnacle, they have to win with style and class. Great sportsman, great deeds. Not chippy prima donnas who can’t understand why they’re being criticised for knocking the cover off the ball and then standing there like butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth.

England had the chance of greatness this summer, and they squandered it.[/b] They won’t get many more.

Wanting to play hard and ruthless is very different from cheating. The journalist - presumably deliberately - is conflating the two.

To be fair, THM, whilst I agree with most of that, if England's inglorious victory is compared to Australia's frankly farsical performance on and behaviour off the field, England still come out on top by some margin. Lehmann's brainfart to the bogan radio station being the crowning glory

I know fifo - but STW is a forum where racing to the bottom is normally frowned upon!!

I think Broad and Lehmann cancelled each other out in terms of the "level" of their comments. Both say a lot about the team cultures, perhaps? Or the media looking to keep the issue warm!!!

Interesting article.

Is England a great team in 2013?

IMO, it's not as complete as the Ashes winning team of Vaughan, Flintoff, Jones etc...

IMO, it's not as complete as the Ashes winning team of Vaughan, Flintoff, Jones etc...

What would be your combined XI? I'd go:

Cook
Trescothick
Vaughan (c)
Pietersen (2005 version)
Bell (2013 version)
Prior
Flintoff
Broad
Swann
Jones
Anderson

That's 6-5 in favour of the 2013 team...

My combined XI:

Cook
Strauss
Vaughan (c)
Trott
Pietersen
Bell
Flintoff
Geraint Jones
Swann
Simon Jones (or Broad)
Anderson

And the Aussie side would be probably all 2005 players...

Get in! That one must feel good!

Cheers,
Jamie

sitter dropped by the captain

Pivotal moment, that?

With Watson gone, the AUS innings would look very different.

G Jones?? Are you mad?

My only change to ransos' team would be the Harmy of 2005 for Broad. I know Broad has his moments of genius, but Harmy was downright impossible when he was on the money, which, in 2005, he was.

Hard to see neither Strauss or Hoggy in there, but I woldn't drop any of the current mob to make room for them

G Jones?? Are you mad?

Hey! I stand by my selection. 8)

Prior - IMO hugely overrated as a batsman; at least Jones didn't pretend to be a batting God.

My only change to ransos' team would be the Harmy of 2005 for Broad.

For me, Harmison's scatter-gun approach discounts him from the team.

Plus, it's Strauss for Trescothick every time and I'd definitely go for an in-form Simon Jones over Broad.

My only change to ransos' team would be the Harmy of 2005 for Broad. I know Broad has his moments of genius, but Harmy was downright impossible when he was on the money, which, in 2005, he was.

Yeah, I didn't think there was much between them. Harmy a more dangerous bowler on his day (as you say, he was still good in 2005) but Broad can also bat.

I felt that Trescothick opening with Cook was a bit more dynamic than Strauss, plus Tres was on good form in that series IIRC.

Prior - IMO hugely overrated as a batsman; at least Jones didn't pretend to be a batting God.

Prior's test record doesn't lie...he's a much superior batsman to Jones, and his keeping is first rate these days too.

For me, Harmison's scatter-gun approach discounts him from the team.

Plus, it's Strauss for Trescothick every time and I'd definitely go for an in-form Simon Jones over Broad.

Again, purely on 2005 form it has to be Tres for me, though in overall terms I agree with you. I actually thought that Simon Jones was the difference between the two teams in that series. It's not bad having your change bowler reverse swinging at 90mph!

this is absolute rubbish from Kerrigan.

Yeah, Simon Jones' injury was very unfortunate. For all Freddie's heroics storming, Jones was an amazing exponent of fast reverse swing.

Tresco I'd have over Strauss as he was an opener who could also attack, rather than just weather the storm and accumulate

I'd have Harmy (2005) over Broad for his bowling. With a batting lineup like our fantasy up there, we don't even need to think about picking bowlers for their batting. Swann's a decent number 8 anyway.

Well, this rain is a tad unfortunate

I'm sure that's what Kerrigan is thinking, zokes!

If I were in his position I'd be raring for a second bite of it

He cannot do any worse Crosses fingers etc

he was so bad he looked like an aussie panic pick 😉

Plenty of 'Eye of the Tiger' on the Kerrigan iPod then?

I hope he gets a second bite - and takes a couple this innings.