5th Ashes test at the SCG - 3rd to 7th Jan 2011

[Jim05]

Ive banged on about but swing is the key. When england bowl the bend it like a banana and we keep edging them, when we bowl its straight up and down. Whats this cooley fella doing? And how can another aussie in saker teach the poms how?
We are still struggling to master the art. Maybe we could offer anderson or bresnan a coaching contract

[valleys07]

Whats this cooley fella doing?

Thats the thing jim, in 05 when england ruined us with perfect swing bowling....cooley was their bowling coach....WTF is he doing now???

[Grahaml]

We seem to have a problem where too many players are contributing too little. Cricket becomes a much tougher game when you only have 7 or 8 making a contribution somewhere along the line. Hilfenhaus has been shown up badly this series. 17 matches where he would have taken the new ball almost every time and he averages over 35. Watson, who bowls mostly when the batsmen are on top, is just under 31. Smith looks all at sea with his batting, and while he hasn't bowled much going on what he's dished up this series hasn't deserved more overs. Hughes looks streaky when he's even making 30, so I think he needs to go back to first class level again. If he doesn't improve his shot security and shot selection, he will never end up being a long term success at test level IMHO. Beer joins a long list of spinners who are somewhat serviceable but also don't look like causing trouble consistently. Clarke's first innings batting at 4 is a massive concern. Ponting looks like he bats with the expectation he has to do everything himself and worries about the rest of the batting, so ends up playing shots in 2 minds. Khawaja showed promise for a while but it looked like England found a plan against him pretty quickly. How he goes in the second innings will be interesting. Watson must figure out why he gets to 50 or so so often, but 100 so rarely. It can't be a case of lack of talent, the first 50 should be the hardest for a top order player most of the time.

As for that referral with Bell, what a croc. The referral system was brought in not to check for doubt, but to see if the umpire made a clear error. There is no space between bat and ball, so you'd have to concede even on replay he may well have hit the ball. But as the central umpire had given it out, the original decision should have been upheld.

With no balls, the decisions should be taken out of the umpire's hands IMHO. Surely we can implement technology on the crease and in the players shoes so that a computer can make a beep in the umpire's ear quickly before the ball arrives at the batting end (akin to the old system the Hopman cup had) and thus take the decision completely out of what an umpire needs to look for. Then we get no missed no balls, it gets called right away so everyone knows and the umpires no longer have to bother looking down at the crease then up at the play again.

[westcoastpanther]

DRS just failed badly.....

[Grahaml]

Ive banged on about but swing is the key. When england bowl the bend it like a banana and we keep edging them, when we bowl its straight up and down. Whats this cooley fella doing? And how can another aussie in saker teach the poms how?
We are still struggling to master the art. Maybe we could offer anderson or bresnan a coaching contract

We are swinging the ball, have been all test. What game are you watching? There's a lot more to bowling than just swinging the ball. Especially when you're up against test batsmen.

[Interceptor]

Whats this cooley fella doing?

Thats the thing jim, in 05 when england ruined us with perfect swing bowling....cooley was their bowling coach....WTF is he doing now???

I'm pretty sure that he is taking up a position in Qld cricket.
Has he been pushed? Maybe.
He effectiveness is certainly questionable.

[Jim05]

Smith just dropped bell. Difficult caught and bowled.
If they get more than 230 in front they wont have to bat again

[westcoastpanther]

Would Smith's straight breaks bother a D grader? I'm with REB here, just pick White, at least he would have put together one reasonable score with the bat.

Regards,

Broken Record

[Jim05]

We are going that bad even bell just got his first century against us

[mighty_tiger_79]

Prior gets his 50

[westcoastpanther]

Bell gone for the second time today....

[Jim05]

Ive banged on about but swing is the key. When england bowl the bend it like a banana and we keep edging them, when we bowl its straight up and down. Whats this cooley fella doing? And how can another aussie in saker teach the poms how?
We are still struggling to master the art. Maybe we could offer anderson or bresnan a coaching contract

We are swinging the ball, have been all test. What game are you watching? There's a lot more to bowling than just swinging the ball. Especially when you're up against test batsmen.

Must be watching the same game as the abc crew. Just driving home and okeefe,maxwell and alderman were saying how the aussies cant swing a ball and how poor we are at it.
I know there is more to it but its a good start

[Jim05]

Mj just got bell.

[Jim05]

Poms are 7/million with smith bowling pies and the umps abandon play due to bad light.
Showers hanging around sydney tonight, if they get a bit of rain tonight id declare overnight and throw aussies back in. They wont bat the day out.
My feeling is that england will just bat it out and grind us into the turf, they dont need a result

[Rik E Boy]

Poms are 7/million with smith bowling pies and the umps abandon play due to bad light.
Showers hanging around sydney tonight, if they get a bit of rain tonight id declare overnight and throw aussies back in. They wont bat the day out.
My feeling is that england will just bat it out and grind us into the turf, they dont need a result

Strauss: Righto lads the job is done so let's hang around the SCG for an additional day
The Rest: !@#$%^& Saffie ****!

regards,

REB

[bayman]

just for a bit of humour & to take away from our disMAL summer....does alastair cook look like mark phillipousis ?.........personally i reckon they are that close they could pass for brothers !!!!

[mal]

AU 280
EG 7/488
COOK 189 [341] made about another 143 after the Beer controversy
BELL 115 [233] at last a ton v Australia, he did it for Mighty Tiger
MJ 3/97 [26] hopefully he cleans the tail so I can ...

BEER 1/85
SMITH 0/48
The Spinners 1/133 I reckon a half fit BOLLINGER with a hangover would have done better than the 2 spinners
For all the HAURITZ knockers, yes The Ritz is no star, as you have repeated, but he is still the best spin option available
The Ritz averages less that 30 for his AU wickets in Australia = one of the best performed off spinners Ive seen bowl in this country

AL COOK
I fair dinkum reckon If I captained the AU team this year by mobile phone I would have halved his runs
Our bowlers repeatedly bowl at his stumps
COOK has just picked them off in the arc of between mid wicket and fine leg
WHY HAVE THEY BOWLED THERE ?
Becoz last series in England from memory we got him cheap with full deliveries on the pegs ???

THIS IS WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE AS SKIPPER
2 slips
1 gully
deep square third man
point
wide mid off
mid wicket
deep square leg
fine leg

Bowl 12 inches outside off stump
short of a length
Cook does not off drive enough
The only runs available will be to cut or drive on the up
The field will restrict his scoring, and have fielders in catching positions
Its not a masterplan, its a plan against left handers that has worked since Ive been watching Test Cricket

[Jim05]

just for a bit of humour & to take away from our disMAL summer....does alastair cook look like mark phillipousis ?.........personally i reckon they are that close they could pass for brothers !!!!

Yeah but cook doesnt have the heart of a shelled pea

[Jim05]

Poms are 7/million with smith bowling pies and the umps abandon play due to bad light.
Showers hanging around sydney tonight, if they get a bit of rain tonight id declare overnight and throw aussies back in. They wont bat the day out.
My feeling is that england will just bat it out and grind us into the turf, they dont need a result

Strauss: Righto lads the job is done so let's hang around the SCG for an additional day
The Rest: !@#$%^& Saffie ****!

regards,

REB

I reckon ur right REB. Bat us into the turf

[mal]

Would Smith's straight breaks bother a D grader? I'm with REB here, just pick White, at least he would have put together one reasonable score with the bat.

Regards,

Broken Record

If Smith is a D grader
Is the other spinner a BEgradER ?