2nd Ashes Test v England @ Lords, the home of MCC/Cricket

[RoosterMarty]

No doubt. We bowled absolute garbage. On the first day of a Test you can not afford to gift the opposition easy runs like that, the pitch is nice enough to bat on without handing out runs for free.

[mal]

Well done to Strauss for his ton and a half not out stumps day1

In Australia not so long ago he faced this great attack
LEE
OOH AHH
CLARK
WARNEY

Thats tough for any batsman facing those 4 guys
But getting those 3-4 poor umpiring decisions is what destroyed his tour

Well done to the English skipper

A/HAWK
Cant completely agree with your asssessments on the bowling
I thought HILF/SIZZLE bowled ok but had no support
MJ was ordinary, Hauritz was Hauritz, North will surley average 50+ in his Test bowling career


No disrespect to North who is a good batsman but his bowling is as friendly as you could find in International Test cricket

[Adelaide Hawk]

A/HAWK
Cant completely agree with your asssessments on the bowling
I thought HILF/SIZZLE bowled ok but had no support
MJ was ordinary, Hauritz was Hauritz, North will surley average 50+ in his Test bowling career

Mal, I didn't single anyone out, I was just rating the Australian attack as a total package. I've followed Test cricket since the mid-60s and honestly cannot recall a worse performance than I saw last night. Even in the World Series Cricket days when we carried a third string attack, we still bowled better that we did last night.

What in hell has happened to Stuart Clark's bowling if he not bowling well enough to force his way into THIS attack?

[mal]

A/HAWK
Cant completely agree with your asssessments on the bowling
I thought HILF/SIZZLE bowled ok but had no support
MJ was ordinary, Hauritz was Hauritz, North will surley average 50+ in his Test bowling career

Mal, I didn't single anyone out, I was just rating the Australian attack as a total package. I've followed Test cricket since the mid-60s and honestly cannot recall a worse performance than I saw last night. Even in the World Series Cricket days when we carried a third string attack, we still bowled better that we did last night.

What in hell has happened to Stuart Clark's bowling if he not bowling well enough to force his way into THIS attack?

Perhaps the best thing that could happen would be injuries
If a batsman gets injured we could play WATTO/MACCA and have the 5th bowler
If Haurie is out next test we can play CLARK

[redandblack]

AH, I have been a wicketkeeper and it's been obvious anyway for some time that Haddin isn't a test-standard wicketkeeper. So much of his work is embarrassingly bad.

Having said that, the days of genuine keepers being selected first are long gone and he's a very good batsman, so they're willing to accept playing him as a stopper.

[Adelaide Hawk]

AH, I have been a wicketkeeper and it's been obvious anyway for some time that Haddin isn't a test-standard wicketkeeper. So much of his work is embarrassingly bad.

Having said that, the days of genuine keepers being selected first are long gone and he's a very good batsman, so they're willing to accept playing him as a stopper.

I agree with that, since Marsh started making runs, there has been an expectation on our keepers to bat 7 and make big runs. However, Marsh and Healy were top quality glovemen as well. Even Gilly was more than adequate in his own way.

Whereas there is an expectation for these guys to make runs, shouldn't there be an equal expectation of him to do the job behind the stumps as well? If we continue down this track, we'll be picking our bowlers on batting ability as well. McGrath wouldn't have got a game.

[Dogwatcher]

Seems we're all on the same page regarding Haddin.
His footwork is shoddy - he dives way too often.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Seems we're all on the same page regarding Haddin.
His footwork is shoddy - he dives way too often.

Yes, I recall Ian Healy saying once that footwork is the most important ingredient in a wicketkeeper's make up, even more important than glovework. I also recall him saying you need to take each ball as if the batsman had missed it (or something like that). A couple of times last night Haddin seemed more concerned that the ball had just missed the stumps and appeared to forget that it was his job to clean it up. Let's face it, if the pitch was up and down I could understand the odd miss from a keeper, but last night the pitch shouldn't have created too many problems for a keeper .. although I have to admit the bowling did at times.

Once again, I'm only asking questions because I've never been a keeper and I try not to criticise something I've never tried myself.

[Dogwatcher]

I was a very average keeper.
I can't recall spending as much time on the grass as he does.
Balls hit the middle of his gloves and they bounce off.
His feet don't move sideways with any clarity, meaning he has to dive.
If you have to dive as much as Haddin does, it means there is more chance of spilled takes/catches.
I would love to see his bye count from all of his tests so far and compare it to that of other keepers.

[Rik E Boy]

A/HAWK
Cant completely agree with your asssessments on the bowling
I thought HILF/SIZZLE bowled ok but had no support
MJ was ordinary, Hauritz was Hauritz, North will surley average 50+ in his Test bowling career

Mal, I didn't single anyone out, I was just rating the Australian attack as a total package. I've followed Test cricket since the mid-60s and honestly cannot recall a worse performance than I saw last night. Even in the World Series Cricket days when we carried a third string attack, we still bowled better that we did last night.

What in hell has happened to Stuart Clark's bowling if he not bowling well enough to force his way into THIS attack?

Obviously you have blotted out the memory of the 1985 Ashes Tour. Craig McDermott played a lone hand with less than memorable support from an ageing Jeff Thomson, Simon O'Donnell and Dave Gilbert. The three Gs absolutely carved us up and even Billy was bowling a predominantly leg side line during that series. The tests I am speaking of in particular were towards the end of that tour. Even Tim Robinson (yep, who? I can hear many asking themselves) scored 175 that year.

regards,

REB

[Pottsy]

Blotted out the '85 Ashes tour?

I reckon I've blotted out all Australian cricket from 1984 to 1988!

We were certainly more rubbish then than now, although you would have to put Haddin down as the worst keeper we've had since Phillips, much as I liked the mullet man.

I can handle the byes, some of those Siddle balls were unstoppable. It's the middle of the gloves clangers that really should not occur on such a regular basis. Just ONE of them was enough to shock Gillie out of his test match career.

[Rik E Boy]

Just ONE of them was enough to shock Gillie out of his test match career.

Yeah, it was all about that one dropped ball and not about the $$$$$$$ on offer in teeball eh Pottsy? 'Warming up is a waste of time' Gilly.

regards,

REB

[rod_rooster]

We are still in this game, surely our batsmen will score heavily against the pathetic Pom attack.

After watching ours last night, I don't know if I can be too critical of other attacks. That was some of the worst Test bowling I have ever seen. There's an old saying in cricket, "You can't set a field to bad bowling", and the look in Ponting's eyes at times last night said it all.

And, I've never been a wicketkepper, but surely it can't be as difficult as Haddin makes it look. He's going to have to continue making 100s to make up for his keeping.

Good post AH. All spot on IMHO.

[Pottsy]

Yeah, it was all about that one dropped ball and not about the $$$$$$$ on offer in teeball eh Pottsy?

Ah, I dunno. I'm pretty much a cynic about the smakkadoodle game myself, but I've still got Gillie up on a pedestal. I mean, the bloke talks about crying all the time in his book. Blokes that cry don't lie, surely!!?

[rod_rooster]

A/HAWK
Cant completely agree with your asssessments on the bowling
I thought HILF/SIZZLE bowled ok but had no support
MJ was ordinary, Hauritz was Hauritz, North will surley average 50+ in his Test bowling career

Mal, I didn't single anyone out, I was just rating the Australian attack as a total package. I've followed Test cricket since the mid-60s and honestly cannot recall a worse performance than I saw last night. Even in the World Series Cricket days when we carried a third string attack, we still bowled better that we did last night.

What in hell has happened to Stuart Clark's bowling if he not bowling well enough to force his way into THIS attack?

Perhaps the best thing that could happen would be injuries
If a batsman gets injured we could play WATTO/MACCA and have the 5th bowler
If Haurie is out next test we can play CLARK

No-one has said anything questioning the ability of any of the bowlers. We all know Johnson is a good bowler but that doesn't mean he won't have poor matches/series. Currently he is having a shocker and the others not that far behind. The performance not their general ability is what was terrible last night. Having said that we have the 6 down. Clean them up quickly tonight and we will still be on top

What's the news on Hauritz?

[Dogwatcher]

What's the news on Hauritz?

I'd assume he'll find it hard to turn the ball now.

[drebin]

What's the news on Hauritz?

I'd assume he'll find it hard to turn the ball now.

What - he previously did? Ok if the pitch has some tricks but without..........

[Pottsy]

What - he previously did? Ok if the pitch has some tricks but without..........

True, but what else can we do? Krazy goes for runs like me after a dodgy fish curry, poor old Bryce can't take a trick, and the rest aren't even close.

Go in without a spinner? With the over rate crackdown these days, that's begging to get smacked. Nearly a whole session of North and Clarke each day?? No thanks!

Anyone else imagine life in the great West Indian days if over rates were a concern? Imagine 20 overs of Viv Richards or Roger Harper trundling a few down coz big Clive needed to hurry up...

[cyclops]

another great pitch for test match cricket.notttttttttttt.
why cant just one curator around the world especially on the morning of the first day just put a little something in it for the bowlers.

[mal]

another great pitch for test match cricket.notttttttttttt.
why cant just one curator around the world especially on the morning of the first day just put a little something in it for the bowlers.

When Tests to go the full 5 days its CA CHINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

5 days tests = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ to pay the players and profiteerers