General Cricket Thread (It's Come Home)

Unlike your usual contest, this is ten matches rather than the usual five. We've just finished the second.  (Although the point in having the other eight, or at least the latter five, is dubious.)

It's only fair the second half is played on our home turf, excessive number of matches or no. Not to mention if England comes over here I don't have to worry about it being India being the team taking the tour in the summer, I've never been all that fond of the attitude India brings to their matches in Australia.

So apart from giving Neil Taylor a test drive, what's the point of a country playing a county? Unless it's a really small country, I'd have thought that the country would win easily. Even when it's this Australian side.

They probably need to recover their ego after they were downright owned by England is my bet. Nothing boosts the ego more than crushing a outclassed side after all.

For an Australian I'm really not acting sympathetic to the teams plight am I.

They were arranged prior to the crushing though. Maybe they were designed to be a bit of light relief for the Australians? Can't be much fun for the county players though.

A wise decision of the Ashes arrangers then, to give Australia some nice reprieves. Well, horrid time for the county side or not hopefully this gives Australia a bit of their old fight to the bitter end attitude back, it's no fun when things aren't close.

Shouldn't do this, but news for Cricket! Warner has finally been recalled to play in the third Ashes test.

Personally I've been expecting something like this, the batting line up is absolutely dire at the moment and Warner is a first rate batsman regardless of how he has conducted himself off the field, so the reality is the side needs him. They need any good batter they can get really.

It sounds like Cowan might get another go after the Surrey match! Excited?  

Wouldn't be surprised if they dropped Agar either. As for England, not sure what they're doing with the bowlers, but Taylor in for Pietersen/Bairstow (depending on the former's fitness) seems a given.

Recall Cowan? No! Please oh god no! I've seen him play stupidly enough for several cricketing series, no more, please!

And yeah, I'd agree with Agar possibly being dropped. It tends to be what happens with rookies, they have a star performance at first, then sink like a rock under the pressure and either rise up again later in their career or fade in to obscurity.

And as for England, would them dropping either Pietersen or Bairstow be a good thing for England or a bad thing? I'll admit I'm not all that clued up on England's team so I have to ask.

Bairstow has had a few good runs recently but is highly inconsistent.  Pietersen is more so, really; except in this series, he doesn't seem to have been in form even when uninjured, so if he's got something up with his ankle I'd happily see the back of him.  Then again, goodness knows if the international-test-highest-of-34 Taylor will be any better.  

As for bringing in Panesar and Tremlett for the bowling, I'm not sure whether that was necessary.  I reckon that England have one of the best attacks in the world: Anderson, Swann and Broad, backed up by a bit of Root.  Bresnan could be dropped, I suppose, but he's been getting a few wickets and can deal a decent knock with the bat, whereas Monty can't bat for toffee (not sure about Chris).  And if there's one thing that both sides need badly, it's people that are handy with the bat.

Also Cowan might be bad, but is Khawaja any better?

I read Panesar as Pansear at first, my one track mind for Pokemon strikes again!  


Jokes aside I see, so they're taking a gamble with Taylor then. Well, I can sort of see the logic behind it, giving someone a shot while they look set to do well either way is probably the better approach to take.

As for the bowling, maybe they're just aiming to make sure their star bowlers don't give out on them or something.

Here we go.  Australia are without Cowan, you'll be happy to know, but what's wrong with Hughes?  I thought he was okay (relatively speaking), and would have scrapped Khawaja.

EDIT: Oh, apparently his scores have been 81, 1, 1, 0. Never mind then.

Meanwhile, I'm happy with England's current side apart from Pietersen and possibly Bairstow.  I do wonder about Monty, and whether he should have gone in over Bresnan...  I guess we'll see.

I'm liking that current scoreline. And so I don't Jynx it I shall leave things at that. I take it Watson got out early again, how did he go?

Caught, for a change: apparently a very good ball from big Tim Bresnan.  Making me look silly again.  Rogers is doing well, though.

EDIT: You Australians and your reviews!  Anyway, I was right about Khawaja, even if I was wrong about Big Tim.  Bring back Cowan!

EDITEDIT: Sounds like it shouldn't have been out after all. We've had some poor umpiring this series.

Just seen the replay of Khawaja.  The umpire is blind.  I'm not going to bother keeping tactful about it, that was in no way, shape, or form, even near the bat.  Some of the umpiring this series has been absolutely moronic, and that goes for decisions on both sides, though in all honesty it might sound bias but it seems to be worse more for Australia ever so slightly (perhaps because of how badly they used their reviews).

I'm agreeing with you at the moment.  The Aussies have had it worse... just.

EDIT: Rogers is making up for it now, tied with Hughes (ironically) for the highest Australian batsman's score this series.  Could we see the first Australian century?

EDITEDIT: Nope, but a creditable shot.  Maybe Australia can follow it up without collapsing?  Maybe?

THREDIT: Are we even now on the Khawaja thing?

Holy moly, that scoreline is something I honestly did not expect to see. 216 for 3 wickets.

And I wouldn't know if we're even, I only just started watching.  

Steve Smith was arguably out, but given not out.

Oh, in that case it sounds fair enough in my opinion. The rules state that when in doubt the benefit should be given to the Batsman.

And yay Clarke finally got a Century! Way to go!  

The tables are turning. I reckon Australia will win this match but still cede the urn. Then again, test cricket...

FINALLY, Australia at long last has put up a fantastic batting show. I'm still not going to Jynx this, but I am definitely enjoying this. Here's to tomorrow being just as fruitful for Australia!  

Amen to exactly the opposite.  

That's just boring.  Sports are best when both sides are neck and neck and the result can go either way!

Anyhow, good show so far.  Clarke just had a lapse of concentration and pulled a shot that had England been a little bit more on their toes they might have caught.  Instead it sailed over the fieldsman's head and went for four.  Clarke will need to be a tad more careful if he wants that 150.

EDIT: Were... were those boos I just heard as Steven Smith was walking off the pitch?  Or was I mishearing it?  Anyhow, good job by him, and now Warner takes the crease.

EDIT2: And Warner is gone.  Why the heck did he review that?  And the boos rain down again lol, understandable given why he was exiled to the Australia A team until now of course.  Anyway, now we're down to Haddin.  This isn' over yet, but I must say this sort of total is much more what I expect to see from Australia.  And England may have seen off two big wickets now, but Clarke remains, so this isn't over yet ans the big threat is still there.

Ah, now I see, Warner smashed his pad at the same time so he didn't think he hit the ball since it nulled any shock he would have otherwise felt.

They were boos for Warner walking on! Stemming from the Joe Root-punching furore earlier this year. And there are more boos now that he's walking off. Still, Australia can afford a mini-collapse when they have Clarke playing like this.

His reviewing's still rubbish mind.

Oh, right, the camera wasn't showing Warner at that point when Steve was walking off. And yeah, they can afford a bit of a collapse at this point. The tail can also wag, and this time it simply has to wag enough to support an actual Batsman on form so it will hopefully last quiet well.