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Re: The Ashes Cometh.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 3:13 pm
by Arthur Crabtree
yuppie wrote:
bigfluffylemon wrote:My Aussie friends do seem to think it will be a closer series than the pessimism of the English fans on this board would suggest.

I guess the grass is always greener - you look at your team and see all the weaknesses...



The last series had two great Aussie performances. MJ and Haddin..


Harris surely? Lots of solid performances too.

Re: The Ashes Cometh.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 3:30 pm
by yuppie
Arthur Crabtree wrote:
yuppie wrote:
bigfluffylemon wrote:My Aussie friends do seem to think it will be a closer series than the pessimism of the English fans on this board would suggest.

I guess the grass is always greener - you look at your team and see all the weaknesses...



The last series had two great Aussie performances. MJ and Haddin..


Harris surely? Lots of solid performances too.



Harris had a great series, but not to the same level of MJ or Haddin. I think Harris got around 20 wickets whilst MJ got 37. Excellent foil for MJ.

Australias bowling in this series is still very strong, im just not sure any of the current bowlers will be able to do what MJ did.

The Tim Paine selection is fine with me. Can not be anyworse than Wade. Please dont be any worse than wade:)))))

Re: The Ashes Cometh.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 3:36 pm
by yuppie
GarlicJam wrote:Tim Paine picked for the team - according to reports.

There's a turnip for the books - but one that I think a lot of people here will be pleased about. I hope he does well.



Bancroft being selected as well. The selectors have rewarded form so thats a good decision. S Marsh selected yet again. He must have some pretty daming evidence on the selectors. He usually does well first test back, then follows it with a few low scores.

I guess we might see some Steve Smith leg spin bowling after all. And some Warner bowling as well.

Re: The Ashes Cometh.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 7:56 pm
by Arthur Crabtree
GarlicJam wrote:Tim Paine picked for the team - according to reports.

There's a turnip for the books - but one that I think a lot of people here will be pleased about. I hope he does well.


A controversial pick by the sounds.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/ ... ne-england

The Aussie public won't like Shaun Marsh being back either.

Re: The Ashes Cometh.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 7:57 pm
by Arthur Crabtree
Paine has one fc ton... eleven years ago!

Re: The Ashes Cometh.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 8:25 pm
by GarlicJam
Arthur Crabtree wrote:Paine has one fc ton... eleven years ago!

apparently, Darren Lehmann has made one more recently

Re: The Ashes Cometh.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 8:40 pm
by Arthur Crabtree
Pick him!

Re: The Ashes Cometh.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 9:09 pm
by yuppie
How Australia could do with a younger Darren lehman now.

Would have played well over 100 tests if was about now.

Re: The Ashes Cometh.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 11:11 pm
by Durhamfootman
yuppie wrote:
GarlicJam wrote:Tim Paine picked for the team - according to reports.

There's a turnip for the books - but one that I think a lot of people here will be pleased about. I hope he does well.



Bancroft being selected as well. The selectors have rewarded form so thats a good decision. S Marsh selected yet again. He must have some pretty daming evidence on the selectors. He usually does well first test back, then follows it with a few low scores.

I guess we might see some Steve Smith leg spin bowling after all. And some Warner bowling as well.

I think the Bancroft selection has been becoming more and more inevitable with every shield game. Impossible for anyone other than the ECB to ignore that sort of form

Re: The Ashes Cometh.

PostPosted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 12:28 am
by Arthur Crabtree
Chadd Sayers has been selected. I think we have

Bancroft/Warner/Khawaja/Smith/Handscom/Marsh/Paine/Cummins/Starc/Hazlewood/Lyon/Sayers/Bird.

Re: The Ashes Cometh.

PostPosted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 12:33 am
by Durhamfootman
he hasn't, has he? Another one from my FL side........ bollox

won't play though..... hopefully

Re: The Ashes Cometh.

PostPosted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 6:40 am
by bigfluffylemon
I think England will be fairly happy with the Marsh selection. Not only is he a proven underperformer with the bat (he could make big runs and make me eat those words, but to be honest, I'd imagine if he does then it will be on the back of so many runs by others higher up the order that it won't really matter - I can't see him making a series defining contribution), he also is not an allrounder.

Going in without a 5th bowling option I think will make England quite happy. Given Starc and Cummins are both fairly injury prone, there is quite a risk if they end up bowling long spells. Not only that, but Starc in particular is going to be at his best if he can be used in short, sharp, fast bursts like Johnson was in 2013 - he's a strike bowler, not a workhorse.

Australia will be banking that the usual happens, and their pace runs through England's top order for not much. If (and it's a big if) England can hold firm against the early onslaught there will come a point where the Kookaburra stops moving, the hot sun is beating down, bowlers are on to 3rd and 4th spells and England's deep batting will make hay. Australia will really miss that 5th bowler and could easily end up bowling one or more of their quicks into the ground.

Bit of a gamble by the Aussies. Another point of interest ahead of Brisbane...

Re: The Ashes Cometh.

PostPosted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 6:45 am
by bigfluffylemon
The Aussie press are absolutely laying into the selectors over Marsh and Paine. You can't argue against the Bancroft pick on form and weight of runs, but he will make his debut, and they're also laying in to the handling of Renshaw.

Re: The Ashes Cometh.

PostPosted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 9:27 am
by yuppie
Renshaw has not made the runs recently, not just for Australia but also in shield cricket. Young player, but is out of form. Bancroft has made runs, lots and lots of runs. So that makes sense. As fro S Marsh, well hes probably been the other batsman in form. Maxwell has done ok,but the rest have done little other than younger Lehamn. WHo i guess is not being considered. Marsh is 34, and it seems the idea of picking youngsters has gone out of the window again. But then again other than Handscomb who is not that young, the others when given the chance have not done enough. Maxwell seems like a character that is not well liked, i think that works against him unless he is performing. Even so, back to Marsh seems a strange decision. He does have 4 tons though at test level. Feast or famine.

Im happy with Paine, there was no one else. They have tried everyone and no one has made the place their own. Best keeper as well. The new Ian Healy.....at 32.

Australia might well be a bowler short.......

Sayers i think is being prepared to play in Adelaide. Very good with the pink ball under lights, or so they say.

Re: The Ashes Cometh.

PostPosted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 11:43 am
by Durhamfootman
yuppie wrote:
Sayers i think is being prepared to play in Adelaide. Very good with the pink ball under lights, or so they say.

so they'll keep him with the team for the next few weeks then, and deprive my team of his services..... deep joy (shrug of resignation)