Guest Posted January 4, 2014 Report Share Posted January 4, 2014 Watson is the best player to ever be shit. He has more wasted talent than most teams have unwasted talent. He's a dick. He's always injured. He's a dick. But when he is on his game he's one of the best batsmen and bowlers in the world. Although to answer your question: Australia's batting isn't great currently and there's no one better. EDIT: Guess who the QLD'er is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadlyDirk Posted January 5, 2014 Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 Well I thought it couldn't get any worse.... Then I decided to watch the last day of the final test, oh dear! Congrats to the Aussie team, the bowling has been superb and I agree with Glenn McGrath who said that over the five tests they literally couldn't have bowled better. Our batsmen simply couldn't cope with the pace of Johnson and the accuracy of the others. Stokes is about the only man to come out of it from the England team having increased his reputation, where as the Aussies have all stood out, except perhaps arguably Bailey, but even he did more than most of our lot. Completely outplayed almost from the first ball to the final ball, even when we were marginally in front for brief periods, the batting from the likes of Haddin down the order and the continued threat from the bowling attack showed that they were not prepared to roll over under any circumstances, something we were happy to do several times under the first sign of pressure. It probably isn't as low as some of the moments in the mid to late nineties but it certainly feels as though it's one of the biggest disappointments from an English team, in any sport, in recent memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Posted January 5, 2014 Report Share Posted January 5, 2014 EDIT: Guess who the QLD'er is? There's something kind of funny about both Watson and Johnson being born in QLD and having spent most of their careers wasting their talents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Also, recently discovered Stokes was born in New Zealand... so between the Kiwi, the horde of South Africans, and the blokes from Zimbabwe it's a small miracle the England team hasn't tried to poach a player or two from Australian, India, and the West Indies players to form some kind of "former colonies B team". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 Stokes and Prior I don't have as much of an issue playing for England compared to Pietersen, Trott, Ballance, and Rankin. At least Stokes and Prior attended high school in England. But yes, with England's rest of the world selection policy it does feel even better to thrash them that badly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 There's something kind of funny about both Watson and Johnson being born in QLD and having spent most of their careers wasting their talents. Watson was always injured and Johnson bowled shit for 5 years. Embarrassing really as prior to those two QLD had all the best players who could never get a gig (thanks to the NSW bias!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 6, 2014 Report Share Posted January 6, 2014 NSW bias really has you sounding like a whinging Qld'er now. Apart from Stuart Law & Jimmy Maher being underused for Australia and Joe Dawes never getting a test cap a can't remember a single player from Qld in the last 20 years who was consistently brilliant without getting a good run in the team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_Pidasol Posted January 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 I definitely think Watson should stay and at present without a better option he should stay at 3. The biggest problem with Watson is doesn't go on with it - he averages 40 as an opener and I would say he would be averaging the same at 3. But he doesn't get the big 100's - it's a tough one though whats better a bloke that gets 30-40's with the odd 80 and 100 in there or a bloke that is hit and miss but once in gets the big 100's... I think the moment Watson is shuffled back to 6 is the moment he should retire. Our bowling stocks are good and only going to get better when Cummings, Stark, Bird, Patterson and even Hazelwood are fit and on the park consistently. We really need so find some batsmen.. Smith looks a perfect fit at 5... As good as he has been Rogers won't be around for to much longer, basically we need a number 6, an opener and a consistent number 3. We will also need a keeper/batsmen as Haddin can't go forever either (Don't say Matthew Wade - I can't stand that ferret) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Posted January 7, 2014 Report Share Posted January 7, 2014 Watson doesn't seem to have the stamina for long innings, I would suggest that his conditioning probably isn't at the point it would need to be at to score big totals. Same reason he can't bowl long spells or avoid getting injured for five minutes. As for the batting order: Chris Lynn at six, Joe Burns or Phillip Hughes opening, a keeper who can actually take stumping chances behind the stumps (maybe Ben Dunk, seeing as all the other keepers will be over 30 except Wade, and Wade can't catch a cold or stump a guy with an anvil tied to both feet). Basically leaves the number three spot. Stokes and Prior I don't have as much of an issue playing for England compared to Pietersen, Trott, Ballance, and Rankin. At least Stokes and Prior attended high school in England. But yes, with England's rest of the world selection policy it does feel even better to thrash them that badly. In fairness: Pietersen basically got frozen out of cricket in SA by racial quotas -- he has called himself English since well before he was picked in the national and that's what's on his passport, Ballance presumably left Zimbabwe because being white and living in Zimbabwe is about as safe as being a chocolate biscuit on a coffee cup scuba diving holiday, and Rankin is northern Irish (which isn't part of the Republic of Ireland) so fits as well in England as any national team (seeing as Northern Ireland don't have one, and it's under the same government as England/Wales which make up the England side). Fully agree with Trott though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 8, 2014 Report Share Posted January 8, 2014 Ballance acknowledged he went to England to make more money for playing. The Irish national team in cricket like Rugby is a combined team, and one Rankin played for 20 odd times in ODIs before switching allegiance. I don't agree with racial quotas, but for Pietersen to claim that's the only reason he left is a bit of a stretch, he was an 18 year old not justifying consistent selection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_Pidasol Posted January 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2014 I like Paine as a keeper - yep he will be over 30, probably the best with the gloves in the country but there is a question mark over his batting (shield record not the greatest) but an average of 30 odd at test level isn't too bad for a 4 tests. Lynn looks a much better selection rather than Doolan and Bailey for the number 6 spot and at 23 he looks like a long term prospect rather than a stop gap like Doolan or Bailey.. Hughes opens with Warner and Burns coming in at 3? or even vice versa - means Watson would be out though.. I guess the real good thing is Hughes, Lynn and Burns are all young so have plenty of time... Big question - Clarke was earmarked as a future test captain probably before he was even selected in the test team.. Who is the next Captain? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Posted January 8, 2014 Report Share Posted January 8, 2014 Well, looks like Matt Prior did something good on the tour. I like Paine as a keeper - yep he will be over 30, probably the best with the gloves in the country but there is a question mark over his batting (shield record not the greatest) but an average of 30 odd at test level isn't too bad for a 4 tests. Lynn looks a much better selection rather than Doolan and Bailey for the number 6 spot and at 23 he looks like a long term prospect rather than a stop gap like Doolan or Bailey.. Big question - Clarke was earmarked as a future test captain probably before he was even selected in the test team.. Who is the next Captain? Paine is good, but at his age he isn't likely to stay around long and his batting isn't that great; not that it matters that much but having a keeper with a 35 average beats having a keeper with a 25 average -- I know Paine has a test average in the 30s, it's pushed up a lot by a 92 in India when he came on after the 80th over in a game where Sharma broke down in his 11th over, leaving India with only 1 quick and 3 recognised bowlers two of whom were spinners. Next captain will be a difficult slot to fill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 So, given the 5 seamer pace attack with all of about 15kh/m variation that was selected for the first ODI last night.. do we assume the English selectors have stopped giving a shit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_Pidasol Posted January 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 To not play 1 front line spinner in a one dayer is beyond belief.. So I think your assumption may be correct Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 I could understand if it was Perth (though even the West Indies played a spinner there last year -- he did pretty well too) but bloody hell the game was in Melbourne. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 To be fair, England played the last few years without a spinner. They had Swann. *smug look* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 I think more clutching at straws than giving up. Trying something unexpected and new to try to throw us off our game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Share the blame around more players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 If nothing else, a bright spot for the poms is that Chris Jordan looked more dangerous in 10 overs than Anderson did in the entire 5 match test series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Of course he did, Chris Jordan is West Indian not English. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Of course he did, Chris Jordan is West Indian not English. Shame the West Indies haven't had a new vaguely threatening fast bowler debut since 1989. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 *blinks* Are we talking about the same West Indies that had Curtley Ambrose and Courtney Walsh scaring the shit out of everything at least through 1994? Debut being the key word, got it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_Pidasol Posted January 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Hey they won something.. They beat the PM's XI... Massive, confidence through the roof now.. Well except for Cook.. talk about struggle street Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 *blinks* Are we talking about the same West Indies that had Curtley Ambrose and Courtney Walsh scaring the shit out of everything at least through 1994? Debut being the key word, got it Don't forget Ian Bishop in that equation too, the WI side didn't start deteriorating too badly until he kept breaking down with injuries -- Walsh and Ambrose were as dangerous as ever even into the late 1990s, but with no good first change quick and no good spinners teams could just survive the first 14-20 overs and make runs off the rest of the attack. Maybe I'm too harsh on the WI side, but when they toured last year that was depressing to watch -- the only fun part was watching Tino Best launch bouncers at Clarke in the last few matches, though on that note Tino is the poster child for why bowling 150 km/h bouncers does not instantly make a great fast bowler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Mind the windows Tino. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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