The Ashes Tour 2013

[Basil B]

Agar's gone...

What has Australia got left in the hat?

Not a lot.

[smokie36]

The series is over for the Aussies now....hard luck chaps....bring back Ponting for the next one so he can experience more pain!

[David48]

The series is over for the Aussies now....hard luck chaps....bring back Ponting for the next one so he can experience more pain!

This series is yours ...

Poms ... enjoy your time in the Sun.

Because we all know how long an English Summer lasts ...

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[tw25rw]

The series is over for the Aussies now....hard luck chaps....bring back Ponting for the next one so he can experience more pain!

This series is yours ...

Poms ... enjoy your time in the Sun.

Because we all know how long an English Summer lasts ...

.

It's temporary, but they'll be insufferable in the mean time.

[tw25rw]

Shame we couldn't hold on till the end then go out first ball in the morning

[BookMan]

Another shocker from the Aussies.

No easy answers for what to do to remedy the situation.

The batsmen need to score some runs. That could be a start

[Will27]

Another shocker from the Aussies.

No easy answers for what to do to remedy the situation.

The batsmen need to score some runs. That could be a start

Cannot remember a worse batting line up for Oz.

Even during the Packer years we had some decent/good players.

The jury is out on Watson and Rogers. Watson still only averages 35

and Rogers hasn't played enough.

Smith averages 29 and it's dropping all of the time and Hughes the same

at 32. It just goes to show how bare the cupboard is that these guys are still

getting a game.

IMO, England are not a great side, they're very good but Australia are terrible,

and that's being kind.

[BookMan]

Another shocker from the Aussies.

No easy answers for what to do to remedy the situation.

The batsmen need to score some runs. That could be a start

Cannot remember a worse batting line up for Oz.

Even during the Packer years we had some decent/good players.

The jury is out on Watson and Rogers. Watson still only averages 35

and Rogers hasn't played enough.

Smith averages 29 and it's dropping all of the time and Hughes the same

at 32. It just goes to show how bare the cupboard is that these guys are still

getting a game.

IMO, England are not a great side, they're very good but Australia are terrible,

and that's being kind.

The averages are very poor now you point them out Will27... ahh, the days when we had the batsmen averaging 40-50 each AND we had back up players to replace them

Our bowling stocks are reasonable though, hard to blame them.

[David48]

Cannot remember a worse batting line up for Oz.

Even during the Packer years we had some decent/good players.

The jury is out on Watson and Rogers. Watson still only averages 35

and Rogers hasn't played enough.

Smith averages 29 and it's dropping all of the time and Hughes the same

at 32. It just goes to show how bare the cupboard is that these guys are still

getting a game.

IMO, England are not a great side, they're very good but Australia are terrible,

and that's being kind.

The averages are very poor now you point them out Will27... ahh, the days when we had the batsmen averaging 40-50 each AND we had back up players to replace them

Our bowling stocks are reasonable though, hard to blame them.

Currently we have 30 year olds averaging a batting average of 30.

We need to develop a core of 20+ year olds averaging in the 40's and 50's

Agreeing with you BookMan ... the bowlers are generally up to scratch.

Though, for the English wicket, a specialist seamer wouldn't go astray.

I did enjoy watching Andersons controlled swing bowling. In English conditions, he is difficult to play.

.

[smokie36]

No problems lads....you have a week to sort it out....plenty of time to fly another eleven chumps over!

[BookMan]

No problems lads....you have a week to sort it out....plenty of time to fly another eleven chumps over!

Settle down smokie!

We only need to replace about five of the chumps

[uptheos]

No problems lads....you have a week to sort it out....plenty of time to fly another eleven chumps over!

Talking of flying over chumps....

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/653959.html

[David48]

No problems lads....you have a week to sort it out....plenty of time to fly another eleven chumps over!

Talking of flying over chumps....

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/653959.html

That did make me smile.

The (almost) final line is ... "That is where Australian (cricket) have landed; trying to make sure they only lose in five days, and not four. Scrounging around the bottom of cricket's bin looking for an unsullied chicken wing."

.

[GrantSmith]

Wonder if Boof will bite the bullet and fly Warner back in?

Rogers is only there because of Warner and he has to go. Hughes and Khawaja are there because there's no one else of note to replace them.

Watson should take a long walk off a short pier. Go back to starring in Brut 33 ads...

Who do they replace them with is the million dollar question - or $4 million question if you're Micky Arthur...

Boof had success with Australia A, perhaps he just sends them to England and sends the first XI to Timbucktoo or wherever they're playing Zimbabwe.

[uptheos]

They need a top class spinner, I don't think wonder boy's average of 121 quite cuts it.

[BookMan]

Wonder if Boof will bite the bullet and fly Warner back in?

Rogers is only there because of Warner and he has to go. Hughes and Khawaja are there because there's no one else of note to replace them.

Watson should take a long walk off a short pier. Go back to starring in Brut 33 ads...

Who do they replace them with is the million dollar question - or $4 million question if you're Micky Arthur...

Boof had success with Australia A, perhaps he just sends them to England and sends the first XI to Timbucktoo or wherever they're playing Zimbabwe.

The question is: Did Boof want Warner gone for a short while? or did he want him to stay?

Some of these Aussie players think they are much better than they actually are. It is no small feat to be good enough to play for Australia, but when you do, we the public, expect some results, or at least the semblance of the best effort they are capable of.

I'm not sure this is the best effort we are seeing

[BookMan]

They need a top class spinner, I don't think wonder boy's average of 121 quite cuts it.

Is that Agar?

I think we need to persist with him. He is only 19 and shows some promise.

Shane Warne was hammered in his few tests but the selectors persisted. The answer is sure not Lyon.

[Chicog]

Wonder if Boof will bite the bullet and fly Warner back in?

Rogers is only there because of Warner and he has to go. Hughes and Khawaja are there because there's no one else of note to replace them.

Watson should take a long walk off a short pier. Go back to starring in Brut 33 ads...

Who do they replace them with is the million dollar question - or $4 million question if you're Micky Arthur...

Boof had success with Australia A, perhaps he just sends them to England and sends the first XI to Timbucktoo or wherever they're playing Zimbabwe.

The question is: Did Boof want Warner gone for a short while? or did he want him to stay?

Warner didn't fare well in Zimbabwe.

[Will27]

They need a top class spinner, I don't think wonder boy's average of 121 quite cuts it.

It's a tough school bagging a 19 year old who has played 2 tests.

He could just about play as a batsman in this team.

And don't forget, if there was a half decent umpire, he would've had

Broad out and his average would've plummeted to 82.6

And I'd like to see his average if he was bowling to the Aussies!

[uptheos]

They need a top class spinner, I don't think wonder boy's average of 121 quite cuts it.

It's a tough school bagging a 19 year old who has played 2 tests.

He could just about play as a batsman in this team.

And don't forget, if there was a half decent umpire, he would've had

Broad out and his average would've plummeted to 82.6

And I'd like to see his average if he was bowling to the Aussies!

Gotta go with you on this one Wil.

[7by7]

Will, if we had 'half decent' umpires he'd have been stumped early on in the first innings at Trent Bridge and we wouldn't have got the tight, exciting finish that we did.

Not excusing umpiring mistakes, btw. Simply pointing out that they go both ways.

[Will27]

Wonder if Boof will bite the bullet and fly Warner back in?

Rogers is only there because of Warner and he has to go. Hughes and Khawaja are there because there's no one else of note to replace them.

Watson should take a long walk off a short pier. Go back to starring in Brut 33 ads...

Who do they replace them with is the million dollar question - or $4 million question if you're Micky Arthur...

Boof had success with Australia A, perhaps he just sends them to England and sends the first XI to Timbucktoo or wherever they're playing Zimbabwe.

IMO, there's no way Rogers will go.

Our opening partnerships have actually been better than the poms.

He got a rough LBW decision in the last test and has faced more balls

than any other player. He's just about the best of a bad bunch but at least

he's occupying the crease.

Smith is averaging 18 and has only scored 73 runs and out of that he has

one score of 53.

And Hughes has only scored 83 runs with a top 81 not out. His last 3 scores

have been 0, 1 and 1.

Warner has to come in for Smith or Hughes. I'd suggest a straight swap for

Hughes because at least Smith can roll his arm over.

[Will27]

Will, if we had 'half decent' umpires he'd have been stumped early on in the first innings at Trent Bridge and we wouldn't have got the tight, exciting finish that we did.

Not excusing umpiring mistakes, btw. Simply pointing out that they go both ways.

Well, I was referring to his bowling figures.

It wasn't my intent to nitpick every decision but now that you've mentioned it.

Surely you're not comparing the stumping to the Broad decision? I hope not.

My recollection of Agar's stumping was that it was a 50/50 and he got the benefit

of the doubt. Broads decision was one of the worst in Ashes history IMO.

He was caught at 1st slip man!

There's no way I'm blaming the shocking umpiring decisions because we're

completely outclassed. But even in the last test, Rogers got a howler that was

missing leg stump by inches and Blind Freddie could see that Bell was caught.

[David48]

Wonder if Boof will bite the bullet and fly Warner back in?

Rogers is only there because of Warner and he has to go. Hughes and Khawaja are there because there's no one else of note to replace them.

Watson should take a long walk off a short pier. Go back to starring in Brut 33 ads...

Who do they replace them with is the million dollar question - or $4 million question if you're Micky Arthur...

Boof had success with Australia A, perhaps he just sends them to England and sends the first XI to Timbucktoo or wherever they're playing Zimbabwe.

The original mail was that Warner would get a recall to the Test squad, but not before the 4th test.

But maybe his current scores in Zimbabwe don't warrant a recall?

.

[David48]

How about we place a call to ole' Boof and get him to replace the top order with Wills, Bokkie and Davo (Will27, BookMan and David48) ... we couldn't be worse!

Bokkie's tall and lean ... make a fine swing bowler for sure ... I'm a solid all rounder (emphasis on the 'solid' bit) ... Wills, you famous for anything?

I reckon I could clear cow corner a few times over the rope ...

Oh ... I managed to do a quick artists impression once of Bokkie, just relaxing before being called to the crease ...

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[7by7]

Will, I certainly do not wish to debate every decision; merely pointing out that bad decisions go both ways; for example Trott being given out lbw in the second innings at Trent Bridge when he had clearly hit the ball.

DRS is supposed to correct howlers by the onfield umpire; who only sees it once in real time. Unfortunately in this series so far the third umpire has sometimes got it wrong as well.

[Chicog]

DRS is supposed to help the umpires, not just correct howlers.

It has made no difference to the fact that the current Aussies side are cack.

[7by7]

At the moment the onfield umpires can only decide for themselves to refer to the third umpire if they want to check:-

• was a catch was clean, i.e. on the full;
• line decisions; a front foot no ball, stumping, run out;
• boundary decisions; was it a four or a six, did the fielder cross or touch the boundary while still touching the ball etc.

They cannot refer lbws and caught behinds, except to see if the ball was caught on the full, unless asked to do so by one or other of the teams.

I think that the onfield umpire should be able to refer all decisions if they are not sure.

[BookMan]

The Australia A side is offering little hope for the current batting dilemma. Against Zimbabwe A, Australia A was:

1st innings: 226 all out

2nd innings:.156 all out

Interestingly Fawad Ahmed took 4 wickets in each innings for the Aussie A team. The best Pakistan can offer us!

[BookMan]

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I think that the onfield umpire should be able to refer all decisions if they are not sure.

Absolutely