The Ashes....

[Slack lines]

I know it's not the Ashes but here are the teams for tonight twenty 20 match.

 

England (from): M Vaughan (capt), M Trescothick, G Jones (wkt), A Strauss, V Solanki, K Pietersen, A Flintoff, P Collingwood, A Giles, G Batty, Kabir Ali, D Gough, S Harmison, S Jones, J Lewis.

 

Australia (from): R Ponting (capt), A Gilchrist (wkt), M Clarke, J Gillespie, B Haddin (wkt), M Hayden, B Hogg, M Hussey, M Kasprowicz, S Katich, B Lee, D Martyn, G McGrath, A Symonds, S Watson.

 

 

Where is Hoggard?? He is getting to the top of his form, with bowling and batting, but he has been omitted. :confused: :confused:

[John Ellison]

I wish I could share your joy for cricket 'cos it does nothing at all for me.

When the cricket season starts I brighten up a bit because I know we are getting nearer the FISHING season .

[terryk]

bryan:

Hi Chevin,

 

Unfortunalty what you say is true, cricket is not the most popular game in schools, football is and probably always will be, I have a 12 year son who until 4 weeks ago had never picked up a bat let alone bowl a ball, which is a real shame.....

I think it's fair to say that cricket isn't the most popular sport in schools these days, but I believe it's down to equipment, places to play and safeguarding the welfare of the children involved, etc, not necessarily lack of enthusiasm on their part. I'm involved in our local cricket club which has over 60 colts playing ranging from 10 to 16 years old, with some girls included. They all enjoy their coaching sessions and playing the games after school and at weekends, to the point where we have been inundated at coaching sessions following a Club 'Open Day'. There are many safeguards to have to put in place though, such as batsmen and wicket-keepers having to wear helmets, etc, which can make it more expensive than some sports, although we have a range of club equipment for them to use.

 

I think the reason we might not get the depth of quality as some other countries, lies in the infrastructure behind giving these youngsters the opportunity to develop beyond colts cricket into county and country level. It seems from experience that county coaches pick up-and-coming young players from 'particular' schools and clubs, whilst some secondary schools and everyday clubs don't get a look in.

 

Well, thats my pennyworth, and I reckon we'll give the Aussies the best 'run for their money' they will have seen in a long time !!

[Vagabond]

chevin:

 

 Tonight's game should be fun!

Indeed it was

 

Interesting that the six Aussie specialist batsmen made 11 between them, whereas the four Aussie bowlers made over four times that score, and the wicketkeeper also (with 15) beat the combined scores of the six batsmen.

 

However, we should not read too much into it, as both one-day matches and Tests are very different games from an evening 20/20 bash.

 

Nor should England forget that an Aussie team smarting from a defeat is a very dangerous opponent.

 

When England finished at 179 I had some doubts as to whether it would be enough.

 

Good to win by a ton tho'

 

[ 13. June 2005, 08:15 PM: Message edited by: Vagabond ]

[UK-Fishing-Tackle.co.uk]

I am at Lords tomorrow for the charity match (just thought I'd throw that in, just in case anyone was going to work...)

 

Basically England are not a good team - we are lead by a poor captain and managed by poor management. I support England, I have ashes tickets in August for TB, but convincing wins against unconvincing teams (Bangladesh, South Africa etc) might give you a good 'form' record, but proves nothing.

 

Management is probably the key. There is no doubt in most fans minds that Pietersen is probably one of the best prospects ever, yet bizarrely the management have been quick to overlook him for full tests (South Africa would have been ideal), and have criticised him recently for a slight drop in form. We have a wicket keeper who can bat, but unfortunately cannot keep wicket anything like as well Chris Read - why England have never cottoned on (over the 15 years I've watched cricket) that wicket keeping is a true skill I don't know! The England team is an old boys club, and selection is evidently more based on who you know and if you fit the profile rather than talent!

 

Captaincy is also important. Vaughn is not really an 'awe-inspiring' captain. How many cricket fans truly believe he can rally the troops and how many of the players really look up to him? The same could be send for our football team. You put a weak player in charge (skillful, but weak) the players will not rise to the occasion. Put a Roy Keane there and they'd do as their told!

 

Finally sack all the coaches. We cannot bowl consistent line and length in most matches. Spin bowling is just awful most of the time, and it really doesn't challenge many batsmen. The fielding of the England team some of the time is below pub team standard (and you've all seen that I know).

 

Rant over, until someone argues with the above!

[chevin]

Vagabond:

 

Vagabond:

 

 Tonight's game should be fun!

Indeed it was

 

Nor should England forget that an Aussie team smarting from a defeat is a very dangerous opponent.

 

I didn't think that it was fun at all! :mad: :mad: I was furious with Martyn, I wonder if he called to the fielder and said, "here's one for you!"

 

With regards to your last sentence I think that I might borrow some of the words spoken by General Yamamoto on December 8th 1941. That defeat will have "Awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a deep and terrible resolve".

 

However, there is no denying that the English team played well and beat us soundly. Despite the fact the result wasn't the one I wanted, it was good to see them being as competitve as they were!

[awaaar]

"but crush the Aussies? I doubt it!"

 

erm, 79 all out!

 

EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY

EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY

 

Can we play Austrlia every week?

 

[chevin]

awaaar:

EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY

EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY EASY

 

               

It was but this thread is about the Ashes remember!

[awaaar]

Did you see the Sky Sports coverage Chevin? - they had Lehman commentating ...brilliant "Australia are great mayte, everything they hit today will go for four or six mayte, we're just the best in world mayte"

 

Well, he weren't singing their praises at the end, he looked like he was gonna cry!...I think he knows, like I do, that Australia's time is up.

 

37-7 at one point until the tail wagged...

 

Bring on the Ashes!

[bryan]

very nice to have a big win against the aussies, however earlier post are right, it's the ashes that count!!

 

However just how good was Collingwood