1st test Aust Vs Pakistan

[Jarro]

predictions :?: :?

i can't see anything but an Aussie victory, going by the paki's form on tour so far :P

Will Brett Lee play :?:

[CobraSS]

All over in three days is my tip, paki's just can't bat.

[Fishman Dan]

I really hope we see 4 pacemen - back to the day when fast bowlers terrorised batsmen at the world's fastest pitch. Batsmen can make tons - if they can see the ball coming.

We could do away with a batsman at the WACA, 3 partnerships isn't hard to do on that strip - we could easily be 3-450 at lunch on day 2.

Bring in Lee, i'd love to see him just bowl quick and quick on that pitch. Even his doubters get aroused watching raw pace - i know i do :twisted: :smt055

[McMw]

why drop a batsman??? just drop warnie... :wink:

[Jarro]

why drop a batsman??? just drop warnie... :wink:

that's what i'd be doing if i was a selector. The WACA is no place for a spinner :roll:

[Onewood]

why drop a batsman??? just drop warnie... :wink:

that's what i'd be doing if i was a selector. The WACA is no place for a spinner :roll:
Specially when you have the spinning of Clarke and Lehman in the side to throw a few down :roll:

[McMw]

agree with Jarro...
sure...Warnie's great for the team...but I would prob rest him for the other test matches...

get 4 pacers in there...and you've got a couple of parttime spinners in the team anywhere if they need to spice it up a bit...

[AndyP]

What a fantastic idea. Let's drop the greatest spinner in the world. :roll:
If your argument is that it isn't a spinner's deck, then how the hell are Lehmann and Clarke going to get any turn.

Why change a winning combination?

Aussies to win.

[Fishman Dan]

Latest is that Brett Lee has fired up in the nets, hitting at least half the team somewhere on the body in a firey net session - sensational stuff. I think he's out to prove a point, and good on him. On the other hand, the batsmen have to ready for this, because Shoaib isn't going to go lightly on the openers. Expect fireworks.

Sports Tonight put a really negative spin on Lee's net session, which is ridiculous. I reckon someone's tapped him on the shoulder and issued instructions - to sort out the batsmen and wake them up, as well making sure Lee is fired up should he be calling into the team. Again, back to the good old days where you sorted out a team-mate in the nets. I remember playing when i was younger, and if a bloke didn't wear a box in the nets, you know where everyone was aiming. :twisted:

[AndyP]

I just read that if Brett Lee is 12th man, then he won't be able to play for NSW, as they start their Pura Cup game on the same day as the test.

He really needs some match practice, but I'm sure he looks great in the nets. :roll:

[Bruce]

Dropping Warne isn't such a crazy idea to me. His figures at the WACA are pretty terrible.

The problem with the Pakis is that they are either hot or cold. Right now they are stone cold but Shoab and Sami are 'capable' of going through the currently fragile middle order. If that happened, Gillie at 6 doesn't look such a good idea.

But leave Lee as 12th man. He is only good for running round the field like an idiot. The difference between a first class and a test batsman is that a test batsman will punish the 2 or 3 bad balls Lee sends down almost every over. Shoab is the same. When his on top he is very hard to stop, but once he gets sent away for a couple of 4s in an over he gets beaten up by class batsman.

[Jarro]

What a fantastic idea. Let's drop the greatest spinner in the world. :roll:
If your argument is that it isn't a spinner's deck, then how the hell are Lehmann and Clarke going to get any turn.

Why change a winning combination?

Aussies to win.

i wouldn't think Lehman or Clarke would be called upon to bowl many overs at the WACA. It's a seamers wicket, not a turner.

If Warne is dropped, they get to keep the full complement of batsman.

sounds like a grand idea to me

[AndyP]

If Warne is dropped, they get to keep the full complement of batsman.

sounds like a grand idea to me
Yeah, maybe they can fit another Queenslander in the side. Bichel could be your man. :roll:

[Jarro]

If Warne is dropped, they get to keep the full complement of batsman.

sounds like a grand idea to me
Yeah, maybe they can fit another Queenslander in the side. Bichel could be your man. :roll:

i was actually meaning that they'd have Brett Lee in the side then :roll:

[Jarro]

here we go .. \:D/

the paki's have won the toss and are gonna bowl first, probably the right call i'd say.

Brett Lee is 12th man.

[Grunt]

Sounds like the XI was picked last week. Why don't they just drop Lee? It must be better for both him and the team for him to be playing cricket at any level.

It would do no harm to have an up and coming local cricketer to be made 12th man and be part of the Australian team for 5 days.

There must be a young bloke in the WA side that is a future star, it would help them more than have Lee getting pissed off watching cricket without a real chance to push his claims to get back in the side.

NSW Cricket must be mighty pissed off to have one of their premium bolwers sitting on the sidelines. Cricket Austrlia would not let Lee play ING Cup for NSW last weekend either. Got to think they are not worried about State level cricket anymore.

[Fishman Dan]

Bouncer - and called wide - for the first ball of the match. Sensational stuff... this is going to be a fun test match.

Shame about Lee, but it was always going to be the way unfortunately.

[Bruce]

Paki's have won the first session handsomely.

The case for a 5 batsman team has been shown the door.

Really good use of the conditions by the Shoab and Sami. Really late swing for balls at that pace to get Hayden, Ponting and Lehman.

Just as one swallow does not make a summer (or a girlfriend for COUPLING fans), one session does not win a test match. But 300 runs today for the Aussies will take some getting now.

[Fishman Dan]

They'll miss Brett Lee - Pakistan sound like they thought about, came up with a plan, and have bowled to it all session. All credit to them.

Time for The Future of Australian Cricket to stand up. Someone has to hang around with Langer.

[Trung]

Hayden should have shut up earlier in the week....

He went around saying "It's him or me"....
http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1264&storyid=2385046

Oh well.....

Shoaib Akhtar 1 Matthew Hayden 0

[AndyP]

Time for The Future of Australian Cricket to stand up. Someone has to hang around with Langer.
Oops!
5 for.

[Fishman Dan]

Ok, we're ****ed... 8)

[AndyP]

Ok, we're @#$%^&... 8)
It's OK, Gilly is there.
Plus Warney (who should have been dropped :roll: ), is due for a century after his 99 + brainfart at the WACA a few years ago. [-o<

[Jarro]

.. to his credit to though, Bing Lee has kept his spirits up also ... doesn't look like he's pissed off at being left out of the team again.

Can someone tell me what the hell Boof was thinking :!: why the hell does he continue to walk across his stumps as the ball is being delivered :?:

.. and that shot of Clarke's .... schoolboy stuff :roll: #-o

[Grunt]

Bichel was sticking up for Lee the other day. Saying that being 12th man so often affected his test match career.

[AndyP]

Can someone tell me what the hell Boof was thinking :!: why the hell does he continue to walk across his stumps as the ball is being delivered :?:
He really is struggling. I don't think he has many test matches left.

[Jarro]

mini fightback underway, Gilly is starting to get the eye well and truly in :smt023

interesting to hear them say that Langer is now the leading Test run scorer this calendar year =D> i knew he'd been in good form but i didn't realise it was that good :wink:

[AndyP]

interesting to hear them say that Langer is now the leading Test run scorer this calendar year =D> i knew he'd been in good form but i didn't realise it was that good :wink:
Obviously you have been listening too much to some other poster's dribble. ;)

[McMw]

I guess the "gnome" just booked his test spot for 2 more years now... :roll:

[Jarro]

I guess the "gnome" just booked his test spot for 2 more years now... :roll:

pretty hard to see him getting the flick after the way he's played this year 8)

[McMw]

you would think so jarro.... 8)
but some don't... :lol: :lol: :lol:



2 failures from Clarke...he HAS to go... :wink:

[Jarro]

i can't see any of them being under that much pressure while Lehman is there :roll:

[AndyP]

you would think so jarro.... 8)
but some don't... :lol: :lol: :lol:


2 failures from Clarke...he HAS to go... :wink:

pretty hard to see him getting the flick after the way he's played this year :cool:
Turn it up fellas. He has played ordinary for most of 2004, then has a couple of good innings, and you claim he has a great year. :roll:

Great innings today, he stood up when it counted. I'd rate it well above the 200+ he got against the Kiwis.
Not sure why he is taking strike off Kaspa and going the tonk though. :?

What a team. 5 for 80 just after lunch to a score over 350+ by the end of the day, without their full alllotment of overs.

[Jarro]

great fightback by the Aussies ..... you can never write them off 8)

looking forward to watching McGrath and Gillespie send 'em down tomorrow.

[Ducky]

Not sure why he is taking strike off Kaspa and going the tonk though.
He would want his double century before he gives the strike (and the possibility of the Pakistan team closing out the innings) to Michael Kasprowicz .

Kind regards,

Ben (Ducky).

[McMw]

Not sure why he is taking strike off Kaspa and going the tonk though. :?



well...I read this arvo on cricinfo that he even stole a bye when the ball was bouncing over dizzy's head to the keeper....anyone saw that??? :shock:

[Ducky]

Yeah, I saw that. Then old Richie proceeded to talk about them having some kind of secret agent nod for the next 10 minutes (note: may be exadgeration).

:wink:

Kind regards,

Ben (Ducky).

[Jarro]

Not sure why he is taking strike off Kaspa and going the tonk though. :?



well...I read this arvo on cricinfo that he even stole a bye when the ball was bouncing over dizzy's head to the keeper....anyone saw that??? :shock:

yeah i saw that one .... Ahktar wasn't very impressed by it either i must tell you :evil:

I thought it was great to see some lusty hitting in the latter stages of play yesterday ... that 6 that Langer hit off Sami to get to 99 was the shot of the day for me 8)

don't think Langer will get his double-ton though :(

[AndyP]

I thought it was great to see some lusty hitting in the latter stages of play yesterday ... that 6 that Langer hit off Sami to get to 99 was the shot of the day for me 8)
Jarro, Langer hit a 6 off the spinner to get 99.
His 6 off Sami, was Sami's first ball with the new ball. Was a great 6.


AndyP wrote:
Not sure why he is taking strike off Kaspa and going the tonk though.

He would want his double century before he gives the strike (and the possibility of the Pakistan team closing out the innings) to Michael Kasprowicz .
I am surprised he is showing so little faith in the tail, it just seemed a bit too much.

[Fishman Dan]

I think Langer can do what he likes, he owns this pitch.

23 off the first session
77 off the next
81 in the final session

Sensational effort.

[Bruce]

Day 1 showed more about Pakistan than it did about the Aussies. For the first session they bowled to a plan and bowled well. They probably go ahead of themselves. Planning on batting later in the day and chasing down the 120 the Aussies looked like making. Then came Gilly and then Dizzy. 2 really strong partnerships to put the Aussies back on top.

From a contest to a likely 3 day test in just 4 hours of cricket.

And another day where the overs didn't get bowled. The ICC has got to get real about this. Letting Ganguly off the hook has shown how toothless they remain.

[McMw]

191 Out.....
terrific knock....too bad abt the brain fart tho... :lol: :lol: :lol:

[AndyP]

He obviously had no faith in Glenn McGrath's great batting skills.
Why isn't he at no. 10? He is in much better form than Kaspa.

[Golfgirl]

Our bowling has yet to excite me today.... 1 wicket with a dodgy delivery..... :?

Did anyone watch the Richie Benaud's Greatest XI special last night???

What did you think?

[McMw]

kaspa just got one more...

thought he too was a passenger on this team??? :wink:

[Bruce]

Our bowling has yet to excite me today.... 1 wicket with a dodgy delivery..... :?

Did anyone watch the Richie Benaud's Greatest XI special last night???

What did you think?

The same as any other subjective selection process. The only really eyebrow rasier for me was Imran Khan. He had 5 of the blokes that would be automatic selections for me in Bradman, Sobers, Lillee, Richards and Tendulkar.

It wasn't good telly though. Richie wasn't allowed to get passionate about his choices thanks to the Dully McDull "interviewer".

[Bruce]

And Kaspa has cemented his place for the series now. Nothing except injury will see him lose his place now. 3/9 after 7 overs.

[McMw]

"only" 4 wickets to Kaspa...
poor effort...
AXE him.... :roll: :roll: :roll:





and 3 to warnie...who's the idiot who said warnie should be dropped from this test match??? :oops: :oops: :oops: :lol:

[Jarro]

"only" 4 wickets to Kaspa...
..and 3 to warnie...who's the idiot who said warnie should be dropped from this test match??? :oops: :oops: :oops: :lol:

certainly not me :roll: :oops:

good to see Kaspa bounce back after the shite he copped from "that" over .... he's bowling great at the WACA :D

[Fishman Dan]

Again we're watching the aussies struggle to close out an innings.

Boof and Ponting both had a bowl. Finally McGrath has come back into the attack after Punter started to get hooked for 6. :roll: Now 10 runs to avoid the follow-on and Lehmann is bowling again?!?!

Interesting scenario, all the talk is if we roll them we will actually enforce a follow on, in hope of picking up a late 2nd innings wicket. If they make it to 182 and THEN get out - the Aussies have to bat, and face losing a late wicket or 2, and this match could turn around in a hurry.

[Jarro]

good desicion to not enforce the follow on i think.

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly a game can turn :? after the first session yesterday, you'd have thought the Pakis were odds on to clean up the Aussies pretty cheaply ... and therefore take the upper hand in the test.

.. now..

.. we see at the end of day 2, the Aussies have a lead of 220 odd.. and look totally in control of proceedings 8)

funny game 'eh :wink:

[Ducky]

Did I hear the English commentator say that Shoaib Akhtar had his pecker up after his innings?

:shock:

Kind regards,

Ben (Ducky).

[AndyP]

kaspa just got one more...
thought he too was a passenger on this team??? :wink:

"only" 4 wickets to Kaspa...
poor effort...
AXE him.... :roll: :roll: :roll:
Fishy, did you ask for Kaspa to be dropped from the test side? Because if you did, I don't remember it. :?
Or maybe some people are getting confused between pyjama cricket and the real game. :razz:

Ponting's captaincy has been quite ordinary, even though they keep winning. And why does he keep bowling Lehmann? :x


BTW Go the Vics, you good things. :D


Did anyone watch the Richie Benaud's Greatest XI special last night???

What did you think?
:smt015 Snooze-fest.
He certainly went for some attacking batters in his team.

[Fishman Dan]

Fishy, did you ask for Kaspa to be dropped from the test side? Because if you did, I don't remember it. :?
Or maybe some people are getting confused between pyjama cricket and the real game. :razz:

Does that sound like something i'd say? :roll:

[Golfgirl]

The same as any other subjective selection process. The only really eyebrow rasier for me was Imran Khan. He had 5 of the blokes that would be automatic selections for me in Bradman, Sobers, Lillee, Richards and Tendulkar.



I'm just personally very surprised that Steve Waugh didn't even rate a mention, neither did Bevan, and that not one of the West Indies fast bowlers were looked at either.....

Clearly, Richie and I have some differing opinions on cricket..... :lol:




Did I hear the English commentator say that Shoaib Akhtar had his pecker up after his innings?



You sure did Ducky, and I am not sure that that was the word he meant to use..... I think he meant "dander"..... :shock:


Looks like we'll walk this test match in also, and the boys will be off to play golf at The Vines by Monday..... :roll:

[Onewood]

Langer bowled for 97 :cry:
The irony about the dismissal was 2 for 191 same as he made by himself in the first dig :roll: First time in his test history that he has been dismissed in the 90's 8)

[goughy]

I wonder what is going through a batsmans mind when he makes this decision:

I'm opening with like 5 overs left in the day. Don't get out.

McGrath has bowled one done the pitch in line with the stumps. What should I do. I know, I'll stick my bat up in the air, step back and play it with my pads.

OK. All done now. What! I'm out! Oh yeah. I forgot about that pesky lbw rule.

DOH!

[McMw]

boy.....just saw the score on cricinfo....

how isit that both Langer AND Ponting get out with only 1 swing of the bat away (esp at the WACA) from a ton??? :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:


is this the last call for Lehman??? or will his hide be saved till the end of the series???

[Onewood]

Interesting that Ponting has'nt made a test ton since being captain :shock: 3 times in the nineties :roll:

Katich must get another run sooon :P

Martins first home ton 8)

Oh yeah and I think we will win this won :D

Golfgirl, they could get a quick nine in tomorrow after lunch :D

[Ducky]

McGrath has bowled one done the pitch in line with the stumps. What should I do. I know, I'll stick my bat up in the air, step back and play it with my pads.
He [McGrath] had been angling the ball across the batsman's body previously, to which the batsman was able to let it go through to the keeper. It wasn't the batsman's fault as much as it was a really good setup and delivery. It looked as if the ball had switched it's angle around 45 degrees when it bounced.

Kind regards,

Ben (Ducky).

[AndyP]

This game is well and truly over.
But will the Pakis make 100. :?

GG, Bevan has not place in a greatest ever test side. He would have to be an automatic selection for a one day side though.

[McMw]

McGrath is going BALLISTIC....

7 wickets down, all to McGrath....can he get the 10??? :shock:

[McMw]

damn you KASPA.... :evil:


-----------------------



8 for McGrath now... :D

who's gonna get MOM??? Langer or McGrath??? Tough decision... 8)

[Onewood]

damn you KASPA.... :evil:

8 for McGrath now... :D

who's gonna get MOM??? Langer or McGrath??? Tough decision... 8)

I Agree McMw, bloody Qeenslander spoiling a BLUES day out :D

Langer MOM and deserved it :P

[Golfgirl]

GG, Bevan has not place in a greatest ever test side. He would have to be an automatic selection for a one day side though.


Yes... that is true Andy, and I am on an anti-ACB kick as a result of his being dropped from the one day side, so I am clearly not thinking straight... :oops: (I just miss him.... :( )


I see that the boys got things wrapped up in a timely fashion - they'll be able to enjoy Punter's birthday bash now, and play some hungover golf tomorrow.... 8)

Poor showing by the Paki's really... and they used to be such a good team - great quicks, great batsmen.... what the hell happened?? :?

[Jarro]

bugger :evil:

got home from work and it was all over :x i was really looking forward to putting my feet up and having a few beers while i watched the Aussies stick it to the Pakis.

sounds like McGrath was on fire :shock:

[AndyP]

damn you KASPA.... :evil:
Drop him. Selfish bastard. :lol:

How many times do you think the Aussies have gone through an innings without Warney getting a bowl? :shock:

[McMw]

damn you KASPA.... :evil:
Drop him. Selfish bastard. :lol:

How many times do you think the Aussies have gone through an innings without Warney getting a bowl? :shock:

we really didn't need warnie in this test match... :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[AndyP]

we really didn't need warnie in this test match... :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Or Lee. :P :lol:

[Onewood]

we really didn't need warnie in this test match... :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Or Lee. :P :lol:
Or Dizzy :D

[cazandpaul]

How could they gp past McGarth for MOM? :evil: :) Left stranded on 8no in the first by LANGER and didn't get a chance in the second - two genuine century opportunities 8)