Cricket: Natwest Challenge - Eng vs Aust

[AndyP]

So what do we think of these new rules, or powerplays as they are calling them?

And will the Poms and Aussies be considering this as 3 unofficial finals to the previous series, considering the tie?

[terryand]

Be a bit hard for the average cricket to manage will it.

Might see the return of the Hanse earpiece.

Terry.

[Jarro]

not sure about the new rules :? we'll see how they pan out tonight.

I think the Aussies will absolutely be thinking they have unfinished business from the last one-day series ... look for a marked improvement from them in these 3 games.

[Jarro]

Aussies scored a pretty gutsy 9/219 on an absolutely shocking pitch :shock:

great batting at the end of the innings (again) from Mike Hussey, 46 very valuable runs ..... this guy HAS to be in the Test side ... he's on fire 8)

[McMw]

didn't they just complete a one day series tournament???

what the heck is this one??? :?

[Iain]

Aussies scored a pretty gutsy 9/219 on an absolutely shocking pitch :shock:

Can't of been that bad, the poms didn't seem to have any trouble..... :? :?

Won by 9 Wickets and 4 overs to spare..... :x

Iain

[cazandpaul]

It was simply whoever won the toss won the game given the conditions at the start of the game.

Powerplays (dumb name) - as some of the commentators noted one day cricket had become very predictable - time will tell whether this is the answer.

[Jarro]

Aussies scored a pretty gutsy 9/219 on an absolutely shocking pitch  :shock:

Can't of been that bad, the poms didn't seem to have any trouble..... :?  :?

Won by 9 Wickets and 4 overs to spare..... :x

Iain

mightn't have been as bad for the Poms while they were batting then, 'cos while the Aussies were in, the ball was moving around all over the place :shock: it was also pretty overcast so that helped their bowlers a lot too .....

.. from what i saw of the Poms innings, the conditions fined up somewhat and according to the commentators made it a lot easy for the batsman.

still a pretty comprehensive win to the Poms though, i wonder how much longer before we start hitting the panic button :?

[AndyP]

The Pommy commentators were pretty happy during the Aussies innings when the sun was out, meaning better conditions for the side batting second.

Was a pretty competitive total on that pitch, but took two big last overs to get there.  
Future Boy and Hayden are struggling.
The Aussie bowlers can't be going that well either.  Getting only one wicket regardless of conditions is pretty ordinary.

The selectors always said they wouldn't make changes while the side was winning. Well.........

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Don't need three forms of cricket IMO.  Either do away with 20-20 or one-dayers, or amalgamate them somehow.

[Jarro]

Gillespie went for almost 7 runs per over :shock: he's really out of touch at the moment, as is poor old Kaspa.

even McGrath was getting the long handle treatment early on :(

[Virgal_Tracy]

Lets promote Shaun Tait for the last 2 games and give the Poms some curry. He has that bit of extra pace that McGrath, Gillespie and Kaspa don't. He might need the experience before the tests start if we continue this way.

My biggest hope is that Langer is in form because the rest of the top order isn't showing anything.

[Jarro]

great win overnight by the boys ..... are they back :?: :?

Gillespie still remains our biggest worry ... he's got no idea at the moment, but it looks like at least Ponting has struck a bit of form with the bat ... he was really dishing it out to Flintoff and Co. 8)

[Fishman Dan]

Don't like the new rules.

Without picking them apart completely, the sub rule is a joke and favours the team batting 2nd. So we happily subbed McGrath for Haddin, especially considering McGrath bowled 10 i think we got a great deal. Doesn't work that way for the team batting first.

[markTHEblake]

It only favours the team batting 2nd if they dont select the team properly in the first place.

Seems to me the best strategy is to pick a key bowler as the 12th player and go with the extra bat up front. If the team bats first, no problem. if you field first, then get swap out one of the bowlers early (who cant bat) and substitute him for a 2nd bowler by around the 30th over.

The way both teams picked their sqauds for game 2, it made bowling first critical.

But didnt it seem stupid that Australia substituted Haddin in for Mcgrath at the 3rd over of the innings? Why would Ponting bother, its not as if it wasnt obvious, so it wasnt a strategic move.

[Bruce]

Super sub is a worthless innovation. Blakey's is the only viable solution that will allow use of the sub every time.

They should have the Pura Cup rule if they want to go this way. Name 12 in the side but only 11 bat.

As for the power plays, we haven't yet seen a stituation that would see a change in tactics. The ball has been well on top early in both games and so they jsut kept the field up for 20 rather than 15. The possible use of this comes if you have someone like Sehwag or Gilly running amok early and want to spread the field to try and limit that new ball damage. That situation hasn't arisen yet.

[terryand]

Don't like the new rules.

Without picking them apart completely, the sub rule is a joke and favours the team batting 2nd. So we happily subbed McGrath for Haddin, especially considering McGrath bowled 10 i think we got a great deal. Doesn't work that way for the team batting first.

Would work if you had a bowler as the sub.

Just depends on the toss,but I agree it suits the either the team that wins the toss or bats second.

Terry.

[Jarro]

anyone staying up tonight to watch the final :?:

should be a ripper, given the fact that both teams have been pretty evenly matched so far in this one-day series.

Will Gillespie play :?: talk is he might get dropped, giving Watson another crack at the big time ...... :wink:

[Fishman Dan]

anyone staying up tonight to watch the final  :?:

should be a ripper, given the fact that both teams have been pretty evenly matched so far in this one-day series.

Will Gillespie play  :?:  talk is he might get dropped, giving Watson another crack at the big time ......  :wink:

I'll be doing my best but i'm crook at the moment. Thankfully it's a 7:30pm start.

I'd still prefer Gilly in than Watson, although under the new rules i'd expect Watson to make the 12 for the extra bat/bowl option.

[AndyP]

anyone staying up tonight to watch the final  :?:
No, not really. As stated before, I'm waiting for the real stuff to start.
I will probably watch some of the first half, and probably just leave the bedroom TV on.

[Jarro]

i'll try and watch most of it tonight while i'm "working" :wink:

[Bruce]

I will be falling asleep with it on at the very least.

Both the previous games were massacres, absolutely emphatic. Both won by the side batting second. The new rules don't make that much of a difference surely.

The first game was influenced more by conditions than the second was by form. If the Poms had batted first in game 1 - we'd be holding the trophy now. On that basis an even day should see the Aussies get up.

[McMw]

Eng 93/6 - looks like Dizzy doesn't wanna get drop from the first test!!! :lol:

[terryand]

Things are starting to look familar aren't they :wink:

Terry.

[Jarro]

Poms ended up with a respectable 229

Gilly and Hayden have started well, just smashing 16 runs of a harmison over 8)

currently 0/45 after 5 overs ... and looking the goods :D

[AndyP]

Eng 93/6 - looks like Dizzy doesn't wanna get drop from the first test!!! :lol:
I would be disappointed if they did drop him, regardless of his one day form.  I don't think they should select the test side based on how they perform in the one-dayers.
Or do we want Symonds in the test side again? :roll: :razz:

[Fishman Dan]

Smashed 'em. Ruthless stuff. Turned them into the pedestrian team they are.

My pick for the test team is that Lee and McGrath are walk-up starts, Dizzy in and Kaspa to miss. Both Dizz and Kaspa have struggled, but Gillespie's spell last night was pretty consistent. I think they'll see how he performs in the first test before overlooking him.

1 tour match vs Leicester before the test. I wonder if they'll make them go head-to-head.

[AndyP]

They have been looking for an excuse to drop Kaspa and bring in Lee for a while now. As far as I am concerned, Kaspa hasn't given them that excuse in the five day game yet.

[Bruce]

Good weather and a pitch with pace and bounce and we murdered them.

It was interesting to see the super sub used by the Poms. They robbed Peter to pay Paul by putting in Solanki. Traded in runs for bowling and it still wasn't enough.

With the ashes being played late in the summer it will be on hard, dry pitches and that just plays right into our hands. I am less worried now than I was a few weeks ago that the Ashes will be retained.

[Jarro]

hopefully Kaspa will keep his place, he hasn't bowled that badly this series .. and if they are going on recent performances purely, Dizzy wouldn't be there.

[Iain]

They have been looking for an excuse to drop Kaspa and bring in Lee for a while now. As far as I am concerned, Kaspa hasn't given them that excuse in the five day game yet.

I agree AP, but I think they said the test team will be picked on form, so that gets McGrath and Lee in, and I reckon they'll pick Dizzy, just because.


Or do we want Symonds in the test side again? :roll: :P

Not a bad idea AP, Roy is bowling well atm, did you see the 2nd game his first spell was just like a slower McGrath, all the balls in a tight circle. He is an all rounder option if they want one (If Watson doesn't come up to Scratch)??? :wink: :wink:

Iain