The CFC Cricket Thread

[classical_hero]

DRS is a complete joke.

 

[Justo]

Patto is out for the rest of the series with a stress fracture of the back.

 

[Lambert Simnel]

DRS is a complete joke.

Really? I'd rather the umpires got it right every time of course, but let's accept that isn't going to happen. Reviews of every possible decision would likely slow the game down too much, no? So you're left with a number of possible reviews, and you need to decide who is best placed to decide when to review. It could be by an independent authority (e.g. the third umpire) or it could be by the team themselves. If it was independent, then I'm sure we'd end up muttering about why wasn't a particular decision sent for review. Better to let the team themselves (or the captain, or the coach) decide when to review. Maybe two failed reviews is too few, I guess. But the system as a whole is to give the team recourse to deal with howlers, and it's better than not having it, and better than anything else I've heard of which is practical and isn't just a fine-tuning of the current system.

 

[Lambert Simnel]

You Aussies got hope for the third test? Any views on line-up changes? With England, I think it's just a case of working out who we want to give the Michelles to

 

[Justo]

Ideally the only change I'd make if I were a selector would be dropping Watson for Warner. I'd then open with Hughes and drop Warner to 4 although there's pretty much no chance of this happening. All the batsmen who you could say are up for the drop (essentially everyone bar Clarke) are all essentially equal when it comes to runs in the series so you couldn't really justify dropping anyone over any other player.

Obviously Bird would come in for the injured Pattinson. Lyon or Agar could fill the spin role as far as I'm concerned.

Hughes
Rogers
Khawaja
Warner
Clarke
Smith
Haddin
Agar
Siddle
Harris
Bird

That said I doubt the selectors will be interested in dropping Watson and will instead drop one of Khawaja, Hughes or Smith for Warner. As far as the spinner and replacement for Pattinson that's pretty well up in the air. By all reports Bird out bowled Starc in the warm up and is IMO a better bowler in long form cricket but the selectors do tend to favour Starc. Lyon and Agar will also be interesting since neither was particularly impressive in the warm up (albeit on a day 2 pitch).

Personally though I'd be happy if the selectors just went with the same 11 from Trent Bridge but with Bird replacing Pattinson. While Warner did score a significant century against South Africa A the pitch was flat, the ground very small and other noted spuds Finch, Elgar and Maxwell all managed to score runs among others. To me Australia's problem is that our line up is completely unsettled. Clarke, Siddle and Pattinson were the only players in the last Test who lined up at the start of the Australian home season vs South Africa. With everyone unsure of their place (and constantly being moved around the order) its no wonder they're failing. Unless we give the batting order a few Tests to settle IMO we can't truly rely on what they achieve (although I do think Watson's time should be up).

 

[Catfish]

You Aussies got hope for the third test?

Nah. My prediction before the series was 5-0 England, weather permitting. No reason to change my mind.

 

[sanabas]

Watson not dropped, Bird not picked, Agar another spinner to fail to instantly be a matchwinner and get dumped, even though he should have had 4 wickets in an innings in the first test. I hope we lose, and continue to do so, until we start picking proper teams.

 

[Ozbenno]

Can't believe that Lyon is back. Don't mind the Starc instead of Bird selection though.

 

[Justo]

Poor from the third umpire with the Khawaja decision. Not the fault of DRS but poor umpiring. Looked like he missed it on normal replays and hot spot confirmed it.

 

[azzaman333]

A day of cricket going our way when we're batting? What is this madness?!?

 

[Arwon]

OK, so we'll lose the Ashes. But England still have to live on that little island with its awful weather.

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

Awful weather on account of cloud seeding drones

 

[Lambert Simnel]

OK, so we'll lose the Ashes. But England still have to live on that little island with its awful weather.

True dat.

 

[classical_hero]

So LS, what did you think of KP's dismissal?

 

[Lambert Simnel]

To be honest, I didn't see either of them. I'm just back from holiday in Provence - while the weather was wonderful, the French TV coverage of the Ashes is sadly lacking. KP strikes me as a whingy git much of the time, and I have a trouble liking the man.

You think he was hard done by?

 

[Camikaze]

Youtube has live streaming of the whole thing from the continent, btw.

 

[classical_hero]

To be honest, I didn't see either of them. I'm just back from holiday in Provence - while the weather was wonderful, the French TV coverage of the Ashes is sadly lacking. KP strikes me as a whingy git much of the time, and I have a trouble liking the man.

You think he was hard done by?

Yes I do, but not as much as Khawaja was, since it was clear in that case there was a visible gap, no sound and no hot spot. With KP, their was a sound, but no hot spot, but there could have have been a gap, but it wasn't clear.

 

[Lambert Simnel]

Youtube has live streaming of the whole thing from the continent, btw.

Well, thanks, but a test that always looked like a draw (in a series which was probably already decided) didn't manage to appeal to me more than swimming, sitting outside the villa in the sun with a beer, or the other stuff you do when you're on holiday.

 

[Lambert Simnel]

Yes I do, but not as much as Khawaja was, since it was clear in that case there was a visible gap, no sound and no hot spot. With KP, their was a sound, but no hot spot, but there could have have been a gap, but it wasn't clear.

Fair enough. Still doesn't make me think we'd be better off without DRS.

 

[Visorslash]

Deserved ton by Rogers, put Australia in good nick.