West Indies Cricket Blog

Another cricket blog - a West Indian one called "Rain, No Play" has recently come to my attention. Check it out here - it's nice, and sure to see plenty of activity during the upcoming World Cup.

Poll Results

A interest fades in the Home of the Ashes Urn poll, it seems most voters agree with Richard Branson - it should stay here in Aus - well, well, like that's ever going to happen... Yes (tay in Aus) = 57.1%, No = 42.9%

Some general observations

I haven't had much to say about the ODI's this summer just yet. Here's a few quick observations...

• The frustration of watching (and semi-supporting) New Zealand continues - they do so well, as Captain Flemming says, they have the game plan they need, they just keep failing. They've had so many good performances against Australia for so little return, it's must be tearing him up. My gut feel is they are thrashed by Australia far less than other countries - they never give up, and fight back so often.
• Craig McMillan is a cheeky bugger - complaining to Hussey after that last ball - the bouncer that he got no-where near and should've been called a wide - complaining that Hussey should've walked, after his innings on the back of one of the biggest let offs of the summer so far - anyway, it's good to see him back in form after being pretty much the scape-goat of NZ cricket lately.
• Bond - maybe one of the quickest to 100 ODI wickets in terms of games played but surely, one of the slowest to actually manage to play that many games - his continued injury woes adding to Flemming's frustration.
• Australia are not the certainties everyone thinks they are - if Gilchrist struggles, Australia stuggle - Symonds and White look terrific when the score is 3 for 200 but no so flash at 4 for 70. One of these days, Hussey won't save us, and it may just be the World Cup final...

Good luck to NZ today against England - I think ODI finals against them would be far more entertaining...

Astle was out - Gilly's just a good honest bloke - get over it...

The Kiwi's are bleating (here's one, and here's another) about this Nathan Astle decision and Gilchrist catch - I can't believe it! They routinely like to carry on about us Aussies, our whinging and so on - and they choose this incident to complain about - seriously! It wasn't even that controversial - Astle took it - once confirm - the replay quite clearly showed fingers under the ball as it rolled up into the glove - I'm not sure what the Kiwi's find harder to take - that Gilchrist is a champion, or that he's a good fair bloke as well - get over it!

White Wash!

The home of the Ashes???

We're getting a few votes in the new Ashes poll - where shouls they reside? - and "Australia" is leading by a whisker...I am wondering what the logic for each side of the argument is on this.

I must confess - I voted "No" - they should stay on display in England. I'm a bit of a traditionalist of course, but the deciding factor for me is that the Ashes Urn is not a Trophy. It is a symbol. It was presented as a private gesture and actually donated for display at Lords. It's great to see the latest promotional "tour" of Aus. I have never seen the legendary Urn, but if and when I do, I would rather it be at Lords, than in a museum in Melbourne somewhere (even if it was the MCG) - it's all part of the pilgrimage really.

What does everyone think?

What could've been...

Australia have just completed the much publicised white-wash of the Ashes series. 5 nil! Incredible! Early on, we kept saying how well England were doing, how they performed well and weren't far away. In each Test, save perhaps Brisbane, there were points where things could've been so much different - they were in winnings if not match saving positions each time...

1st Test - Brisbane - asides from just prior to that infamous first ball being bowled (when scores were equal) England were pretty much behind the 8 ball all the way, though at tea on Day 4, England were 3 for 150, then 5 for 293 at the end of the day - with just one day to go a draw was still an outside chance. (Australia won by 277 runs before lunch on Day 5!)

2nd Test - Adelaide - What do you say about this one? Australia were 3 for 65 in their first innings chasing 551 (5 declared). The series was about to be level. Brisbane was being put down as an aborition. (Australia won by 6 wickets late on the last day.)

3rd Test - Perth - England bowled Australia out for 244 in their first innings and still managed to lose by 206 runs! (There went the Ashes)

4th Test - Melbourne - Australia 5 for 89 (admittedly only chasing 159), went on to score 419 and win by 99 runs.

5th Test - Sydney - Australia 5 for 190 chasing 291. Australia win by 10 wickets.

It is staggering to think that England didn't manage at least a draw from one of these scenarios. Not just that, but there wasn't even a close result amongst them. Capitulation!

Some other interesting points:

• In all except Perth, England were dismissed for less than 160 in at least one innings. (In Perth they got to 215)
• Australia scored more than 400 in at least one innings in all tests except Sydney where they got 393.
• For batsmen at position 7 through 11, England averaged 8.7 runs, Australia 27.86. So from 7 down, Australia were scoring.
• Australian bastmen scored 9 centuries (with all batsmen from 1 to 7 getting at least one) while England managed just 3 for their entire 20 innings.

So did England throw it away or did Australia snatch it from them? Was it a combination? Did England simply lack the ability to beat Australia or does Australia just not know how to lose?

Is there any one definitive factor in Australia's domination - if so what do you think it is? Is it Mental / Physical? Were England playing above themselves in 2005 - were Australia playig below themselves? Let me know what you put this incredible 18 month form reversal down to?...

Warne and McGrath all done

Contrasting last deliveries for McGrath and Warne. McGrath gets a wicket, Warne conceeds a boundary compliments Steve Harmisson no less.

The end of an era no doubt...

New Poll

Lot's of discussion since Richard Branson's publicity stunt yesterday, claiming the Ashes urn should stay in Australia - have your say here...

Australia vs England - Fifth Test - Day 3

Australia a tail in front...

The total first innings runs scored by batsmen at numbers 7 through 11, for Australia, 173, for England, 4!!! Australia's lead, 102!

They often say that batting is all about building partnerships - today we saw a few valuable partnerships, some built in a disciplined manner, some built with gay-abandone by players with confidence that if they did so, the guys below them were capable and motivated to do the same. Gilchrist and Symonds in particular batted very well, when they would've far preferred to belt the opposition attack into submission they instead batted with care and constraint to ensure Australia made it close to England's total - this discipline, belief and committment highlighted a major difference between the two sides today.

Then, enter Shane Warne, as only Warne can...it was always going to happen quickly, or not at all. He was going to enjoy it, one way or the other. We all flirted with the idea (dream) of that ellusive 100 in his last test, but the dream died with an over ambitous shot on 71. At least he wasn't left wondering...

Australia went passed England's first innings total in style, then England immediately went defensive. I think they were basically saying, if you're going to get a lead, you're going to do it slowly, to give us a chance of a draw. When you're 4 nil down I suppose this is understandable, but really - it's Day 3!?! With Australia batting last a small first innings lead may not be enough for them. To immediately drop out the slips, where you've picked up Gilchrist so often, was very negative and a sign of FLintoff's defeatest attitude this series. Going negative at this point could just have snuffed out any chance of a win here for England. Australia's tail chipped and lobbed the ball around as Clark was played in nicely, by England's defensive field postions, helped too by some smashing from Warne and a lead was built - big enough to fill the dressing room with enthusiasm and energy - whic spilled onto the field and saw Cook fall early.

So we get down to 2 results for England and draw or a loss.

Australia hit the field, full of beans, England, again frustrated and despondant at the prospect of chasing down a lead then trying to give their tired bowling attack something to work with. Australia knowing, early in-roads will set up a vitory. Early in roads it was, follwed by middle order in roads. Then, Monty Panesar at number 7! I can't believe, as the Channel 9 commentators would have us believe, this was at night watchman - what for?? To protect Read?? Unlikely. I think perhaps the bottom 5 for England are simply drawing straws these days, and it was Monty's turn...surely they can't seriously be trying to protect anyone in that tail...

Steve Waugh proved to us all, you have to be prepared to lose, in order to win. England don't appear to have learned this, although they have certainly learnt to lose this summer, they don't appear to be prepared to risk one more, in an attempt to chalk up a victory. If this lack of confidence and fight spills over to the ODI series it's going to be a miserable World Cup campaign as well. This is supposed to be the second ranked Test Nation in the World - I find that hard to believe just at the moment.

Australia vs England - Fifth Test - Day 1 & 2

So, after 2 days, we have a fairly evenly poised match. England, collapsing all too predicatbly in the first innings, losing their last 5 wickets for just over 50 runs. Australia now, similarly set at the end of day two, to England at the end of day 1. I'd rather have Hussey in than Collingwood though, and Australia's tail than England's - but there is a certain "pep in the step" of England. They seem a little more determined to at least inflect something in the form of damage on these Aussies - maybe Langer, McGrath and Warne (and maybe some others) losing their last test is just enough motivation for a down and almost out English side. Who knows? Who would be game to predict anything.

It is probably stating the obvious but just about anything could happen yet. It seems a result one way or the other is more likely than a draw given the low first innings total, but with Hussey and Symonds in and Gilchrist to come Australia could yet make 500 - of course, they could also quite conceivably trail on the first innings too, not that that may matter either. Who could say anything confidently really? I would add though, that a run chase by Australia on day 4 and 5 will be somewhat harder in Sydney with Panesar in the side, than Adelaide without him - The POMS will know that and therefore be despearate for early wickets, hopefully Hussey and Symonds have thought of this two, and play them out of the game in the first two session tomorrow. They are the sessions that will set up this match.

If England can get two wickets in the first session tomorrow, it's game on - if not, it could just be slipping away. I am no longer willing to say there is anything that can happen, that will put the Aussies out of the match just yet ;-)

Who let him out?

I can't believe the recent comments by John Buchanan about Kevin Pietersen - what was he thinking? "Not a team player" - who cares anyway particularly at this point. I heard, I think it was Shane Warne in an interview last week, talking about sledging - he said "we all know there are guys you talk to and guys you don't...KP for instance you don't give any extra motivation...".

So, in the lead up to a Test Match Australia would love to win to send off three champions and claim the Ashes series 5 : nil, the coach comes out and gives the one guy who has shown enough this series, to influence the outcome of a game in England's favour, just the ammunition he needs to fire up and play one of his "Oval" style innings - stupid! What was he thinking? IF KP turns in a big score here, I think Mssrs, Warne, McGrath and Langer will be mightily Pee'd off at their coach!

There's a first time for everything...

Just heard on ABC radio that Australia have never lost a Test Match with McGrath, Warne and Langer all in the side...begs the question, what will we be saying after this one? (Anyway, England have started positively...what is in store?)

Another great contribution on TheAshesBlog

If you've found this site, you've no doubt already stumbled across the Ashes Blog, and Daryl's now legendary Ashes re-enactments - however, this one in particular, tickled my fancy...