AUST V ENG 2nd test Adelaide.

[mal]

AH gotta disagree slightly.
Lee didnt make the team for about 12-18 months, and we won without him.
When Mcgrath/Warne are on song its irrelevant who the other 2 bowlers are.
When Mcgrath has been injured, Lee has been expected to lead the attack, but
has underperformed too often.
There must be a spot for guys who bowl at 150km, and if they average 30 instead
of the great bowlers at 22-25 sobeit, they are still value.
Its frustrating because when he burst on the scene he got his first 50 wickets at
an average of about 25.
He now averages closer to 35, and is too expensive at times.
Considering all the hack work Warnnnnnney does, Lee has not completely cashed in.
Without Mcgrath/Warnnnnney in the team in the near future will he finally step up
or will he under achieve

His test career in general is disappointing for a guy with his ability.
As a o/d bowler he is without peer , one of the all time greatest to play for Australia

Would I play him...YES ...just....but TAIT may be a better proposition from here on .....

[power01]

regardless of whos picked and whos playing that Adelaide pitch is a bloody disgrace.........its as flat as a tack for the side that wins the toss and inevitably bats first your in the box seat...........ok they say it will break up on day three or so but there has to be something for the bowlers.......I dont think Australia bowled that badly, but in fairness the English batted extremely well.........

[mal]

power 01, good call
Any bowler who gets good good figures like Clark is a great effort
As for warnnnnnnnney/Lee/ooh ahh ignore the form on that pitch.

It will crack up late in the game, which is unfair for sides losing the toss.

POW01 nice avatar mate.

[power01]

power 01, good call
Any bowler who gets good good figures like Clark is a great effort
As for warnnnnnnnney/Lee/ooh ahh ignore the form on that pitch.

It will crack up late in the game, which is unfair for sides losing the toss.

POW01 nice avatar mate.

thanks mal much appreciated.........you joined a select group who really like that avatar.....mal you might be the chossen one

[mal]

power 01, good call
Any bowler who gets good good figures like Clark is a great effort
As for warnnnnnnnney/Lee/ooh ahh ignore the form on that pitch.

It will crack up late in the game, which is unfair for sides losing the toss.

POW01 nice avatar mate.

thanks mal much appreciated.........you joined a select group who really like that avatar.....mal you might be the chossen one

POW01 I reckon Australia is in grave danger of losing the test match

[power01]

power 01, good call
Any bowler who gets good good figures like Clark is a great effort
As for warnnnnnnnney/Lee/ooh ahh ignore the form on that pitch.

It will crack up late in the game, which is unfair for sides losing the toss.

POW01 nice avatar mate.

thanks mal much appreciated.........you joined a select group who really like that avatar.....mal you might be the chossen one

POW01 I reckon Australia is in grave danger of losing the test match

I hat to admit it mal but I think your right!!!!!!!!!!!

[Adelaide Hawk]

regardless of whos picked and whos playing that Adelaide pitch is a bloody disgrace.........its as flat as a tack for the side that wins the toss and inevitably bats first your in the box seat...........ok they say it will break up on day three or so but there has to be something for the bowlers.......I dont think Australia bowled that badly, but in fairness the English batted extremely well.........

That is precisely my point. We are trying to criticise bowlers because the Poms made 551. Facts are, all the bowlers toiled manfully on an unresponsive wicket, and without (at times) much luck. Added to this, the English batsmen (buoyed by Ponting's insanity not to enforce the follow on in the 1st Test) went out there and really batted well.

The Australians are no different to any other side in the World in that we do not play our best cricket under pressure. I expect England to win this Test.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Lee didnt make the team for about 12-18 months, and we won without him.
When Mcgrath/Warne are on song its irrelevant who the other 2 bowlers are.
When Mcgrath has been injured, Lee has been expected to lead the attack, but
has underperformed too often.

Firstly, when we were without Warne for 12 months, we still won. Does that mean Warne isn't important to the team? We've also won without Ponting, McGrath, etc.

Whilst discussing Lee, I'd rather talk about the matches he did play in rather than the ones he didn't. IMHO, we did to Lee what the selectors are foolishly doing to Tait at the moment. We did not pick him at a time when he was probably bowling at his top form. When the quicks are bowling well, get them in. You can pick medium fast bowlers any time.

[mal]

AH, Lee deserves a spot, but in my opinion he disappoints too often.
He has been given an unbeleivable natural talent but when his career
finishes we will all be saying "gee he bowled quick but....."

[Adelaide Hawk]

AH, Lee deserves a spot, but in my opinion he disappoints too often.
He has been given an unbeleivable natural talent but when his career
finishes we will all be saying "gee he bowled quick but....."

Gee he bowled quick but ... he took 300 Test wickets

[RoosterMarty]

Hayden out already, caught by Jones off Hoggard's bowling. He didn't add to his over night score.

As long as we pass the follow on target which is around 350 we will be alright and won't lose this game. A long way to go still and another wicket or two could make things interesting.

[mal]

AH, Lee deserves a spot, but in my opinion he disappoints too often.
He has been given an unbeleivable natural talent but when his career
finishes we will all be saying "gee he bowled quick but....."

Gee he bowled quick but ... he took 300 Test wickets

300 wickets at 40 average

[mal]

AU 3/65

MARTYN out
A blessing for Australian cricket now we have an excuse for an allrounder
Hopes/Symonds/White/Watson start lining up

As I said 35 year old middle order batsmen who average 35 of late are expendible.

[stan]

AU 3/65

MARTYN out
A blessing for Australian cricket now we have an excuse for an allrounder
Hopes/Symonds/White/Watson start lining up

As I said 35 year old middle order batsmen who average 35 of late are expendible.

Very right there mal.

Aust in all sorts of trouble now.

[Adelaide Hawk]

AH, Lee deserves a spot, but in my opinion he disappoints too often.
He has been given an unbeleivable natural talent but when his career
finishes we will all be saying "gee he bowled quick but....."

Gee he bowled quick but ... he took 300 Test wickets

300 wickets at 40 average

Seeing as his average is only just over 30, that isn't going to happen. And if other bowlers in history had their no balls and wides credited like today's bowlers, then Lee's average is comparitivel good. Just because it's not in the Lillee class it doesn't mean Lee's performances haven't been good.

[mal]

PONTING dropped off Hoggard by our man Giles
The catch that costs England the ashes
3/86 now
I am very very impressed with Flintoffs field placements so far
As for the keeper up to the stumps for Hoggard.......

Ricky will make 150 and make em pay.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Poms are playing with plenty of confidence. Even Anderson is bowling well. Somewhere between Brisbane and Adelaide, Flintoff has learnt how to captain the team. Confidence is a wonderful thing. I don't know about Ponting making 150. We need them badly, but he is looking a little shaky at the moment. Should have been caught by Giles and then nearly holed out off Anderson's 1st ball. Whatever happened to the idea of having a look at the new bowler?

[Adelaide Hawk]

Ponting should have been run out. Thank goodness he wasn't. 2 lovely shots by Ponting 3/105 at lunch. I've heard everything now .. Phil Tufnell being critical of English fielding errors

[mal]

LUNCH 3/105

Sir Richard Ponting 57*
Sir Michael Hussey 13*
LANGER 4/HAYDEN12/MARTYN 11

Englands session.
Brilliantly led by Debbie Flintoff and some inspired capataincy, who said fast bowlers were dumb.
Tim Nicholas quoted as saying some great bowling by Hoggard to dismiss Martyn.
Martyn caught in the gully AGAIN is not that hard, it just keeps happening.
Hayden who strikes at 60 per 100 balls in tests is a man not knowing whether to
defend or attack, fails once again against English teams who bowl wide of off stump to him.
langer got a brute of a ball + can be excused.
Ponting as AH has said is living dangerously.
Dropped by Giles, nearly out LBW to Anderson, and nearly run out but thank god he is still there.
Hussey + Ponting are our best 2 men for a crisis.
He would be the 4th best man in history in this crisis after Bradman/Steve Waugh + Greg
Chappell in first innings chases, he will dig the Aussies out of this mess.

One day they will rename Tapleys Hill Road to Sir Richard Ponting Drive

The umpiring this series is the best I have ever seen.

Congatulations to Jimmy Anderson who on conceding his 5th run today brought his
average in the first 2 tests to 200

Hoggard did bowl well for his 2 wickets but now the shine is off the ball will struggle.
Harmison + Flintoff might be the dangermen.
Giles will chip in with his customary 0/50 off 15 overs as well.

We are still in trouble, get Sir Ricky + Sir Micky out quicky and crikeys.

[mal]

3/151 DRINKS
SIR PONTING 77*[146]
SIR HUSSEY 39*[90]

Good to see Ponting/Hussey/Giles and Anderson doing thier very best to
keep Australia in the game.

Need 351 to avoid the follow on.

We are lucky in the last 2 decades to have Steven Roger Waugh and Sir Richard
Ponting to dig ourselves out of trouble in first innings predicaments.