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* * * The Ashes - Official Thread * * *
- Thread starter Marc
- Start date
- Jul 7, 2003
- 47,499
I really hope we don't sit back and relax now the Ashes have been retained. I want us to win this series not draw it. A draw would flatter Australia and be an unfair reflection on the series. We want to WIN.
- Jul 7, 2003
- 47,499
I actually feel rather sorry for Ponting, hearing him interviewed now. It's clear he desperately wants the chance to captain them in the last Test at Sydney but knows his position is on the line. As much down to his crap team mates as to him.
I hope they don't give him the boot before then...there doesn't seem a lot of point as it's not like Australia are going to suddenly change their entire future on one Test next week. Give the bloke the chance of a decent send off, as befitting a batsman as good as he's been in the past.
I hope they don't give him the boot before then...there doesn't seem a lot of point as it's not like Australia are going to suddenly change their entire future on one Test next week. Give the bloke the chance of a decent send off, as befitting a batsman as good as he's been in the past.
smiler
Well-known member
Sports that only about twelve countries on earth play seriously
Global - compared with Baseball's World Series
I don't know about that. The selectors could say that this is a series we can't win, so why not blood a whole bunch of youngsters.
Ponting has been in poor form but he's been let down by other players too. And he's certainly been let down by the selectors who persisted with Hughes, who couldn't pick a proper no 6 batsman and who refused to play Australia's best spinner
OzMike
Well-known member
Apart from the tourists the last match will be quiet, wont be many Aussies in the stands.
rcf0712
Out Here In The Perimeter
England very kindly wrapped up the Ashes at 8.55am Perth time today which meant I could watch the whole day's play from 7.30am on the big screen over the road from the office whilst feasting on bacon and eggs that never tasted to good, what a fantastic performance!
BensGrandad
New member
I dont know but would have gone for Prior with 6 catches behind the stumps and 85 runs.
Tricky Dicky
New member
They don't seem to have a "whole bunch" of youngsters ready to come in, and there is no obvious replacement as captain - which was admitted last week by one of the selectors (although he later retracted it). Anyway, although the Ashes are lost for them, it wouldn't do them any good to replace the team wholeseale only to get thumped in the last test. I don't know what the answer is for them, but Ponting has been such a good player I hope he gets to leave the post on his terms, when he wants to. But then, who cares, we won
And three missed catches and a missed stumping? I'm no keeping expert, but the two edges from Swann this morning looked like they should have been snaffled and the stumping was a big error. Was this a patchy performance from Matt? Wonder how Swann feels about having him behind the stumps? Will anyone discuss this or will it get ignored in the hysteria? Love the guy to bits - but if this team is going to kick on to an even higher level, the keeper needs to be holding those.
- Jul 7, 2003
- 47,499
I think the crowd will be decent: the Sydney Test is a New Year tradition, an attractive venue in a popular city, it'll be over a weekend and bank holiday anyway, and many people would have bought tickets in advance anticipating either a series clinching battle or an Aussie urn presentation.
Very harsh. that.
He should have stumped Clarke yesterday (I think he thought the ball had bowled him tbh), but apart from that one single big error, his keeping has been superb all series, and has rightly been universally parised by all the pundits.
Not knocking him Hans - I think he's a good solid keeper now and has seen off his critics (thnk God for the 85 though because all that would have started up again). Was really trying to find out if they were thought to be catchable and how he has done in this series as a keeper. He's looked tidy to me. Superb down the leg side. But at Test level, would a specilist keeper have gloved those two edges for example?
I think he has improved to the extent that he IS a 'specialist keeper', whatever that is.
HAILSHAM SEAGULL
Well-known member
- Nov 9, 2009
- 10,357
Yes I agree, the stumping should have been taken, but the two this morning off Swann were very sharp when standing up. A faint edge is straightforward but they were biggish edges that 1st slip possibly would have snaffled, they were pushed through flatter and faster which IMHO made them very sharp chances.
Overall I think Matt has kept brilliantly this series, there arnt many test match keepers that can bat as well, better than him, possibly Dhoni.
Overall I think Matt has kept brilliantly this series, there arnt many test match keepers that can bat as well, better than him, possibly Dhoni.
HAILSHAM SEAGULL
Well-known member
- Nov 9, 2009
- 10,357
Ah, but would a specialist keeper have scored 85, which possibly turned the game 100% into an unbeatable position.
Dont think any other English keeper has both attributes
I find it amusing that to be considered a 'specialist keeper' by some purists, you have to be a shit batsman! As if the two disciplines are in any way connected, and that very shitness with the bat, makes them a better keeper.
"I find it amusing that to be considered a 'specialist keeper' by some purists, you have to be a shit batsman! As if the two disciplines are in any way connected, and that very shitness with the bat, makes them a better keeper. "
Not sure that's right. I'm not an expert at keeping (other than to grumble when they don't stop the one ball in 50 I bowl that I actually turn) but I understood that it is broadly accepted that there are better glovemen but they aren't as good with the bat. Matt Prior is the best compromise (a good keeper and a batsman with an average of 40) but I don't think "specialist keeper" equates directly to shit batsman.
Would you agree that there are some better keepers even though it can't be argued that there are no better batsmen who could keep.
The upshot is - could Matt get better or would any top keeper have missed the stumping and not gloved the edges? [Halisham's point about the thick edges noted].
Not sure that's right. I'm not an expert at keeping (other than to grumble when they don't stop the one ball in 50 I bowl that I actually turn) but I understood that it is broadly accepted that there are better glovemen but they aren't as good with the bat. Matt Prior is the best compromise (a good keeper and a batsman with an average of 40) but I don't think "specialist keeper" equates directly to shit batsman.
Would you agree that there are some better keepers even though it can't be argued that there are no better batsmen who could keep.
The upshot is - could Matt get better or would any top keeper have missed the stumping and not gloved the edges? [Halisham's point about the thick edges noted].