Cricket 2013

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With the World Cup now over we can switch back to a general thread for cricket.

Australia have a 3 ODI tour of Bangladesh starting in a week and later this month Pakistan tour West Indies.

For Australia's ODI tour the biggest news is Ricky Ponting has stepped down as captain from the ODI and test teams but will continue on as a batsman. It is a good move from Ponting since it will take a lot of pressure off him and will allow him to focus on his batting. Clarke has been named captain with Watson his deputy.

The Australian squad for the tour is: Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wk), Ricky Ponting, Cameron White, Mike Hussey, Callum Ferguson, Tim Paine (wk), Steve Smith, Mitchell Johnson, John Hastings, Brett Lee, Xavier Doherty, James Pattinson.

Note that David Hussey isn't there because his wife is expecting a child and he has choosen to be there at the birth, otherwise he would be in this team. Also Shaun Tait has retired from ODIs.

Cameron White is lucky to be in the squad and honestly he shouldn't be chosen for the first match. Ferguson should be given the chance in the middle order. Note sure that Pattinson is ready for international duties yet but I don't really know who else could replace him since Harris and McKay are still injured.

This is the team I would pick for the first ODI:

Watson
Haddin
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Ferguson
Smith
Johnson
Hastings
Lee
Doherty

 

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They stuck with White instead of Ferguson but other than that that was the team that was chosen for the first ODI.

We batted first and scored 270 with Clarke scoring 101. Great innings by the new permanent captain. A lot of other guys made starts but couldn't continue on like Clarke. Cameron White had another shocker with 20 from 50 balls. If he is still in the team for the second ODI then it is a joke since he now hasn't scored a fifty in his last eighteen ODI innings and doesn't deserve his place in the team. Ferguson should get the chance. In reply Bangladesh didn't even try to chase the total and finished with 210/5. Disappointing that our bowlers couldn't bowl them out but the win was never in doubt. I do look forward to when Ryan Harris and/or Clint McKay are fit again so that they can take Hastings spot.

 

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Shane Watson played the more brutal ODI innings ever yesterday. 185 not out from 96 balls which including 15 sixes. It is a shame that Australia were only chasing 229/6 since there were still 24 overs to go and he could easily have scored 250+, he didn't look like getting out and was timing the ball so sweetly. Thanks to Watson it was another crushing win and I look forward to the third ODI and hopefully we can bat first.

 

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I absolutely lost my mind after watching that innings. It was the best ODI innings I have ever seen, and it was all just brute force. I can only imagine would could have happened if we still batted for the last 24 overs that we were allotted!!

 

[Troy]

The only disappointing thing about the innings was that he couldn't bat for the other 24 overs. It would have been an incredible score. Stunning batting by Watson who continues to prove again and again that he is a top order player and probably the most important in the team. He is a great batter, an excellent slips fielder and is a regular partnership breaker with his bowling.

With the third ODI tomorrow there is talk that James Pattinson will debut to rest one of the fast bowlers, either Johnson or Lee. Paine may play as a batsman as well. Hopefully Ferguson gets to have a bat tomorrow to show that he is a long term option.

 

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Shane Warne announced tonight that after this current IPL season he will be retiring from playing cricket. He may still coach but he will no longer play. Amazing career by him and he showed in the IPL that he was still an amazing player at around 40.

England yesterday announced their captains for all formats. Andrew Strauss for Test, Cook for ODI and Broad for Twenty20. Cook surprised me since he struggled to make the team on form before Strauss retired so it is a bold move thinking that he will be able to perform with the bat. I get that he is the next test captain but it is a gamble. Broad is a very good player but his attitude can get too heated at times so it will be interesting seeing how he copes.

Pakistan and West Indies finished their five match ODI series. Pakistan easily won the first three matches but West Indies fought back to win the final two games to make the scoreline more respectable.

 

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West Indies vs Pakistan have produced a fantastic first test. Lively track and at Stumps on day three West Indies scored 226 & 152 and Pakistan scored 160 and 80/3. Pakistan need another 139 runs with seven wickets in hand. Ajmal picked up eleven wickets for Pakistan and Bishoo holds the key for West Indies as their main spinner.

West Indies are missing Chris Gayle who is earning big money in IPL and has scored big so far. He has hit two centuries and one fifty and is second on the run scorer list even though he has played about half as many matches as the rest.

 

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West Indies won the test after a great bowling performance by the captain Sammy who took 5/29 and also by Rampaul who took 4/48. West Indies won by 40 runs. The second test started yesterday and Pakistan batting first finished a rain delayed day 180/6. Hopefully the weather improves so that we can see another excellent test.

Shane Warne played his last professional match yesterday. It was for Rajasthan and he captained them to a win, mainly thanks to Watson taking three wickets and scoring eighty odd, and Warne took a wicket in his final over.

 

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Pakistan ended up winning the second test to level the series 1-1.

The test series involving England and Sri Lanka started two days ago. Sri Lanka batted first scoring 400 and England in reply are currently 47/1. Some time has been lost to rain and hopefully there is some clear weather for the next three days so there can be a result.

 

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England finished off that first test with an incredible win. It seemed certain that the test would finish with a draw because of the time lost due to bad weather but England's bowlers were amazing and bowled Sri Lanka out for just 82 to give England the win by an innings and 14 runs.

In the second test it seems destined for a draw as well but you never know what might happen. England scored 486 and Sri Lanka are 372/3 on day three but there is rain so again is looks like a draw is the most likely result.

 

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Cricket Australia contracts list 2011-12: Doug Bollinger, Michael Clarke, Patrick Cummins, Xavier Doherty, Callum Ferguson, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, John Hastings, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, Phillip Hughes, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Jason Krejza, Brett Lee, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, James Pattinson, Ricky Ponting, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

Players added: Xavier Doherty, John Hastings, David Hussey, Usman Khawaja, Jason Krejza, Patrick Cummins and James Pattinson

Players removed: Simon Katich, James Hopes, Andrew McDonald, Clint McKay, Marcus North, Shaun Tait and Adam Voges

From a few days ago but yet to be posted here.

I can't understand why the current selectors were allowed to pick the contract list. They have been appalling in recent years, picking 17 for the first Ashes test squad was a great example of their incompetence, and they themselves are under review.

Dropping Simon Katich is a terrible move. His opening partnership with Watson has been one of the few positives for Australia in recent times and only Alistair Cook has scored more runs in the time frame since Katich returned to opening for Australia. If they wanted to dump someone over the age of 35 then it should have been Hussey. Hussey hasn't performed in the test arena and has been alright in ODI's but overall Katich has done more.

Of the others dumped very harsh on Clint McKay. He was our second best ODI bowler last year and deserves the spot ahead of Cummins and Pattinson. Yes they are bright prospects for the future but for now McKay is a great choice, Hasting is pretty lucky to get the spot ahead of him as well.

 

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The Australian squad for the Sri Lankan limited overs tour has been announced;

Twenty20 squad Shane Watson, David Warner, Brad Haddin, Shaun Marsh, David Hussey, Cameron White (capt), Aaron Finch, Steven Smith, Steve O'Keefe, John Hastings, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, James Pattinson.

ODI squad Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke (capt), Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Shaun Marsh, Steven Smith, John Hastings, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Xavier Doherty, James Pattinson, Doug Bollinger.

Cameron White was omitted from the ODI squad due to his poor form in his last few series. Ryan Harris although fit hasn't been chosen as the selectors want to use him as a test specialist. He is Australia's best bowler, especially ODI's, so hopefully they have made the right choice.

Can't believe that Callum Ferguson isn't in the ODI team. He has performed whenever he was selected and is currently dominating the Australia A tour with 3 fifties in 4 games. Steven Smith is pretty lucky to be chosen again since his form has been nearly as bad as White's.

Hopefully Marsh is used as an opener, he is excellent in that role and it is pointless batting him at six.

My ODI XI in batting order from that squad would be;

Shane Watson
Shaun Marsh
Ricky Ponting
Michael Clarke
Michael Hussey
David Hussey
Brad Haddin
John Hastings
Mitchell Johnson
Brett Lee
Xavier Doherty

Missing out: Steve Smith, James Pattinson and Doug Bollinger

 

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The 2000th test is being played at the moment, England vs. India. England are batting first and are 252/3 in the second session of day two. Being England, half the first day was rained out. Hopefully the weather is clear for the rest so we can see two top teams battle it out. India are missing Zaheer Khan who suffered an injury on day one soon after he had taken two wickets.

 

[Prodigy]

252/3 not a bad score. I have an Indian friend on facebook who seems to think it will be a walk over for India.

 

[Troy]

England are tough to beat at home and India now don't have their top paceman. I would put England in the box seat at the momet at 282/5. England bat deep with Broad in at 9, he is basically an allrounder and has a test hundred. Pieterson is on fire with a hundred. He hasn't been in the best form in the past two years but he is in fine form tonight.