Cricket 2013

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Clarke was outstanding during that series and it was very good seeing Australia pick up the series win in Sri Lanka. Malinga is a freak and his yorkers are incredible. That was his third hat trick in ODIs! Like you said I am glad that he isn't involved in the test matches because he would be a handful.

In the tour match some fringe players are staking their claim for a spot in the team. Copeland picked up 5 wickets to almost gaurantee his spot in the team along with Harris and Johnson. Siddle will be the one sitting out. Hughes and Khawaja both hit big scores and it looks good for the test series coming up. I think that the starting eleven will be;

Watson
Hughes
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Khawaja
Haddin
Johnson
Harris
Copeland
Beer/Lyon

I honestly can't split Beer and Lyon as I am not sure what direction the selectors will go. Lyon is the more aggressive spinner but can drop them short at times plus he is very inexperienced. Beer is better at blocking up an end and has a bit more experience that Lyon. As a South Australian I hope Lyon gets it but I honestly don't mind which spinner gets it as long as they get given a proper chance at holding the spot. I can't see them playing two spinners. Clarke can be the second spinner and maybe Khawaja can bowl spin?

 

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It is a joy watching this first test. Australia batted first and on a difficult pitch, it was spinning a lot already on day one, we scored 273. Hussey lead the way with 95 and Ponting was the second top scorer with 44. Every batsmen got a start but only Hussey was able to show the patience required.

Now on day two Sri Lanka are 100/8 in reply. Copeland took a wicket with his second ball in test cricket and Lyon took one with his first ball in test cricket! Watson has taken three wickets with his excellent reverse swing bowling. Lyon has just taken two more wickets in the space of three balls and has figures of 3/32 from 14 overs. Excellent debut from both bowlers. Our only experienced bowler, Johnson has probably been the worst of the bowlers but he has still been very good. Harris, in his sixth test, has figures of 8-5-6-0. No wickets but he held up an end very well to pile on the pressure.

What is good with this bowling line-up is the variety. Harris and Johnson are both very fast bowlers but the variety is there with one left and one right hander. Copeland is a medium pace bowler but has incredible control. Lyon is an attacking spinner and Watson is the only one that can reverse it. Very good options available to Clarke.

 

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A couple of minutes later and Nathan Lyon is the 15th Australian to take five wickets in an innings on debut! His final wicket was fantastic where he held on to a tough caught and bowled chance. Stunning debut 5/34 from 15 overs.

Australia now have a 168 run lead and are in complete control with three and a bit days to go. If we can add another two hundred runs we should be able to finish them off pretty quickly. It is a tough batting pitch and so this lead is massive.

 

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2-9 watto and ponting back in the shed. Both horrible shots, surely they've seen that this isn't a pitch where you can slog and get yourself in, you need to apply yourself.

Lyon's 5 fa, absolutely great for a debut, but it was Watto who turned the innings, its just a pity he undid his good day by that shit shot.

 

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Ponting's dismissal was really weird. Surely that early in the innings he wouldn't have much sweat on his gloves so I don't know how the grip slipped. The bat almost went as far as the ball.

I completely agree that it was Watson that turned the innings around. His spell with three wickets in a couple of overs ripped through their middle order allowing Lyon to clean up the tail. It is good that finally we cleaned up a tail fast and didn't allow them to hit some cheap runs.

Clarke and Hughes are being agressive now and I like that because we already have such a good lead and this is a tough pitch to bat on. Now after 9 overs we are 42/2.

 

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I am baffled by Hawkeye for the Hughes LBW decision. In the replay it showed that the ball gripped and turned sharply yet Hawkeye says that it was going straight on?!?! Good innings by Hughes anyway and Clarke is looking good with 27 in quick time.

 

[ants]

Yeh mate, I said exactly the same thing to my brother. I think hawk-eye assumed it hit him on the full or something and in that case you have to assume the ball goes straight on. Really suck because Hughes was looking accomplished in the conditions, and for once he didn't through it away.

6 for 115 at stumps, so were about 270 odd ahead. I would expect that to be enough, but I always worry when a side has the calibre of Sangakarra, Dilshan and Jayawardene in there side. We need to set 350, so Khawaja and Johnson need to do most of that because Harris cant bat to save himself, and Lyon isn't much better.

Clarke's 60 was all class, a pity to see him go out to such a poor shit. Haddins form has been horrific for so long, if this was the Australian summer, and Paine was around, theres a big chance hed be out for the next test.

 

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Australia have set a target of 379, and as i type

BANG: wicket first ball plumb lbw, the shit left hander is out

Good form in the Australian innings by Khawaja and Harris as well as Copeland and Lyon at the end. Everyone chipping in for double figures.

 

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Excellent win in the end by Australia. Sri Lanka fought back in their second innings but the total was never in doubt. Harris was excellent in the second innings taking five wickets. Overall it was an excellent performance by everyone.

Big news for the second test that Ponting won't be playing. He is heading home to be there for the birth of his second child. This means that Shaun Marsh will make his test debut it will be interesting to see who bats at 3 because both Marsh and Khawaja are top order players. David Warner is being flown in as a backup batsman.

 

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Day two in the second test match and Australia are dominating again. Sri Lanka batted first but could only manage 174 thanks to a disciplined bowling display by all bowlers. Some smart captaincy by Clarke helped break the only big partnership of the day with Hussey getting the wicket of Sangakarra in his only over. Harris and Copeland were fantastic with the new ball, Lyon continued his good form with two wickets and Johnson finished them off with two wickets. In reply Australia are 256-3. Everyone got starts but currently it is the Marsh and Hussey show. Marsh on debut, batting at three, is on 84 not out and Hussey is 72 not out. Hopefully Marsh can become the 14th Australian to score a century on debut.

 

[ants]

Great knock by Marsh on debut, leaves an interesting dilemma for the next test match with Ponting due to return. Khawaja hasnt done anything wrong, and Hughes is potentially the future at the top of the order, but id assume one of them makes way.

Again, Haddin is so lucky Paine isnt over there.

This game is looking more and more like a draw due to poor weather, unless we strike early with the new ball today.

 

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Unfortunately it finished as a draw due to the fact that overall more than one day was lost to rain. We took some early wickets on day five but the rain kept coming and so we couldn't finish them off.

With Ponting coming back next test I see them dropping Khawaja and dropping Marsh to six. I can't see them dropping Hughes since they keep going on about him being the future and even though Khawaja has done everything asked of him he will have to make way. It would be bold of the selectors if they dropped Hughes and had Marsh open with Watson with Ponting at three and Khawaja staying at six.

 

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The third test is into day four now. Australia batted first and scored 316 with Hussey scoring a century, Marsh scoring 81 and Ponting 48. Marsh looked fantastic again and I am glad Clarke kept him at number three. Hussey was brilliant again batting with the tail and getting another century. Ponting looked good until he had a brain fade and hit one that he didn't need to hit. Clarke is still in bad form but should take note of Hussey who last year was in terrible form in test cricket but he worked his way out of it.

Sri Lanka in reply are 467/9 and the pitch is flat now so batting should be easy in our second innings. Matthews scored his maiden century to lead the charge for Sri Lanka and every other batsmen scored runs. Siddle has taken four wickets. I don't rate Siddle because he bowls so short but when he bowls full it gets him wickets so I don't know why he doesn't do it more often. Johnson can't get anything right.

 

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Australia have announced the Test and ODI squads for the 3 ODI and 2 Test South Africa Tour

Test Squad: Michael Clarke (c), Shane Watson (vc), Michael Beer, Trent Copeland, Patrick Cummins, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Phil Hughes, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Peter Siddle.

ODI squad Shane Watson, David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke (capt), Michael Hussey, Brad Haddin (wk),Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Mitch Marsh, Xavier Doherty, James Pattinson, Patrick Cummins, Doug Bollinger.


ODIs are on the 19th, 23rd and 28th. Really like the look of the squad and I hope that Patrick Cummins debuts. 18 years old, bowls 150+kph and is a wicket taker. Throw him into the team right now please. The tough choice is for the two openers are the first three all have a claim to it but I would stick with Marsh for now. I would also take M Marsh over Smith because Smith hasn't done enough to prove himself on the international stage. Johnson ahead of Pattinson is a tough choice and could really go either way. My XI would be;

Watson
S Marsh
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Haddin
M Marsh
Johnson
Doherty
Bollinger
Cummins

For the test squad I want the selectors to maintain as much of the Sri Lankan touring team as possible because we dominated the first two tests. Johnson in tests must be nearing the end because he has no form and I can't stand Siddle. My XI would be;

Watson
Hughes
Marsh
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Haddin
Harris
Copeland
Cummins
Lyon

I expect that Copeland and Cummins will probably miss for Johnson and Siddle but Johnson and Siddle in the same team is a death sentence.

 

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In domestic cricket NSW are playing South Australia and Copeland failed to take a wicket in an innings where South Australia scored close to 500. In reply NSW are in big trouble at 133/7. Peter George has taken 5/28 in a great reminder to selectors that he is still around. He has played one test match but since then was ignored and has suffered because he hasn't really played lately because he isn't involved in T20. Hopefully George gets back into the selectors minds for future tours as he is only 25. All he has to do is keep taking wickets.

West Indies are playing Bangladesh in a ODI and West Indies are in serious trouble. They were bowled out for 61 which is their second lowest total ever and in reply Bangladesh are 51/2 and will easily win.