If anyone who said test cricket is boring, watch the Ashes now !!

[AHLUNGOR]

It pays to be a sledger. We should all allow our children to participate so they can win too.

I'm not sure what you meant!

I'm just very happy and proud of the boys for doing a great job in the two tests so far!

It has been a long time between drinks ! Three Ashes series lost was very hard to swallow ! Then no wins in India !

Now lets concentrate for Perth !

I'm not resting easy until we go 3-0 up !

Cheers

[harmony]

I'm very happy.
Australian coaches finally for rugby, soccer and cricket

Coaches who players respect, and coaches who in rugby and cricket have played for Australia

Same playing personnel in most cases, vastly different results

Old world coaching again, not new world player 'homework'

Watch out world

[AHLUNGOR]

I'm very happy.
Australian coaches finally for rugby, soccer and cricket

Coaches who players respect, and coaches who in rugby and cricket have played for Australia

Same playing personnel in most cases, vastly different results

Old world coaching again, not new world player 'homework'

Watch out world

Yeah, always pick the best team on the field, no more those rotation and resting players shit !!

[Oneonone]

Yeah, always pick the best team on the field, no more those rotation and resting players shit !!

Have to agree with you here, that rotation system didn't work. Pick the best team we are in it to win it every time.

[AHLUNGOR]

Have to agree with you here, that rotation system didn't work. Pick the best team we are in it to win it every time.

Having said that, if we win in Perth and regain the Ashes, we probably should give Ryan Harris a rest for the Boxing Day and bring James Faulkner in! I think after Perth , Harris 's aging body will need a break before he injure himself anymore !

Again, nothing wrong with the top and middle order at the moment but Rogers hadn't really fire although he fielded brilliantly but he is 35/36? And with an Ashes victory under his belt . May be he will make way for some younger batsman like Khawaja or Hughes? They both have good domestic forms !

Just my two cents !

Cheers

[Oneonone]

Khawaja or Hughes? They both have good domestic forms !

Yes and there are a few others in the wind all with good form in domestic cricket but when given a chance they have fallen short.

Used to be a player was picked because he was in good form and in the case of a batsman they very rarely failed in their first test.

These guys have yet to succeed and most of them have had quite a few chances.

I think the problem is they don't know how to bat for a long time how to play every ball on its merit, Warner is only just starting to learn this, Rogers doesn't know how to keep the score ticking over and Watson is hit and miss more miss than hit.

So we might be going to win the ashes back but we sure have a long way to go to be world number one again.

[AHLUNGOR]

Yes and there are a few others in the wind all with good form in domestic cricket but when given a chance they have fallen short.

Used to be a player was picked because he was in good form and in the case of a batsman they very rarely failed in their first test.

These guys have yet to succeed and most of them have had quite a few chances.

I think the problem is they don't know how to bat for a long time how to play every ball on its merit, Warner is only just starting to learn this, Rogers doesn't know how to keep the score ticking over and Watson is hit and miss more miss than hit.

So we might be going to win the ashes back but we sure have a long way to go to be world number one again.

Very true, but I think in the past few years, the team as a whole was not in good form - nothing good from coach Arthur anyway. The team spirit is down, confident is low and no one is secure except the Captain (and to be fair, Clarkey has been carrying the whole team for a while !).

But now the new coach Lehmann is doing some wonderful things for the team and I think they have turned the corner. If we go to Boxing Day at the G already regained the Ashes, I am pretty confident any in form batsman comes into the side will have a better chance to do well than say back in England or in India !

Still a lot of pressure but at least the Team is winning and you can't beat momentum and that winning feeling .

Cheers

[Punter Poontang]

Agree with OoO, Khawaja & Hughes have had plenty of chances .... surely there's someone else knocking on the door in the domestic comp??

[harmony]

The batsmen you mentioned that have been given a chance before were dropped into a dysfunctional Australian national team which didnt know its head from its ars-
Stupid homework projects and rotation policies just left all players not able to maintain their position in the term, or to feel safe
Consistency is bred by being given a position to keep in the team, until your poor form leads you to being dropped

I predict that the Australian cricket team will regain its stability, and although lacks the global matchwinners such as Adam Gilcrist and Glenn McGrath, will be a great launchpad for the younger players who are once more given a chance

Lets support having Australian coaches, ideally those who have played for Australia
These are the men that our cricketers admire and will follow
A professional coach without top level experience is no more than a player manager

[Punter Poontang]

That's a very valid point and I don't disagree, but at some stage they need to show something with the bat.

[harmony]

I agree with you
Many of the truly great players including Ricky Ponting were given a chance in first grade before the age of 20 and performed

But I am sure a younger player does a lot better when he is given the confidence to succeed by being in a successful confident team

The shambles that we all have watched over the last few Ashes series has a few origins

*Loss of a large group of incredible players at almost the same time
-Warne, Langer, Haydn, Brett Lee, and my all time favourite player Gilcrist

*Dodgy foreign coach

*Dodgy rotation policy which most ex Australian cricketers criticised as being counterproductive

*Huge fall out at the top between Michael Clarke and the sacked Katich (the fall out from that lasted many months)

*Huge fall out/disagreement between Michael Clarke and Hussey over how they would celebrate after his last match in Sydney (Clarke wanted to go out on Packers massive yacht, Hussey wanted a humble few beers on land with family and close friends and the Aussie cricketers)

*Huge fall out between Shane Watson and the rest of the team. Much unteamlike behaviour was noted, a lot possibly due to lack of respect for the foreign coach and or the coaching methods

So many seemingly trivial issues all were distractions from keeping things simple
ie back to basics coach (Darren Lehmann), and avoiding the gimmicks including the stupid "homework" tasks

[Punter Poontang]

Another good post and I agree. I think Clarkey losing his spot as a selector has been huge, he had way too much power before. But this bit:

But I am sure a younger player does a lot better when he is given the confidence to succeed by being in a successful confident team

just reminded me of the old days where it was a cliche that it was "harder to get into the Aussie team than to get out of it". We need to find the happy medium of giving guys enough of a chance to settle, but cutting them when they're not up to it.

Managing the transition is also huge, we should never be in the position of losing so many experienced players all at once again. It should be a constant process to replace guys one or two at a time as necessary.

[harmony]

Oops, I almost forgot to mention the omission of the very talented Brad Haddin, who has proven himself for many years as a very competent batman wicketkeeper
I know he was injured for a while, but Wade was a shadow of a replacement

So another reason for our brief downfall period was:

*Mistaking 20 20 cricket form for Test cricket form

[AHLUNGOR]

Agree with OoO, Khawaja & Hughes have had plenty of chances .... surely there's someone else knocking on the door in the domestic comp??

Yes, they have been given plenty of chances before so was Watson and Warner ! I just feel that Hughes and Khawaja will be a different player if given the chance to come into this winning team and the current environment !!

Think of it as a good player joining the Melbourne Storm or Sydney Rooster now will have a good chance of becoming a better player vs if he is joining the West Tiger or Parramatta !

Hughes is in really good Shields form at the moment !

Just my 300 cents

Cheers

[harmony]

You made my point better than I, Sir Ahlungor
Exactly. Put a young player with proven winners, not with a rabble, and he is going to want to be up to the standard of winners

I feel for Phil Hughes. Had a wow of a debut - hard to forget his early promise over in England years and years ago

I dont think cricketers lose their talent. They just lose their mojo

But Phil Hughes hasnt yet lost his hunger

[AHLUNGOR]

For a mad NRL fans to skip the Game Plan and the Footy Show pre-Origin Decider and watch the Ashes, you know how good the cricket is !!

Day 1, 14 wicket falling, Siddle taking 5 wickets! And bowled England out for 215!

I thought the Aussie are well on top, a few centuries from Watson, Clarkey and Co will just about wrap up the first test, then we lost 4 wickets including the captain, I thought no shit. !

The morning started off well, Smith made 50, looking good, then all of a sudden we lost 5 wickets in quick time 117-9, the first innings looks all over, in come the 19 year old Ashton Agar on debut ! History is rewritten and records are tumbling all around him!

At lunch, we are leading by 14. Both Agar and Hughes made half century and 100+ runs 10th Wicket partnership will give the Aussie a huge morale boost and now we have momentum.

Agar, Agar, Agar

Oi, Oi, Oi

Win this first test for us mate !

Cheers

Haha, I suddenly felt the urge to relive the moment I started this thread during the first test in England in July!

Phil Hughes played a steady more senior role in the world record 10th wicket partnership inning with young Agar on debut ! What a night in front of the TV !!

Unfortunately nothing else went our way including the DRS, Stuart Board and the bloody England weather and we lost 3-0 and three Ashes series in a row !!

Compare that on Saturday afternoon when Johnson took 7 wickets and Monday morning when we quickly went 2-0 up!!

What a turn around !

What a feeling of national pride !!

Cheers and good night !!

[Oneonone]

Well you better organise you punting so you can watch the test in Perth with a bit of luck you will only need three days!

They are behind us time wise so maybe punt early and still get home and watch most of the cricket.

[AHLUNGOR]

Early Payout: Sportsbet pays out on Aussies to win Ashes


Yeah !!!

My Christmas bonus have come early !

No doubt it would be a win, but I thought I have to wait until after the 5th test at the SCG in the New Year. Great to see Sportsbet actually paying out NOW even before the 3rd TEST !!

Very happy !!

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie !!

[Oneonone]

Early Payout: Sportsbet pays out on Aussies to win Ashes


Yeah !!!

My Christmas bonus have come early !

No doubt it would be a win, but I thought I have to wait until after the 5th test at the SCG in the New Year. Great to see Sportsbet actually paying out NOW even before the 3rd TEST !!

Very happy !!

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie !!

What happens if we loose the next 3 test do you have to pay them back? Cant understand why they would pay out before we have won at least 3 tests.

[AHLUNGOR]

What happens if we loose the next 3 test do you have to pay them back? Cant understand why they would pay out before we have won at least 3 tests.

I don't really care, but I'm sure the bookies know what they are doing !!

haha

Cheers