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

[harmony]

Great post Ahlungor

Your photo made me feel very proud, humble, confident and happy all at once

Funny how our Australian national sports teams do that isnt it ?

Brother, you need to start up a Soccer/Football thread for the upcoming World Cup In Brazil

I havent met any Brazilian ladies before, so I need your dedicated news service in 2014

I know you will have the resources for a local reporter and photographer

Go Socceroos !

[AHLUNGOR]

The celebrations completed at the Opera House !!

[harmony]

Heres a question - there are only 9 players (and the coach) in the above Opera House photo

Who are the Australian cricketers from the 11 member starting team, that are missing from the photo ?

And which Australian player actually slept in, and missed the formal presentation to the public in front of the Prime Minister ?

[harmony]

Well done greeksta
You win an all expenses paid trip to South Africa for the next three months
Joking

And the player who slept in ?

Opener makes up for lost time after sleep-in

If scoring consecutive Test centuries is tough to do at 36 years of age, then so is getting out of bed after back-to-back big nights on the town.

Chris Rogers found that out the hard way on Tuesday, when he nearly missed Australia's public reception at the Sydney Opera House after sleeping in.

A sheepish Rogers didn't make it in time to be presented on stage to nearly 5000 fans alongside teammates and Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

However, he tried to make up for lost time when he did arrive, signing autographs and performing a dance routine on stage which had received nearly 23,000 views on the Cricket Australia website within five hours of being posted.
Coach Darren Lehmann was less than impressed with Rogers' tardiness. However, in the grand scheme of things, team management was viewing his failure to make the bus as a minor incident.


Thanks to http://www.cricket.com.au/news/news-...s-celebrations

[AHLUNGOR]

The Aussie are $3.25 outsider for the first test in S Africa, I think that's a good value on our current forms !!

Cheers

[AHLUNGOR]

Heres a question - there are only 9 players (and the coach) in the above Opera House photo

Who are the Australian cricketers from the 11 member starting team, that are missing from the photo ?

And which Australian player actually slept in, and missed the formal presentation to the public in front of the Prime Minister ?

I think you will find all of them in this photo:

[Oneonone]

The South Africans will be a lot harder to beat than the poms so don't get too carried away with our recent success

[AHLUNGOR]

Good odds for this 1, mainly because Australia has bad form away from home. Then again South Africas best cricketer Jacques Kallis just retired so won't be playing.

Well, in the last tests series against India in South Africa, they drew the first test and then SA won the second test by 10 wickets !!

They put on 500 in the first inning and took the game away after an opening partnership of 100+ and Kallis put on 115 and their middle and lower order all contributed strongly, and Dale Steyn took 6/100 in the first inning, a very formidable force - World No. 1 no less !!

But you can't beat the winning form, they can't do anymore then winning 5-0! The Aussie team is on a height and if the top order can bat well, we are right in this. Don't forget, even at times they needed a rescue by Haddin, six of the top 7 had all made centuries, 4 of them two centuries ! But then again, the England bowlers are not quite Steyn and Peterson !

It will be a great contest, can't wait !!

[animatrix]

Agreed, the tour of South Africa is going to be such a good contest.
Lets just hope Harris's body holds up and Johnson's Radar doesn't go astray and the batsmen stay in form and continue to make runs.

[AHLUNGOR]

Dale Steyne: worlds best bowler.



The poms had a shocking tour and the aussies took full advantage of a weak team.
South Africa at home won't be as easy just ask the wallabies!

I don't think Australia is that much behind South Africa, last time we went there, we drew the two tests 1-1. And when SA was here in 2012, we drew two and they won the last test in Perth, and Michael Clarke made two double centuries and won man of the series.

So over the last five tests against South Africa, they won 2-1 and drew two. And I don't think the team back then were as good as the team we have got now and the confidence is the X Factor !!

I hope we will do well, it's not a given that's for sure !!

Cheers

[Oneonone]

I think our bowling is up there with the best our batting however is not some of the batsmen Watson, and Bailey are not performing when the pressure is on and Clarke is due for a score, I think Bailey should go for a good batsman then we will have a good chance.

[animatrix]

Just watching the Big Bash (to fill the post ashes void) and have heard that Dale Steyn has a broken rib and is in doubt for the series.. If that's true then I think our batsmen have a chance, although they still have to face philander.

[Oneonone]

The first one day and England batted well to get to 269.

What an opening partnership by Warner and Finch a bit lucky early England fielding not up to scratch.

Watson in and out for a duck he might be able to slog them be he is not a top order batsman

Lets hope we get home from here!

[AHLUNGOR]

In the end, it was a very comfortable win!

Aaron Finch made a ton and has a big opening partnership with Warner. And then Clarkey has an easy 43!

It was all set up in the first inning when McKay got Cook out for 4 in the first over !!

But the middle and lower order of England can all bat!

If they get Stuart Broad back and Cook makes some runs at the top, the next few matches may not be so easy - but we get Mitchell Johnson back too right ？？

[animatrix]

I read an article this afternoon in which Glen Maxwell has said the English are lethargic and he feels that another white wash could happen in the ODI series..

Is this arrogance creeping into the Australian dressing room??

I hope not because as you pointed out Bro Ahlungor, the English have a solid batting line up.

[BigBloke]

It was a dreadful Root yesterday. In fact, there hasn't been a good Root all tour.

[Oneonone]

Mitchell Johnson will be playing in the next one day in Brisbane

[harmony]

BigBloke: "In fact, there hasn't been a good Root all tour."

What happens on tour, stays on tour
The Poms may get lucky when they next play in Sydney

[AHLUNGOR]

I read an article this afternoon in which Glen Maxwell has said the English are lethargic and he feels that another white wash could happen in the ODI series..

Is this arrogance creeping into the Australian dressing room??

I hope not because as you pointed out Bro Ahlungor, the English have a solid batting line up.

The players can talk big if only he can back it up with his bat or the ball. Glen batted well in India but on a losing side - twice we got to 350+ and got chased down !

We were very lucky on Sunday, Finch could have gone very early and Warner was walking on 22! We could have been 2 down inside 30! And Watson had a duck, England could have been all over us!!

Maxwell should keep the mouth shut until he faces Stuart Board for a few overs !

But then again, if we were under pressure or if the game was still in the balance, Clarkey would probably make a big hundred himself instead of playing a loose shot to get out at 43!

I think either Warner or Clarke is due a big big score, may be at the GABA !!

[BigBloke]

Another dud Root. Dismissed for 1 by Brett Lee today in the PMs XI match.