Sport Today

Thought I'd start a new thread as the older one is getting a little
long.

Plus can't stand reading long posts.

Aus should easily win the Ashes in oz simply because
McGrath, Gillespie, Warne will be back in the side.
And we all know the poms don't leave the crease to
attack spin. How many time has Warne bowled pommy
batsman around there legs.

Anyway S McGill seems to spin the ball quite a bit as well.
Two leggies against Eng. Now I'd love to see that.

Aussie bats against Eng all seem to average 50+.
Our bowlers strike rates against the poms is quite
awesome as well.

Remember our wickets are much harder and faster than
those in England. Aus will wipe the floor clean against
Eng in the test series.

In the ODI's Sri Lanka joins in for the three way cup.
Aus will meet Sri Lanka in the finals. Eng may win the odd
game but the record out here isn't to flash for the poms.

Anyway just my thoughts on the matter.

Regards

Colin

regards,
gian

As for the ODIs, I'd predict a close series, with Eng palying SL in the
finals due to their recent victory over Aus in England. And their decent
record in Aus (who can forget 1992 & 87?).

And as we can see, yourself, GIAN & Joel think England will only win the
odd game.
Drewy, Sridhar and John would appear to concur, but seem reluctant to
actually spell out what they mean.
So we'll see how it all pans out come January.

Cheers

Tim

ROTFL

Cheers

Tim

On Wed, 30 Sep 1998, Tim Cotsford wrote

(snipped the rest of the rubbish)

(diabolical laughter)

What does S Waugh averge agaist the poms these days?
I'd say it's up around 80 to 100. S Waugh proberly has 2 to 3 times
the average of one pommy batsman.

Our top 6 seem to get nearer 500 to 600 than the poms can ever
hopt to achieve.

Then there is the great strike rates of McGrath, Warne and Gillespie
against England. The Aussie bowlers strike rate is around 20 or less
where the Eng strike rate for runs to a wicket is 30+. This in itself
is the difference between the two sides.

Our top 7 batsman (including Healy) all have maidon tons against
England in there first series against the poms. How many of your top
7 have all scored maiden tons against Aus. I don't even think any have
scored a maiden 50 in there first tests against Aus.

Then you look at the keepers. Healy's a mile ahead of any of your
keepers. Although this could well be Healy's last series. Turns 35
next year which is a little old. Gilchrist will prove a better keeper
down the track.

Then there 's the captain. Taylor is one of the best captains Aus has
ever had. Won 22 as captain. Only lost 1 series in 10 which is just
awesome. How many series victories has Stewart had although he's only
just become captain but there is a huge gap in experience which will
see Taylor win yet another series.

So in every department Aus is just miles ahead. How do you expect
Eng to do well. Last time out in the ODI's our second 11 the Aus A met
Aus in the finals. Doesn't say much about your cricket.

And in ODI's the current new squad has done miles better than using
slow scoring test players for ODI. The Aus ODI team have won more
finals of late and are quite simply a much better side.

So in this light I see the poms having no chance against the all
mights Aus test and ODI sides. Remember in Eng we used our test
players in ODI which was a mistake. That hasn't happened since.
The record proves this.

:-P

Cheers

Tim

: >
: agree entirely. i'm fed up with arguing with tim. it appears that the
: english supporters like tim, believe that their team has a good chance in
: australia. i'm being realistic here, and based on current form, australia
: will win the ashes, and play against sl in the world series final.  

: regards,
: gian

It isn't just English supporters like Tim that believe their team has
a good chance.  Im an ardent Australian fan, but I'd still have to give
England good odds...  I think that something most woofers are assuming
is that the Australian team will be full strength and in form.  A
bowling lineup of Gillespie, McGrath and Warne, when all in form,
is probably the best in the world.  But there are NO guarantees that
all three will be in form and un-injured come Ashes time.  Look at
the Australian top order and you can see there are some issues:
the selectors are STILL unsure of the openers.  Taylor is the
only "sure thing" - the other opener could quite easily be Elliot,
Hayden, Slater or even a shield hopeful.  The no.3 and no.6 positions
are also a little hazy.  It's really only Taylor and the Waughs
that are sure of themselves.

Of course, a full strength, in form Australian side will romp
home.  But if the tour to Pakistan goes badly, and some our
key players lose form or get injured, we could find England
a real challenge.  I think the English team is a collection of
good players who perhaps lack a bit of confidence and who are
constantly in the eye of a very critical press.  When you
add to those facts that they haven't had an inspiring leader
in the past (Atherton), it's no wonder they lose.  However,
on tour, they are out of the media limelight (to a certain
extent).  By all reports, Stewart is a far more charasmatic
leader than Atherton ever was.  So far, that's two out
of three.  If the poms get a bit of confidence on their
side (say, if they pull the goods in the first test and
roll an Australian team that may be deflated from a poor
tour of Pakistan) - I can quite easily see an English
victory.

I guess what Im trying to say is that I think the matter is
FAR from clear cut.  Tim is right to have high hopes for
England.  They may end up crumbling (again), but they might
surprise us too.

--
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"Life is like a joss stick,           Nick Mead

  - The Young, Bad and Dangerous to Know  

I don't think so.

Chan

Saeed Anwar
*Aamer Sohail
Inzamam-Ul-Haq
+Moin Khan
Azhar Mahmood
Wasim Akram
Saqlain Mushtaq
Mushtaq Ahmed
Waqar Younis
Shoaib Akhtar
Mohammad Zahid

Given Saqlain's reasonable batting abilities, I think the batting is
adequate, if not strong. But the compensation would be a frightening
bowling attack for the Aussies to face in Pakistan.

Why does no contemporary Test side try the tactic of a bowler-heavy
lineup? If you are a bowling-rich country, why not exploit it? After
all, good bowling can compensate for weak batting, while the converse is
not necessarily true (in the sense of winning matches).

Having so many good bowlers means that everybody can go flat out,
knowing that they'll have adequate rest time and will not have to
shoulder the entire attack. Compare Murali's fate in England.

With the above lineup, batsmen will not have a moment's respite and
could easily capitulate, with the possible exception of Steve Waugh.

Pakistan seems to be the only country with the resources to do this
right now, so I think it is to their advantage to give it a shot. Unlike
the first-15-overs tactic in ODIs, no-one will be able to copy it.

Chan

: >
: > It isn't just English supporters like Tim that believe their team has
: > a good chance.  Im an ardent Australian fan, but I'd still have to give
: > England good odds...  I think that something most woofers are assuming
: > is that the Australian team will be full strength and in form.  A
: > bowling lineup of Gillespie, McGrath and Warne, when all in form,
: > is probably the best in the world.  

: Better than Waqar, Wasim, Mushtaq and Saqlain? When in half-decent form?
: Really???!

: I don't think so.

Weeelllllllll.... I must admit, that if Waqar, Wasim, Mushtaq and
Saqlain were all selected in their PEAK form, it would truly be
a sight to behold.  Currently though, Waqar is a far cry from
being the bowler he used to be.  As for Saqlain and Mushtaq -
the Pakistani selectors generally seem loathed to put them in
the same test team together (I guess they figure that two spinners
is too much).

I tend to think that South Africa can also put together a pretty
damned good combination of Donald, Pollock and Klusener.  But
without a quality spinner....

--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"Life is like a joss stick,           Nick Mead

  - The Young, Bad and Dangerous to Know  

Cheers,
   Sriram.
   CS dept, Univ of Arizona.