Australian Cricket Season 2018-2019

[Pushka]

Very funny sledging between Khawaja and the SL keeper right now.

 

[CaptJCool]

I opted out of the endless wickets of war and am at ......

UnFortunately I had a right royal battle cutting up with this particular beast piece....

SL 215. Aust now winning the war 3/118

 

[QF WP]

Just got home to see Khawaja get his century and the declaration 3/196. He ends with 101 n.o. And Head 59 n.o. - great for their averages, particularly Khawaja as not often they get not outs.

SL need 516. Cant see that happening

 

[JohnK]

4 dropped catches and a missed run out? This match does not mean much.

The key is 3/28 in first innings and 3/37 in second innings against pop gun attack. The Duke ball swings fiercely in England. Both Smith and Warner back? Who are the other 4?

 

[CaptJCool]

4 dropped catches and a missed run out? This match does not mean much.

The key is 3/28 in first innings and 3/37 in second innings against pop gun attack. The Duke ball swings fiercely in England. Both Smith and Warner back? Who are the other 4?

Wait what we dropped 4?

And still only got 215. Khawaja dropped a dolly. Then dickwella yes that’s his name tried to reverse an LBW on appeal.. umpires call out

They dropped Patterson first ball. 100 runs later......

 

[CaptJCool]

Just got home to see Khawaja get his century and the declaration 3/196. He ends with 101 n.o. And Head 59 n.o. - great for their averages, particularly Khawaja as not often they get not outs.

SL need 516. Cant see that happening

No, short of intense weather delays, they could hardly last 5 hours ....

 

[rock86]

4 dropped catches and a missed run out? This match does not mean much.

The key is 3/28 in first innings and 3/37 in second innings against pop gun attack. The Duke ball swings fiercely in England. Both Smith and Warner back? Who are the other 4?

Sure, the runs and wickets mean nothing, that is unless you score none and get very little

 

[JohnK]

Wait what we dropped 4?

They dropped 4 and a few of them very costly including Patterson first ball. Plus they've got injuries. I'm worried about the ones who have failed to score.

But on the other side of the coin England's run appears to have come to an end and 2 ageing bowlers.

 

[VPS]

I wouldn't underestimate England at home - if I still was an Australian Cricket supporter I wouldn't be betting money on Australia in the Ashes even though I'd love them to win

 

[Pushka]

I wouldn't underestimate England at home - if I still was an Australian Cricket supporter I wouldn't be betting money on Australia in the Ashes even though I'd love them to win

Indeed. The SL team is one of the least talented teams to tour. We are getting ahead of ourselves if we use that as a benchmark. Add to that the weirdness of the cricket selections and it’s a different ball game.

And why they chose the young batsman who was clearly still struggling with mental health issues, then didn’t select him, and he has no current state matches to play is nothing short of poor Occ Health practise.

 

[rock86]

Indeed. The SL team is one of the least talented teams to tour. We are getting ahead of ourselves if we use that as a benchmark. Add to that the weirdness of the cricket selections and it’s a different ball game.

I would doubt any Australian cricket fan is using this SL series as a benchmark (if they are then there's something wrong up top), but you can't just completely disregard player performances because SL aren't the juggernaut of a side India are.

If you're going to judge people for not performing against this side, then conversely you have to give weight to the runs and wickets people put on the board as well. I've seen so many people dismiss any performance in this series 'because it's SL', so on that argument why would we give weight to Shield performances when a lot of those matches played would be of even lesser quality?

 

[QF WP]

The only positive that I take from the poor English form (losing away in WI) and our form here against an under-strength SL Test team, is that we have a mental positive going into the Ashes Series (away in England). Yes, on their own pitches and conditons (which they know better than our players who have played some County cricket) that mental advantage could dissipate in the first Tour match. Going into the first Test, we want a good work out for both batsmen and bowlers. They will also have the advantage of The Barmy Army. We'll be lucky to have the Supporter Tour group and a brace of expats at the games.

 

[QF WP]

First wicket of the day....only took until the 3rd over (although if coughmins had clinched the run out on the second ball of the day) - 1/18

8.1
Wicket
Starc to FDM Karunaratne, OUT, through him! There's the first of the day...a lovely delivery, just short of a length, nips back off the seam, beats Karunaratne's forward push and just skims the leg stump. In fact, just clipped the leg bail. Both bowlers getting the ball to tail back today
FDM Karunaratne b Starc 8 (21b 2x4 0x6) SR: 38.09

 

[QF WP]

Let's make that 2/28:

12.6
W
Starc to Chandimal, OUT, edged, just carries to third slip! That's a sharp, low grab by Labuschagne. Chandimal is standing his ground so this will go upstairs. Soft signal is out. Back of a length at off stump, he's squared up, and that appears to have gone straight in. Fingers under the ball
LD Chandimal c Labuschagne b Starc 4 (9b 0x4 0x6) SR: 44.44

 

[QF WP]

Inexorably we head to a win:

22.4
Wicket
coughmins to Thirimanne, OUT, caught and bowled! Sensational athleticism from coughmins!This was a quick short ball, gets some extra bounce that gets big on Thirimanne, he tries to fend from in front of his face, it pops up off the splice of the bat, it ballooned back down the wicket, coughmins sprinted forward and to his left from his follow through, dives forward and takes the catch inches above the turf.
HDRL Thirimanne c & b coughmins 30 (81b 2x4 0x6) SR: 37.03

3/58

 

[QF WP]

Falling like leaves from a distressed tree in summer:

28.2
Wicket
Starc to Dickwella, OUT, Bowled him!147kph and it shot a touch low as he played from the crease! It was a fuller length, he stayed back, caught on the crease, it skidded lower, shot under the bat as he was squared up defending and crashed into off stump!
N Dickwella b Starc 27 (42b 3x4 0x6) SR: 64.28

Now 4/83

 

[QF WP]

Starc will now be on a hat-trick:

28.3
Wicket
Starc to MDKJ Perera, OUT, Caught behind! Inside edge! The double bluff! He was sitting back expecting a short ball, it was full outside off and tailing back a touch, he drives without any footwork, gets a thin inside edge and Paine moves forward to his right and takes a good catch just above the ground
MDKJ Perera c †Paine b Starc 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

5/83

Pity Starc missed it...

 

[CaptJCool]

No cigar hat trick ball

 

[CaptJCool]

It’s Lunch

And perhaps a short book

since the manner of their going mirrors our recent PMs - quite fast !

 

[Pushka]

I would doubt any Australian cricket fan is using this SL series as a benchmark (if they are then there's something wrong up top), but you can't just completely disregard player performances because SL aren't the juggernaut of a side India are.

If you're going to judge people for not performing against this side, then conversely you have to give weight to the runs and wickets people put on the board as well. I've seen so many people dismiss any performance in this series 'because it's SL', so on that argument why would we give weight to Shield performances when a lot of those matches played would be of even lesser quality?

I didn’t diss the performances at all but contextualisibg. And we are talking of the Ashes in the UK and merely suggested that we don’t get ahead of ourselves but instead look at the performances as encouraging. I was pleased to see Head doing well and hopefully Khawaja has got some confidence back.

I did find your post rather contradictory with the first and second statements.

How many catches were dropped by SL? England won’t do that to the same extent.

I can’t wait for the Barmy Arny. I’m betting they are getting their songs prepared for Smith and likely Warner.