Rain delays the early start to Day 4, doesn't help India but then it doesn't help Aussie either. Of course they'd need a Headingley '81 style miracle to win the game and square the series but that can't happen as time ticks away. The best thing to the delay has been listening to the state broadcasters (ABC) radio coverage. Jim Maxwell and former Test player Stuart Clark plus a few others have been bemoaning the state of Aussie cricket. According to them it is in a real mess. Youth cricket is a shambles with the 12-18 age group having the lowest numbers participating for generations. Clark was seriously criticising the move in the last 10 years or so to remove the elitist aspect of youth cricket which has now filtered through inevitability to grade cricket and will affect Sheffield Shield and Test in the near future. Aussie Grade Cricket, their version of our Club Cricket has been for decades the ultimate pinnacle of amateur or semi amateur cricket in the whole world. Many of our greats cut their teeth playing Grade Cricket as youngsters. However the numbers of quality cricketers in the system are simply not there. Clark was saying that these days promising young cricketers just don't get the chance to excel in a match as everything is restricted to "give everyone a game". They are playing shorter and shorter formats. Many talented teenagers are not interested in cricket as they don't get a chance to bat for a decent period or bowl enough overs. The retiring CEO of NSW Cricket (apparently the most powerful post outside of the Board) is pushing for more reduced overs cricket across all levels of the game as he thinks this is the future of the game. Incidentally crowd numbers for the beginning of the Big Bash are down on previous years according to Stuart Clark, he says it shouldn't start before Christmas as people have too many other things to do. So lovely to hear Aussie having the kind of debate we've had to suffer for so long. Not saying everything is rosy in our garden, far from it, but to hear Aussie whinge is quite sweet.
And we have been using the Aussie model to increase participation through the All Stars Programme - Matt Dwyer came from Cricket Australia in 2015 to head that operation but left last year to become Chief Tennis Officer at Tennis Australia.
As I've said before on here, there is very limited opportunity for kids to "bat and bat" now - State schools, if they do offer cricket at all, limit their matches to 20 overs. Junior Club games are the same in duration and batsmen, until they play U15 cricket, have to retire once they've scored 25. The only place they are likely to get an opportunity to bat for any length of time is if they go to one of the big private or public schools or play area or county cricket. And I have seen no evidence that there is increased numbers participating as as a result of the progression from All Stars to organised Club cricket at the age of 9 or 10.
A former Bexley CC 1st team skipper emigrated to Australia last year and is now coaching there. He was back at Christmas and told me that he was surprised not only at how technically poor most of the kids playing in Aus but also the general standard of coaching.
Perhaps all of this is a reflection of the "see ball, hit ball" world we now live in. And also why very few top order batsmen are succeeding for Australia and England in Test cricket.
And they're off again, listen now on BBC Radio5 SportsXtra. So much navel gazing, I'm loving it! Ed Cowan joined Stuart Clark and it sounds like Pte Frazer is there too. Doom, Doom, Doom!
Chasing 320 to win against NZ, SL slumped to 128-7 and seemingly out of it - however Thisara Perera then spanked 140 off 74 balls with 13 sixes to almost unbelievably win it for SL, finishing 22 runs short.
Have just been reading how, statistically the present Australian team is the worst since the 1880s (no typing error). They’ve got a series against Sri Lanka to pull their socks up before the Ashes.
Bowlers not taking so many wickets since they ran out of sandpaper. Still a suspicion that they were ball tampering against us.
I would bet a lot of money they were doing it against us. Out of sheer arrogance that they could get away with it because they would have beaten us anyway. The pressure that has put on the rest of the team has no doubt contributed to their slump, just hope it continues!
I think The Ashes *could* be one of the most one-sided Ashes since they beat us 2 years ago. Clearly, OZ are struggling in the batting stakes (i dont think,despite what people say here , that they have a below par bowling dept) and without Warner could be decimated by the England bowling attack. Smith wont be the same player because he will be hounded by the English press and fans alike (if selected). England seem to be on a resurgence with the likes of Bairstow at 3 , and Foakes at 7, and Sam at 8. Just hope we can find another opener to play with Burns. Lets hope.
There hasn't been an Ashes series since they beat us ONE year ago...;-) But seriously they are looking very weak and a 5-0 would be lovely, however they are the Aussies and I'm with @LenGlover on this one.
Yes he played in Dubai but if he's back-up it shows that Aussie's fast bowler conveyor belt is a bit empty. You'd really expect a young quick to be taken on tour as understudy to Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood.
Siddle bowled well for Essex, so if the Aussies play to his strengths with some nice English style wickets, then we are doomed hehehe.
Agree though, he's past his best, though he is that rare thing of a likeable Aussie cricketer
Younger than Jimmy.
If you're good enough you're not too old and with his experience of our conditions Siddle is more than capable of doing a job over here. Our batting is not the most reliable even though we had a decent tour of Sri Lanka.
There are plenty of Aussie quicks in the pipeline, think Stanlake,Richardson. Siddle may be an insurance job knowing he knows the conditions,and wont likely break down.However, whether he makes it to to the Ashes is a different matter. I would think that they will pick a youngish squad for the World Cup and see who emerges out of that and then draft him/them into the Ashes squad.
There are plenty of Aussie quicks in the pipeline, think Stanlake,Richardson. Siddle may be an insurance job knowing he knows the conditions,and wont likely break down.However, whether he makes it to to the Ashes is a different matter. I would think that they will pick a youngish squad for the World Cup and see who emerges out of that and then draft him/them into the Ashes squad.
Jhye Richardson is a name to remember - and not just for his name. Still only 22 he has bowled superbly all year and has got Kohli out in all of the current ODI series. His figures so far today are 8-1-19-1 and a Test debut can't be too far off.
One player who is in big danger of being dropped is the Aussie captain, Aaron Finch especially when Warner and Smith come back. He has been hopelessly out of form with just 291 runs in his last 22 innings for Australia in Test, ODI and T20s.
There are plenty of Aussie quicks in the pipeline, think Stanlake,Richardson. Siddle may be an insurance job knowing he knows the conditions,and wont likely break down.However, whether he makes it to to the Ashes is a different matter. I would think that they will pick a youngish squad for the World Cup and see who emerges out of that and then draft him/them into the Ashes squad.
Jhye Richardson is a name to remember - and not just for his name. Still only 22 he has bowled superbly all year and has got Kohli out in all of the current ODI series. His figures so far today are 8-1-19-1 and a Test debut can't be too far off.
One player who is in big danger of being dropped is the Aussie captain, Aaron Finch especially when Warner and Smith come back. He has been hopelessly out of form with just 291 runs in his last 22 innings for Australia in Test, ODI and T20s.
India are 129-3 off 33 and need 102 off 96 balls.
"Sorry, Aaron, we're dropping you" "Why?" "You're out of form" "So, which in-form player are you replacing me with?" "Either Warner or Smith" "..."
I watched SA v Pak yesterday and thought we had a new kid to remember...Rassie Van Der Dussen. Given his debut for SA yesterday - scored 93 from no 3 and was quite impressive. So, i check on cricinfo and find he's a month short of being 30 years old.
This is the last ODI series for SA before the WC - i think, so more than likely we will see him in the squad for WC.
He couldnt stop Pak winning though with an over to spare, oddly Pak have won 4 out of last 5 ODI's played at Port Elizabeth.
VD Dussen starring again with 80 no to see SA over the line after they were 90-5 chasing 203. His 3 innings (according to Haysman) so far for SA in white ball are 50,93,80no
It’s the first ODI NZ v India today at Napier today.
Both skippers praising each other to the skies. Kohli and Kane Williamson. Will be interesting to see who comes off best. Ross Taylor is on the cusp of a NZ record having scored 8 consecutive ODI 50s.
Comments
As I've said before on here, there is very limited opportunity for kids to "bat and bat" now - State schools, if they do offer cricket at all, limit their matches to 20 overs. Junior Club games are the same in duration and batsmen, until they play U15 cricket, have to retire once they've scored 25. The only place they are likely to get an opportunity to bat for any length of time is if they go to one of the big private or public schools or play area or county cricket. And I have seen no evidence that there is increased numbers participating as as a result of the progression from All Stars to organised Club cricket at the age of 9 or 10.
A former Bexley CC 1st team skipper emigrated to Australia last year and is now coaching there. He was back at Christmas and told me that he was surprised not only at how technically poor most of the kids playing in Aus but also the general standard of coaching.
Perhaps all of this is a reflection of the "see ball, hit ball" world we now live in. And also why very few top order batsmen are succeeding for Australia and England in Test cricket.
I said warning etc.
He said "nope, I sack them. It's not the first time they've done it - it's the first time I've caught them".
Same thing here IMO.
Just hope we can find another opener to play with Burns.
Lets hope.
But seriously they are looking very weak and a 5-0 would be lovely, however they are the Aussies and I'm with @LenGlover on this one.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/46806673
Agree though, he's past his best, though he is that rare thing of a likeable Aussie cricketer
If you're good enough you're not too old and with his experience of our conditions Siddle is more than capable of doing a job over here. Our batting is not the most reliable even though we had a decent tour of Sri Lanka.
One player who is in big danger of being dropped is the Aussie captain, Aaron Finch especially when Warner and Smith come back. He has been hopelessly out of form with just 291 runs in his last 22 innings for Australia in Test, ODI and T20s.
India are 129-3 off 33 and need 102 off 96 balls.
"Why?"
"You're out of form"
"So, which in-form player are you replacing me with?"
"Either Warner or Smith"
"..."
Given his debut for SA yesterday - scored 93 from no 3 and was quite impressive.
So, i check on cricinfo and find he's a month short of being 30 years old.
This is the last ODI series for SA before the WC - i think, so more than likely we will see him in the squad for WC.
He couldnt stop Pak winning though with an over to spare, oddly Pak have won 4 out of last 5 ODI's played at Port Elizabeth.
His 3 innings (according to Haysman) so far for SA in white ball are 50,93,80no
Both skippers praising each other to the skies. Kohli and Kane Williamson. Will be interesting to see who comes off best. Ross Taylor is on the cusp of a NZ record having scored 8 consecutive ODI 50s.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/46970197