The Breen Machine
Striker
In fairness they are missing Mike Hussey and Ricky Ponting
You said Ponting has been in decline for 18 months?
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In fairness they are missing Mike Hussey and Ricky Ponting
You said Ponting has been in decline for 18 months?![]()
test cricket
ODI cricket is different, technique doesnt get as worked over
So why do Prior and Bell struggle so much in ODI's and not tests![]()
In fairness we are missing Broad, Swann and Anderson, easily our 3 best bowlers, the thing I'm more worried about however is the batting line-up, I really can't understand why Davies has been left out in favour of Prior, and Trott, Bell and Strauss are all too similar to be playing in a ODI side in the sub-continent.
because Bell and Prior dont actually know what there role in the side is, neither do I
Ponting has pretty much always batted three
Prior has more or less always opened for England in ODI's, it hasn't worked and has never looked like doing so. We have played some of our worst recent ODI cricket with him at the top of the order, baffling to think he has suddenly overtook Kieswetter and the very promising Davies in the pecking order.
Bell, I can see where you are coming from, but he's been tried opening, at 3, 4 and 5 and he's never scored quickly or looked like he could dominate. I wouldn't mind him in the team so much if we weren't picking Trott at the same time, one must go as they are too similar and do not score quickly enough. I'd bring Collingwood back in at 5 and bat Bell at 3, unfortunately that does not solve the problem of Prior opening though![]()
Prior last ODI game opening was in 2008 since when he has played another 25ODI batting from 3-7. His last ODI game prior to the Aussies was March in 2010
tried, tested and failed
Well that just goes to show that he hasn't just failed opening, he's failed everywhere.
Truly baffling selection for the world cup, a good test match player but 3 50's in 53 ODI's is very mediocre. Davies had looked the part IMO, didn't deserve to be dropped, averages almost 35 from 7 ODI's, strike rate of 108. How on earth can they select a lad who averages low 20's with a strike rate of about 80 ahead of him? You need something different on sub-continent pitches and Prior is not that.
Aslo goes to show the Aussies arent ranked 1 in the one day game for nothing. Similar to England in test cricket, to be the best you have to beat the best
The Aussie's have good variety in their ODI team, possibly with the exception of the spin department. They have good hitters at the top of the order in Watson and Haddin, technical class in Ponting and Clarke, another strong hitter coming in down the order in White and a cool finisher in Michael Hussey. Then with the ball they have 2 out and out quicks in Lee and Tait, a left-armer in Johnson or Bollinger to give a different angle and if needed, Watson who looks innocuous but bowls a good line and mixes it up a bit.
refer back to my point re their test side. Chuck in Lee and Tait and they would be a different animal
Let's not get confused here, England could have easily won. After they took the 7th wicket they fannied about with spin, when the quicks should have come on and finished the game. Lesson for Strauss, and a good one at that. He is often criticised for not having a ruthless streak, this is wake up call for his ODI tactics.
In my humble opnion we are some way behind the top sides in both test and ODI cricket. We are a decent side but nowt special in either format
on what do you base that?
we drew with s africa the last time we played them, we beat sri lanka and lost to india 1-0 iirc the last time
does that equate to being "some way behind"?
steyn was not head and shoulders above anyone at that time and in some ways has improved in a way anderson haswe were outplayed in three tests in SA where the Saffers had no Steyn (head and shoulders the worlds best bowler) for the first test and a half fit steyn for the 2nd and third test
As I keep saying, you can fool some of the people some of the time but not all the people all the time
steyn was not head and shoulders above anyone at that time and in some ways has improved in a way anderson has
fit or not fit, england drew in south africa 1-1 that is a FACT
we beat sri lanka the last time in tests FACT
we lost 1-0 in england the last time, when india bowled first on a perfect bowling day at trent bridge FACT
those 3 FACTS show that we were not "some way behind" and since then have improved in our performances
that is only opinion though. not a fact as my previous post wasSteyn has been the best bowler in the world bar nobody since Mcgrath and Warne packed in in 2007. Murali struggled in his last few years