Its only a rumor that Freddie might be playing for South Australia. I wouldnt rate it much more than a 50% chance that he will play in any Australian domestic team.

If Murali pulls out i think its Dwayne Bravo (?) that the Vics have lined up. Someone of that ilk anyway.

John Holland will get broken into it this summer i'd assume; he seems to be everybodys love child at the moment - but Hauritz has been dominating recently, so there is no way they will drop Hauritz for Holland. I wouldnt think he'd get a bowl at the Sydney test, but stranger things have happened.

What about the boy from the Vics, is it John Holland ? Is he a chance this Summer ?

Seemed to bowl well vs Bangalore last night, but T20 isn't much of an indicator with regards to Test cricket.

I still think Krejza's a chance, if he sustains that kind of bowling through the Sheffield Shield.

NSW joins VICS in Twenty20 semi finals

Edited October 19, 200916 yr by High Tower

Insipid batting performance (and a not so good bowling performance either, save for McDonald) and we've been knocked out of the tournament in the worst possible way against the worst possible opponent.

We lost 3 matches in the tournament. Have a look at the openers' (Quiney and Hodge) contributions in those losses:

vs Wayamba: Quiney 0, Hodge 44

vs Cape Cobras: Quiney 0, Hodge 0

vs NSW: Quiney 0, Hodge 0

That's 3 ducks in 4 innings for our no. 1, and 4 ducks from our openers in the past 2 matches. Can't win with form like that. In contrast, Hughes and Warner are on fire.

Edited October 22, 200916 yr by titan_uranus

Go Trinidad then

The pitch was absolutely pathetic. Ive seen roadkill with more life than that wicket had by the end of the match. Warner and Hughes were exceptional, perhaps the Vics could have bowled at the stumps a bit more, but every match this tournament 110 in the opening innings has been enough to win the match. NSW making 169 was astonishing.

Having Lee, Clark and Bollinger in your side - 3 of the countries top 10 pace bowlers - and yet opening the bowling with Hauritz just shows how dead the wicket was.

The pitch was absolutely pathetic. Ive seen roadkill with more life than that wicket had by the end of the match. Warner and Hughes were exceptional, perhaps the Vics could have bowled at the stumps a bit more, but every match this tournament 110 in the opening innings has been enough to win the match. NSW making 169 was astonishing.

Having Lee, Clark and Bollinger in your side - 3 of the countries top 10 pace bowlers - and yet opening the bowling with Hauritz just shows how dead the wicket was.

All true, but I don't rate our batsmen much behind the NSW batsmen, yet most of us struggled to get in. Bowling obviously had a part to play, and NSW are lucky to have so many international standard bowlers (Bracken would be there too if he wasn't injured), but with Hodge, Hussey, White, McDonald, Quiney and Blizzard in the team, we should have done better (not necessarily a win, but not as bad a loss).

Time for another seven ODIs, this time against India. Woohoo.

With Ferguson out, and Marsh available for selection, I'd be opening with Watson and Marsh, push Paine down to 6, and bring White up to 4 (absolute waste of talent when he bats at 6. He showed vs England at 3 how good he is).

Edit: Well, they've actually started. 2/108 after 20 overs. Voges gets Ferguson's spot, Paine opened (and made a good 50). White's batting at 4, which is good to see.

Edited October 25, 200916 yr by titan_uranus

Ghambir is an absolute machine. The guy should have the ICC player of the year. Much better then Mitchell Johnson, he just makes so many runs

Go Trinidad then

Yeah Blues.....Woo Hoo :D !!!

Amazingly tense finish to what should have been an easy win. In the end we only won by 4 runs. Kumar and Harbhajan tonked us around, 20 runs off the second last over. Siddle, who'd been crap most of the time, held his nerve in the last over, but Watson cracked. Why wasn't Lee used?

Yeah Blues.....Woo Hoo :D !!!

Boo.

QueenC - Brett Lee is hitting his straps. Very impressive for NSW (even though it's Twenty20), and backed it up again for Australia against India. Showing plenty of pace and it goes well for a good showing for the Australian Summer.

You must be beside yourself.

Edited October 26, 200916 yr by High Tower

Amazingly tense finish to what should have been an easy win. In the end we only won by 4 runs. Kumar and Harbhajan tonked us around, 20 runs off the second last over. Siddle, who'd been crap most of the time, held his nerve in the last over, but Watson cracked. Why wasn't Lee used?

Great exciting game in the end. I couldn't believe it waas happening. The whole game we looked in control as they never were really pushing the run rate untill late.

Great exciting game in the end. I couldn't believe it waas happening. The whole game we looked in control as they never were really pushing the run rate untill late.

Watched conclusion on the replay last night. What and the hell was Watson doing in that second last over ? I think there were four rank full tosses outside wide outside off stump !

If he was trying across the seam deliveries, he needs to go back to the drawing board.

Good to see Mitchell "the man you want bowling in the last ten overs" Johnson living up to his nickname.

Fantastic, he's now been joined by his mate Shane "I'm in the team for my allround batting ability" Watson.

Edit: This is fast becoming one of the most outrageous batting displays I've seen in a long while. 35 off the last two overs, 62 off the last 4.

After 43 overs they were 4/267

Edited October 28, 200916 yr by 45hotgod16

Fantastic, he's now been joined by his mate Shane "I'm in the team for my allround batting ability" Watson.

Edit: This is fast becoming one of the most outrageous batting displays I've seen in a long while. 35 off the last two overs, 62 off the last 4.

After 43 overs they were 4/267

Time for a new Captain i reckon, not sure who it should be but ponting's days are numbered.

Time for a new Captain i reckon, not sure who it should be but ponting's days are numbered.

Ridiculous comment.

Ponting's hands were tied. Hilfenhaus is terrible at ODIs. Simply terrible. Why he got a game in front of Bollinger will remain unknown I guess. Shocking call from the selectors. Hilfenhaus has never shown anything at ODI level. So outside of Hilfenhaus we had Siddle, who did OK, Johnson, who always leaks runs, and was probably injured, and Watson, who is also pathetic. Without Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken our bowling line-up has taken a massive hit. Both games we've seen it.

Don't know what the states are of our injured players, but we need Lee and Hopes back as soon as possible. Marsh opens in place of the injured Paine, the new wicketkeeper (Hartley?) will probably bat at 7. Bollinger in for Hilfenhaus. Lee in for Johnson if fit. Hopes in for Marsh. Open with Hopes or Hussey if need be.

Edited October 28, 200916 yr by titan_uranus

Time for a new Captain i reckon, not sure who it should be but ponting's days are numbered.

Why ?

Time for a new Captain i reckon, not sure who it should be but ponting's days are numbered.

Not a good start.

Ponting is 35, so your final comment is fairly obvious.

Not a good start.

Ponting is 35, so your final comment is fairly obvious.

I guess the question is what would you (or another captain) have done differently.

I have only seen the final 15 overs of the India innings and if ever there was a game when a Captain was let down by his bowlers... this was one of them.

I dont wish to exonerate Ponting as at times he looks wooden under pressure. However, "off with his head" calls are too often made without a preferable or sensible solution.

Manou has been called up to replace Paine: http://www.cricinfo.com/indvaus2009/conten...ory/431967.html

The article says that Marsh is likely to open with Watson. I guess that means Manou will bat at 7 or thereabouts.

Not a good start.

Ponting is 35, so your final comment is fairly obvious.

He could remain as captain until he is 40. That's another two ashes series away.

Which numbers his days to around 1500

should break the most runs record if he stays around that long