Anyone for cricket?

[Sir Why You Little 37,478]

While I'm no fan of cricket, I am going to be bed bound for the next 2-6 weeks with a broken knee cap, so thank goodness for cricket!!!

What happened to ya?? Thats awful news over summer...

[Jaded No More 68,976]

What happened to ya?? Thats awful news over summer...

I was meant to go to Thailand today, and stupidly fell on my knee last night (it was just a silly trip, nothing unusual) and broke the knee cap in half.

2 weeks of complete bed rest, plus another 4 weeks in the brace. Hoping it heals well or else I may need to get some pins or something inserted.

Needless to say my beach-side cocktails have been replaced by bed-side morphine. F'ing awesome! :angry:

Thankfully I have great friends who will come keep me company and my dad is on holidays so he's my nurse on call.

[Sir Why You Little 37,478]

I was meant to go to Thailand today, and stupidly fell on my knee last night (it was just a silly trip, nothing unusual) and broke the knee cap in half.

2 weeks of complete bed rest, plus another 4 weeks in the brace. Hoping it heals well or else I may need to get some pins or something inserted.

Needless to say my beach-side cocktails have been replaced by bed-side morphine. F'ing awesome! :angry:

Thankfully I have great friends who will come keep me company and my dad is on holidays so he's my nurse on call.

You missed out on going to thailand!! Having been there 6 times for awesome holidays, that is almost worse than DEATH!!!

My complete and utter sympathies to ya Jade.

You must do thailand at a later date

[Rogue 585]

Bond > Lee is a good call from 45HG.

I'll refrain from also having some shots at WYL (:D) but will just say that there's no surprise Waugh won when he bowled first - he would have only done so if it was going to confer significant advantage, and he was leading a very good side.

Chris Rogers is a very good player and would prob be the opening batsman for most countries but he is a victem as a guy that is only seen as an opening batsman and thats it. unfortunatly for him the aussies have been so settled up top for so long

I don't think we've been 'settled up top for so long'. For example, Hughes and Watson have both nabbed opening gigs relatively recently.

Time to drop North. Not good enough. His big scores come only when he comes in with runs on the board. When he comes in with the team in trouble he invariably does nothing. We can't keep someone like him at 6 when he isn't contributing. Hughes was dropped in better form that North is in right now. I mean, that shot he played to get out yesterday, just hanging the bat well, well outside off stump, was atrocious. Time to go. Replace with Cameron White, George Bailey, maybe Andrew McDonald, promote Brad Haddin, maybe drop Watson down the order (prefer not to though). Maybe even drop Hughes down the order (his style might suit lower order batting more than opening, but I highly doubt that would ever happen).

Cam White would be a decent replacement for North - both somewhat handy with the ball and White can slip. Whether he's the next best bat waiting in the wings I'm not entirely convinced, but we could do worse.

As RR said, Haddin's place is 7 (I'm not sure, but I thought you were having some jabs at his batting a while back). McDonald isn't good enough to bring in as a batsman and we don't need an all-rounder atm IMO.

Needless to say my beach-side cocktails have been replaced by bed-side morphine. F'ing awesome! :angry:

Damn :<

[H_T 3,049]

D.Bollinger leaving a ball to a leg spinner pitching just outside his off-stump. Priceless.

[H_T 3,049]

Bond > Lee is a good call from 45HG.

It was a good call, but as 45HG alluded to he had 18 tests in the 2000-2009 period. That is not alot of cricket. But it is right up there with bowling average and strike rate. Another who has played 35 Tests from 2004-2009 with 174 wickets in this period and averaging ~23.5 is D.Steyn of Sth Africa.

[H_T 3,049]

While I'm no fan of cricket, I am going to be bed bound for the next 2-6 weeks with a broken knee cap, so thank goodness for cricket!!!

Ouch. Tough break Jaded. How unfortunate.

Fortunately there is some good cricket on.

Great partnership by Hussey & Siddle enabled a handy lead of 176 (a further 96 runs added today) when all appeared lost at stumps on Day 3. Aussies have made inroads and have Paki's a shaky 3/59. Brilliant catch by Haddin keeping down leg side. Catches win matches....

[Jaded No More 68,976]

Ouch. Tough break Jaded. How unfortunate.

Fortunately there is some good cricket on.

Yeah I'm feeling very very sorry for myself, don't you worry about that.

This is by far the worst pain I have ever experienced, and I've had some pretty nasty broken bones before.

On the other hand I have lots and lots of old Melbourne games, which I'll watch from the discomfort of my bed.

I wonder if morphine makes our players look better or worse...

[H_T 3,049]

Yeah I'm feeling very very sorry for myself, don't you worry about that.

This is by far the worst pain I have ever experienced, and I've had some pretty nasty broken bones before.

On the other hand I have lots and lots of old Melbourne games, which I'll watch from the discomfort of my bed.

I wonder if morphine makes our players look better or worse...

You should start up a thread on your reviewing of old games whilst rehabilitating, it may make the time pass quicker....it will help us focus on footy rather than the Australian tennis circuit that has commenced...boring ! (Just a suggestion, or perhaps start work on 2011 mfc clothing range.. )

Guess what comes after the tennis ?

Footy! :D

[titan_uranus 25,255]

If anyone out there needs convincing that Test cricket is the premier form of the game look no further than this match. One team chooses to bat in iffy conditions and gets rolled by a team supposedly a lot worse than it. That team then fights back, first with the ball, then with the bat, only to slip away again. But just when the Test looked gone, a fighting 9th wicket partnership provides hope, and 3 wickets before tea leaves the contest even. Great stuff.

Cam White would be a decent replacement for North - both somewhat handy with the ball and White can slip. Whether he's the next best bat waiting in the wings I'm not entirely convinced, but we could do worse.

My view on this is that whoever we bring in couldn't do any worse than North. White's had a taste of Test cricket (and tough cricket it was too, in India in 2008) and is in good form for Victoria. He is a natural leader, possibly could develop into an Australian captain. He's also only 26. Furthermore, he fields at slip, and he can bowl part time wrist spin (which at the moment couldn't be that far behind Stephen Smith's). He's the best option at the moment, and he should take North's spot in Hobart.

Siddle needs a few wickets in this innings, just to keep his place secure. He's bowling just OK at the moment, very unlucky in the 1st innings in Sydney, but only 6 wickets in 4 Tests this summer. Not enough. With Hilfenhaus probably back for the NZ tour, he needs to improve.

[H_T 3,049]

Yes ! Big wicket, Yousuf is out. 4/77.

Make that 5/77 !

They're crumbling and the Aussies smell blood.

Edited January 6, 2010 by High Tower

[Jaded No More 68,976]

You should start up a thread on your reviewing of old games whilst rehabilitating, it may make the time pass quicker....it will help us focus on footy rather than the Australian tennis circuit that has commenced...boring ! (Just a suggestion, or perhaps start work on 2011 mfc clothing range.. )

Guess what comes after the tennis ?

Footy! :D

I actually love tennis, so I'm happy about that.

I'll probably end up going back into the office or working from home in a couple of weeks, but certainly if the pain is keeping me up at night I'll do some reviews while high on drugs. Should make for some entertaining reading

[H_T 3,049]

I actually love tennis, so I'm happy about that.

I'll probably end up going back into the office or working from home in a couple of weeks, but certainly if the pain is keeping me up at night I'll do some reviews while high on drugs. Should make for some entertaining reading

I was probably a little unfair on tennis. I usually get into the groove after seeing a couple of matches at the Aussie Open. Right now cricket takes precedence.

I only like the quality matches of tennis. A couple of good aussies making the finals would make a difference in terms of my interest. Although, I do enjoy the Djockovic v Federer; Federer v Nadal; Nadal v Djockovic matches.

Back to cricket. The Paki's are currently in "Licorice All Sorts."

[H_T 3,049]

6/105. What a Test match. The pressure is immense. Johnson the pick of the bowlers with 3; bowling very well. Hauritz has 2 - the major wicket being the skipper Yousuf, caught & bowled. The 176 target would feel like 400 to the Paki's.

[Sir Why You Little 37,478]

44 to go i think the Paki's are home.

Actually good thing for the aussies.

Will force the apathetic selectors to make changes.

Hot Spot says 7 down....as i write!!!

So maybe not...Love test cricket

Edited January 6, 2010 by why you little

[Sir Why You Little 37,478]

8 DOWN!!!!!

[H_T 3,049]

44 to go i think the Paki's are home.

8/133. Umar out.

[Sir Why You Little 37,478]

8/133. Umar out.

Yes as i pushed the send button he was given!!

[Sir Why You Little 37,478]

Paki's have lost 3-1

Amazing...Amazing. They were cruising 11 minutes ago.

This is why 20/20 should never kill the 5 day game.

[Sir Why You Little 37,478]

Could Siddle be a Hero with Hussey??

Gotta love Test Cricket.

YES

The Downside to this remarkable day is that the selectors will probably go back to sleep with the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door,

which does worry me. But the Paki's would be SHATTERED & CRUSHED right now. Wow what a classic afternoon.

Great Toss to Win!!!! :lol:

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Ouch. Tough break Jaded. How unfortunate.

Fortunately there is some good cricket on.

Great partnership by Hussey & Siddle enabled a handy lead of 176 (a further 96 runs added today) when all appeared lost at stumps on Day 3. Aussies have made inroads and have Paki's a shaky 3/59. Brilliant catch by Haddin keeping down leg side. Catches win matches....

Bad luck Jaded. it rules you out of the 3rd test then.

What a Test. Unbelievable.

Pakistan will be crushed. They took their foot off our throat with feckless batting in two innings, poor fielding and catching and terrible captaincy in the way they allowed Hussey/Siddle to pick easy and regular runs.

Australia was quite the opposite today to Pakistan and they won the day that counted. Well done Aussies and for you WYL well captained in the end by Ponting in the use of his bowlers and fielding settings. Yousuf could learn plenty from that.

[Whispering_Jack 31,378]

Bad luck Jaded. it rules you out of the 3rd test then.

What a Test. Unbelievable.

Pakistan will be crushed. They took their foot off our throat with feckless batting in two innings, poor fielding and catching and terrible captaincy in the way they allowed Hussey/Siddle to pick easy and regular runs.

Australia was quite the opposite today to Pakistan and they won the day that counted. Well done Aussies and for you WYL well captained in the end by Ponting in the use of his bowlers and fielding settings. Yousuf could learn plenty from that.

Firstly to Jaded - bad luck and I hope if it is contageous then you should stay away from Melbourne players for a while !

As for the cricket it was absorbing stuff at the end. Great captaincy by Ponting - especially the decision to bat first .

[Sir Why You Little 37,478]

Bad luck Jaded. it rules you out of the 3rd test then.

What a Test. Unbelievable.

Pakistan will be crushed. They took their foot off our throat with feckless batting in two innings, poor fielding and catching and terrible captaincy in the way they allowed Hussey/Siddle to pick easy and regular runs.

Australia was quite the opposite today to Pakistan and they won the day that counted. Well done Aussies and for you WYL well captained in the end by Ponting in the use of his bowlers and fielding settings. Yousuf could learn plenty from that.

Yes i will concur on that with Ponting today no probs.

It was interesting to hear his post match, when he said the philosophy of winning a toss and batting is that you bank on your team making more runs in the first innings than the opposition will in their second innings. Havent heard it explained that simply before.

I will always remember that one.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

It was interesting to hear his post match, when he said the philosophy of winning a toss and batting is that you bank on your team making more runs in the first innings than the opposition will in their second innings. Havent heard it explained that simply before.

I will always remember that one.

Very interesting comment. It was indeed a memorable day.

Takes the stuffing out of Hobart for a "dead" test though. (Sorry Nasher)

[Sir Why You Little 37,478]

Very interesting comment. It was indeed a memorable day.

Takes the stuffing out of Hobart for a "dead" test though. (Sorry Nasher)

Yes i would love to know the odds given for an australian win yesterday as Siddle walked to the crease.

The turn around from that moment was sublime.

Hauritz did well this arvo-always love those caught & bowled wickets.