Clarke is injured. He should not be playing, it only puts more pressure on the rest of the team.

maybe it's time to see whether the anointed "Golden Boy" can actually captain the test side.

Exactly!! They have backed themselves into a large corner, by not being pro active enough since particularly the last ashes series in england.

And my aint we paying for it big time. The Captain is mentally fatigued, and in the field is looking desperate, whilst the anointed one has a dodgy back which will always need to be managed for the rest of his career.

Batted well today but undid it all in the last over sadly. Marcus North will be sleepless tonight. We still don't know whether he can cut it. What a shambles B)

Who is "we?" You mean you ! He can't cut it.

I've been on North's exclusion from the Test team case since before the NZ tour.

Who is "we?"

I've been on North's exclusion from the Test team case since before the NZ tour.

Point Taken sorry!!!!! How is he still in the side?? Do you think one day Ricky will tell all?

How in the world do you figure that this would be a good time for Clarke to take over the captaincy?

How's last summer's 11 coming along?

Isn't it obvious 45? He's supposed tolead the side from the sidelines.

Ponting needs a rest. He is exhausted, you can see it. Trying to hard, and getting desperate.

But as a major selector he has bought a lot of it on himself sadly.

Not unlike someone we know......hmmmmm !

"Major selector" - Ponting would have some say... but 'major ?' - how do you know that ?

How's last summer's 11 coming along?

Excellent question. Avoided again no doubt.

How is it coming along WYL ?

You still haven't named your preferred eleven. Christmas has arrived.

Stuart Broad's out for the series. Harsh for him, but that helps us. One less bowler today.

I think Bresnan will come in for him as he can bat a bit, like Broad. If they play Tremlett their tail gets really long.

First session is crucial. Don't think it will rain until later in the afternoon so North has to tough it out.

Not unlike someone we know......hmmmmm !

"Major selector" - Ponting would have some say... but 'major ?' - how do you know that ?

Excellent question. Avoided again no doubt.

How is it coming along WYL ?

You still haven't named your preferred eleven. Christmas has arrived.

if you don't think Ponting is a major Selector at Present HT, that is just Niave my friend.

Ponting has had a big say for a long time, sadly too long. And it is now back firing on him.

if you don't think Ponting is a major Selector at Present HT, that is just Niave my friend.

Ponting has had a big say for a long time, sadly too long. And it is now back firing on him.

The word is "naive".

Given some of your past misunderstandings about the operations of cricket, its brave and some unsubstantiated claim on another poster.

And again you have the pins into the selectors voodoo dolls over selections over the past 12 months (and not the four years you have tried to hide behind.

Any chance you might document your address the selection of the 11 or the changes you would have made that would have changed this situation?

You are very good at sticking the boots in to public figures often without substance, knowledge or accuracy but cant put up a plausible case or a sensible alternative arrangement.

You should know better with cricket Rhino, its never over till the fat lady puts in an appearance

I think I see the fat lady now.....

I am sure I saw her a couple of days ago as well. B)

On a more serious note would you drop both North and Doherty for the Perth Test?

What ever replacement spinner you pick then goes it alone in the spin department. Hate to say it but I am not comfortable with Smith... Hauritz?...That hurts.

The word is "naive".

Given some of your past misunderstandings about the operations of cricket, its brave and some unsubstantiated claim on another poster.

And again you have the pins into the selectors voodoo dolls over selections over the past 12 months (and not the four years you have tried to hide behind.

Any chance you might document your address the selection of the 11 or the changes you would have made that would have changed this situation?

You are very good at sticking the boots in to public figures often without substance, knowledge or accuracy but cant put up a plausible case or a sensible alternative arrangement.

series is all over by December 7 before lunch....., i think that says it all really. I just wish the same philosophy is put into the Australian cricket side as was done to the MFC over the past 4 years.

Everybody seemed to fully agree to that, But with cricket, it is too conservative. That is my opinion & i shall be sticking to it.

At present the Batsmen cannot post a defendable score & the Bowlers can't take wickets. That is the facts, but continue to bag me, i find it quite humorous really.

RR i shall reply to your PM when i get some time to do it properly, it is worth 100% concentration.

Edited December 7, 201014 yr by why you little

Pathetic. But good bowling from England. Took the new ball and it worked, getting Hussey, who played a poor shot, and then Haddin. Our two in-form batsmen. Swann's doing the rest.

Our spin woes started when we dropped Krejza after 2 Tests. Since then we have played Hauritz and Doherty, who can't spin it, and Smith, who's 2-3 years away from being any good at Test level. IMO Krejza spins it the most out of all Australian bowlers but I don't see him getting a game any time soon. It's patently clear that we need a decent spin bowler who can break partnerships and help us get 10 wickets an innings but Doherty's not the answer, and frankly, Hauritz and Smith aren't either.

Batting woes are still there. North should be gone now. Just can't do it. Katich is injured and won't play, so you'd expect Hughes to get another crack. Watson needs to learn that 50 isn't enough, Ponting needs to find some form badly.

3/238, now 9/297. We continue to lose wickets in clumps and if we ever get into a position of advantage we let it slip. Now we need to win 2 of the last 3 games to win the Ashes back. Can't see that happening with this team.

For mine, Hughes comes in for Katich, D. Hussey or White comes in for North (hopefully one of them will tear England's bowlers to shreds in the tour game) and then there'll probably be a change in the pace bowlers, Bollinger was no good so maybe someone will get his spot.

Edit: Katich is out for the series. Might be the end for him. Sad, he's been one of our best performers over the last 2.5 years. Dependable with the bat, should have bowled more often too.

Edited December 7, 201014 yr by titan_uranus

series is all over by December 7 before lunch....., i think that says it all really. I just wish the same philosophy is put into the Australian cricket side as was done to the MFC over the past 4 years.

Everybody seemed to fully agree to that, But with cricket, it is too conservative. That is my opinion & i shall be sticking to it.

...

So you want Australian cricket to bottom out and toss games for 3 years to get draft picks??

I dont think anyone is in agreement with you WYL because you cant articulate or substantiate a consistent, thoughtful and plausible point of view beyond sweeping generalisation and puffing your chest with statement that show you have a lack of understanding about what you are talking about.

No one is happy with the result but I dont think the solutions are at all straightforward and there is not any goose to lay the golden egg. And has been pointed out, you have not despite being requested to do so put forward any plausible answers.

From here, we need to win 2 of the last 3 Tests to win the Ashes.

They need to only win one of them, any one of them, and the Ashes are theirs.

5/620 vs 20/549. That's a shellacking if you've ever seen one.

If they play Tremlett their tail gets really long.

If I were an English selector I wouldn't care about that. Since the first innings of the first Test, the Australians have shown that, they are completely incapable of getting anywhere near the English tail. I'd be backing the batsmen in and just picking the next best bowler.

..

For mine, Hughes comes in for Katich, D. Hussey or White comes in for North (hopefully one of them will tear England's bowlers to shreds in the tour game) and then there'll probably be a change in the pace bowlers, Bollinger was no good so maybe someone will get his spot.

Edit: Katich is out for the series. Might be the end for him. Sad, he's been one of our best performers over the last 2.5 years. Dependable with the bat, should have bowled more often too.

Fair changes.

I am not sure who you would pick for Bollinger but I would certainly drop him.

Dont agree about Krejza. Had a day when he numbers came up in India but has bowled poorly since then and struggles at Shield level now. He can certainly come back if he shows form but he is patchy atm. We didnt have a spinner pre Warne and this is more of the same.

If I were an English selector I wouldn't care about that. Since the first innings of the first Test, the Australians have shown that, they are completely incapable of getting anywhere near the English tail. I'd be backing the batsmen in and just picking the next best bowler.

Agree. They could hide him and bat him at 5 knowing he probably never get a hit.

From here, we need to win 2 of the last 3 Tests to win the Ashes.

They need to only win one of them, any one of them, and the Ashes are theirs.

The Ashes is already theirs physically and otherwise. Not that they would do this but they could draw the next 2 and get the same outcome.

So you want Australian cricket to bottom out and toss games for 3 years to get draft picks??

Now that's just beng silly RR, an attempt at Humour. No i am not expecting Draft picks, but i do believe the selectors have done too little for too long. And now we have really hit the wall with a Bang.

it shall be entertaining to observe....

If I were an English selector I wouldn't care about that. Since the first innings of the first Test, the Australians have shown that, they are completely incapable of getting anywhere near the English tail. I'd be backing the batsmen in and just picking the next best bowler.

True that.

But given they have Shahzad and Bresnan, and they all bowled pretty well in Hobart, and the man they're replacing is Broad, I'd say the other two are ahead at the moment. But I guess they'll all, with Panesar, get a game vs Victoria in a bowl-off.

I am not sure who you would pick for Bollinger but I would certainly drop him.

Didn't justify his selection. Didn't look fit either.

Johnson doesn't deserve a recall yet. He needs time to work on his action. Hilfenhaus is useless, and Nasher's rumour is one I subscribe to. I don't see any future in him.

So maybe it'll be a left-field pick. Peter George took a five-for last week or the week before, Clint McKay continues to bowl well for Victoria. If Mitchell Starc wasn't injured I'd look at him too. Same deal with Andrew McDonald.

I have a gut-feeling it'll be Johnson even though that's not what I'd do.

Dont agree about Krejza. Had a day when he numbers came up in India but has bowled poorly since then and struggles at Shield level now. He can certainly come back if he shows form but he is patchy atm. We didnt have a spinner pre Warne and this is more of the same.

But of all the guys we've tried, Krejza remains the only one who properly turns the ball. Yes, he leaked runs, but two Tests, against the two best sides in the world, isn't exactly the easiest task. Meanwhile Hauritz's credits come from a summer against the two worst sides, Pakistan and the Windies.

I still think if we'd kept Krejza in there and persisted with him maybe we'd be in a better situation than we are.

..... but i do believe the selectors have done too little for too long.

What specifically should they have done? Who should they have selected? And what guarantees that from the existing talent pool in Australian cricket over the past 12 months would have made a significant change to the situation?

Put something of substance up WYL. It cant be that hard can it?

....

Peter George looked lamentable in Tasmania. I will go for Clinton McKay.

Krejza leaked over 5 runs an over in Test Cricket when he last played. Its a deathknell. He went back to Shield level to develop and didnt. I dont rule him out in the future but I dont rule him in at the moment. Although they plucked Gavin Robertson from obscurity (but he was from NSW B) )

But of all the guys we've tried, Krejza remains the only one who properly turns the ball. Yes, he leaked runs, but two Tests, against the two best sides in the world, isn't exactly the easiest task. Meanwhile Hauritz's credits come from a summer against the two worst sides, Pakistan and the Windies.

I still think if we'd kept Krejza in there and persisted with him maybe we'd be in a better situation than we are.

I agree, a very mystifying decision,a guy takes 8 wickets bowling for australia & then is literally Turfed out...without explanation. Brad Hodge another. Sad timing about McDonald, but once again pathetic Fixturing, that stupid ch 9 celebrity match!!! The lead up to this series has been just so bad.

England meanwhile played 4 day games to get ready...

Peter George looked lamentable in Tasmania. I will go for Clinton McKay.

Agree re: George but there's precious little else.

Forgot about Mark Cameron btw. He's a chance, surely. He swings it for starters.

I wish Brett Lee hadn't retired. He's the kind of spearhead we need.

I agree, a very mystifying decision,a guy takes 8 wickets bowling for australia & then is literally Turfed out...without explanation. Brad Hodge another. Sad timing about McDonald, but once again pathetic Fixturing, that stupid ch 9 celebrity match!!! The lead up to this series has been just so bad.

England meanwhile played 4 day games to get ready...

McDonald got injured in the Sheffield Shield. Not that T20 game.

And there was an explanation for Krejza being dropped, that being he leaked far too many runs.

Edited December 7, 201014 yr by titan_uranus

McDonald got injured in the Sheffield Shield. Not that T20 game.

And there was an explanation for Krejza being dropped, that being he leaked far too many runs.

Careful on too many facts now!

How could they fixture a Shield game near a Test?

Brett Lee at 36 with flat trajectory would have been 130 kmh fodder in Adelaide (so long as he did not break down)

Brett Lee at 36 with flat trajectory would have been 130 kmh fodder in Adelaide (so long as he did not break down)

He's still bowling over 140 in the Ryobi Cup. His flat trajectory never hurt him before.

The point wasn't 'Let's bring Lee back', it was more 'I wish we has someone like Lee to bring in'.

McDonald got injured in the Sheffield Shield. Not that T20 game.

And there was an explanation for Krejza being dropped, that being he leaked far too many runs.

Fair enough, those matches must have been played at the same time, i didn't watch the Ch 9 debacle, was it Tim Paine who was injured that night?

Both injuries were crucial Blows.

Spin Bowlers often go for runs early in there career, but when you bag an 8 for, it's still going to be a low score overall.

Krejza was very poorly treated IMO.