Axis of Bob
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Everything posted by Axis of Bob
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Have Geelong activated that pick for this year? -
It looks like that was his dominant half of the game too!
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700 cases .... is that total or those in excess of the baseline? 10 deaths ..... or 10 deaths more than would be expected? Nearly 4000 people died in the Bhopal disaster. Does this mean that we should not make pesticides? Because that's the same argument you are making. Alternatively, over 300 people die every year in Victoria through road accidents. This means that we should ban cars. The alternative to the pretty clean energy production of nuclear energy is that we produce our electricity by burning coal (since that is the only viable large scale alternative at the moment) which has far worse side effects. It's just that the issues with coal are easier to see and so people aren't as scared. It's the same as why people don't think twice about driving their car, but get irrationally fearful when they get onto a plane. It doesn't make sense to be scared, but it's because very few people understand enough about it.
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There has been a massive overreaction to the Fukushima nuclear issue. It's not sexy to go into bat for nuclear power, but the fact is that most people do not understand it well enough to have an informed opinion. Most people are just scared because they can't see what's happening and their only understanding is 'radiation = death'. Have a look at the worst nuclear accident that has ever happened - Chernobyl. How many people do you think died as a result of that? How many people actually died? How many people died of Thyroid cancer as a result of it? This is now over 20 years later, so the long term effects are well known. People are only scared because they don't know enough about it.
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He really paid for that early attack, Cadel. The problem is that he is a very similar type of rider to Wiggins, but he's not time trialling as well as him. Evans is a better climber, but he's not a dynamic rider. He's used to covering moves in a similar way to what Wiggins does, and then beating them on the time trial. He's not really an attacking climber that can break Wiggins on the climb with bursts of acceleration. Unfortunately he's been forced to ride in a different style because of Wiggins' superior time trialling Wiggins is being Cadel, and Cadel is trying to be Schleck ...... but not a very good Schleck. More like Dean Waugh, rather than Steve or Mark.
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Did Sky miss a trick, though? Evans was really struggling when he got back to the group, but they slowed down and allowed Evans to recover in the group. If they kept the pedal down until the summit then they could easily have dropped him. Interesting that Porte was dropped today after doing the pacing yesterday.
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Ha, no more than 1 minute later, Cadel attacks!
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This is building to be something interesting.
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Cadel's big advantage is that he's done it before. He's lasted the distance and was going well at the end. The last time trial and the last mountain stages are as much about having a tough body after 2.5 weeks of torture as it is about talent. He just needs to keep up the pressure and stay patient. I remember when Sastre won it a few years ago. He did nothing for 2.5 weeks and then won it in the last few days. Last year Schleck almost won it on a single stage at the end when everyone was exhausted (except Evans). Evans doesn't need to get desperate, he needs to stay patient and pick his time. Is that time tonight? I don't know, but I'm looking forward to finding out!
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Cadel rode his strongest at the end of last year's tour. Last night wasn't a tough enough stage to do real damage. Tonight is the big stage that could do damage, and there is a stage later on where it finishes after a big descent. Watching last night, Wiggins is an awful descender. Riders were being backed up behind him the whole way. Evans had a few chances to go last night, despite the attention, but he didn't. He could have driven the descent, because he was in position, but he stayed back in the field. I kept thinking that there was a reason for it. I think that it is a game of attrition for him, where he's tiring out the Sky team to isolate Wiggins when he's least comfortable. There will be some sore boys after last night, though. Tonight's stage is a good 'un. 2 uncategorised climbs and a cat 1 finish. It will be very interesting.
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Evans looked a lot more comfortable on the climb - it was very encouraging. That was just one short climb and you could get team mates with you if they only needed one effort after being fresh from an easy week. As they get deeper into the tour, it will be harder and harder for Wiggins to get his team around him and he'll become more isolated. Especially on really tough stages with repeat high mountains. It was also not a particularly important stage for Evans to have his team with him, as it wasn't a long climb. The test for Evans will be with the time trial(s). Wiggins' pet discipline is the time trial, so it would be a massive thing if Evans could keep with him. Once the mountains come then we'll see how good Wiggins really is.
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Ha! I was up at that point watching us as we were collapsing. All I was hoping that they'd bowl badly to Hilfy and he'd smack a quick 30 odd. Harris batted very well and Lyon was fantastic! I was waiting for the moment when Nathan Lyon was going to surpass Siddle's highest first class score of 45. The way Lyon was batting it looked like he'd get there comfortably too. I'm still not exactly thrilled with our tail (despite their performance this match). Before this match Harris averaged 10 with that bat, Siddle 15, Hilfy 15 and Lyon 8. We are fine if these guys batted from 9 on, but we lack a real number 8 who is capable of playing long innings. They are all capable 'Brett Lees', but not many 'Mitchell Johnsons'. Pattinson should become that number 8 in time, as he looks very accomplished, so I'm not as worried as a long term issue.
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Exactly. I just loved Sehwag justifying being pounded by Australia (could have been 3 innings defeats) by saying that India beat Australia 2-0 in India 18 months ago. Wow. Two tight tests (India won by 1 wicket after a huge 9th wicket partnership, and needed to chase over 200 in the other Test) that they won at home 18 months ago, versus 4-0 with three absolute drubbings. "We are driving back the infidels!!"
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I assume that we all agree that Dhoni isn't the world's best captain, but from what I'm seeing here he's the best that India have. As a club cricketer, I'd be disappointed to get out to Sehwag. So I don't know how he considers himself the most dangerous bowler to start after tea to two top international players approaching their centuries.
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Clarke is a prototypical number 5. Excellent player of spin, but can be a little susceptible to the new ball early in his innings. Moving Clarke to number 3 would mean that you'd create two problems instead of one. I think Khawaja could be there in the long term. Former opener who can play long innings and play the new ball.
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My theory is that Haddin will keep going, regardless, until Paine is fit. Paine is the best keeper in the country and the Australian keeping job is his. It would be very difficult to put Wade in for a series knowing that Paine is going to come straight into the side, regardless of how Wade performs. It's easier for Haddin to keep going rather than face the sticky situation of having to drop a performing player when Wade makes runs against a poor attack on featherbed West Indian pitches.
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Cowan batted very well. But they batted really well as a partnership. The Indian bowlers bowled absolute rubbish to them but it was, in part, caused by the batsmen. Warner put away everything, so the bowlers started changing their plans to him and, as a flow on, Cowan. They stopped bowling a good line and length and waiting for a mistake. That's how Australia has dealt with Sehwag, by just hitting good areas and waiting for him to edge or get himself out. It was like watching park bowlers bowling to a slogger. He may smash one or two of the good length balls on off stump, but he's just as likely to nick, miss or sky one. And they kept on with it to Cowan, who just put away the trash when it came. And I think we're seeing the good Starc today and yesterday. When he has rhythm and, hence, consistency he is a really dangerous bowler. He just needs to develop more Jekyll and less Hyde.
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It appears that it was the Twenty20 pitch from earlier in the week that they were on .... for 7 minutes! I see nothing wrong in celebrating a job well done (ie, the preparation of a test pitch) by 'christening' the square with an end of work beer. It's their grand final and they have put in a lot of hard work. It's a case of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing. And if you read Indian newspapers, the quality is very poor. Even worse than the Hun as far as sensationalism goes.
