dee-luded

I went to the club lat night to watch it after they were 4 out. harris was fantastic, a huge change from his effort last test. and the variation of watto was very handy.

maca, its all truth. face it. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idolatry

No. they're your words. and your logic. he's partway to a good skipper. he runs the onfield like good oil. especially now in the past 10 - 12 months since boof came onboard. but his history speaks for itself with trouble with other past players in the sheds, and after the days play. thats is a part of his record. imo he now is leaning from boof, but he'll never be a really relaxed character from what I see. However, he is now getting on better with the players, & the team is functioning again, & Winning. he's gettin better at the skipper areas he was weak at. this is KEY to the redevelopment of this team. & I go so far as to say that if he didn't improve his ability to get along with the other players, then he would shortly have retired from injury. Now we are a force in world test cricket again. And look at the timing of Warne'y coming onboard this week.... for the next short version game, whilst still playing this last test match of this series. before we take on the Africaans in one day. I wonder if Warney has already had some mojo rub off on the team so far.

He's finally showed up under full provocation, to stand up & be counted; its about time after all these years. this was a gutsy knock, even if sometimes he turned his head sside on instead of watching the pill. but congratulations on a fine captains knock, one that should, after Warners fine lead, set us up for a win from here. now its up to mitch & patto.

Ii agree with you re selection. I have no qualms art all about what i said about clark. I haven't liked the way he has represented the Aussies, in his role as captain. he skippers well re positional changes. and so many of us have felt embarrassed by him as skipper along the way. he's starting to get a bit better, with a long way still to go. this innings he's faced a barrage at the body, its about time he had to face the chin music, instead of batting amongst the spinners down the order. so, with clark its embarrassment all round.... thats why he's just so popular I guess. that he needs media help to ramp up his popularity. almost as popular as Hird. just sayin

I don't hate clark at all. I want him to do well. but I want him to stop looking down on traditional Aussie ways. he's too good for those ways. because of his upbringing & driven by his insecurities. from his youth. its his elitist thinking that makes people feel uneasy about his ways. thats why he's unpopular. I have no personal feelings about him. I don't like the way the Australian captain represents the Australian test team... & I have no personal issue with you Macca, except you do seem to idolise national leaders, & defend them to the hilt. they are nothing more than Just people. like all of us.

kiss his feet macca your devotion to some sort of 'leader worship' is frightening. he's a soft whimpish sort, leave your adualtion for a better model mate. or when clark comes out of his own fear.

I'll barrack for PuP, when his transformation is more complete. he's still got a wayz to go in my eyes. he's caused a lot of conflict in the past & needs to continue to work on himself. tubby is still my fav' skip. & tugga.

actually it wasn't clark coming off winning 6 tests. It was the test team, On, & Off field, that won 6 tests. If it was clark, we would have won all tests in Ye Old` England. but alas, not so.

thats easy to say but as the skipper its about how he effects the rest of the side. if him falling off the order, puts the heat on less experienced batsmen, & they get less runs at the top of the order, & in particular in the first innings of our test matches; then maybe he should look at himself.

it may be how the site is communicating with your browser? or i don't know cookies or something. its happened to me a few times, but only seems to last a few minutes. as if a glitch happens & corrects. I use firefox

maybe try doing a clean of your computer with 'C' Cleaner... the registry, & the general clean? http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner - (free) cleaner http://www.piriform.com/defraggler - (free) defrag

thats happened to me a couple of times but rectifies itself. I'm not that tech savvy with software. nasher will know.

I think your responding to me, lol. I sense Clarke is getting better since Boof arrived, it must be tough for Clarke to relax imo, after he's had a difficult upbringing. Lets hope under Boof, he can learn to relax & mature, within the guidance. but IMO, Clarke will never feel able to let his hair down fully, & just be one of the boys. we'll do what we can.

I don't think he likes batting against raw pace. imo, Clark is too heavily invested in his status; even moreso than the team. just sayin.

That's why I would put Watto in at 3, for this match. Rome wasn't built in a day, they say Macca. after this series is done is the time to be more creative. not during. of no one gets to pick whether there is the side or not, or where they bat or bowl. not even clark.

batting order: I think they'll return it to to old order after this recent collapse at 3/4/5/7. even if for the short term. so Watto at 3. my longer term aim would be to try to arrange Marsh to open, with Warner at 3. another at 4 maybe Smith or Doolan from this lot. I'd be looking towards the eventual retirement of Clark & Watto with my batting order thinking. Rogers will eventually be replaced as well but it all needs to well stagger'd, with time in between shuffles.

rotation policy, no. but just that with back to back test series, with a key bowler to just be the icing on the cake in Sydney when he clearly needed an operation on his knee. They tried to stretch their luck, & its hurt us this 2nd test. We could also have used some more Venom on this dead track, so Pattinson should have been considered to replace Harris, who has been really struggling. Watto has to come in to help resettle the early order, & to add some variation. but we lose another fine fieldsman in Doolan IMO. Pattinson is a must. It'd be nice to come away with a win, and hopefully it wouldn't give us a false sense of "the jobs done", we've made it syndrome.

the 2nd test would have been the prefect time for a rest for Harris. with Pattinson coming in to fire hard. Harris could have finished off in the 3rd test, or gone for an Op'. ah hindsight. Harris should have had the Op' after the MCG test.

No doubt, but Siddle shouldn't be dropped, & I think Bird won't win us the test. < these 2 are almost competing for the same spot. but 2 strike bowlers will need more rest time, bowling in short bursts. leaving a lot of work to be done by Siddle, & who ever else can make up the numbers. If we are to Win this series, we'll need an attack to remove their bats quick smart. 2 strike bowlers backed up by great assists. & solid gutsy batting.

well actually he (bird) makes a good foil for 2 strike bowlers, Pattinson & Johnson, but Sidds has been concentrating on line & length. I think it could work. whats the pitch like coming up? is it a pace wicket, & will it break up & turn? can we afford 4 quicks? Australia: Test 2 1 David Warner 2 Chris Rogers 3 Watson Alex Doolan 4 Shaun Marsh 5 Michael Clarke © 6 Steven Smith 7 Brad Haddin (W) 8 Mitchell Johnson 9 Peter Siddle 10 Ryan Harris Pattinson 11th man > Nathan Lyon/Bird if Lyon misses out, Clark, Warner & Smith will all have to roll the arm over ?

I was thinking yesterday but I didn't want to say anything that may moz our chances, so I didn't mention or post the weather radar satellite maps, or mention changes, but I think experience has to come back in, & a bowler. I was thinking the last few days that Harris looks 'off' & tired. the obvious is Pattinson; but also Watson back in to settle the early order. The other alternative, but I can't remember if he's over there is Faulkner. What I would do after this SA Series is look at being creative with the early order, and look at shifting Warner to 3. I don't know If Doolan can open? or maybe Watson or Marsh can go there with Rogers, & Warner 1st drop. Now we are morphing the side since the ashes, keep Clark @ 5, because he doesn't like pace & plays spin well. as long as our early order can see off the pace attacks. Eventually we have to get Faulkner into the side as a regular in the late middle order... once he's settled in, Watto will be close to the end. as will Clark by that time. Australia: David Warner Chris Rogers Alex Doolan Watson Shaun Marsh Michael Clarke © Steven Smith Brad Haddin (W) Mitchell Johnson Peter Siddle Ryan Harris Pattinson,,, Faulkner? Nathan Lyon Having Johnson & Pattinson strike bowlers in tandem, gives us the firepower to win again, with siddle lyon & watson to share the work.

wow; I went to bed, we were 1 out for 100+ too any newbies doesn't work for team composure. rogers hits form, the others fold. disappointing. We're failing at 3, 4, & 5. & haddin not good enough to fold like that.

Yep. I suspect a bit of a let down this test from our mental attitude after winning the 1st test so comprehensively. Our batting effort; & to a lesser extent our bowling has lost a bit of edge IMO. Rogers, Clark, Haddin, all need to give more of themselves with some grit when its tough over there. take the bruises like Lyon & Siddle were prepared to do. we have to put up more resistance when we are being seriously tested. this game feels,,, in a mental arm wrestle sort of way, in a even position. we've handed back our short lived mental advantage to them.

its not looking too bright at the moment. lets hope the bumpers have angered our bowlers into a big effort.