Thursday, 25 November 2010

Hey Diddle Diddle!

How good is Siddle!
An enthralling day of cricket that both sides fought for ascendancy at the end of the day. Egland looked the better at lunch and at tea looked to be in the drivers seat....although without their belt on!
Enter The Woodchopper from Benalla! Siddle was the best bowler all day pitching it up to the batsmen inviting them to play shot all day....but he was far too good for them. I was in the car for the hattrick and had worried motorists all around me as I was leaning on the horn as he took the 2nd and 3rd wicket for his hattrick.
Doherty was fantastic, bowling efficiently and getting some reward at the end of the day.
Hilf did his job. Johnson was Johnson and would be hoping that that is enough for the second test.
Ponting's only mishap for the day was losing the toss, his bowling changes were exemplary and his fields supported well.
Bring on day 2 and a 400 run 1st innings for the Aussies!

Wooooooohoooooooooo

It's ON, like Donkey Kong.

Go you Aussies!!! Flog the bejeesus out of those no tub, whinging, shirt lifting, pillow biting, tea drinking, yellow bellied soft as shite Poms!

as Gough said, "It's time."

the Ashes series has started (well, in 2 hours after this posting), but the war of words and tabloid BS is in full swing in Blighty and well, here too.

The centre for "quality" journalism is going flat chat tearing strips off Ponting, with headlines and copy such as: You're once, twice, three times a loser (and we love you for that, Ricky!). Bring on those saggy greens. Strauss invoked the jaw-jutting spirit of Douglas Jardine on the eve of the Ashes battle and welcomed Mitchell Johnson's threat of a bouncer war".

Under the headline "Sick Rick", The Sun said that Ponting heads into the opening Test "looking like a man about to be publicly executed".

"Out of form, ageing and with an unforgiving Australian public loading their bullets, Ponting knows he has a huge target strapped to his chest".

The Mirror was keen to keep the focus largely on the game, expecting the walls of Australia's Gabba fortress to "come crumbling down within a week".


anyway, who cares what they think- for opinion that really counts, here is mine - polemic or otherwise, but totally correct; because i am stoph verismo!

the toss of the coin is exactly that- a toss. so there is no point banging on about ifs and buts; it will be humid on a green top- win the toss BOWL! and get out for a bat in after tea.

Doherty- i don't know. He is there for KP and Trott, apart from that, he better be able to "shut down" runs. i agree with Rod Hogg and think the Rug as opener with Hilf was the way to go as Jono MUST NOT open bowl; he prefers not to, as does his record.

also while on Rodd Hogg- he and Jon Anderson gave Hilditch an honest spray in their column "Chin Music". They were good value last summer, and i predict they will be the biggest hit of the Ashes.

While mentioning Jono, i've got to say, his threats of a bouncer barrage -particularly against African Andy #2- seem pointless to me unless he can find a MUCH better line... and if ALL the quicks learn to bowl a sandshoe-crusher!

Anyway, this is the only ground i'm prepared to give Strauss after he hauled out the standard English shit stirrer response to the actual Ashes not coming here should we win, "It is too fragile and is at the home of cricket for a reason." Sorry AA, what was that reason? the home of TEST CRICKET is the MCG, and the Ashes represents Test cricket between Australia and England, not cricket on the whole! i know you are only saying this to get a rise out of us Andy, but it only makes a fool of you when you are getting the relevance wrong. Learn your history...son!

and to finish up:
my vote for the 2 best bits of media today: we've all heard of the Gabba referred to as Fortress Gabba- but Will Swanton's label of the "Gabbattoir" is the best i've heard in a while.
and as a leggie, i like Robert Craddock's: "In this country, leg spinners are the stars while offies are the road crew, harassed from all quarters, and seen as tradesman of last resort."

this has been brought to you by Stoph Verismo
down the wicket


ps. another ton to Hodge...hmmmmm

Tuesday, 23 November 2010

Tickets please

Should we be thinking of buying tickets for Day 2 & 3 in Adelaide?

I heard it could be sold out?

Lefty??

Predictions...

Ok, after all the media guff and speculation it's time to put on record how we think this Series will pan out.
Categories:
1st Test result
Series result
Most runs
Most wickets
Man of the series
Best dressed fans

Here's mine.

1st Test: Australia wins by 5 wickets
Series result: Australia win 3-1
Most runs: Ponting
Most wickets: Johnson
Man of the Series: Ponting

Time is running out to get your team into the fantasy cricket comp. go to: http://cricketdreamteam.sportal.com.au/?p=team
League code: 259481

Thursday, 18 November 2010

I'd like to Purge the people of Earth...

....I mean urge the people of Perth, and Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and so on to look in their cupboards, drawers, in the shed...anywhere for some form please. Anyone who finds some form please send it to the Australian XI....sorry I mean XVII.

Yesterdays batting efforts in Shield or tour matches:

P. Hughes: 11
Khawaja: 13
S. Smith: 59
C. Ferguson: 7
M Hussey: 0 (off 18)
M. North: 17
S. Watson: 6
S. Katich: 1
P. Jaques 28
B.Haddin: 10
R. Ponting 7

Hussey and North were the worst considering that WA made 320 runs on the MCG.
The Sydney pitch must be suspect (why did Kat choose to bat??????)
And Hobart was a good call by the Enlish on a bowler friendly day and pitch.

Monday, 15 November 2010

DTW Ashes player profiles in 5 words or less

A.Srtauss: Captain personality can win!
R.Ponting: just bat, that's all!
A.Cook: Average against Australia- a joke!
M.Clarke: not superman, what's most important?
S.Katich: hope he's fit!
J.Trott: NOT!
S.Watson: still not an opener!
I.Bell: a ring in? surprisingly not!
M.Hussey: hasn't checked the clock yet?
P.Collingwood: "..old Collingwood, forever."
M.North: knows something about someone!
E.Morgan: nick knack Paddy whack!
U.Khwaja: everyone knows it's his time!
K.P: D.O.A
C.Ferguson: what else must he do?
M.Prior: who won the toss?
B.Haddin: solid, but watching over shoulder!
S.Davies: please explain?
S.Smith: define roll please?
J.Anderson: can i bring my own?
M.Johnson: lucky people like his tatts!
T.Bresnan: Where's the tourist info office?
B.Hilfenhaus: keep it in the family!
S.Broad: tall man, short fuse!
P.Siddle: Latrobe valleys finest!
S.Finn: it's a 5 test series!
N.Hauritz: why have you forsaken me?
M.Panesar: staying in Bondi until required.
X.Doherty: Apple Isles forbidden fruit!
G.Swann: not too much pressure
R.Harris: try again!
C.Tremlett: to the glue factory please!

oz-ash-squad

so here is our (expanded) choices with less than a fortnight to go according to the latest release from CA.

Ricky Ponting (c), Michael Clarke (vc), Doug Bollinger, Xavier Doherty, Callum Ferguson, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Usman Khawaja, Marcus North, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Shane Watson.

no huge surprises and typically we all at DTW pretty much had it covered!
with tour and SS games this week CA have basically put themselves in a position where if one of the new choices goes well, and if their in place player fails, it is remiss not to include that new player; and quite frankly, if that is the case, no excuse is good enough!

the main 2 "inform" players i see missing are: D. Hussey (maybe thought to be too old, or...)
and Ronnie Mac (maybe too... ok, i'll say it, "TOO VICTORIAN!" back to back tons and tight effective bowling just doesn't cut it anymore it seems!