Selectors or Sabatuers??

After the most recent humiliation in the ODI against Sri Lanka I am forced to ask the question. Are the selectors deliberately sabotaging our cause? How can a kid take 4 for plus a brilliant run out and then be replaced by Hauritz in the next game? If this is their ridiculous rotation policy I am horrified. Surely we don't have the depth of talent to be resting obviously in form players? Hauritz's form has hardly foced him into the side.
Apart from harming Australia's chances it also belittles a brilliant performance by Doherty. The best by an Aussie for quite a while which should have won us the game. Clarke's captaincy was woeful. The senior bowlers failed to step up when the game was there for the taking and the one that gets it in the ring gear is the BOG?
Congratulation Hilditch and Co. you have managed to top yourselves.

Kiltage, have left the building!

Sledgeys new Heritage of Wales cilt

heads up blokes:
the order of our cricket attire has been packaged and picked up by the freight company in Paisley (Glasgow).

estimated landing date this tuesday.(9/11)
as i said, this company are very good and have always been early- estimated date when order placed was the 15th (i think).

i will keep you informed as i know more, or you could track it yourselves:

http://fedex.com/Tracking

FEDEX- TRACKING # 790729795016

Lay down Aussie... or you smash my bouncer, here's another bouncer!

Who knows what i'm thinking?

Well, if it rhymes with, "Why would you constantly bowl short balls (many too slow or going down leg side or wide!) when they keep getting hit for boundaries?" you'd be spot on.

Now there are many fine deliveries that can be bowled in cricket and the bouncer is one of them. And, rubbish balls do get good batsmen out, but good balls are needed to get tailenders out. Malinga and Mathews last night proved that not enough thought is going into strategy within our bowling squad... and that clearly that part of the team will let their frustration override their focus on their task!

Siddle and Hastings just kept banging them in too short (it is bloody hard to slog a yorker to the boundary boys!) Jonno continued going too far across and away to the right handers- if you are going to negate the possibility of LBW, why not mix it up a little Mitch and come around the wicket?

Watson bowled a better line and length, but was still a tad short to allow the subtle movement he was getting to come into play, therefore, ineffective.

Smith was ridiculously under used particularly when the 2 right handers were taking a long handle to everyone else! If your back was sore too (like Marsh) what the hell is going on with our conditioning coaching?

Doherty... well, what a first few overs he had; he won us the game with his run out and 4/15... but wait a minute...

It is easy to be critical from the sidelines...so i will continue to be!
Pup, if Smith is landing them, bowl him (to r/h tailenders particularly!).

Hastings, what the hell are you even there for!??!!!??

We all know the score wasn't enough, so the batting squad needs to get a full length mirror too!

I said Doherty won us the game, and without a doubt he opened the double doors, not by getting Sangakarra out (he got himself out, even though it was a good ball), but by getting the other wickets that pushed Sangakarra into that mindset that produced such a shot. For mine, Kumar looks very complete (again) this season and will be difficult to contain- i doubt he'll throw it away like that in the next 2 games!

I thought the plan was to get a couple of wins under the belt to build momentum before the cricket season started... when you give away a game like that, i'd imagine Australia just put ALL of the pressure back on themselves for the rest of the season!
Does Australia need a repeat of the Montreal Olympics (no success) to revamp every facet of its cricketing structure? I hate losing, but if it takes a summer of no joy to shake things up, so be it, because last night SUCKED!

stoph verismo
down the wicket


p.s Congrats Malinga on your best ODI score. you had fun, took us on, and won...a good night out.

the shame!

double dose of shame today:
1) because i watched the Aus innings last night (my boy was very excited to have cricket back- that is the ONLY reason i watched).
2) the Aus innings itself last night!

My shame in watching will wane.
The team's shame should be very acute today! what a poor performance! Apart from some crisp hitting by Haddin and Smith we can take nothing from what i saw.

to their credit, Sri Lanka bowled realy good line and length allowing little to be put away, but if T-20 is a batsmans game, why did ours fail to make runs?

not having watched the SL innings i can't comment on how our bowlers looked more than just going by their scorecard...

Selectors select to eject...

So, Chapelli is in as a full time selector and there isn't room for 5 so someone had to go.....
Hilditch is the boss so he is safe that leaves Merv, Cox and Boon.
Why oh why would you remove Merv Hughes...He is the only Bowler in the group, has paid his dues (rising from selecting for Footscray 2's then the 1st's then the Vic's. then 5 and a half years in the Aussie team.
Not taking anything away from Boon or Cox (although I will as Cox {correct me if I am wrong} never pulled on the Baggy Green) who have been incumbents for a while have at the very least shown a little faith in the team.
Hilditch should have been the one to have been retired....even if he stayed for the last six months of his contract, he is the obvious choice out of the 4 to have been given his marching orders.
To not have a Test Bowler in the ranks of the selection crew is a travesty.
'Nuff Said.

Outside Sledge

guess the boxing day crowd

given the last Ashes Boxing day test had the record crowd of 89,155- as well as Warne likely to get his 700th wicket and last home test. who wants a crack at this years crowd figure.

i'll have a dip at 83,985
but hopefully more!

you have been informed! ...and, getting closer!

26-10-2010

you know what that means?

2 months today until boxing day!

...and only 1 month to go until the first test!

so with that in mind i thought i should move away from high fashion and get back onto this blogs actual subject; CRICKET.

smarmy bastard Jimbo Anderson is reportedly 75% fit and bowling again after being beaten around the ring in the now not-so-secret training camp in Bavaria.
Sustaining a cracked rip in a boxing session, Anderson is still completely in the mix for the first test stated African Andy#1 (Flower). If the recovery process takes longer than expected, i would imagine that the undisclosed perp (Chris Tremlett) may not get a look in until his extra height and bounce is required in Perth. This by way of having his wrist slapped for what is clearly a bad judgement call for hitting Jimbo in the body when the obvious target is his smirky bonce!

African Andy#1 has also seen the need to side step KP's PP performance back at home (SA) in what was meant to be his get-back-to-form trip playing for Kwazulu Natal Dolphins. In 2 knocks KP made 36 in the first and in the second, only required the scorer to put a dot and then a 0.
Now i'm not going to join the queue of people saying KP is D.O.A- i like his exciting style, but if he fails to find form it is a BIG psych advantage given how well he played over here last time.

Pistol Pete hey-diddle-diddle is pushing hard for a test recall after banging up his back in January.
He has steadily increased his work load with the Bushrangers and is now lined up for the Sri Lankan short form games. For mine, it is also good to see Haddin back in this squad, one made up entirely of Vic's and NSW players... not a little retrograde ACB?... i mean CA.

The Redbacks must be wincing a bit at the moment with Cosgrove getting his considerable weight behind his good eye and belting 159 for Tasmania against Victoria. Called a chronic boombar last year and asked to leave Sth Oz, Cosgrove's innings has kept the Tigers in the mix against a Bushrangers side that appears well on the way to continuing last seasons successes.

Australia's batting Lazarus Matt Haydos Hayden has come out publicly saying he sees a lot of himself in Phil Hughes. Fair point, but for mine the only way Hughes can cement his place back in the side is to show that he has the technique and mental edge this summer against the Poms. Found suss against the mind games more than the lifting balls last time in Blighty, Hughes must dominate the touring quicks on tracks that he should be familiar with, but will also allow the ball to get big on him more if the England bowler continue on with their theory.

Pup is adamant he is up to the challenge of a full dance card for the summer and that is the best way for him to get back in the runs. So who should we blame if his back goes again? Or should Cosgrove get Pups spot if that situation arises?

you have been informed.
stoph verismo
down the wicket

once in a lifetime offer! ...or at least, this Ashes tour!

hi guys,
the stencils for the T-shirts are slowly taking form...what a task!
i have the t-s, sorry but the only mens ones i could get are like Sledgey's and my very pale yellow ones.

we all should look rather cool on that front...thanks for your contributions of copy

Now, the reason for this post; as you know, i will be honoring my scot/irish heritage this year at boxing day (and Adelaide) by wearing my T with a kilt.... looks so cool BTW, just wore it to main street and if i was single...

so the Q is, on monday i will be ordering another (spare- non clan) kilt from Scotland for myself, and a Welsh one for Blacky (Mr I'm soooo hungover lasts year), does anyone else want one? i have an account with this company and they are good, but if you want one you need to act now. a "Blackwatch" (military-non clan, party kilt) will cost you 25 pounds, the cheapest sporran is around !7 ponds, and you could use any belt you had...or buy at the store.

the place i'll be going is http://www.heritageofscotland.com so if you see something you like, let me know, asap. ordeering on monday to ensure delivery, so you have the weekend.

i have created a soft toy kangaroo in the front undies to wear under mine at the cricket, so if you want to do it and see a stuffed toy (any animal) for your jocks, i will gladly tailor to suit.