Ashes 2013 - Australia tour of England June/August 2013

[barmyarmy]

I had assumed Pattinson and Agar were in the side as batsmen who could turn their arms over occasionally.

 

[midgetwars]

And Watson and Smith are bowlers who can bat a little.

 

[Dutch]

This article really touched me actually and put a real human face on the whole "we crushed the Aussies" thing. Yes, I love beating them, and want to show no mercy but it is refreshing to stand still now and then and think what it means for these guys.

None of them want to lose or play badly and must be hating the press they are getting at the moment.

I actually hope they come back strong and out up a decent fight...not win, but show they are capable, as we know they are....

The Investec Ashes 2013 : Tearful James Pattinson falls victim to batting failures | Cricket News | Australia in England - The Investec Ashes | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[puddleduck]

This warmup series is going on a bit too long, when's the first test?

 

[Umair7]

In the warm ups we were playing like we are going to win the series 5-0 but in the first two tests we played like we want to loss 5-0

 

[angryangy]

That's true. I would quite fancy facing Smith and Agar in an Ashes test...

I think Smith is that sort of bowler though, the batsman's eyes light up because he might drop one too full or too short, but he does give it a bit of a rip. Even on a full toss, the ball might dip due to top spin and then you find yourself bunting it back at the bowler.

 

[Aislabie]

For anyone who fancies a laugh, here's James Taylor batting with six-foot-eleven Will Jefferson.

 

[sifter132]

^Heh, that is amusing

No comment yet on another mystery young spinner from Aus appearing??
The Investec Ashes 2013 : Nathan Lyon presses for recall as six rested | Cricket News | Australia in England - The Investec Ashes | ESPN Cricinfo
Ashton Turner is a 20 year old off spinner who's been hanging around in England playing low level stuff, but now he's playing in the game vs Sussex! Not sure why, as Faulkner, Agar, Lyon, Bird and Starc are in the XI as well. Absolutely no need for a 6th bowler, but anyway...
Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Shane Watson, Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle and Ryan Harris are all being rested.

My initial reaction was to rant about how the Aussie batsmen needed form, but a cursory glance at the 2 warmup games already shows that Clarke, Haddin, Watson and Rogers all made at least some runs - Watson and Clarke made 100s. To me that implies that their problems, especially Watson, is completely mental as much as anything. Probably just as good to rest that brain as it might be to hit more meaningless runs.

 

[barmyarmy]

Their problem is that none of the county bowlers are as good as James Anderson.

 

[Umair7]

Ashton Agar Ashton Turner whats next

 

[barmyarmy]

We've sent instructions out to Sussex to make Turner look unplayable and take at least 6 wickets.

 

[midgetwars]

I don't like the puns that will follow when the Ashtons Agars and Turner get lots of wickets.

I mean the 19y Ashton already had Agar the 'orrible and Ash-Ton.

WHAT IS IT with Australian batsmen and getting out settled in?

 

[sifter132]

Lets check the overnight scores from Hove...Cowan 66, Hughes 84, Khawaja 40, Smith 98*, Wade 0, Faulkner 48. Again, it's the usual issue - getting a start, not making a big score out of it. Not exactly clearing up the selection picture with those scores either. Except Wade's tilt at a spot appears to be over. If Hughes had failed, he'd probably be replaced by Warner for the 3rd Test, but he managed to survive an edgy start and score some runs. Now David Warner's 193 starting to look less and less brilliant with Elgar and Tsolekile putting on big runs for SA A on the same pitch.